The Kivihiri

With John Iravaza at his home, Kivagala village

Saniaga was the son of Mufumu, reads a hand written book written by Stephen Kikuyu in 1978. Mafumu the son of Murogori. Murogori whose grave Lyamagale Primary School is built. His wife, Kaliyesa, was buried at Kima, it is reported.

Migration to present Vihiga was as follows. Kalenjin are first to have come, from Mt. Elgon, southwards. Luhya (Maragori) are sometimes said to have followed the very way with Kitany in Turkana named after them. But South from Uganda and Eastwards while on Victoria islands, a second narration, led them to the present land, Maragori Hills and Environs.

There was no other peaceful way of coexistence with a foreign people as Kalenjin. It was war after war. Raids and forth. In want to domineer. And Saniaga people were on the forefront, fighting and pushing them (Vatwa) further East. The land they left, Varogori occupied.

Kivagala was named after war. A place where warriors spread their assault tools in the sun to replenish their efficiency, dry their hides and prepare for the next heist. Jamaga battlefield near Munzazi is remembered in the fights of the said era.

Unlike the tale of Tiriki having heralded Murogori, Murogori may have come early and in fighting, pushed the Nandi further creating what is now Tiriki Land.

The Kalenjin (Vatwa) had a Terik Circumcision custom that the white Man, Kamadi, termed Tiriki. Those Maragori who had earlier associated with Vatwa had already started practising it. But that did not stop the hostility that fumed between Vatwa and Terik. Kamadi, said to have come in 1798, decided to solve the mess. He  drew the present Sabatia/ Hamisi boundary to the East and Vihiga/Hamisi to the West.

How then Tiriki became 'Luhya' when it was Vatwa based is that the British colony needed people to pay tax. And Vatwa are said to have been hideous in the rocks. One Antonio, their early chief, could not get a thing from them. It would then demand Amiani be made Chief, from Gisambai, muSanga with maternal roots Idakho and asked to call people forth and occupy land. That made vaZozo, vaMaraha,  vaWanga, vaKabras and many others to come, vaRogori included. At that time Tiriki had been split into Tiriki (of Hamisi administration) and Nyang'ori (of a chief called Chweya, muVurugi). This Chweya was mwifwa muNyore. No wonder you find vaVai, vaMudede, vaTuri in Masana, Museywa and  forth. They came to occupy land and in return pay tax.

The warrior Saniaga son called Rudundu, with a direct Eastwards migration did settle at Mazigulu before moving further East, Kivagala. He begot Asacha who begot Aseri, Nangoye, Murindi, Magiri and Rudiari.

Aseri, the elder, begot Kivihiri, Siva, Madiga, Rigechi, Guvangarare, Makaya and Muganagani.

Kivihiri the elder would beget Kirinyira, Kigwa, Kivihiri, Engoke, Mihadia and  Avukira in the 1800's.

Kigwa begot Samson, Stephen, Jones and William. All are early 1900's and deceased. One John Iravaza, son of Stephen is 76 years old. A grandfather. As others he calls brothers, spread in both Kivagala and Makomo (Mulundu sub location.)

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