Writing for Kenya

by Wangari Muoria-Sal

  maingĩ, ona kana mĩaka mĩingĩ.

  what should we do, our people?

  191

  Education, singing, playing and many other things are not impor-

  tant. Others are heard to say that these are sins. Consequently, there

  are three types of people.

  One group says the most important thing is to believe and pray,

  and that all else—like education, wealth, and living with other people

  who are not believers is sinful. Th

  at education is worldly knowledge

  and is sin; that wealth is worldly possessions and is sin; that playing is

  a worldly pleasure and is sin. Th

  at the only important thing, while we

  live in the world, is to grieve, praying and crying over the many sins

  one has committed. Because of this, one’s face starts to change, and

  one looks like someone bereaved. Even when you see him, you fear

  him, for his face has become repulsive.97

  Th

  e second group say the only important thing is to acquire wealth,

  that any means to get rich is acceptable, and that eff orts that do not

  yield money are worthless. Because they are attracted to getting money,

  many people forget their friends and foes. Th

  ey think other people use-

  less unless they can [be used to] deceive or trick others.98

  Th

  at is why there are many liars and untrustworthy people these

  days. If a group subscribes money to do something or to meet a certain

  need and entrusts the cash to one of their members for safe keeping,

  he will cheat the others.

  Th

  e third and largest group of people are those who have no stand-

  point. Th

  ey are neither among the believers nor among the wealth-

  seekers. Th

  ey just drift from one place to another doing just as they

  wish. Th

  ey are attracted by short-term needs, and think tomorrow

  unimportant. What is important is every sort of pleasure.

  Th

  is group therefore likes secular music and is involved in the most

  despicable behaviour. When people from the fi rst two groups see this

  they say dancing is evil, since wicked people dance.

  Th

  e fi rst two groups are not wrong to say this, since there is indeed

  a lot of wickedness, and it keeps increasing.

  So the writer is very worried and asks if, when this book is fi nished,

  it may perhaps help some people to avoid being spoiled or drift ing

  into wickedness. [But] it is diffi

  cult to cure a disease that has persisted

  for days or years.

  What example might help us to characterise the faults99 of the three

  sorts of people living today?

  192

  chapter four

  Hihi-rĩ, nĩ ngerekano ĩrĩkũ ĩngĩtũteithia kuona ihĩtia ria andũ acio a

  mĩthemba ĩo ĩtatũ ĩkuo matukũ maya.

  Reke tuoe ngerekano ya ciĩga ciitũ, tuge atĩrĩrĩ: Twĩna mũtwe, na

  thĩĩnĩ wa mũtwe gwĩ tombo, ũrĩa ũmenyaga maũndũ.

  Tombo ũcio ũtwaragĩrũo ũmenyo nĩ maitho, na matũ na maniũrũ,

  ona ciĩga iria ingĩ tũgwetire. No rĩrĩ bata ũrĩa ũrutagwo nĩ maitho tiguo

  ũrutagwo nĩ matũ kana maniũrũ.

  Tondũ ndũngĩhota kuona na handũ hangĩ tiga maitho, ningĩ

  ndũngĩhota kũigua na handũ hangĩ tiga matũ, na ndũngĩhota kũigua

  mũrukĩ na handũ hangĩ tiga o maniũrũ.

  Rĩu-rĩ, ciĩga icio ciaheanirũo nĩ Ngai, na ndaheanire ituĩke mehia,

  no nĩ ituĩke cia gũteithia mũndũ ũcio.

  Rĩu-rĩ, mũndũ ũcio angicoka oige atĩ maitho make nomo me bata-

  rĩ, na atĩ ciĩga icio ingĩ ciothe nĩ mehia-rĩ; na ũngĩ oige atĩ matũ make

  nomo me bata-ri, na icio ĩngĩ nĩ mehia-ri, nake ũria ũngĩ oige atĩ

  maniũrũ make nomo marĩ bata-rĩ, na maitho na matũ nĩ mehia-rĩ,

  mũndũ ũcio-rĩ, atuĩka mũgĩ kana kĩrimũ?

