Mitumba too mitumba too mitumba too mitoo
like butterflies that can’t fly
mitumba's here, mitumba's there
Mitumba’s everywhere
too many to count
for too little amount
mitumba too mitumba too mitoo
for mum for clad for toto too
mitumba for each and everyone
Korogal korogal korogal
changanya! changanya! changanya!
cries the mitumba-man
who's that fool walking naked
while a suit is only ten
watu wang'are! watu washine kama star
explore the top, explore the bottom
you may pull up Thatcher’s former bra
or broke Kaunda’s suit
or Reagan's daughter's bikini
royal clothes for the lowly
president Moi said his ministers shine in them
Miturnba too mitumba too miturnba too mitoo
in every town, in every village, in every slum
Mitumba too mitumba too mitumba too mitoo
we also have transparent too
for those who dare be!
and what more open economy do they want;
our's is an open air economy!
Sam Mbure (20th century) Kenya
Source: Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo: Texts and Contexts, ed. Charles Cantalupo, Africa World Press, 1995
like butterflies that can’t fly
mitumba's here, mitumba's there
Mitumba’s everywhere
too many to count
for too little amount
mitumba too mitumba too mitoo
for mum for clad for toto too
mitumba for each and everyone
Korogal korogal korogal
changanya! changanya! changanya!
cries the mitumba-man
who's that fool walking naked
while a suit is only ten
watu wang'are! watu washine kama star
explore the top, explore the bottom
you may pull up Thatcher’s former bra
or broke Kaunda’s suit
or Reagan's daughter's bikini
royal clothes for the lowly
president Moi said his ministers shine in them
Miturnba too mitumba too miturnba too mitoo
in every town, in every village, in every slum
Mitumba too mitumba too mitumba too mitoo
we also have transparent too
for those who dare be!
and what more open economy do they want;
our's is an open air economy!
Sam Mbure (20th century) Kenya
Source: Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo: Texts and Contexts, ed. Charles Cantalupo, Africa World Press, 1995
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