Lusimo lwe Munyongesa [46] -Nandakambilwa alikona Khumwanda Kwenjoli

Nandakambilwa alikona Khumwanda Kwenjoli

(An inadvisable one would lay his life on a damned path)

This proverb comes from the story of a young man, Nandakambilwa originally called Silikhaya from Bang’ale clan, a tribal fold within Bukusu sub-nation. His father was Wamafwi, strict and principled. He was a former blacksmith and wealthy man, well-endowed with cattle and other livestock. Despite being brought up in a well nurtured home, Silikhaya grew rude and obedient. One day, he bade farewell to the family and told his father he will set up his own home in a land far away. He felt he could live in peace and do anything just like his father. 

He travelled for many days and nights, covering a huge span of distance. He arrived at a certain place and erected a blacksmith’s hut (lirumbi), right in front of a path that ran down the river. No sane person would build a hut on a path that elephants (chinjoli) passed by to go drinking. His smithery nevertheless flourished and he grew quite famous in these new lands. Until one day, a band of Maasai Morans (Bamuruku) visited him carrying a human skull! They demanded he forges it into iron to resemble a pig’s head (whatever their motivation was) or if he failed, they would kill him. That same evening, he was very troubled for how could he forge pig iron from a human head? His mind wandered and he was unable to sleep. He remembered one thing, home…

Early next morning, he set for the journey home, to seek the advice of his old man. He was well received but the father declined to advise him, insisting that now he was a grown up and could make his own independent decisions. After hours of pleading, however, his father instructed him to take a significant amount of burare (iron ore), put it in the skull and blow in the furnace. With quickness of steps, Silikhaya went back. The same evening, the Morans came and stuck their spears outside the house as was their custom. Silikhaya received them and did as his father had told him. Confidently, he fanned the skull, till it was red hot, put iron ore and hammered it into a pig head. The Morans were impressed of his prowess and shook his hands excitedly. They praised his genius, went away happy and probably later rewarded him. 

This prodigal-son proverb is used to warn people for neglecting advice. One who despises advice is like Nandakambilwa, who refused to stay, went into foreign lands but when trouble arose, he ran back home to seek advice and solace. 

Have a thoughtful weekend, won’t you?

Great People of my Motherland: The Story of Namunyulubunda son of Wakhulunya

In the land whose people lirango lie njofu (thigh of the elephant), there lived a great leader Namunyulubunda from the warrior-clan of Batukwiika Bakitang’a. He was a good man, wise and diplomatic who led the Bukusu in their path of migration at a time when the community was weakly united; an easy target for traditional Bamia and Barwa enemies.

The story of Namunyulubunda starts off back in time, just after mid-17^th century. Here, several of Bukusu clans including Bamutilu, Balunda, Babuya, Bayemba, and Bamuki among others moved to live in Ebwayi (around Bwayi Hills). Batukwiika would cross River Malaba into the region following the dispersal wars that drove them out of Sikulu sya Bukusu (Bukusu Hill overlooking Tororo town). The Clan was under the leadership of Wakhulunya, a son of a prophet who came to inherit the throne after his brother did the unthinkable.

Bukusu history rememberers hold that Wakhulunya was the younger of the two sons of the great Maina wa Nalukale. His older brother was Namunguba, forsook the community when he engaged in sexual relations with the youngest of his father’s wives. Maina would leave the land, never to be seen again and Namunguba, being a public disgrace was rejected and dismissed from the community. Wakhulunya, the younger son, would win the heart of the community and assume to control the community comprising of several tribes. But his efforts to unify the community did not match that of his father, Maina wa Nalukale. (See full story on incest in a prophet’s household: http://dimplesnet.blogspot.com/2017/04/maina-wa-nalukale-kaaba-nanu.html)

At around 1789 in the household of Wakhulunya, Namunyulubunda was begotten as the first son. At around 1812 (the season following Mango’s circumcision), Namunyulubunda went under the knife in the age set of Bakolongolo “A”. As the first son of a community leader, he was taught his peoples way of life and so, how to unite the people for a good and harmonious living.

He became a very knowledgeable man, and brave in all measures. He knew some day, community leadership being hereditary; he would be tasked with leadership. At the time, each clan lived in a fort; build with security reinforcements in preparation for Barwa invasion. For example, Lunchu was the clan elder for Bakhwami and headed all the affairs in his fort and so on. Only 8 harvesting seasons later, in 1820, Wakhulunya the father of Namunyulubunda and grandson of Maina wa Nalukale breathed his last. The entirety of Ebwayi mourned for him for days and after the final rites, the elders accorded the leadership title to Namunyulubunda, his eldest son.

