Je was op zoek naar: refrained (Engels - Swahili)

and he gave a little, then refrained?
na akatoa kidogo, kisha akajizuia?

and gave a little and [then] refrained?
na akatoa kidogo, kisha akajizuia?

my sense was always that the coup would come this summer (i never wrote this expressly but i expressed this view in discussion and refrained from commenting on the crisis (1) because western sahara info. covered it well and there is not point in competing when you’re one of two or three bloggers paying attention to it, (2) i wanted to make sure that if i “predicted” it i would not be wrong; i could have said, “by the end of may/june/july/august sidi’s government will be no more” and been wrong; i’m no weather man, and (3) i’ve yet to encounter a mauritanian that had positive things to say about sidi beyond his golden personality).
(1) kwa sababu western sahara info. taarifa za kutoka sahara magharibi zilielezea kinaganaga na hakukuwa na haja ya kushindana ikiwa wewe ni mmoja wa mabloga wawili au watatu unakuwa miongonimwa wanaofuatilia sakata hili kwa karibu sana. (2) nilitaka kuhakikisha kwamba kama 'ningetabiri' jambo hili nisingekosea; ningeweza kutabiri kuwa 'mwishoni mwa miezi ya mei, juni, julai na agosti serikali ya rais sidi, isingelikuwapo tena' na ningekuwa nimekosea; mimi si mtabiri wa hali ya hewa, na (3) sijawahi kukutana na raia wa mmauritania ambaye lolote jema la kumzungumza kuhusu sidi, ukiachilia mbali uzuri wa wajihi wake.)