Uhuru is the Swahili word for “freedom.” It encapsulates both the concept of freedom and the Kenyan struggle for independence from colonial Britain, especially through the efforts of the Movement and the Party.
Uhuru Quotes in A Grain of Wheat
The A Grain of Wheat quotes below are all either spoken by Uhuru or refer to Uhuru. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 6
Quotes
“Many of us talked like that because we wanted to deceive ourselves. It lessens your shame. We talked of loyalty to the Movement and the love of our country. You know a time came when I did not care about Uhuru for the country anymore. I just wanted to come home.”
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Uhuru Term Timeline in A Grain of Wheat
The timeline below shows where the term Uhuru appears in A Grain of Wheat. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...way, he meets Warui, a village elder, who makes brief conversation about the coming of Uhuru until Mugo excuses himself. The land that Mugo is walking to was given to him...
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...him and salutes him “in the name of blackman’s freedom,” calling him Chief and saying “Uhuru na Kazi.” Githua refers briefly to “the Emergency” before hobbling away. Mugo continues walking, wondering...
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Chapter 3
...in Mugo’s hut, his three visitors tell him that they are there to discuss the Uhuru celebrations coming up in a few days. Mugo feels strange in the presence of these...
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...has made, they want Mugo to lead the ceremony and sacrifice of remembrance during the Uhuru celebration. Furthermore, they want Mugo to stand as their chief and regional representative to the...
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Chapter 4
...him painfully think of Mumbi, whom Karanja loves but was rejected by—how he feels about Uhuru, and so on. Karanja hopes that she will give some hint of the rumor that...
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...at his desk, rifling through papers and pretending to be working. His thoughts drift to Uhuru, what a betrayal it seems, and the pride he had felt when the queen visited...
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Chapter 5
...building his body of work. But now, in exile in Githima, on the eve of Uhuru and their banishment from Kenya altogether, everything seems meaningless. John wants to finally tell his...
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Chapter 6
All over the region, people are discussing Mugo as the leader of the Uhuru celebrations. His hard time in detention have given him a powerful physical stature and the...
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Chapter 8
...he walks home, Mugo resolves that he will accept the responsibility of speaking at the Uhuru celebrations, he will be a leader of his community, and he will bury “his past...
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Chapter 9
...he walks to Gikonyo’s house the next morning to announce that he will lead the Uhuru celebrations and his “people across the desert to the new Jerusalem.” However, rather than finding...
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...They have laid a trap, with the help of Mwaura, to lure Karanja to the Uhuru celebrations where they will expose him and bring him to justice. At that moment, Mugo...
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Chapter 10
...pointing out his close position to the white people before enticing him to attend the Uhuru celebrations with him, promising that there will be women all about. Karanja tells Mwaura he...
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Chapter 12
To distract himself, Gikonyo goes to speak with Warui about the Uhuru celebrations. To Gikonyo, Warui seems happy and contented, even though he is a widower, and...
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Chapter 13
On the day of Uhuru, as people are awaiting nightfall and the beginning of the celebration that will formally mark...
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...She decides to send word to Karanja in Githima, warning him not to attend the Uhuru ceremony.
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...too late for that to be reconciled now. She presses him to speak at the Uhuru celebrations this night. Mugo is reticent, but Mumbi realizes that she has a strange power...
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Chapter 14
Gikonyo runs his race and tries to think about Uhuru, what it will mean for African businessmen and leaders. He thinks of his long-lost father...
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...Githima with even more property and another dog. To Koina, this casts a shadow over Uhuru and causes him to wonder if anything will truly change.
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...taken to the hospital—where he discovers his arm is broken—and the morning session of the Uhuru celebration ends.
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...who served as the British colonial force. General R. is haunted by Koina’s fear that Uhuru will not bring change. Nevertheless, General R. continues through his speech, speaking of the need...
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Warui, Wambui
...color, and excitement.” They placidly remark that the old woman died on the day of Uhuru, though no one knows why; apparently Gitogo came to take her home after all. Mumbi...
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