“Agikuyũ moi kũhitha ndia, matiũ kuhitha ũhoro”

“The Kikuyu know how to conceal their quiver, but do not know how to conceal their secrets.”

The Kikuyu, though very clever in concealing their arms, cannot keep secrets from the members of their tribe.

“Ageni eri matirĩ ũtugire”

“Two guests (at the same time) have no welcome.”

“Ageni eri na karirũĩ kao”

“Two guests love a different song.”

When you receive two visitors at the same time, you cannot treat them in the same manner, because they have different tastes.

“Aikaragia mbia ta njũũ ngigi”

“He is a man that looks after money as ‘njũ’ looks after locusts.”

‘Njũũ’ is a bird which accompanies migrating locusts to feed on them.

“Aka eri ni nyũngũ igĩrĩ cia ũrogi”

“Two wives are two pots full of poison.”

The more women you have in your house, the more troubles you must expect.

“Aka matĩrĩ cia ndiiro no cia nyiniko”

“Women have no upright words, but only crooked ones.”

The Kikuyu use the proverb to say that women keep no secrets and seldom tell the truth.

“Aka na ng’ombe itĩri ndũgũ”

“Wives and oxen have no friends.”

There are things which are not to be given to friends. A woman is to be from her house three times: when she is christened, married, and buried.

“Andũ maiganaine magithĩ na magiceera”

“Men are equal when they are going and walking.”

One can notice a difference between man and man when they, ‘exempli gratia’, are commanding or working, but not on the road where they look quite the same.

“Andũ matari ndundu mahũragwo na njũgũma ũmwe”

“People who have no secret agreement are beaten by a single club.”

A group of men not bound by a secret will be easily beaten by a single man.

“Andũ matĩĩ ngamini”

“Men do not know liberality.”

“Andũ matĩĩ ngũ, moi ithendũ”

“Men do not know hard firewood, but only lops.”

“Andũ me muoyo matiagaga wira”

“Live men do not lack work.”

“Angimituriria na ũmirite ndangimionana rikii”

“He who seeks his goat with the man who ate it, is certain not to find it.”

“Arũme mari rwamba”

“Men have got quills.”

Do not annoy others because they will respond by hurting.

“Bata ndũbatabataga”

“Necessities never end.”

“Cia athuri inyuagira thutha”

“The elders drink afterwards (i.e.”

after the others).

“Ciakorire wacũ mũgũnda”

“The food found Wacũ in the field.”

The proverb originates in the legend of Wacũ, the most despised amongst the wives of a rich man who never

“Cia kionje itigayagwo gitanakua”

“The property of a helpless man must not be divided before his death.”

“Cia mūciĩ irĩ gacūgūma gacio gatathukagio ni mūthuri”

“ūngĩ tīga mweneguo Home affairs have their staff, which cannot be brandished by anyone but the head of the house.”

The proverb means either that private matters must not be spoken of to strangers or that in each house there must be only one in authority.

“Cia mūciĩ itiumaga ndira”

“Home affairs must not go into the open.”

“Cia mūciĩ ti como”

“Home affairs cannot be told in public.”

“Ciana cia ndigwa itiri maithori”

“The widow's sons have no tears.”

It means that they have been accustomed to suffer very early.

“Ciathanaga ikigũā, itiathanaga ikiũmbũka”

“Birds agree when flying down, but do not agree when flying up.”

“Cia thũgũri itiyũraga ikũmbĩ”

“Bought things do not fill the granary.”