From what I have seen, it seem that there is very the majority of us do now know where we can get Kikuyu resources. Indeed some of us are not even aware of the existence of Kikuyu published work. Let us make an inventory of Kikuyu publications available.

I will begin.
1. Miikarire ya Agikuyu, 1933, 1986.Kiama Gathigira. Scholars publications

2. Mithomere ya Gikuyu, Ibuku ria 1, 2, na 3. by Patrick M Kamau. Pamika Booksellers.

3. Wirute Guthoma, by F.D.Kago

4. Gikuyu ni Kioigire,

5. Pradigmatic grammar of Gikuyu, by John Mugane.

more to come

Thanks Sajini for that. I will also be back with more additions to the list.

Wa Wakuru

Ng'ano ikumi na ithano cia Gikuyu, Kenya Literature Bureau. Dr. W Sadler
editions from 1957, 1961, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1975 and 1982

Kikuyu: Riddles & Stories: A Miscellany, by Mareka Gecaga, 1950, 1956, East Africa Literature Bureau.

Here are some more resources:

Leakey. L.S.B. First lessons in Kikuyu. 2nd reprint. Nairobi : Kenya Literature Bureau, 1989.

Bergvall, Victoria Lee. Focus in Kikuyu and universal grammar. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Harvard University.1987. 222 p.

Gachathi, F. N. (Francis Norman). Kikuyu botanical dictionary of plant names and uses. Nairobi. AMREF, Print. Dept. 1989. 242 p.

Kikuyu-English dictionary. Nairobi. Oxford University Press. 2001.
562 p.

Gecaga, Bethuel Mareka. A short Kikuyu grammar. London. Macmillan, 1953.
156 p.


Wa Wakuru

Niwega Muno wa Wakuru ni kuongerera.
Haha ndi na mangi meri.

1. A History of the Kikuyu 1500-1900 by Godfrey Muriuki Oxford University Press, Nairobi 1974

2. Kikuyu Gender Norms and Narratives. Inge Brinkman. Research school CNWS, Leiden , The Netherlands. 1996.

I do not have the Facing Mount Kenya reference right now, but will include it later.

By the way, do we still have the TKK series?

Ibuku riu ria "Facing mount Kenya" ni rirutituo ni andu aingi na thiomi nyingi muno muno. Kuri ria githweri, kibaranja, githungu, gikuyu na mangi maingi.

Uhoro wa TKK ndiui no ndiguiciria mabuku mau ni matuire. Korwo ni matuire ingianamona nduka-ini kana micii na ndimonaga. Tueraguo ati TKK nikuga "Tuika Kahii/Kairitu Kega" lol!

Wa Wakuru

Ngiceeranga nindironire mbuku ingi cia Gikuyu

1. Philiph M. Ng'ang'a. 1996. Muugi ni Mutaare Muugi ni Mutaare,East African Educational Publishers

2. C Barra .1939. 1000 Kikuyu Proverbs
Kenya Literature Bureau

3. D Kinuthia Mugia. 1979. Urathi wa Cege wa KibiruKenya Literature Bureau

4. Mwangi wa Mutahi 1998. Ngoima Mau Mau Research Center, Jamaica, New York.

Ndi hari riri ria Ngoinma tondi ni rugano rwo Ndungo rwandikitwo ni muru wa nyina na Whispers-ri, ni kuri mabuku mangi ma ng'ano cia ndungo, yaani (Novels) cia Gikuyu tiga ruru Ngoima, Caitani Mutharaba-ini, Matigari ma Njiruungi, na Murogi wa Kagogo?

Sajini,
REKE NYAMBO NDUTE MBURI AMU WIRA WEE NI URARUTA MWEGA. O NYUMBA NDATONYA NDIRONA URI KWO. THII NA MBERE NA WIRA UCIO MWEGA.
Thaaiii

Hari ibuku riandikitwo uhoro wa Gikuyu na ni riri maundu maingi mega. Nirio Southern Kikuyu Before 1903
Thaaii

I do not know why I left out Rose Mwangi's Kikuyu Folktales: Their nature and value 1970 Kenya Literature Bureau

I also know there is the Oral Literature of the Kikuyu by Wanjiku Kabira. Only I do not have the other details with me.

1. Kabetũ, M. N. - Kĩrĩra Kĩa Ũgĩkũyũ, Kenya Literature Bureau [1947]
2. wa Wanjau, Gakaara - Mĩhĩrĩga ya Aagĩkũyũ, Gakaara Press Limited [1960]

Great thread. Anyone really interested in literature about the Kikuyu can google the Nairobi university library and search the word kikuyu. Unfortunately they don't let you in there unless you are a member of the university.

Actually I think the Kenyan government or somebody should embark onm a mission of getting all the publishing rights to books written by early European anthropologists and make them available again.

By the way any one with any info on this guy, Mathew Njoroge Kabetu, the writer of the book Kirira kia Ugikuyu, pleas share. It will be greatly appreciated. The book is available at Book Bookpoint Nairobi. For Gakaaras book, make a small trip to Karatina.

quote:

First lessons in Kikuyu

Thank you all for the ressources
I have found an old book, named "A first COURSE in Kikuyu", I'm not sure it is valuable

Does anyone have a copy of the following book?

I would like to purchase it.

Ndai CIA Agikuyu (Kikuyu Riddles) (Paperback)
by W Njururie (Author) Also interested in the 1933 book by

1. Miikarire ya Agikuyu, 1933, 1986.Kiama Gathigira. Scholars publications

Definitely the one of if not the best book I've ever read, Murogi Wa Kagogo by Ngugi wa Thiong'o. Easily a masterpiece and brilliantly crafted. The Kikuyunised english words make for quite comical reading but Ngugi can't be blamed in this aspect rather it is the collective neglect of the kikuyu of their culture and language that itis to blame. I encourage anyone who can to read it in it's Kikuyu original.

quote:

Originally posted by foshelan:

quote:

First lessons in Kikuyu

Thank you all for the ressources
I have found an old book, named "A first COURSE in Kikuyu", I'm not sure it is valuable

Good luck finding that one. I traveled all the way to Karatina and never got it. In fact a lot the so called shop keepers hadn't even heard of the book. Fact is most of these books are out of circulation and you would be had pressed to find them in any book shop in Kenya. The thing is there is I believe an enormous volume of material written in Gikuyu and especially before the mau mau war broke out. Consider for a fact that there were a couple of kikuyu newspapers circulating at that time too. With some luck they can be found at the Kenya National Archives. Something I would recomend though if you are in Kenya, is travelling yo shaggz and looking through the old book collection of people who went to school in the 1960s or so. With a bit of luck you might unearth it. My trip to Karatina was not totally pointless as I was able to secure one very valuable book known as Mihiriga ya Aagikuyu by Gakaara wa Wanjau. Highly recommended especially in this day and age when parents don't even see it fit to pass on these info to their offspring most likely because they don't know it themselves. Truly tragic.

I've searched for a good Gikuyu grammar book for non-Gikuyu speakers to learn the language. Unfortunately, they don't seem to be available, at least as far as I can tell. In 1990, I found a book written by Russell Barlow in 1951, entitled "Studies in Kikuyu Grammar and Idiom." Not ideal, but comprehensive, with exercises, etc. I'm wondering if there's anything more modern and easy-to-use that's built around more modern language acquisition methods.