Field Marshal
Elder Lister
I love my people, the good old folks of Mt Kenya.
Humble, hard-working and visionary, they are in many ways uniquely the salt of the earth. They are not easily excited or provoked. They speak their truth quietly and are both generous of heart and hand.
Above all, my people, Nyumba Ya Mumbi, are imbued with the timeless spirit of kihooto, a sense of justice that has permeated the society for generations through our oral history, belief-system and culture. It is this sense of justice that made the Mt Kenya communities, Andu aa Gema, the vanguard of the armed struggle to take back Kenyan lands from the beberu; the injustice of the land grab went against everything they believed in.
The clarion call by Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi encapsulated all they believed in: “It is better for a man to die on his feet” Kimathi said “than to live on his knees”.
The modern world is what it is, and like all indigenous communities in the world my people face many unforseen challenges. As a society in transition, we are confronted with alien concepts and lifestyles, and many of our people are dazed and confused at the rate of social change. Many of our cultures, taboos and beliefs have been ridiculed and abandoned. Our gods have been deserted and our holy places, like the Mugumo, desecrated. Many of our young are thieves, drunkards, prostitutes, and laggards.
The words of Mugo wa Kibiru, the prophet of our people, have come true a million times; today, all our migiro are all broken, and our young have mbugi matu.
And yet, as a community, we must continue to hope that we will continue to thrive and prosper. That our best days are ahead of us. That Ngai wa Kirinyaga will see us through this tempest, and arrive us all safely on the other side of the river, where the spirits of our people, ngomi, dwell forever.
Our leaders – what are left of them – must be part of this hopeful vision. Any leader, muthamaki, however important, must submit his visions, ambitions and illusions to the people, and to Ngai wa Kirinyaga. If those visions and ambitions are not aligned with those of the community, our Nyumba, that leader must either abandon them or be discarded. The community is more important than any one individual or family. Those gone before us said; ‘Yathua ndongoria itikinyiraga nyeki’. We need to reach new pastures.
So, in one accord, Nyumba Ya Mumbi, let us face the mountain of God and with one voice say, Thaai, thaaai, thathaiya ngai, thaaaaaaai! Let us seek the intercession of the spirits of our people.
Let us make the decisions that will guarantee our well-being and future prosperity in this entity called Kenya. In the new world, we must learn co-existence and partnership.
Let us not be small people. Let us not follow the short-term delusions or sweet tongue of any false prophet or muthamaki, or fall for the guile of a young, hot blooded warrior who's been bewitched by a murogi. Let our word be our bind. Let us be men and women of kihooto, trust and justice.
