Writing for Kenya
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kuu Ruraya. Ningi andu aingi aria matari aciare-ri, nimoragia hihi
Kinyatta athiite gwika atia? No riri, ndenda kwira andu acio atiri, riria
ndathire Ruraya ni ndaheiruo maundu maigana una, wa mbere nga-
tetere ng’undu iria mwaheiruo ni Gikuyu na Mumbi. Keri ni githomo
na gatatu ni kwiyaririria Kiama-ini kia Baruthi kana ni Atumia aya
mukuona makiina ndumo haha nimarutaga igoti, o hindi iria atumia
a nduriri iria ingi matarutaga.
Riu hari uhoro wa githomo, nguuga uria twenda ni tugie na githomo
giitu ithui-ene, no hindi iria twatetaga tukiuga tuheo githomo giitu
tweraguo ati tutiri na ugi. Tukeruo tuthii kwi muthungu. Ta mwaka-
ini wa 1929 ni kwagiire na kihingicano cukuru ciitu ikigirio. Arutani
macemania Cukuru-ini makanyitwo, na ciana ikaingatwo macukuruini
kenyatta is our reconciler
373
(18) Jomo with the Elders who sent him to England at
Mukui School’s Sports Day 110
Although the writer did not know it, the last report he wrote in that
second pamphlet was on the Mukui School’s Sports Day meeting. Perhaps
it occurred to the writer that, by then, Kenyatta had managed to express
[all] the important ideas he had had in mind on returning from England
less than a year before.
As Kenyatta confi ded to the writer privately, while he was still in
England he had approached the authorities to ask for permission to return home, and for them to let him speak to his people for six months, and
aft er that, if they wanted, they could kill him so as to remove him from the scene. But his request was refused, so he had to stay in England.111
But to revert to that particular meeting which was sponsored by what,
to avoid trouble, I called Th
e Th
ree Letters movement, which everyone
understood to be the KCA, but which remained banned, making it illegal
for me to give its proper name in my newspaper.
Aft er the Sports it was time for speeches. Th
e fi rst speaker was Mr
Dedan Mugo, who introduced Mr George K Ndegwa, ( who had been
acting as General Secretary of the KCA while Kenyatta was away).112
Mugo told the crowd that George was going to explain the reasons
and the signifi cance for holding that Sports meeting at Mukui, which
was an Independent School.
When Mr George K Ndegwa stood up, he told the crowd that the
purpose of the sports meeting was to enable us to enjoy together
meeting our honoured guest, who had been living in Europe these last
fi ft een years. He told the people that Kenyatta had not gone to Europe
for his own reasons, but because he was sent there to protest, and to
demand that the needs of the Children of Gikuyu and Mumbi be met.
He then thanked all those who had managed to come to the Sports
meeting. He reminded them of the saying: “A group of people are
capable of lift ing a heavy object”113 and of the words in a song which
ran “I shall never be made to part with my child by a foreign hyena”
(or in Kikuyu) “Ndingitunyuo mwana ni hiti nge’eni”. Aft er he had
explained the meaning behind the three letters, he introduced Kenyatta
to the anxious crowd.
When Kenyatta stood up to speak, he told the crowd that:
‘I’m very happy to be given this opportunity today. For I was expected
on an earlier occasion but could not make it because of the pressure
of work. I’m happy that people keep on saying in the newspapers that
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macio, ona mwana wakwa nii mwene niaikarire miaka itatu ateguthoma.
No riri, gikeno niati uumuthi ciana nyingi iguthomera cukuru icio twa-
giragio, Mwene Nyaga acokerio ngatho, ciana iria irathomera macukuru
ma Agikuyu kiumbe ihinda-ini riri ni ciana ngiri mirongo itatu na inya
(34,000), nakio kiu ti kindu kinyinyi.