  Nĩ tũĩ maitho me bata kuri matũ namo matũ me bata kũrĩ maniũrũ

  harĩ ũhoro wa kũigua mũrukĩ. Tondũ rĩrĩ, wahota gwĩtĩkia ũndũ tondũ

  wa kuona gũkĩra kũigua, na nĩkĩo kuona gũgũtuĩka atĩ kwĩ bata gũkĩra

  kũigua.

  Nĩngĩ wahota gwitĩkia ũndũ tondũ wa kũigũa na matũ gũkĩra kũigua

  mũrukĩ. No rĩrĩ ciĩga icio ciothe no kinya igĩe na mũndũ nĩgetha atuĩke

  mũgima.

  Ĩo nĩyo ngerekano itũ. Na tondũ ũcio rĩ reke tuge gwĩtĩkia nĩ maithe,

  na gũtonga nĩ matũ, na gũthaka nĩ maniũrũ. Na tondũ ũcio nĩ tũkuona

  o wega ũrĩa maũndũ macio makonainie.

  Nĩgetha tũcoke twĩre mwĩtĩkia atĩ tiwega gwĩthikĩra, nĩ arute wĩra na

  akene tondũ kũgĩa na kindũ ũrutĩire wĩra ti mehia.

  Nake mũtongi tũmwĩre atĩ to gũtonga gwiki kwĩ bata, nĩagĩrĩirũo nĩ

  gwĩtĩkia nĩgetha ũtonga wake ũmũgune tondũ wa kwaga mwĩtĩo wa

  atĩ nĩ gĩtonga. Nake mwendi mwago tũmwĩre atĩ mũrĩo nĩ wĩrĩagĩra,

  nĩ wega kũruta wĩra nĩ hinya, na gwĩciria ũhoro wa rũciũ, na atige

  maũndũ marĩa matarĩ kĩguni harĩ we kana harĩ mũndũ ũria ũngi, ona

  tũmwĩre atĩ ti ũru kwenda Ngai.

  what should we do, our people?

  193

  Let us take the example of our bodily organs and say this: We have

  a head and in our head there is a brain that helps us comprehend

  things.100

  Th

  is understanding is transmitted to the brain by the eye, ear, and

  nose as well as the other organs we have mentioned. But the eye does

  not play the same role as the ear or nose.

  For you cannot see with anything other than the eye, you cannot hear

  other than by ear, and you cannot smell with anything except a nose.

  Now God gave us these organs, and he never gave them out wrongly,

  but to help the human being.

  Now if someone says that only his eyes are useful, that all other

  organs are evil; and another says that only his ears are useful and other

  organs evil; and then another says only the nose is useful and that the

  eye and the ear are evil, are they clever or foolish?

  We know that eyes are more important than ears and ears more

  important than the nose. You may believe something because you see

  it rather than hear it, and that is why it is said that seeing is better

  than hearing.

  You may also believe something because of hearing rather than

  smelling it. But everyone must have all these organs in order to be

  complete.

  Th

  is is our comparison. Belief is the eye, wealth is the ear and play

  is the nose. We see clearly how these things are related.

  So we tell the believer that it is not good to grieve, he should work

  and be happy, because to have something you have worked for is not

  sin.

  We should tell the wealthy that being rich is not the only important

  thing. He should believe so that his wealth will benefi t him, rather than

  merely have pride in his riches. We should tell the reveller that mũrio ni wĩrĩagĩra ( pleasure also eats),101 and it is good to work hard and think about tomorrow. He should abandon things that do not benefi t him.

  [We should tell him] that it is not bad to love God.

  194

  chapter four

  26. Kũina na gũthaka
>
  Hĩndĩ yothe tiya gwĩthikira, ningĩ hĩndĩ yothe tiya gũkena, ona ningĩ

  hĩndĩ yothe tiya gũthaka. No rĩrĩ, he hĩndĩ ya gwĩthikĩra na he hĩndĩ ya

  gũkena, ona he hĩndĩ ya gũtheka, na he hĩndĩ ya kũina.

