Bukusu Oratory; It’s Fun & Downside

 

Chimbakha nambakhaani – Good tales bring social ties.

In my father’s land, you don’t just get up in a gathering, and words find their way into your mouth. Leading a public is an art that requires prowess, experience and confidence, for people need to chew and choke on your words. 

And so it is in many other African communities. A public speaker is a court poet who involves words full of ancient wisdom in proverbs and riddles, jokes, and metaphors that appeal to commoners. The Ashanti of Ghana call this court poet Kwandwumfo, griot in Mandinka, the Rwandese call him/her an umusizi while the Zulu of Mzansi calls him Imbongi. In Bukusu land, such a person has no specific name, depending on the type of gathering that one speaks. For instance, in Khuswala Kumuse (a rare and an elaborate ritual in honor of a respected Bukusu elder), he is called Oswala Kumuse- the Public Comforter.

Bukusu oratory is part of our culture and for one to be an orator, they need to have an excellent grasp of the way of the people. One can rise in a gathering to condemn, inspire, cheer or mediate among other roles. He gives a sweet-tongued conversation that goes into the souls of his kinsmen. Such an orator has diverse tools at hand; from dishing out proverbs, singing, dancing, speaking in riddles among other instruments of Bukusu ethnopoetics. Such a performer speaks directly to the hearts and can evoke a standing ovation by one wave of his tongue. Elomo esecha yombakha sibala. He is a bearer of fire and an opinion shaper. With his mastery of words, his oratory influences the attitudes, thoughts, and actions of the audience.

I can associate a few, but not accomplished oratory performers in Bukusuland, including among others Mukhisa wa Kituyi, Mwambu wa Mabonga, Kubende wa Kubende and Didmus wa Barasa. In a public gathering, do not dare speak ill of them before they are invited, they will shave you clean off your dignity. Sadly, most often voters have fallen for the wits of such performers who are candidates in elections. To the ignorance of the masses, they think an oratory performer will make a great politician, but often that is no guarantee. 

But they are talented oral artists aren’t they? People will listen them all day long with no exhaustion. As the ancient saying goes; Wemunwa akhunula masalao. That is, he is who is sweet-tongued will rob your girlfriend and all the benefits that comes with her.