Nairobi

Kuthe kanti ubukho bam apha eMombasa buvakele eNairobi (isizikithi seKenya) naseKampala (eseluGanda) kumadoda awayefunde kum eFort Hare mzuzu (1932) wona esiva ngamaIndiya abesenqanaweni nam. Kwangoko ndifikelwe ziingcingo neethelefoni zawo zisithi nantso itikiti kaloliwe khwela uze kusibona; sazaliseka isaci esithi ithamsanqa litsala elinye (nothing succeeds like success). Ndakhwela ke ngoLwesihlanu 20 kweyoMqungu 1950 ukujika kwelanga ukusinga eNairobi (330 miles; 5 453 feet above sea level) ngohambo olunyuke njalo lucanda emhlabeni obharhileyo womgqoloqho nobutywibi, eyelele kweli liphakathi kweDe Aar neBeaufort West salala linjalo. Ekuseni sibone iinyamakazi ezininzi ziphakathi kweekampu (reserves) ezayamene nendlela le kaloliwe; indlovu, ixhama, impofu, iphuthi, iqhude into yona empondo zizibebelele, impunzi, inxala, nezinye. Intle bafondini le nyamakazi iliqhude; ngathi sisono nokuyidubula. Kube luyolo ukuzibona entlalweni yazo yasendle ezi zilo.

Emva kwesidlo sakusasa singenile eNairobi apho ndihlangatyezwe yindlokovane yendodana ummemi wam uElindi Mathu, B.A., LL.B., M.L.C. olilungu elibekekileyo (Honourable) lepalamente yenene edibeneyo nabelungu namaIndiya, umfo lo endamfundisa isiLatin ndimfumana ekrelekrele kanye: naseMombasa ndixelelwe lilungu leIndiya okokuba ngobuchule emicimbini kule nkundla akukho lungu limdlulayo uMathu nokuba ligwangqa nokuba liIndiya. Zontandathu iintsuku ndilundwendwe lwakhe undijikelezise ama-80 nama-90 eemayile ngemini, ngemoto yakhe emeva, ukuhlola ilizwe. Kwasekufikeni ususe amaphakathi andibonisa idolophu le yonke neevenkile zabantsundu ezikuyo naselokishini; saya ekhaya (16 miles) kumzi wakhe omtsha (£5 000 ngexabiso). Emalanga siphumile sahlola amasimi ekofu neevenkile zabantsundu neelali zamaKikuyu (amawabo) neentlanga zamaSwahili, Masai, Kamba, Chaga. Undise nasemakhayeni abafana abafunde eFort Hare kutsha nje ooNjonjo, Kabetu, Njotoge, Kiong Githu noWaruhiu, ndaza ndaphawula ukuba iivenkile zonke zakhiwe ngamatye, ezakhe yedwa zintathu. Ukusuka apho undise emarikeni enkulu yamaMasai isizwe somlibo wasentla esangena phakathi kwethu bantu ngoloyiso ezimfazweni. Esi sizwe sikholise ngabantu abaziinyombolo abambala urhanarha, oko kukuthi bomvu-ngqombo; ngabafuyi beenkomo nabaloli-zitshetshe berhweba ngentsimbi; umkhonto, isihele, isinkempe, ikrwana, imela; ukanti amaKikuyu wona ngabantu bolimo lwekofu nemifuno nombona nezadywedywe zecuba elimandi nakubeni ikho neqhunguwa. Ndiphawule kumaMasai bebaninzi ababuso butsolo nempumlo eluqozolo, neengxilimbela zamadoda, amangqawa asengqina. AmaKikuyu wona akholwa ngamasimi kwelo langa elitsho abe mnyama swili. Kaloku thina boMzantsi obu bumnyama buphungulwe kukuzekelana kwethu kudala nabaThwa namaChwama sikhanya nje. Entla apha umntu oNtsundu umnyama ngokwembiza engasulwanga. He!

Kweli laseKenya inxitywa kunene intsimbi: isacholo esihlahleni, umgolombane engalweni, izinzabelo entanyeni, umgxashe entloko, ijikazi empumlweni, ingxaxazo emaqatheni ngokwamaAwuwa eTransvaal, nomngqi entla kwesiquluba, zaye zisenza bafaneleke abagaxeli bazo phofu awaswelekanga amagxidolo alokhwe zimfutshane. Sihambe ama-52 eemayile ngale mini yokufika eNairobi. Kuse ngomhla 22 kweyoMqungu 1950 sihamba ithuba elide sisiya kubona iGreat Rift Valley.