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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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Daring locally and abroad - Pre and Post Independence

-: Elisha Ndanyi was a known political activist of the Colonial era; with other teachers of his time, they were the founders of present day KNUT, then called it Teachers Unity Club; at one time when the Colonial Government banned all political parties, the only political party that was allowed was NNANA formed by Indusa Litswa, Elisha Ndanyi and one other person. The Constitution of NNANA was adopted by KANU word by word, KANU's point man in this merger was Martin Shikuku before he switched to KADU

-: Thank you for this. 

More about his life in Nairobi? I did not capture that well.

-: My dad worked with NCCK as a refugee officer, in charge of helping refugees from mainly African countries to get education scholarships and work permits for those who were educated, that's another story; when he left NCCK, he ventured into the manufacturing business; he failed to make a serious mark in business because he refused to be corrupt, that's another long story to tell.

-: When he retired from teaching he was briefly a missionary of the Friends Church on the Islands of Pemba and Zanzibar, but they were chased by Sheikh Abed Amani Karume who feared Kenyans would overthrow his Government.

-: Haaaa. 

He wrote too, including the book you together published, Avalogooli. 

About what he wrote about vaSaniaga. Is it lost? 

You hinted sometimes back that he did give Indire some works. Were they Saniaga related? 

- Next to meet is baba Indire.

-: During the rulership of the Sulternate in Zanzibar, one John Okello from Uganda gathered some young men mainly from Uganda, and from Bunyore and Maragoli, and armed with 5 riffles and stones the brame youths overthrew the government or the Sulternate of Zanzibar, they handed the Zanzibar leadership to Sheikh Abedi Amani Karume but the many young men from Uganda and Western Kenya remained as part of the the Zanzibari army

-: That's how the Friends Church found themselves in Pemba and Zanzibar, the church is still existing in those islands, when my father died in 1990, a delegation from the Islands Friends Church came for the burial.

-: What he gave to Prof Indire were hand written manuscript of the original Lulogooli books, what we have now is just the bit he could remember.

-: Very interesting. Valuable information.

-: Further, one Absalom Amoi Mdanya from iMaguui was a trained Police officer but though he was Kenyan, he was trained and served the Tanzanian Defense Forces, Field Marshall Okello looked for him and teamed up with him as his deputy in command, one of the five riffles was his, he was the field Commander  and did not disappoint, he used the five riffles and stones the ones we call izingurunguru, those smooth stones of various sizes and shapes and managed to chase Sultan Shamte from his palace into the sea. We are trying to get Absalom Mdanya's story, but a brief summary is found in the book Avalogooli or the Maragoli

-: Add to this my late friend an fellow BoG member at St Claire's Girls one Eliakim Omega of Chango who reached the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police in Zanzibar.

-: What did this NNANA stand as much as u may be right, I thought KANU derived from KCA (Kenya Central Association) japhetha imbwana mahasi

-: One Saniaga, the late Mmbali of Gidagadi also served as Friends teacher/missionary in Pemba in mid sixties. He went together with Inyangala of Chambiti and Ojago of Kegoye. I was a pupil at Kegoye and that was fantastic news to us.

-: Your story about the last Sultanate of Zanzibar under Shamte regime is true my brother Elijah Mbali was now the missionary there and I had visited him .I live this story for another day

-: Wooow...so much valuable history in danger of disappearing because it has not been recorded. I should make time this December and talk to you my elders about getting all this (and I feel there is so much more)recorded. @⁨Lung'afa⁩ will take me around.

-: So much is at stake. We can do better than buying bundles and scrolling through! 

- Support Saniaga so that it runs for this. There is will at present...

-: @⁨Imbwana Japheth⁩ 
NNANA stood for North Nyanza African Natinal Association, I will confirm, Western used to be known as North Nyanza

-: Western was even known as North Kavirondo before it became North Nyanza along with Central Nyanza - the current 'Luo Nyanza' - and South Nyanza that had the likes of Kisii, Migori, Suba, Kuria etc.

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