The times that Namunyulubunda rose to the apex of community leadership were quite peaceful. The wars had ceased, Bukusu life turned more sedentary and so the population increased exponentially. Dozens of forts had been built throughout Ebwayi and Mwiala. Nevertheless, Namunyulubunda as an apt leader saw life in a wider angle. Inter-tribal unity had declined and each clan preferred pulling towards its own way. A joint military formation was lacking that was not good for community defenses. In the wake of this military decay, Namunyulubunda rose to assemble community leaders for a united course. Despite this effort, the clans remained quite narcissistic, perhaps fooled by the short-lived peace and calm.

During the reign of Namunyulubunda, one day, it was noticed that in far off hills, persistent smoke would be seen. The people got curious of who might be living in those lands. Namunyulubunda, as a diplomatic tribal elder, gathered a team of Bayoti (scouts) led by the well-known Kitimule son of Wetoyi from the Bakitang’a clan. After a two-day sojourn, the reached the lands and found that indeed inhabitants were Bayumbu, Bukusu’s lost brothers separated during the dispersal wars of Silikwa decades ago.

This Tachoni community was headed by Kibulo who led a tribal fold of about 28 clans and practiced very peculiar practices (khulicha) adopted from other Barwa communities. Otherwise, their tongue was similar to that of Babukusu. It is said that Kitimule’s excessive inquisitiveness of their peculiar traits (including reports of cannibalism) earned him two toes off the left foot hence the adage; Reebanga Kitimule wanyoa Ebuyumbu (Ask Kitimule who went first in Ebuyumbu).  A full narration of Kitimule’s diplomatic journey in Ebuyumbu can be found here: http://dimplesnet.blogspot.com/2017/07/reebanga-kitimule-wanyoa-ebuyumbu-ask.html). Otherwise being quite trifling in population, subsequent diplomatic missions led to their assimilation back in Bukusu community. 

Back to the leadership of Namunyulubunda; as he was busy lobbying other clan elders to unite, disaster struck. Based on intelligence, Bamia Bapala and Bakariboko established that Bukusu defenses were weak; with most forts unmanned. They planned and launched lightening attacks that greatly destabilized Babukusu. From Mwalie up to Mwiala and Ebwayi, they went hard on Bukusu raiding kraals and taking no causalities. 

Namunyulubunda gathered the surviving clans and few herds of cattle and headed southward towards the fort of Kitingia, his long term friend. Kitingia, an Omukhurarwa tribal leader, welcomed them and they built larger forts. Out of the painful experience, Babukusu united than ever before and furnished their military defenses. Years later, the community moved to Namatotowa then made for Muluwa. In their sojourn, from Muluwa, Namunyulubunda brought the people to Mundoli, near present day Sang’alo. Later, after prudent service to his people and their shaming payback of neglecting him, he joined his ancestors, a troubled man.

But why were events in Namunyulubunda’s old age more important that his whole reign? Affected with leprosy, the old Namunyulubunda got despised with his sons and community. Collecting his four legged stool and royal instruments of power, he arose and left. In the coming episodes, learn how this leprosious Bukusu elder landed in Ebukhone resulting to transfer of community leadership to the Clan of Bakhone…and the rise of the powerful colonial-era chief Sudi wa Namachanja. 

A story is good, until another is told...

-Insights from F.E Makila

Omubukusu Kama Wae? Tracing Roots of the Great Family Tree

 Many people have speculated on the origin of Babukusu of Western Kenya. It is a shame to hear disjointed, misleading myths but there is greater shame in not knowing where we, as a people descended from.

 

The great ancestor of Babukusu is known as Mundu. He lived in Esibakala (the southern reaches of modern-day Egypt) and spoke Bantu language (whose name for a person ends with ‘ntu’ or ‘ndu’). Esibakala was a land of fertile plains, watered by the Nile that supported livestock breeding and growing of eleusine and millet. His appearance in Esibakala dates back to about A.D 700 and he lived among other communities.

Mundu would give birth to two sons; named Kundu and Masaaba. Masaaba was of light complexion but Kundu was the darker one. By now Mundu had moved southward towards Esirende (near present-day Sudan). Starvation following frequent draughts is believed to have been the reason. But also a race of brown people (Arabs) had made life difficult for him. It was around A.D 885 that he settled in Esirende- the Sudanese Savanna Wetlands.

Just like the Biblical Esau and Jacob, Kundu sought delight in tending his father’s livestock but Masaaba loved game hunting. Upon maturity, Mundu would give a considerable share of cattle both his sons. Kundu, the eldest would marry first and choose to move in the south-westerly direction in the path of the setting sun. As fate would have it, he and his brother would not cross their paths again. Conventional wisdom reveals that Kundu would settle around Lake Kioga (in present-day Uganda). Today, it is believed Kundu should be Kintu, the forefather of Baganda (Bakanda) and Basoga, who live around that lake region.

