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Heavy responsibilities for elder aunt among the Logooli

With Seenge Fonesi. She is the elder grand daughter of Isagi and elder daughter of Amugasya. She is often present in functions involving the family of Amugasya. Pic taken on 18/4/2024. The elder sister soon becomes the elder aunt. It is this “seenge munene” (elder aunt) tag that she is tied to many cultural responsibilities – back home. To her marital family she may appear as any other woman, but she is not so in the eyes of her people. Marriage does not steal her away as it would happen with other daughters of the old man. To her, as days go and the old man and woman of the estate are dependents, she becomes increasingly present.  Her brothers also need her for almost all traditional markings. They are marrying, she needs to welcome the new wife. They are giving birth, she needs to come to midwife or “bless” the new born. They are paying dowry she needs to lead the women delegate. There is a conflict she needs to come for a hearing.  And many others. Traditions does not expect her to
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ABASUBA COMMUNITY


200 years ago the Abasuba had not arrived at their present core settlement- Mfangano island at Lake Victoria. They are said to have been western Bantus and a close relative of the Luhyas. Today there only lives a rare remnant of Suba speaking people whom it is feared that the end of their era will be the end of Suba. 

With no clear hierarchical descend, the Suba may have been the lost brothers and friends to Mulogoli and Gusii {my speculation}. Mulogoli, in the company of his brother the Gusii crossed from Uganda to Rusinga island before parting, Mulogoli heading Westwards and Gusii Eastwards. Suba is a corruption of suva which in Maragoli means few or none. 


Henry Okello, then a student under the guide of Proffessor Ogot did an extensive research that applauded Luo culture. Proffessor Mwanzi, Director at Kenyatta University Ruiru campus refutes the claims that Luo people waved during settlement in Nyanza area but agreeing that the few who could influence a majority of Bantu people had them adopt their language- if so language can be distinguished from culture.

With a rich hilly escarpment and a fresh water lake below the community found favour that was not replicated in increased population growth mainly because of increased deadly malaria incident reports there. There are barely 17,000 lives on the island whose a good number are immigrant Luos.
Luos, as Mzee Okigo said influenced greatly Suba culture through intermarriage and the teaching of Luo language as mother-tongue in colonial period. Luo ladies are very attractive to the Suba sons. What the children could learn most came from the mother. And when the British arrived by the lake, two languages were paramount- Luo and Swahili. 

It is unfortunate that so little of this talked about people is in records. The main stone art at Kwitone hill, a logo that the Abasuba Cultural monument uses is suggested to have been a climatical {weather pattern} chart. What is not clear is the drawing’s sure meaning. The consideration of women as rainmakers and the association of the cave to a shrine may have indicated divergent meanings to what we would find fitting. 

The past stands strange and unknown like the thick bushes on the hills. There are as many birds and crickets as mosquitoes. The moon adorns the heavens during the dark and the view is ecstatic to the night time fishermen away into the lake. Pollution is a miller’s modern day grinding shortcut.  The roads are majorly beautiful paths that an animal jumps off when you almost by it. 

The future however will be decided by man who has opened up beaches and small settlements beside the lake to open up the hills. Bush clearance is a day to day activity. Sons continue to be born, curious to know their history. Little is historically lost since we haven’t yet devised apparatus and professionalism of looking in the past.


picture source; katibaculturalrights.com


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