Naguo uhoro wa igoti ria atumia umuthi hatiri wendagia mboco
ciake ati niguo arihe igoti. Riu ningi kiamaini kia Baruthi twina kam-
wanya. Riu ni wira wanyu guthii na mbere. Ndingihota kumuhe uhoro
wothe niamu ndamuraria haha, kwina andu aingi metereire makienda
kuigua uria mbataire. No riri, nithiite mabururi mothe ma Comba, na
ninyonete ati ruriri rugunagwo ni kindu kimwe, maiguane na matiane.
Nii ndiri mundu ngerumira akoruo ni Agikuyu, Aikamba ona kana
Ukabi, no gwi gacunji kamwe thuire, nako gacunji kau nika andu aria
maaragia maheni, makongerera uhoro uria utari waho. Wira wakwa
ni kwaria ma ona akorwo ma io ina ruo No rin tondu inyui hihi nim-
warutiruo ni Baru mukiruo ati maheni ma kwihonokia ti moru hihi
nikio andu aingi mekuhenania. No icio ticio ndeto ciakwa tondu hindi
iria ndiratuire Ruraya itekunyitwo mbaru ni mundu ungi nindaragia
ma na ndiri hindi ngatiga kwaria ma. Uhoro uria uthukitie Agikuyu ni
ndigithukano amwe makoiga ati ithui twi Karinga aria angi makoiga twi
Independent aria angi twi C.S.M. na angi twi Salvation Army (Jeshi la
Wokofu) no hindi iria watunga mundu ungimuuria wi wa ruriri ruriku
oigaga ndi Mugikuyu.
Niwega tumenye ati twaciariruo ni Gikuyu na nyina witu ni Mumbi,
Tungirumia ndeto icio no tuthii na mbere. Niwega twimenyerere tuti-
kae kuhana ta Ahindi tondu kuria kwao Ahindi amwe moigaga ithui
two Hindu (Baniani) na aria angi makoiga atini Ithiramu. Ucio wothe
ni ukigu.
Uhoro wakwa wa kunina-ri no mumenye ti kumuhunjiria ndiramu-
hunjiria, Athomi marutagwo ati Tia Th
oguo na Nyukwa, Riu Ithe witu
nuu githi ti Gikuyu na Mutumia wake Mumbi? Mundu ona muthuri
wa Gikuyu, muhe gitiio tondu niwe Gikuyu, ningi wona mutumia wa
Gikuyu muhe gitiio tondu niwe Mumbi. Ningi uhoro wa munene twa-
munenehia niwega tumuhe gitio o tiga eniniire gitio giake we mwene,
undu uria uthukitie Agikuyu muno ni murimu wa ihaki, twathura
mundu athii kanjuini agatuika wa kuhakwo. Mwonana wamwira agaku-
rorere uhoro uria muna, agagucokeria guoko na thutha ugambe ciri,
na tondu nyamu ici itikiaragia andu magakiria kwaga kihoto. Tondu
ukuhakwo ndungicoka kumenya haria kihoto kiri. Twaga guciira na
kenyatta is our reconciler
375
they’d like to see me with their own eyes. Even now, I know many
people are here to see if Kenyatta’s beards are long enough to reach
his navel. It’s good for them to satisfy their eyes. But there are others
who came because they’d like to hear something, as well as those who
were born since I went away. I would like to tell them a few things
about the past.
‘Th
ose who hear that Kenyatta has lived in Europe for fi ft een years
may wonder why. Some may say that Kenyatta was a lazy man who
didn’t like farming, so that’s why he went to Europe. And some who
were not then born may ask: “What did Kenyatta want to do [?for
himself] over there?” But I’d like to tell them that when I went to
Europe, I was given a number of defi nite tasks. Th
e fi rst was to protest
about our tribal lands which were handed down to us by our Ancestors
Gikuyu and Mumbi.
‘Th
e second was to demand better education for our children.
‘Th
e th
ird was to be allowed to represent ourselves in Legislative
Council.
