We dwelt on Chuma in the first episode. More as an adult and established at waZivi. This second one is more about where he was born, at Chanda. And as all stories about people, where they are born is different from where they fulfill their lives and later and even different, the places they die.
At Chanda, Chuma's father, Anyima, is said to have been given land na vasiara. Anyima's wife, Kasindava, muNondi came from Chanda. And Anyima is said to have been of iMadzu origin. One reason why they may have migrated is because of war. The Luo were much on their neck.
It tales; muMavi and muKizungu were sometimes engaged in warfare and raids. It was working against them because muVo (mBo) was also advancing his territory. Families that lived on the periphery zones like Madzu were twice affected. It would force them to migrate, leaving their lands. One day during muRaguri-Mbo fighting, the vaMavi hid at Indagaro, a forest was there. As vaVo came, looking yonder and seeing no life, they thought muMavi had gave in to leaving land. As they came at Magui, the Mavi soldiers rounded them and killed almost everyone of them. There laid bones there for generations, people fearing encroachment of the area with a saying, 'Riguru L'lanzita'. It is recent that occupation happened and people shared the land. Even those who had left their lands in Madzuu didi return but others did not. Others returned to occupy lands of others. MuGuga is reported to have taken gwitu - gwanga Anyima.
Evonondi, Anyima with Kasiandava begot Ajira, Chuma, Zisaga and Mwanga. They were good while young. Grown, the sence of identity made them uncomfortable with Chanda. Also, the rule of Kegode and his son Mbuka was hardfisted to clans away from vaNondi. VaFunami for instance would be mistreated and chased, their lands occupied. To survive, take on colonial forceful tasks of road digging. Or else the savage village elders, Chief assistants, the very men who quarantined a home that had an outbreak by closure of their entrance not to get in or out, would come to your home, take a goat by force and drag you on the ground. You can imagine if your clan was as weak. This made Ajira and Zisaga to seek homage elsewhere. Probably why Chuma grew crafty away. Yet he had links behind. Him and Mwanga.
And Mwanga's land was being farmed by one person called Musheba. This person, like others, started with planting potatoes. Then sorghum. Then maize. When Mwanga came to reposes, it became a case. Musheba demanded half in the traditional upbottom split. Mwanga refused. Itamunari had little justice for Mwanga. It wasn't after an appeal that vaMaraha from Kakamega, colonial surveyors, after Mwanga's appeal that they came, slept in his house due to the inconveniences of the time and up morning, they took makuvu and gave Musheba a small part up, worth a potato farm, what he had asked at first. But Mwanga would leave no offspring alive, his land would later be occupied by Chuma's grandsons - Benjamin and Meshack.
Chuma had two wives. With the first, they begot Rugwiri, with mukana muMasero by the name Agosa. Termed indasimba. At that time, power had gotten from the lineage of Kegode to Simon Jumba. It is Simon's sister, Kasiagira (Fedda Kadinya) that Chuma begot with his two sons, Ngoda and Matevwa.
Kasiagira was muNondi. Navizara weve, Kasindava, said to be muNondi too. Was a custom not broken? Could it have been the reason to Chuma's eastwards push? Or was there a silent known maternal identity for him? And Kasiagira being described as an imposing woman, apart from her power brother, could it be as a result of manly weakness of Chuma? And many questions.
Good that Chuma left us a forefather called Ngoda and Matevwa. And we know about Ngoda. Matevwa is least spoken of.
Matevwa begot a son. He was called Arthur. It is said that young Arthur (Haza) while at school and at play did injure his hip bone while young. Something that rendered him lame in life. Chuma would distribute his land as follows - Rugwiri in Chanda. Ngoda in Chanda, upper part of the land. Matevwa at waZivi. The land at waZivi was little then.
Ngoda happened to grow fond of waZivi whereby he extended the land. And gained a belonging there. Matevwa may have died early. His son, unable, was moved back to Chanda, in Ngoda's piece. His cousins helped him build the house. There, he lived and recently died, gaining income through supervision of Nappier grass that was planted in the land, and selling. Presently, this piece of land is sold to one Saniaga, Arthur. He has planted blue gums in it and fenced, leaving a little footpath that accesses the Rugwiri's - three brothers. Who also have a family problem accessing each other with one Benjamin Rugwiri, a village elder, lacking access from Meshack's side that you have to go to the valley bottom and seek his footpath up. So discouraging of our good fathers in their sunset years. It one such kifwavi that vaSaniaga thought not to crowd at one place.
Still on Chuma's, we have Dishon Kafuna that we spoke of in the previous post. He used to visit home when a teacher, known by the three Rugwiris, Tomas, Benjamin and Meshack.
The search would have ended here, but Rugwiri's family appear to give us a link to a closer Saniaga to the Chuma. That we may follow on.
Rugwiri begot Phanice, Sophina, Tomas, Benjamin, Meshack and Agneda with Rosa Muhonja, muIdare. Rugwiri died early that a Saniaga called Zebedayo Isamba inherited Rosa to beget two sons - Mukuvwa and Ndaregwa. Ribeya is the father of Zebedayo Isamba. Zebedayo himself had begotten Javan Musamuku and Japheth Kigungu. All at Matagaro. The new two, mothered differently would be given land by Zebedayo, iMaguyi.
- With Thanks
Saniaga.org
Saniaga.blogspot.com
Comments
Post a Comment