"Ndiramîa!"

Meria

Elder Lister
Staff member
The origin of the name Delamere
There was a white farmer in the highlands.
He used to ferment milk for his workers, whisk it smooth and then add sugar and honey to it.
The employees would take so much of it and end up taking no food.
The employees noted on the days they fed on this sweet fermented smoothie, they wouldn't go for long call.
And they would tell one another before taking the smooth, "Umuthi ndiramia!" That's how the Kikuyu slogan 'Múrío útamíagwo' came about.
Over time when the smoothie was ready, the white man would call them. They would then whistle and call their co-workers, "Ndiramîa!"
The white man loved the moments. And so he thought the employees were referring to him in their language. And so they nicknamed him 'Ndiramía'. Since the white man couldn't pronounce well, he wrote the name as 'Delamere'.

XvWKrMuGF1IMG_20190930_235319.jpg
 

ShakaZulu

Lister
I had another one of 'Wang'uru' mwea. There was a concentration camp for mau mau there, and those detained were separated into groups. So whenever one would go to see a relatives he would be asked 'what group'. Therefore they would refer the place as 'wang'uru'. 'Leo tutaenda wang'uru?'
 

Meria

Elder Lister
Staff member
I had another one of 'Wang'uru' mwea. There was a concentration camp for mau mau there, and those detained were separated into groups. So whenever one would go to see a relatives he would be asked 'what group'. Therefore they would refer the place as 'wang'uru'. 'Leo tutaenda wang'uru?'
This story is incomplete
 

Meria

Elder Lister
Staff member
Will share the story to my 3rd form students kesho,History lesson. A true story?
British farmer the late Lord Delamere was a troublesome man, who at times landed in trouble with the authorities, when the British had taken over the country.

And though his home is known to be in Naivasha, it appears the baron loved the city of Nairobi and even put up businesses there, its also here where he engaged in mischief.
For instance, he at some point paid some Kenyans a rupee each to collect firewood which he wanted to use to burn Lands office, for allegedly being shortchanged by the government.
Delamere had been promised a plot in Nairobi, and had even brought machinery from Britain with the intention of setting up a wheat flour mill, after carefully choosing the location.
So when he was told that the land was no longer available, a land which he really desired due to its proximity to the railway, he wanted to burn the office, an equivalent of today's Arthi House.
It took the intervention of government officials to save the office when Delamere was almost setting it on fire, shortly after he stormed out of a meeting with Lands officials over the issue.
And when Government Road, then just a cart truck, was fitted with streetlights at around 1899, Delamere moved his rickshaw races from the old Nairobi Club to the lit road.
The road is today's Moi Avenue.
He competed with his friends in races using the improvised motorbikes, popularly known as tuk-tuk, and when the sport lost taste, he developed a new one, shooting the streetlight lamps.
After some time, he had completed all of them, including those outside the Provincial Commissioner's house, returning the city into the darkness it was initially in.
On another occasion in 1906, he burnt some land document after being shortchanged by a land dealer, one Mr Smart, in a land deal involving 500 acres of land.
Before the agreement was signed, Mr Smart gave the land to another person, which also saw Mr Delamere tear the land tittle deed which was already in his possession.
This landed him before the Supreme Court in Mombasa, a case which he won and was vindicated.
 

Wood

New Lister
The origin of the name Delamere
There was a white farmer in the highlands.
He used to ferment milk for his workers, whisk it smooth and then add sugar and honey to it.
The employees would take so much of it and end up taking no food.
The employees noted on the days they fed on this sweet fermented smoothie, they wouldn't go for long call.
And they would tell one another before taking the smooth, "Umuthi ndiramia!" That's how the Kikuyu slogan 'Múrío útamíagwo' came about.
Over time when the smoothie was ready, the white man would call them. They would then whistle and call their co-workers, "Ndiramîa!"
The white man loved the moments. And so he thought the employees were referring to him in their language. And so they nicknamed him 'Ndiramía'. Since the white man couldn't pronounce well, he wrote the name as 'Delamere'.

View attachment 78859
:LOL:
 
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