THE  BIRDS  OF  THE  SAME 

 FEATHER  FLY  TOGETHER

By Manasseh Rukungu wa Njirimani

My dear reader and listener,

This is once again Rukungu reporting from Germany how is everybody? Praise God, Amen !

Please, allow me today to say a word on Senior Chief Njiiri´s children - how I observed them, how I lived together with them, and how they used to impress me: May be I had close contact to Njiiri`s children since my youth, because my Mwarangu Kagunda`s Clan and Chief Njiiri`s Clan were, and I hope still today are, very close friendly naigbours. Actually, I had not very choice personal friendship either with his male neither with his female children when we were young, but that what used to impress me mostly and silently in my heart, was how those uncountable Chief's children used to live together harmoniously and peacefully, I had never heard, not even a single day, that there had ever been serious crises among them. They used to inspire me the impression that, they had had decent education, especially from their strict Father Njiiri, and had natural good human manners. That is why I used to compare them with "Birds of the same feather who always fly together".

Chief Njiiri had 42 wives. Logically it means that if all the 42 wives gave birth to a boy there would have been 42 Karanjas. According to Kikuyu traditions the first boy is always named after the father's father. For this fact, with so many Karanjas it would have been very difficult to differentiate the Karanjas. To avoid this, all the Karanjas were added  another name on top of Karanja. Example: Karanja Kagure, Karanga Kangi, Karanja Karwimbo etc. See more explanations below: 

It is really impossible to describe characters of every single child, but I think it would interest you dear reader and listener, to hear what used to make me wonder, and that is how Chief Njiiri used to give names most of his children when they were born, some uncommon Kikuyu names ( typical Kikuyu names are like: Karanja, Mwangi, Kamau, Njoroge, Chege,Wambui, Njeri,Wangari etc)- here some of  them: One of them, I believe he was the second born from the first wife, was Kigo wa Njiiri. He had the most wives, on the footsteps of his father, and I hear that his grand- and grand-grand children are almost uncountable. I cannot interpret what really his name means, but I can only remind especially you young ones that, Chief Kigo wa Njiiri was our second Location-Two Chief during the colonial era, that means he took over the chief's chair from his Father. He was far much stricter in ruling than his father, but very friendly, humorous person, especially on how he used to treat us young people. The best example was how he used to treat us pupils generously when we went at his Chief's Camp at Kangari to apply for "Entry-Permit" which allowed us to enter into the naigbouring Location-Three, which was ruled by Chief Joel, where we attended Intermediate at the American Inland Church, AIM, Githumu.

It was still the time of emergency and there was still very strict colonial security-measures at all location borders, even if the longhaired Mau-Mau Uhuru fighters had laid down their arms, that was later in the fifties.

I shall tell you more about that in my book, Autobiography, which I am writing since long, unfortunately, in German language, under the title - MY BLACK DESTINY. By the way, I just  remember now that, I had once fallen in love with one of Kigo's many daughters, ( I do not let you know who), I wish I could have been one of his son-in-laws.

Now, let us take a name such like "Muracia". He is one of the oldest sons, whose Shamba, farm, borders with Nyandarua tropical forests at Karandi-ini Forest Station, where my Father, Late Amos Chege, also used once to be the Boss of the Rangers. A  place for wild animals, especially elephants, who sometimes cross over from the forest and destroy his crops in Shambas, but luckily enough those tembos or ndovus, when they smell wood-smoke, they run away because, as I was told, the elephants fear very much fire.  If I would interpret Muracia`s name, I would say it stems from the kikuyu word "kuracia", that means someone who used to "pay gratuity" to the parents of their daughter, who should be his future wife. I am telling you, I cannot imagine how Chief Njiiri came to this unordinary name "Muracia".

Let us now come to a name like "Kagure". This name can only originate from the kikuyu word "kugura", that means, "to buy", but the funny thing is that, the letters "Ka" mean in Kikuyu, in this case "small". If it could have been a big fat child, it could have sounded like "kigure". Well, does it mean that, "Kagure" was something small which was bought?  From where? He was obviously born. By the way, Kagure`s oldest son, Chepha is Reverend and one of leaders of our Church at Kinyona, I hope and believe till today.