‘Th
e fourth was that our women folk, whom you see here dancing
their tribal dances and who had to pay tax, should not have to do so
when the women of other races didn’t have to pay tax at all.114
‘Now then, as to education, we wanted to have an education for
ourselves.115 For when we were asking to be given our own education,
we were told we had no knowledge, so that we must go to the white
man’s schools. In 1929, there was a confl ict and our schools were
forbidden. When the teachers met at school, they were arrested and
children were expelled from school. Even my own child stayed away
from school for three years.116
‘But today we are happy because many children are getting educated
in those schools which they had been forbidden to attend. May the
Almighty God be praised because the number of children being edu-
cated in the Kikuyu-owned Independent schools is 34,000—but that
is only a small number.
‘So far as the women’s tax is concerned, today, none of them has to
sell beans in order to pay her taxes.117
‘Even in Legislative Council, we have a small opening.118 It is now
up to you to go forward. I cannot tell you everything, otherwise you
would be up all night listening to me. Many people are waiting to hear
what are my needs.
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kihoto ona ithui tutingihota kuhotana niwega gucira na kihoto na
kwaria ma. Tungirumirira mutugo ucio wa kuiguana na gutiana no
tuhote gwaka Githunguri. Tondu nduriri ciothe cia Kenya ikuo no ti
Karinga oiki.
Uhoro wakwa wa kunina ni kiugo kiu giakuga Tia Th
oguo na Nyukwa
ndimwire ati nigicokete gikaroguo gikeruo ati mundu arega gutia ithe
na nyina mucara wake ni gikuu. Riu nihari na kamurimu kangi keho
nako nika mundu agicaria haria arinyuagira gacai, aigua ta ndeto ici
ndaria agathii kwiongerera ciake cia maheni nigetha aheo mucara no
otauguo kwiritwo ati mundu arega gutia ithe na nyina gukua niakue
notaguo onake mundu uria ugatuika mwendia wa Gikuyu na Mumbi
nake gukua niakue.
Arikia kwaria ndeto icio agiikara thi miario iyo ya Mukui aririe
arikitie kunina mieri ina kuuma oima Ruraya.
Iyo niyo miario ya Kinyatta nake Mwandiki egucokeria Ngai ngatho
tondu wa kumuhe hinya wa kuandika.
Riu utheri nimukinyu na mundu angienda kuhinga maitho atige
kuona utheri one nduma ti ihitia ria utheri.
THAAI
kenyatta is our reconciler
377
‘I’ve visited all the countries of Europe and I’ve found that a nation
is respected for one thing only. Th
at is for being United in mutual
respect.
‘I don’t wish to abuse anyone, whether a Kikuyu, a Mukamba or
a Masai. But one small group I really hate—those who tell lies. Th
ey
add things that were not there. My duty is to speak the truth, even
when it hurts. But it is perhaps because most of you were taught by
Mr Barlow, who is reputed to have said that little lies to save oneself
are not bad,119 that many people are prepared to tell lies as their main
reason and occupation.
‘But that is not my line, because when I was in Europe, without
anyone to give me any support, I used to speak the truth, and I will
never give up and nothing will make me stop speaking the truth.
What spoils our people, the Kikuyu, is the division to be found among
them. For some say they’re True Kikuyu (Karing’a), others that they’re
‘Independent’, while others say they are CSM. And others say they are
Salvation Army.120 But when you meet someone and ask him what tribe
are you, he will say he’s a Kikuyu.
‘It is better to know that we were born of Gikuyu and Mumbi, our
father and mother. If we hold that belief we would go forward. We
should take care not to become like Indians in India. For some of
them say they’re Hindus while others say they’re Muslims.121 All that
is foolishness. My concluding words are that you should understand
that it is not I who am preaching to you. For Christians are taught:
“Honour your Father and Mother”.122 Who are our father and mother
other than Gikuyu and his wife Mumbi?
‘When you see a Kikuyu elder, respect him as Gikuyu. When you
see a Kikuyu woman, respect her as Mumbi.’
Chiefs and the Disease of Corruption
‘Now about chiefs: if we promote him,123 we should give him our respect unless he shows by his actions that he does not deserve such respect.