  Gũkĩga nĩ gwĩciria atĩ hĩndĩ yothe nĩya gũkena na atĩ hĩndĩ yothe

  nĩya gũthaka ona atĩ hĩndĩ yothe nĩya kũina, kũu-rĩ, ona ti gũkĩga, nĩ

  kũgũrũka gwĩciria ũguo.

  Tondũ ũcio-rĩ, nĩ wega kũina hĩndĩ ya kũina yakinyĩrĩra; tondũ kũina

  nĩ ũndũ ũmwe ũkenagia ngoro ciitũ. Tondũ kwĩ nyĩmbo cia wendo, cia

  gĩkeno, cia kĩeha, ona cia ũcamba. Na ciothe nĩ ciĩkĩraga ngoro ciitũ

  hinya na gĩkeno, kwoguo nĩ wega kũina.

  Tondũ ũcio nĩ kwagĩrĩire andũ arĩa moĩ kũina, na marĩ mĩgambo

  mĩega merute makĩria kũina nyĩmbo cia kĩrĩu.

  Nyĩmbo cia tene nĩciakenagia andũ a tene, ta gĩcukia na mũgoiyo,

  na nyĩmbo ciothe iria ciarĩ kuo. Rĩu ititũire, na iria itũire cinagũo nĩ

  andũ anyinyi, kwoguo ikenagia o andũ anyinyi.

  Ũrĩa ningĩ andũ mangĩka nĩ kwĩruta kũina nyĩmbo cia kĩrĩu, na

  kũhũthĩra indo cia kũina nacio ta inanda cia mĩthemba yothe, ngitaa

  piano na iria ingĩ ikuo ciothe.

  Nĩ getha hĩndĩ ĩrĩa andũ marĩkia mawĩra mao kahwaĩ-inĩ, magathiĩ

  gũthikĩrĩria nyĩmbo icio njega cia kũhoreria ngoro. Na tondũ ũcio

  nĩkwagĩrĩire gwakwo manyũmba ma gũthakĩrũo, ona makũrutagĩrũo

  mbica cia thitima kana Cinema.

  Aini acio o nao mahota kuona mbeca ciao na njĩra ya ũini tondũ

  mahota kũrĩhagia tigiti mũndũ o wothe ũrĩthiaga kũigua makĩina o na

  kana kuona Cinema icio ciao. Githĩ ndũgũkĩona atĩ nĩ, wega kũgĩe na

  ngwatanĩro ya aini?

  27. Kũrĩithia na arĩithi

  Tene kũrĩithia nĩkuo kwarĩ wĩra wa andũ aingĩ, na ũhiũ warĩ mũingĩ

  naguo ũrĩithio warĩ mũnene. No matukũ maya-rĩ, ũhiũ witũ nĩ mũnyinyi

  makĩria harĩ ithuĩ Agĩkũyũ. Na ũrĩithio naguo no mũnyinyi.

  No rĩrĩ, tũngĩrora wega-rĩ, no tuone atĩ tũtiagĩrĩirũo nĩ kwaga ũhiũ

  o biũ. Ta makĩria ng’ombe tondũ wa iria rĩa ciana ciitũ.

  Bata wa mbũri na ng’ombe tene warĩ wa kũracia, na wakũruta

  magongona, na kũrĩa irugũ andũ makagĩa hinya mwĩrĩ, bata ũcio ndũri

  ũrathira no wĩ njĩra ya ithirĩro tondũ andũ aingĩ maracagia mbeca

  handũ ha mbũri.

  what should we do, our people?

  195

  26. Singing and playing

  Not all time is for grieving, neither is all time for enjoyment, nor is it

  for playing. Th

  ere is a time for grieving, a time for happiness, a time

  for playing and for singing.102

  It is foolish to think that all time is for enjoyment or for playing. It

  is not even foolishness, it is madness.103

  It is better to sing when a time for singing comes, for singing is

  something to please our hearts. Th

  ere are love songs, songs for enjoy-

  ment, mourning songs and heroic songs. All of them strengthen and

  enlighten our hearts. So it is important to sing.

