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The Kamnara of Sakwa are making ground to build for future generations

Greetings from the Kamnara of Sakwa! The Kamnara people of Sakwa on 27th December 2024 gathered at Village Park, Ajigo (near Bondo). Hosted by Kwaka Joseph, they hearkened to the consultative forum call, arriving in good numbers and early enough for a successful day. The gathering was chaired by Mr. Nying’ro James Onyango, a former (retired) assistant commissioner of Police. The introductions were excellent. The genealogies were mentioned in reverence, lengthy ones applauded. And courtesy of Enos Oyaya’s book, “Kamnara my people”, anyone who would need help had the documentation. Oyaya had launched the Kamnara book on 30th December 2022 at his home in Kamnara Mwalo, an event that gathered Vakamnara from far and wide. “What can we do that the generations to come will benefit from?” This was the clarion Mr. Kwaka Joseph called on all to fashion their minds to. And issues were raised in the fields of Education, health, agriculture, enterprise, politics and more that the swift dholuo would...

L' and r' will make us conflict.

Neccy Flossy: Hi all, just an observation  if we are to achieve and archive any written work we need seriously from the onset to regulate the proper use of the "r"s and the "l"s. Unfortunately, there is too much use of "r" where "l" should be used. Both "r" n "l" exist in our language. There good work being done but the "r" becoming uncomfortable even talking and pronouncing the language when reading on the forum. Can Mr Jo Ndanyi or somebody edit for archiving for future and proper use tongue taste and the sounding. Language is one of those things that one CANNOT re-INVENT THE WHEEL.  It is the theory, can we stick to theory an processes that reinventing the wheel? If a book is to be written in future, lets employ the proper use of consonants and vowels where they exactly should.  Currently I don't feel the language on the forum ... it is not good for a book if not editted for proper language. Thats my opinion its not putting anybody down but lets start rightly language wise.

Neccy Flossy: 👆🏾use theory, the processes THAN us reinventing the wheel. Sorry.. guyz

Lung'afa: We can reform the wheel. There is no problem in your suggestion. Corrections can only come when someone is 'doing something'.

Writing is only a means of putting thought in letters and people interpret. There is a chocking feeling if one thinks, 'I am not getting it right.'  I wish we stood in a boardroom for everyone to defend the l or r. It has been my doing to use r instead of l because I can prove there is no 'l' in our language save when  we are shortening two r's in speech.

The problem began when missionaries wanted to work with two or more Luhya dialects. I quote 'The written language in most of the dialect areas was that of the dialect in which the first religious or secular materials had been written by the 'mission' which was operating in that area- and not necessarily that of the area itself.'
.....There never sat a council among Maragoli 'experts' to write down rules but they inherited an 'i' after 'l' and such reasoning. They continued to use 'l' because it is 'easy' having been exposed to it through the greatest literary -the Bible.

If you gave a child some of the 'l' words you will hear a distant accent to our tongue. Or if you gave a stranger you will be faulted. I tend to think there should be one voice for one dialect or else when the voice is thrown away we do not expect the dialect to remain. And writing is not a language's way of ensuring its authenticity but a tool of interpretation and communication of ideas. Let it not bother you much if you not interested much.

We have only a handful of maragoli materials. If we appeal and find there were letter areas we can in an overnight ruling do Find and Replace to all unsuiting ones. For I tend to believe we are yet to define our history.

-I welcome corrections.

Ndanyi Saniaga: One of the books I authored mu Lulogooli is a dictionary which explains the usage of l and r, please purchase some of these books mmanye ululimi lwiinyu, more of these books were purchased by institutions in USA and Russia!!??

Mudengani Kisia: Lidurere niki? Rikoraa gasi ki.

Lung'afa: Ridurere is vuvuzela

Neccy Flossy: Lidurere

Lung'afa: 😉. Allow my r's. Assume its my defect. Ombere zimbavasi Senge!

Mudengani Kisia: Or perhaps l' if it's  the first letter in a word, then r' subsequently.

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