Tell me my dear reader, if you are from Kikuyu-Tribe, how would you interpret the name "Kiana"? I take for granted that the stem of this name is kikuyu word for a child "Mwana". And if the child is still small, we call it "Kaana". Now, "Ki" means " an extraordinary strong and heavey child "Kiana". May be he used to feed too much in the Kitchen or most of the times used to be at his Mum`s side, who knows. By the way, Kiana was one of the very first young guys and second from Njiiri´s family who were lucky to be sent for studies overseas by Hon. K.K. early sixties. When I left for Czechoslovakia and Germany, Kiana together with his later brother-in-law, Kahoro wa Mwangi, with whon I attended the same class at AIM, Githumu, went to study in the former Yugoslavia.

"Muruga" is another funny name: The name seems to originate from the kikuyu word "kuruga", meaning "cooking", but my dear listener, what used this child to cook when it was still a tiny thing ? May be his father Njiiri had thought that, one day, this child would choose a cooking-profession.

But as far as I can remember, Muruga used to work later as a civil servant at the community-court at the DO`s Headquarters in Kigumo, he was a respected man by many as a good judge at Kinyona and beyond Location-Two borders. His oldest son Njiiri Tobo went the same class with me.

"Kiruthi" is also not a typical Kikuyu name, but more common than those mentioned above. The late "Marehemu Kiruthi" was a very kind man, who I really respected very much and cannot forget, especially how he used to help my Mum, Late Ruth Mwende, when she had no food for feeding her seven children. Kiruthi  who also had a shop at Kinyona Market, used to give us whatever we needed from his shop, whether we had money in the hand or not. If my mother had no money one day, then she used to write down in the credit-book  from Kiruthi what she had collected, and then paid at the end of the month, if ever she could: Sugar,Unga wa ngano, we had not yet Njogoo, mutu wa ngima, soap, etc. etc, I was really toutched when "Late Kiruthi" passed away afew years ago. By the way, Nyathira wa Mwarangu, is my aunt, and misterseed and I have the same Grandfather, Mwarangu wa Kagunda, who, if I do not mistake, had seven wives, no comparison with Chief Njiiri`s several wives. He also had reached the age of over a century, when he died he could not see us any more grand-children, he was already blind, the same like one of his best wives, my grandmother, Nyagakima who during her burial I was there, a tiny thing watching what was going on, she brought me up, when I returned from Nairobi where I was staying together with my parents, where my father used to work as a cook for a British Doctor in the early forties, before I was sent to school at Kinyona, I really loved them.

"Karwimbo" is another name which can only originate from the kikuyu word "rwimbo", meaning " a song", but my dear reader, what sort of songs used this child to sing soon after birth? The letters "Ka" mean in Kikuyu language "small", may be he used to sing small or short songs, where and when, who knows...  May be together with the British BEATLES of the 60s ?This is one of many Njiiri`s children with whom I hade very little contact in my youth, although his land is not very far from ours, funny, isn't it?

And now comes "Gacau", a kikuyu word for "calf", now, why was this child given an animal name ? although there are some other kikuyu-animal-names like:  Ngari, Leopard, Muruthi, lion, Njogu,elephant or nyaga, the ostrich etc. He also used to be called "Kibaka", a name which also I cannot tell its origin. May be he liked to play often with his father's calf's?

And now comes some names with Christian baptism names: Let us take first William Kungu. He used to attend one class in front of me, after finishing school he studied Pedagogic and later served as a teacher at Kinyona and elsewhere.

At that time and later when I also studied teaching, and used to teach together with him at Kinyona, we became closer friends, until today. Late "Joseph Machuhi" was another one with Christian Name. He together with his twin-brother, the also late "Mathundu", who lost his life in un accident in his fathers Jeep on the way to Njambi-ini Market through Mount Nyandarua, went together with me in the same class at Kinyona. Later, like me, Machuhi became a teacher, unfortunately he got sick and we lost him also a few years ago.

The third one is "Charles Karanja" with whom I attended the same class both at Kinyona and AIM Githumu, where he also used to be sometimes my leader in Boys-Scouting, we are good friends until now.