  It is important therefore that those who know how to sing and have

  good voices learn to sing modern songs.

  Traditional songs like gichukia and mugoiyo used to entertain people in their time.104 Th

  at time has gone, and few sing them, so they enter-

  tain only a few.

  People can learn to sing modern songs and use musical instruments

  of diff erent kinds, like guitars, pianos, and so on, so that when people

  have fi nished their work in the evening, they can go to listen to these

  good songs and soothe their hearts.105 Th

  ere is, accordingly, a need to

  build entertainment theatres and cinema halls.

  Th

  ese singers may also earn money by charging fees to those who

  go to watch them perform. Do you not see that it is important to have

  a singers’ association?

  27. Herding and herders 106

  In the past, herding was the main occupation of most people. Th

  ere

  were many livestock and large pastures. Th

  ese days, our livestock are

  few, especially among we Agikuyu. Grazing areas are also reduced.

  But if we look keenly, we can see that we cannot fail to keep some

  livestock, especially cows to provide milk for our children.

  In the past goats and cows were important in paying dowry, off ering

  sacrifi ces, and feasting. Th

  is importance has not diminished although

  it is on the way out, since many people pay cash instead of cows for

  dowry.

  196

  chapter four

  Kwoguo bata wa kũracia wahota kũninwo nĩ mbeca, no bata wa

  kũrera ciana ciitũ na iria ndũngĩninwo nĩ mbeca. Tondũ rĩrĩa ng’ombe

  ĩngithira ndũngihota kuona iria ona wĩna mbeca.

  Tondũ ũcio nĩ kwagĩrĩire andũ amwe methure, magĩe na ũiguano,

  magũre ũhiũ. Na magũre gĩthaka kana makombore, gĩa kũrĩithia ũhiũ

  ũcio wao.

  Na thutha woguo mamenye atĩ ũrĩa magĩrĩirũo nĩ kũmenya nĩ ũrĩa

  ng’ombe icio ngiuma iria riingĩ, na kĩrĩa ingĩrĩa ciikare irĩ noru, na ũrĩa

  mangĩcigitĩra mũrimũ itikae gũkua.

  Kwoguo ũteĩthio ũrĩa wothe mangĩheo nĩ Ndagĩtarĩ wa ng’ombe,

  ona wa andũ arĩa merutĩte ũhoro wa mĩrimũ ya nyamũ ta ng’ombe na

  mbũri na ngũkũ, ũteithio ũcio makawamukĩaa na moko merĩ.

  Ningĩ magĩe na ũhiũ ũria ũngimarehere umithio ta ng’ondu cia nuthu.

  Nĩguo hĩndĩ ĩrĩa martinia guoya wacio makendia makona mbeca naguo.

  Ningĩ magĩe na ngũkũ nyingĩ cia kũrekia matumbĩ maingĩ.

  Twagaga kuona umithio mũnene tondũ wa wĩra witũ kũnyiha.

  Na rĩrĩa twa mbĩrĩrĩa wĩra witũ ona ũrĩkũ, rekei twĩcĩragĩe ũrĩa tũn-

  gĩũnenehia o makĩria.

  Na tondũ ũcio-rĩ, arĩithi mahota kuona mbeca na njira ithatũ

  kũrĩngana na ũguo twoĩga. Ya mbere nĩya kwendia iria ria ng’ombe

  icio ciao, ona kwendia ng’ombe cia gũthenjwo ya kerĩ nĩ ya kwendia

  guoya wa ng’ondu cia nuthu, na kwendia ng’ondu icio cia gũthĩnjwo

  ya gatatu nĩ ĩo ya kwendia matũmbĩ ma ngũkũ, ona kwendia ngũkũ

  ĩcio ona cio.

  Rĩrikana ati kwenda guitũ nĩkuo gĩthimi kĩa harĩa tũngĩhota gũkinyia

  wĩra mũna.

