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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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The Evore

With Mugala at his home in Busamo village

The Evore's are at iSurumbi and Busamo /Vusamo/. Some more beyond. Those at iSurumbi are part of the many Saniaga families in the area, Mbihi. Those at Vusamo are also knit in another fairly multi-linked families, some of recent migration to the area. They boarder Emuhaya, vaNyore, demarcated by Embogo stream that feeds Rogere River. All in all there is a good number of vaSaniaga in the two areas.

When people were gathered at a place for a serious matter and a decision was to be passed, one elderly, Mukurumamu, would say, "Vakurundu vazuvirizaa mu mima ja murogori jiveye ho, ivatunyiriza, ivadinyiriza ring'ana..." and the agreement would be pronounced. If anyone dared fault it or go against, it was a different matter... Says Gideon Endechi, 74, the informant.

Muyeri begot Nabwenge who begot Andimi. Andimi begot Murogori by a wife called Mwanzu. He had no child with another wife called Amugovorio. But with a third wife, Ndiegu, he begot Anyore. A map with a pen note, '... by David A. Chabeda, that Endechi has, has Saniaga  listed as 10th under a long list of vaKizungu.

To think Saniaga was the son of Kizungu would lead us to a few questions. Just as to think Murogori had only one wife. And only 'four sons'. Several things may have been lost in intergenerational understanding and interpretation of the past life. Identities personified, places personified and so on.

Gamusia begot Evore. Gamusia was born at or around the present Mbihi. Of an undocumented father. Evore, by himself, begot Seven. Endechi and Kidiavai with Misango. Deyie, Mudiri and Mijoso with Rinani. Muriga and Mbone with Ahona. All vaNyore women. It would be that Kidiavai begot a girl by Ahona, his father's younger wife, another Mijoso. Making Mijoso both a sister and an aunt to Endechi the informant.

Kidiavai with Ayoma, muNyore, begot Kadaji, Rubang'a and Azenga. He begot Inyange too, with another wife. Azenga may may have not left his wife with a child. Kadaji inherited her when Azenga died. Deye had Harun with Zibora, Efeza and Azenga with Berita. Mudiri had Joel and Sirinji with the first wife. Zakaria with the second. Endechi, the elder, with mukana muNyore begot Rigeve, Ahada and Mugara. Muriga begot Peter, Kageha, Ngonyere, Mugasiari, Endechi (the informant), Andeyo, Mbone and Makungu. Their mother muMuhia from iGamoi.

Of all the mentioned, Endechi and Kidiavai are buried at iSurumbi. The other three crossed Rogere river to Vusamo.

Endechi schooled at Injidi and Madira to Form 3. He was taken by his musiara to Uganda and was a teacher there for years. He taught in Bukedi, Busoga, Lwangosha and Iganga. The good thing i s that he left Uganda before 1966 when the nation was experiencing power strife. Kabaka wanted his tax. The government too. Failure to pay Kabaka was even worse, you would walk on knees as punishment. At the boarder, using OTC buses, the migration officers would be rogue as rogue can be. If you had anything of value it would remain in Uganda. Even a new shirt on one's body. You were to wash and roughen up anything that was going to pass the boarder. Not even new radio batteries. And by the time of one by one checking, the one OTC would be long gone, you wait for another. It was during holidays that he came back home and goat a job with Maize and Cereals Board.

He would settle at iSurumbi from 1970, leaving his parents and siblings at iVusamo. In the year 2015, after the death of his parents, the continuing expansion of the road as it aimed eating up more of his inherited parcel, a brother that had no family and dead, Endechi moved back to iVusamo where he lives now, considered a Saniaga elder in what used to be the larger Mbihi sub location.

-/With Thanks
Saniaga.org
Saniaga.blogspot.com

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