His younger brother Masaaba would not be quick to migrate and decided to stay around with Mundu, his aging father. Life in Esirende was not good at all, Babayi (Mundu's offspring) were preyed upon by Baima (Teso) who hunted as opposed to growing crops. Besides, Nabibia (Ethiopian tribes) went about in swarms raiding whoever they found on the way. The aged Bukusu ancestor made a decision to migrate eastward up to the land of anthills (Enabiswa). Here, in present-day Loukitang’, Babayi enjoyed termite delicacies almost all the year round. Later Babayi would drift to Etabasya, Enabukutu, finally arriving at Embayi.

It was at Embayi that Masaaba, now at a marriageable age, met the love of his life-Namurwa, the queen-mother of Babukusu. The year was A.D 912 and this is how it happened. One fine afternoon Masaaba spotted a fine and pretty Nilo-Hamitic girl. Masaaba fell in love with this Kalenjin girl and wasted no time in proposing his love for her. Namurwa would play hard to get for a while, in the full knowledge that her people would not endorse her to befriend or marry a man with a foreskin. It is to be remembered that Barwa circumcised their boys after every five years but Babukusu were not keen on circumcision. 

 

 The two lovers would arrange for secret rendezvous and day by day, Masaaba’s love grew stronger. In a bold move, Namurwa would arrange for Masaaba to meet her people. Just as Namurwa thought, their marriage could only be allowed if Masaaba accepted to go under the knife. The lovesick son of a herder was ready for anything to win over her. He would be knifed by a Nilo-Hamitic circumciser and a marriage ceremony organized as cows changed hands.

Within a year or so, the beautiful Namurwa became a mother bringing forth a son, Mwambu, meaning 'one born in a cave.' Soon, another one would come, Mubukusu and lastly, she bore her only daughter, Seela. The children grew up strong, cherished for uniting two hostile communities.

In his teenage years, something occurred which would turn Mwambu into a hero. One bright afternoon, there appeared a herd of Barwa Bamasaai. Finding Mwambu alone, the raiders swiftly captured his father’s herd and made off. But Mwambu wasn’t a boy to accept defeat easily. He ran after them, wailing awakening other Babayi in homesteads. They joined the pursuit. But being an agile herder, Mwambu outran the villagers, risking his life by following the raiders with absolutely no weapon in his hand.

Before long, he caught up with the rustlers and approached them boldly. Mesmerized by the courage of a boy who wants to ‘attack’ them empty-handed, they chose to reward him. They would give him a bull. “This is inkishu, which runs as fast as yourself”, they would say.

Happy for being complimented, he would return home under impression that the bull given was ingishu in Maasai. He would reach home and after narrating the ordeal, his father branded him the name Mukisu, the sharp and brave one. However, the Maasai for a bull was olkiten’g and inkishu is the name for any ordinary cattle. From then, Mwambu faded and Mukisu took its place. 

 

Apart from Mukisu, Seela and Mubukusu, Masaaba had many other children. The two brothers grew and raised families of their own. Babayi now moved to Esengeli, derived from kamasengeli (iron slag). Legend bears that, here, the art of ironmongery flourished. But also sibling rivalry would occur at Sengeli and the two brothers went separate ways.

It happened that one day at an ox-spiriting ceremony (lulwasako), Mukisu's children would quarrel with Mubukusu's as the latter felt the former was mean in throwing meat feats. On one occasion, the conflict would elevate and several lives were lost. Mukisu and Mubukusu met and agreed to go separately so as to minimize conflict.

At around A.D. 925, Mubukusu's household left, heading eastward to the Silikwa highlands. The separation split the family into Babukusu while Bakisu (Bagisu) remained in present-day Uganda. To stamp their seniority (since Mukisu was eldest), Bakisu would retain the name of Bamasaaba; otherwise, both communities are sons of one father Masaaba.

Other exciting stories of family feuds and migration patterns have and others would be covered in this blog.

A story is good, until another is told….

*Tribute to:

·         Prof Namusonge Sifuna

·         Gideon Were- A History of Abaluhyia of Western Kenya (1967)

·         Prof Namulundah Florence of City University of New York- From Our Mothers’ Hearths: Bukusu Folktales and Proverbs (2005)

·         Dr. F.E Makila –the father of Bukusu Anthropology in the 20t^h Cy – An outline History of Babukusu of Western Kenya (1978)