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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...

By inter salutations we could solve the Oral Genealogy dilemma as quick

Greetings Family,

Today I bumped into some interesting finding that I use the photoshop above to illustrate. I hope it will keep you interested in knowing more.

When we were young, there at home, I used to hear my father, who was very fond of the late Hezekiah Kisia, call him baba. Because my grandfather died when I was very young, it was strenuous to draw this father of my father in my mind. I would grow up and my curiosity had me visit Kisia only to find he 'was not that old to be my father's 'father.'

I came later to learn about clan relationships and it dawned on me well what it all meant. Kisia was my 'grandfather'. That was before I met his son (in the picture, Mudengani) and realized he was my 'father'.

Today as I visited Mr. Keya (in the picture) at Sabatia in Kigugura village, he asked me how his 'father' was doing. Which father?  Then he explained that he called my father 'his father'. Ha! How old are you Mr. keya? 78, he said. You and I are brothers? Yes. Yes. Yes! And I am 28, Lung'afa (in the picture).

He went on to confirm that Hezekiah Kisia was his grandfather. People of the same age set. Ha! There is a brother to Hezekiah, Mr. Zaphat Mutevane, 72 years old now. When they are together, the two, though young by six years, Keya calls Zaphat  grandfather.

And Mr. Keya has children. The elder son, Limanye (in the picture) represents them. Born '67. Lung'afa's 'son'. Mudengani's 'grandson'. And Limanye has a son called Stanley Chahare. And Stanley Chahare could be doing things out here. Making Stanley Chahare the 'grandson' of Lung'afa, the great grandson of Mudengani and the great great grandson of Mutevane.

Looking at the family genealogy therefore, could we be almost hitting the bull's eye by this realization? It is part of the Genealogy questions to say how you refer to so and so. Vubaba, vudada (guga), mwana or mwisukuru. And by that we may not expect some families to give similar number of ancestor names. Due to the dynamics of 'being begotten', a man who can remember only four of his ancestor would be 'joining' another line of ancestry that takes us to the founder of the clan. So that we do not demand 'long lineages' from people who can remember a few. Rather people who could be 'stems'.

To avoid confusion, let us look at the grandfather of Hezekiah Kisia. His name was Mudengani. The grandfather of Albert Lung'afa (Lung'afa's 'father') is Isagi. While the grandfather of Keya is called Isadia. These three people, not far in age from each other, could be representing the confusing dynamics now which then could have been simple interpretation of ones father, children and grandchildren in not far homesteads. Such that the 'salutation' has not died. And also, the further back the little the families and people, we could be very close to solving the Genealogy question.

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