From Half Njuri To Full Accord

A year went by without further development on either side. Each regional Njuri continued to meet without further efforts to induct Christians or even call upon those already inducted to attend gatherings. Similarly, neither Hopkins nor Irvine urged their inductees to attend.

By early 1940, Lambert—newly reappointed as Meru district commissioner—was appalled by the lack of progress. On inquiry he decided that a misunderstanding had arisen on both sides. In fact the Njuri

elders of Imenti, offended by Christian behavior during the original initiation, appear to have reinterpreted their original agreement with McKeag. They now informed Lambert they had never been willing to admit Christians into full membership, because the converts were unwilling to undergo the traditional rites—a reference to the incident of clothing and two shillings. Rather, those already accepted were allowed to attend occasional deliberations as spokesmen for topics in which they had particular interest.

Even this limited attendance, the elders declared, would be allowed only if Christian members proved willing to swear, on the Bible, secrecy regarding Njuri decisions. In exchange Christians so bound would agree never to demand further changes in the initiation process or to refuse in the future to take part. Finally, no Christian who accepted these conditions could claim to be a full Njuri member. Rather, they should consider themselves nuthu Njuri (half Njuri) or Njuri ya Mabuku (Njuri of the book).

Both mission heads seem initially to have accepted this reinterpretation without comment. Lambert, however, was not content to let the issue rest. Neither he nor McKeag had intended Christian participants to play restricted roles but had hoped that they could actively reintegrate themselves into the mainstream of tribal life. Deprived of Njuri membership, both men felt Christians would remain upon the Meru fringes. Worse, they might form tiny subtribes of their own, with British missionaries taking on the role of chiefs. Such a development, they felt, would both hasten the disintegration of Meru society and deprive it of the progressive leavening it needed to evolve. Once integrated into the system, however, Christians could become a catalyzing force, guiding the anglicization and Christianization of the indigenous institution and through it the communal life of the entire tribe.^[29]

It was thus necessary for Lambert to begin a second series of negotiations, moving between the two Protestant ministers and members of both regional Njuris. As expected, the most explicit objections came from African converts at the Church of Scotland's "Kirk Session," a meeting of that mission's elders under the guidance of Irvine. As later summarized in mission correspondence, the elders noted that the Njuri was "pagan, . . . [with] its ceremonies based on pagan symbols, its halls littered with elements of spirit worship," and "secret, . . . [since] its secrecy is its strength. Leave its secrecy intact and there is the . . . danger of a subversive movement, unknown to government, with chiefs, headmen, government employees, and all but a few Christians sworn to se-

crecy." The assembled elders emphasized "the utter incompatibility of the animist following his ancient worship and customs and the African Christian," and finally proposed "that the system followed in the more advanced Kikuyu country should be adopted, [to include] Local [Native] Councils representing all services [missions] active in the country. The district officer would be chairman. This would be open, safe, acceptable to Christian and progressive opinion as well as to the less privileged."^[30]

In the face of this intense opposition, Lambert was initially baffled over how to proceed. In late March 1940 he began discussions with Hopkins, whose Methodist converts, he believed, would prove most receptive to a new agreement. He also met with Irvine, seeking areas where both the Njuris and the Presbyterians could compromise.

On reflection he asked Hopkins's permission to send Filipo M'Inoti to speak personally with the Church of Scotland elders, meeting in Kirk Session, to explore their points of disagreement. M'Inoti was perfect for the task. By 1940 he had been ordained as the first Meru minister in Imenti, thereby clearly demonstrating his mastery of Christian teachings. Beyond that he had become deeply versed in Njuri tradition, so that he proved able to suggest compromises satisfactory to both sides.

M'Inoti met with the Church of Scotland elders at a Kirk Session that lasted most of a day. Sharing common language, heritage, and religion, they were able to explore the issues more fully than had proved possible when with the whites and thus agree on several compromises. At the same time, Lambert reached essentially similar agreements with Hopkins and the Methodist mission elders. Irvine, faced with such unanimity, gave way with unexpected grace, consenting to limited participation of his elders in what became known simply as "The Agreement." The first part of the agreement excused any Christian candidate wishing to enter a regional Njuri from prior membership in his local Kiama, in the same manner initially suggested by McKeag. The second required the initiation of Christians to take place in the traditional ("pagan") manner, with due allowance for their desire to remain clothed. The third dictated that whenever Christians entered an Njuri initiation hut that "pagan symbols would be covered or otherwise rendered invisible." The fourth required, as before, that every Christian oath be sworn on the Bible.^[31]

The fifth requirement, however, contained the core of the entire agreement. It dealt with the transmission of Njuri teachings ("secrets") to new initiates. In essence the Njuri agreed that nothing could be

taught until first approved by M'Inoti, who as both a Christian minister and Njuri "elder" reserved the right to reword the teachings to render them consistent with Christian principles.^[32]

It is doubtful if any agreement would have been reached without the continuous mediation of the Reverend Filipo M'Inoti. Among the earliest of Meru's Christian converts, and the one who had climbed highest in their ranks, he held the respect of black and white, Methodist and Presbyterian, missionary and administrator alike. Rarely do agreements emerge through the conciliatory efforts of one man, yet it was M'Inoti's assurances that provided sufficient confidence to bind all sides. Soon after, Irvine sent the first of his Kirk Session elders, Jotham M'Murianki, to an Njuri for initiation. To ensure a smooth transition, the rites were led by M'Inoti himself. M'Murianki then became the recognized initiation leader for all future candidates from the Church of Scotland Mission. For Protestants the problem was resolved.

District attention then turned to the Roman Catholic Mission. By 1940 the Consolata fathers had far outstripped their Protestant competitors, having established no less than seven major mission stations and twenty-two bush schools and dispensaries in every part of the district where their presence was allowed. The Catholics operated, however, in semi-isolation, intensified by their inability to speak either English or Swahili. Their policy was to withdraw both mission fathers and their converts from contact with traditional and colonial authorities.

At Lambert's insistence, Father Guadagnini, the educational secretary for the Consolata, consented to meet with Njuri elders to explore the issue. The discussions, however, were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II and thus the beginning of hostilities between England and Italy. Within days every Italian in Meru had been imprisoned, leaving the entire Catholic mission chain bereft of European direction. The gap was partially filled by Catholic priests from allied nations, who assumed control of peoples of whose culture they knew nothing.

The results shook the confidence of Catholic elders throughout the district, briefly destroying the trust that Lambert had striven to build. The Cuka Catholic mission was taken over by two priests from Holland. Within weeks after their arrival they proclaimed a "total ban on the African religion of Njuri." All Catholics were prohibited entry into this "religion," and those who joined faced excommunication. Catholic teachers were authorized to drive out any Njuri members who appeared, while chiefs and elders were forbidden to force converts to join.

The proclamation was issued in a circular letter addressed to teachers within every Catholic school in Meru. By coincidence a copy reached Lambert as well. Enraged, the district commissioner left immediately for Cuka, to "teach this self-appointed Pope the error of his ways."^[33] He arrived too late. Having issued their proclamation, the Dutch priests had moved on, completely unaware of the damage such an edict could have caused the still fragile alliance between traditional and colonial rule.