For something really bad that spoils a lot of Kikuyu people is the disease
of bribes.124 For when we choose a man to go to the District Council,
he becomes a lover of bribes.
‘When you meet him and ask him to make enquiries into certain
matters for you, he puts his hand backward for you to give him some
money. And because money does not speak, people continue to be
corrupt, incapable of looking for justice. For being corrupt makes you
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kenyatta is our reconciler
379
unable to discern the truth of anything. If we fail to see the truth when
we conduct [court] cases, nobody will ever trust us.
‘It is better to look for the truth in every case we conduct, as well
as speak the truth. If we follow that habit, and are United and respect
one another, we will be able to build the big building at Githunguri.125
Because all the Kenya tribes are there and not the Kikuyu only.126 My concluding words are: Honour your father and mother, and I would
tell you that a curse can be added to that saying, for it is said: “Should
a man fail to honour his father and mother, his wages is death.”
‘Now then, there is another little disease which is again connected
with someone wanting to know where he can get his tea.127 When he
hears words such as I have been speaking, he goes and adds some of
his own invention so that he can be paid his money. But as it is said
that those who fail to respect their parents should die, so the man who
tells lies in order to get money should suff er the same fate. For he is
a traitor to Gikuyu and Mumbi.’ Aft er so saying, Kenyatta sat down
amidst wild applause and the clapping of hands. Th
ose then were the
speeches that Kenyatta made to Africans on his return.
A Letter from Unusual Quarters
At the end of Kenyatta’s speech, I added my own conclusion, written
at that time: ‘Th
e writer thanks Almighty God for enabling him and
giving him the strength to write down those words. Now the light is
shining, and should a man decide to close his eyes in order not to see
it, preferring to be in darkness, it would not be the fault of the light.’
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kenyatta is our reconciler
381
Peace
Since Kenyatta’s arrival from England, he had only been invited to
the schools run by members of the Kikuyu tribe themselves, known as
Independent schools—because they ow
ed their existence to the work and
help of the KCA from the very beginning.
But he was invited once by Students and Teachers at Kabete, still a
white-owned missionary school. 128 Th
ey wrote their feelings on a sheet
of paper which their prefect read out to Kenyatta:
‘We Kabete school students and Teachers are very happy at being
together with you, “Mwendwo ni iri na iriri”, 129 Mr Jomo Kenyatta. Th is
is because many of us have only heard your stories [from others].
‘Our happiness and gratitude to you the Hero of our Nation is enor-
mous. We cannot even talk or sing all that our hearts feel—perhaps we
can try to sing a little bit. We would be very happy if we had something
important to give to you that would match your service to our country
and your bravery and sacrifi ce for our people. But we know that no gift
could be found that was appropriate for a leader like you.
‘Th
e gratitude we owe you cannot be paid, except that the fame of
your service will live for ever and ever.
‘Th
at being so, we would like to give you a small token to remind you
that we are with you and that we are united with all those who love,
and are delighted by, the service you have rendered our country. Our
present is only a small staff bearing an ivory ornament. It is to remind you that ‘Th
e Elephant never tires of carrying its tusks’.” 130
Head Prefect Kabete Primary School
Peter Githua Magu
Another strange thing to be observed on this occasion is that Kenyatta
was not asked to make a speech himself. He must have been pleased to
hear how his services to the people and country were appreciated even
by such young people as the students still studying at a white-owned
school.
Translated from Gikuyu to English by the writer himself:
Henry Muoria
28th August 1985
London
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Endnotes
1. Th
e verb here is rugũra, the ‘interpretation’ or ‘explanation’ given for a riddle (Benson, 408).
2. Th
e word here is igai, ‘share’, from the verb gaya, to ‘divide’.
3. Th
e verb here is rigicĩria, to ‘encircle’ or ‘surround with’, from the verb rigica,
‘entangle’, ‘confuse’, or ‘obstruct’ (Benson, 383).