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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 Ndadema

With Laban Mudasia at his home in Wandega village
Arionya begot Misango. Misango begot Riguvi. Riguvi Risaswa. Risaswa Indangasi, Muduvaga and Ndarwara. Indangasi lived at eVohovore. Coming to eVohovore was from iMurere. The main settlement of Risaswa. People who are said to have migrated from Iduku, South.

The mother of Indangasi, Muduvaga and Ndarwara was called Kahombi. MwiDako.  Muduvaga and Ndarwara went to iVugina. Muduvaga begetting Jethro and Eliam whereas Ndarwara a son called Muriga. Denge. Ndadema, the son of Indangasi moved from eVohovore to the present Changodore village where his descendants are found.

Indangasi begot Riyosi, Mudida, Andae, Ndadema and a daughter called Engonere. Riyosi wasn't blessed with a child. But his sister, Engonere had a troubled marriage with one King'ang'anyu, muKevembe. Mwana wa Manogo. Her child, Isigi, would come back with her, inheriting Riyosi's share at Irara, down at the land. Isigi would later sell this land to one Tom, muMuku and migrated to Moi's Bridge. Riyosi's brothers,  Mudida and Ndadema went to Iriva. A village northwards from iChangodore. Riyosi and Ndadema settled at iChangodore. At Iriva, Mudida begot Gobi, Arionya and Kiraira. Andae begot two sons.

Ndadema begot Isiaho, Nengo and Chagwaya. With two daughters, Rihemo and Ayuma. Their mother was muGamuguywa muRungusia. Isiaho got the Eastern side of the land. Followed by Nengo between. And Chagwaya the West side. It was that Nengo married a strong muKoyani woman called Azenga Iraduka. She was a tough one. With scars of tough games that men played. She was a member. The play was rikumba. Where a shaft was thrown and it would pierce you. Nengo married before bearing a child. And Chagwaya would grow up to wife her. Hardworking women would not be left to go back to parental homes. With her, Chagwaya begot Sungudi and Njorogo. For his own children now (the children you beget by your brother's wife are his), he married Robai Midenya, muMasingira muVisonye. And begot Mudida, Madisi, Isiaho and Mnariji.

Iraduka was tough on younger Robai. Chagwaya would come at evening from a drinking spree and find her ousted. Isiaho would see the problem and to secure her, she was built on the Eastern most side of Isiaho. With only Muduvaga and Manono, Isiaho still had a chunk of land. It may have been the folly of Chagwaya that his brother had sorted his younger wife. Nengo's land sorting Iraduka. His, on the west side of the farm, he sold to vaKevembe.

Of Chagwaya's children, the isugudi player, Mnariji, did not sire. Mudida had four children. Isiaho the II two. Njorogo five. Madisi had died earlier. It was not such a pressure for Chagwaya to reconsider the land he had sold. It is Sungudi, of them who married twice and begot twelve children in total.

Sungudi first married Mwavichi, muVurugi. And secondly muSweta, Muhambe. Mudangare, Isiaho, Imari, Kavosi, Mudasia and Magamu are Mwavichi's. Rozenja, Imari, Asirigwa, Imbundu, Kageha and Mbone are Muhambe's. Only a son, denge, for Muhambe.

Land was shared as per wives. Not sons. With Jacob getting half of Singudi's, up to down. While the other half, Mwavichi's sons distributed amongst themselves. Could be why Jacob, unlike the sons of Mwavichi who had started sensing the scarcity, retained the ancient yearn for wives and children. Marrying three. muRogori, muDiriji and muIsuka. Presently, him diseased, the muRogori is the one on his ancestral land. Having bought land for muDiriji in Idiriji. The muIsuka in Isuka. A little prospesterous in view of customs and taboos.

Mudasia, born 1945, Mwavichi's son, is one of those who went to Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam. Working for Molem construction company as a cook, he worked for whites, moving alongside as they went. There at Dar es Salaam, he confesses, with a muRangi lady, stylish Vicky John by name, he begot two children who remained there. Their salary was corrupted idigidi. 16/- after the end of every two months. That would be split in three. Your share: Savings kept by the company and what would be send to your wife/family.  Back, he worked and retired from cook position at Sabatia Eye Hospital.

He is involved in Salvation Army church activities and an informative person to issues and what is happening.

-/With Thanks
saniaga.org
saniaga.blogspot.com
info.saniaga@gmail.com

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