Know your language: Mũcĩĩ nĩ Mũcĩĩ-Home is best

Micii-ini iitu is a magazine written in Gikuyu language.The magazine
was launched in May 2011 and will be published every three months. The
aim and policy of micii-ini iitu is to tackle various aspects that
can improve our readers’ lives. These include being informative,
educative, entertaining, initiating a cultural renaissance, gender
empowerment, spots,religion, etc.

The magazine contains a repertoire of finely blended articles on
issues such as Health, Agriculture, Business, Environment, Culture,
Poetry, relationships, Humour, Book Reviews, fiction, children’s
articles, Legal articles, spiritual inspiration and more.

Mucii ni Mucii [Paperback]

Marjory Nyakìago Kìmani (Author)

Marjory Nyakĩago Kĩmani (author of Mũcĩĩ nĩ Mũcĩĩ), 8th born in a family of eleven, 8 girls and 3 boys was born and educated in Mathĩra, Nyeri, Central Kenya. She attended local Schools before joining Tumutumu for upper primary. She proceeded to Alliance Girls’ High School where she was exposed to different extra curricular activities such as drama, house competitions in traditional songs; where students had to memorize the songs in different languages from different communities in Kenya and practice new movements. She found this very fascinating, and since then developed a special liking for using her mother tongue as a way of communicating with friends.

After High School she took up secretarial training. While working for a law firm in Nyeri, her boss who was Asian would sometimes ask her to translate client’s statements from Gĩkũyũ to English and vise versa. At that time she was also taking guitar lessons and tried out composing gospel and secular songs. She recorded one. Then the thought of writing a book came into her mind and settled on writing family based stories.

Born and brought up in the Gĩkũyũ rural background, Marjory Nyakĩago Kĩmani has witnessed the evolving of the Gĩkũyũ family set up to its current form. A cultural enthusiast, she believes in the family as the basis of any sound society. She also believes that the truly African family story cannot be told adequately in a foreign tongue, which is all the more reason why she chose her native tongue to tell the story. Her novel, Mũcĩĩ nĩ Mũcĩĩ exhibits the passion in telling an African story in an African language. Mũcĩĩ nĩ Mũcĩĩ is her view of what a family is; its values and its place in modern African society.
Marjory’s story does not end there. In the year 2007, she established Furaha Cultural Centre in Mathĩra, Nyeri district where cultural activities take place including language lessons. More recently, in 2009, she established Bondeni Cultural Centre in Nyandarua district. Marjory is also the Patron of Kigamba Traditional Dancers in Limuru.

As she is proud to point out, her inspiration for culturally based activities comes from her late father who directed drama in the village social hall during the emergency period of the 1950s. As it turns out, her family members are similarly emergency: one sister is a story teller in America, another good public speaker. One brother is a much sought-after master of ceremonies, while another one has written a large collection of stories.
For Marjory, writing Mũcĩĩ nĩ Mũcĩĩ marks the peak in this fulfilling passion. She is currently working on Volume (II) of Mũcĩĩ nĩ Mũcĩĩ as well as working on an English Translation of Mũcĩĩ nĩ Mũcĩĩ.
Mũcĩĩ nĩ Mũcĩĩ will be published in May 2010. Watch this space for the announcement on publication.

Marjory’s profile in Gĩkũyũ

Marjory Nyakĩago Kĩmani, nĩ mwana wa kanana harĩ nyũmba ya airĩtu anana na arũme atatu. Aciarĩirwo Mathĩra, Nyĩrĩ. Athomeire cukuru ya mĩceni ya Tũmũtũmũ agĩcoka agĩthiĩ Alliance Girls High School. Aingĩra Alliance nĩ akorire maũndũ maingĩ mageni, ta mĩthako ya ngerekano na nyĩmbo cia kũina na ingĩ cia makinya cia ndũrĩrĩ itigaine thĩinĩ wa Kenya. Mbere ĩyo ndaiguĩte thiomi ingĩ cia kĩndũire tiga Gĩgĩkũyũ. Nĩagegire mũno nĩ kũigua thiomi icio itaganĩte, na kuuma hau akĩmenya bata wa kũbarĩrĩra na gũtũmĩra rũthiomi rwake kwaranĩria na andũ.

Arĩkia cukuru nĩ athomeire wĩra wa karani. Nĩacokire akĩandĩkwo wĩra ũcio nĩ wakiri ũmwe mũhĩndĩ mũciĩ-inĩ wa Nyĩrĩ. Tondũ andũ amwe marũgamagĩrĩrwo nĩ wakiri ũcio mooi o Gĩgĩkũyũ kĩrĩa wakiri ũcio atamenyaga, Marjory nĩateithagia kũmataũrĩra. Nĩũndũ wa wĩra ũcio wa gũtaũra nĩ agucĩrĩirio nĩ rĩciria rĩa kwandĩka mabuku na rũthiomi rwa rũu. Thutha ũcio nĩ athomeire kũhũra ngita na akĩambĩrĩria gũtunga nyĩmbo na akĩruta rwĩmbo rũmwe. Nĩ acokire agĩtigana na nyĩmbo akĩona mwĩtwa wake nĩ kũgana ng’ano na agĩtua arĩandĩkaga ng’ano cia maũndũ ma kĩ-mũciĩ na ũndũire.

Nĩũndũ wa gũciarĩrwo na kũrererwo Gĩkũyũ-inĩ, Marjory Nyakĩago nĩ eyoneire maũndũ maingĩ ma kĩ-mũciĩ makĩgarũrũka kuuma mĩikarĩre ya gĩ-tene nginyagia ya kĩ-rĩu. Nĩ endete maũndũ ma kĩndũire mũno na etĩkĩtie atĩ mũciĩ nĩguo kĩhumo kĩa mũtũrĩre mwega. Ningĩ nĩ etĩkĩtie atĩ ng’ano cia kĩndũire itingĩganĩka wega na thiomi ng’eni. Nĩkĩo andĩkĩte ibuku rĩa Mũciĩ nĩ Mũciĩ na Gĩgĩkũyũ . Mũciĩ nĩ Mũciĩ nĩ rũgano rwa ũrĩa Marjory etĩkĩtie mũciĩ wagĩrĩire gũkorwo, hamwe na kũiguithania mĩikarĩre ya gĩtene na kĩrĩu.

Marjory N. Kimani
Editor in Chief,
Tel 0722 361100
Email- furahatroupe@gmail.com

Know your language: Mũcĩĩ nĩ Mũcĩĩ-Home is best