  28. Kwendia na endia

  Twarikia kũruta wĩra o wothe-rĩ, nĩ mbeca tũrĩgĩaga nacio. Na mbeca

  ĩcio tũkagũra ĩndo iria itũbatairie ta nguo, na irio, na indo cĩa kũrĩma

  nacio, na cia gwaka nacio, ona mĩtokaa ya gũkua indo ciitu nayo. Ona

  ya gwĩkenia.

  No rĩrĩ andũ arĩa megũtwĩka endia-rĩ ona kana arĩa mendegia rĩu-rĩ,

  nĩwega magĩe na ũgima harĩ wendĩa-ĩni gũkĩra ũria amwe ao matariĩ rĩu.

  Tondũ endia aingi a matũkũ maya matĩrĩ mũthia wa harĩa mangĩkinyia

  goro wa kindũ Mũndũ nĩa hota kũgũra kĩndũ na Shillingi ikũmi, na

  angĩthiĩ one mũndũ kĩrimũ ũgwĩtĩkira kũruta Shilling mĩrongo ĩtano

  ndangĩona thoni kwamũkĩra mbeca icio.

  what should we do, our people?

  197

  It is important therefore for some people to come together to buy

  livestock. Th

&nbs
p; ey should also buy or lease land on which to graze their

  stock.

  Th

  ey should then learn how to increase their cows’ milk produc-

  tion, what they should eat to remain fat, and how disease can be

  prevented.

  Th

  e help they get from veterinary doctors and others who have trained

  in animal health should therefore be welcomed with both hands.

  Th

  ey should also look for livestock that will bring benefi t, like sheep

  whose wool can earn money. Th

  ey should also keep many egg-laying

  hens.

  Th

  us, herders can earn money in three ways. First, through the sale

  of milk and cows for beef; second, by sale of the wool from merino

  sheep and the sale of the sheep themselves; and third, by the sale of

  eggs and of the hens themselves.

  Remember that our love is the best determinant of how well we

  perform a task.

  28. Trade and traders 107

  Whenever we complete any sort of work, we earn money. We use this

  to buy necessities such as clothes, food, farm implements, construction

  tools, vehicles for carrying goods, and entertainment.

  But those who want to be traders or who sell today should trade

  fairly.

  Most traders today place no upper price limit on their goods. One

  can buy an item at ten shillings and then meet a buyer willing to pay

  fi ft y shillings for it, and the seller will not be reluctant to take that

  money.

  198

  chapter four

  Maũndũ ta macĩo nĩmo riu maĩyurite bũrũrĩ-inĩ witũ, tondũ wahota

  kũigua endia aingĩ makĩgana ũria monete umithio mũnene tondũ wa

  kwendia indo goro irĩa megũkorũo magũrĩte raithi.

  Nao andũ acio mekwĩganĩrũo matingĩĩgua ũguo arĩ ũru tondũ worĩa

  nao mekwĩrirĩria mangĩona indo ta ĩcio nao mendie goro oro ũguo.

  Na tondũ ũcio tũgakiona atĩ, andũ akũmenyera mũtugo mũru, na

  othe hage ũriuga atĩ ũguo nĩ ũru, mũtugo ũcio wahota gũtũũra na andũ

  acĩo, naguo ũmatũrie thutha wa ndũrĩrĩ ĩria ĩngĩ. O kinya moragia kiria

  kĩgiragia magĩe na maũndũ mega ta ndũrĩrĩ icio ingĩ.

  Ũngĩcirĩa wega-rĩ, no wone atĩ ũtonga o wothe ndũngĩgĩa gĩtũmi

  ona bata hangĩaga andũ angĩ agũkena hamwe na gĩtonga kĩu. Tondũ

  rĩrĩ, andũ othe mangithira-ri, ũtĩgĩrũo indo iria ĩgũkũ thĩ ĩno yothe-rĩ,

  wakena?

  Angikorũo nĩ gũkena ũngĩkena, no ũtwĩke Kĩrimũ kĩa mũthia wa