Let me tell you something very interesting in this connection: Chief Njiiri converted to catholic Christianity in 60s, but before that, I used to wonder about the fact that, although he was a deep believer in kikuyu traditional customs, which the British colonialists and American missionaries used to call "primitive", he started to allow his children to join the modern Missionary churches and even be baptized, Chief Njiiri was really tolerant, the best example to be copied by us younger generation. That is why, I believe, he himself became a catholic, and if I do not mistake even was baptized by the name "Peter". By the way, did he really choose this name himself ? I doubt. His Name "Njiiri" is also a very uncommon Kikuyu name, just like his children's, funny!

Let us conclude with two great brothers: they were the older Githae and the younger Thigiru. The older, Githae, unfortunately he was short and paralysed one of his arms during the Mau-Mau liberation-uprising, his oldest son, Edward Njiiri Githae was the very first from Njiiri`s Clan to be sent for further studies in USA by Hon. K.K. His brother Thigiru was also a victim of the same Uhuru fighting's when he was ambushed and killed at Boro, a region opposite to Kinyona, by the long-haired Uhuru-fighters. If he could have lived longer, I believe, he would have joined later the Kenya-army as a Five-Star-General. He was much more brave than a lion or a Cheetah in the Savannah. I went the same class and school in AIM, Githumu with his first, oldest son, Francis Njiiri Kangoro, one of my best friends from Njiiri`s Clan, and the best Boys-scouts-leaders at the school, Githumu.

Can one say, that probably, all mentioned funny names above were just nick-names? How did Chief Njiiri actually come to invent such uncommon names? Who knows why ? History should teach us.

And now comes my last part of this episode:

May be you are now asking yourself: Why is Rukungu talking much about Njiiri`s male children and not about  his female children? First of all you should know that, Chief Njiiri`s daughters were also most "untouchable", a strange man to come near them was just like James Bond's magic. This is also why, I, still a young man, born in Christianity, had no chance at all to get in contact to one of his young traditional daughters, I did not even know their names.

The daughters used to live almost only in their family-village or they were being met sometimes visiting their neighbouring relatives. They were almost not to be met in public, except in special occasions like during the "muthenya wa giathi" the market-day at Kinyona, two times in a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays, during traditional festivities at Kinyona market place, during circumcision at Kanja or Irati-Rivers, or when they walked together with their mothers in small and big groups going to plant or harvest their "shambas", gardens, at far places from home like Mununga, Gacharage and Gituamba. A man to get married to one of his daughters had chance mostly ONLY through mediation of his "boy-friend" of the family, or by other traditional means, which I cannot describe now, may be latter in another chapter.

But, although Chief Njiiri was strict with his daughters, like other kikuyu-fathers, he knew very well that, each daughter meant "wealth".If I don`t mistake, gratuity was traditionally a fixed price of one "ndurume", a fat he-sheep to be slaughtered as a sign of readiness to merry the daughter, (as far as I can remember, they were 9 cows and 17 or 27 goats). May be this was one of the reasons why Senior Chief Njiiri had uncountable domestic-animals.

Nevertheless, one of my close cousins, Daniel Kamau wa Javan, managed to  high jeck and marry the very last Njiiri`s daughter, Wamukore, also a funny name. The only daughter whom I came to know her name. I was really proud of Danieli having managed to be the very last "son-in-law" of this great Chief. By the way, they have eight children, nine sons and one daughter, one of their sons, the oldest, Javan Mwicigi Kamau who is residing and studying at present in the USA, and his brother Rufus Gathitu Kamau who is studying in Greece, have made contact with me, through misterseed´s Website address. They are among uncountable Chief Njiiri`s grandchildren like misterseed.

If you know him and would like to contact them: just use simply use their E-Mail adress as follows: Javan Mwichigi - ecadk@yahoo.com. and Rufus Gathitu rufkamu@yahoo.com.

I would be glad also to hear a word from you my readers and listeners.That´s all for now, till next time, take care! But, how can one take care of himself, just remember the terrible news recently from New York and Washington, God cares for us all, Amen! How nice to know Jesus in ones life, Amen!

This is me Rukungu wa Njirimani  reporting for misterseed from Germany........bye for now, until next time !