Sakwa Kamnara

With Mr. Lodiaga, an ethno ethusiast in Kamnara village, Bondo.

Kamnara is one of the main clans in Sakwa, Bondo constituency. They speak Luo. Ancestrally they are Luo. The mother of Munara (Kamnara for people of Munara) was called nyaMwanga, muRuhia /abaluhyia/. She had Munara and other sons, she had a co-wife called Roche who also had sons. Roche was a muRuhia too. And it is the sons that occupy the vast Sakwa area in Bondo. Stated below is how the clan came about  by ancestry.

In South Sudan, an ancestor called Ligwara begot a son called Dipir. Dipir begot Lang'o. And Lang'o begot eleven sons. The sons by Lang'o would become the founders of Nilotic/Nilo Hamitic people. They were; Luo, Acholi, Dinka, Anywer, Adholla, Tuk for Turkana, Sabaot...), Njin (for Kalenjin), Maa (for Maasai, Ogiek...), Nubia, Karamoja and Dikir.

Kamnara is down at Luo descent. Luo begot Ajwang I. Ajwang I begot Ramogi I Omolo that settled at Ramogi hills. Ramogi begot Ajwang II. Ajwang II begot Ramogi II. From where Yawuoyi was born. Yawuoyi had eight sons namely: Odongo, Chwanya, Owilo,  Asembo, Alego, Sakwa, Gem and Ragenya. Sakwa would be the great great grandfather of Munara, the founder of Kamnara people in the tale below.

A relationship had already been stroke between Luo and Marama people (now as Luhya). King (later chief) of Wanga by the name Nabongo Mumia had grown politically influencial and people from various communities rendered their services to him. One was a man from Luo called Obongo. Whom the Wanga called Josagawi to mean 'our worker/our servant'. Josagawi would be interpreted as Sakwa, making him lose the initial identity, Obongo. Which would still be watered further when his grandson called Nyibinya that was begotten by his son Mater married two women, both from Marama (or so was how Luhya were identified). It is a tongue in the cheek when it is said that Nyibinya took in his sister by another woman of his father, Mater. The sister's name was Sagira. And a child was born called NyaMwanda. NyaMwanda that begot five sons; Munara, Yendhe, Gusu, Chidha and Mulwang. The first five main clans in Sakwa.

Nyabinya's second wife was called Roche. Who begot Owak, Abiyo, Kuodi, Oduol and Wango. Except Wango who went to Marama, the others settled together with the NyaMwanda at Sakwa. With other clans that would come or were earlier settled in the area.  The Odinga family is Kowak by clan and they draw relationship to Wanga by Roche, the great grandmother.

And Kamnara increased just like other clans, making contacts with people beyond and migrating. For instance, the ancestry at Ramogi hills made some of them to go settle there as others dispersed further. To Ugenya, Kano, Seme, and other areas. At Sakwa they occupy a relatively big area with schools as Kamnara and Ndira secondary schools regarded as Kamnaras.

Could be the migrations and interaction with other communities did give birth to new communities as in the tale of Ogelo. Ogelo was from the Adholla ancestry, the famous Owiny ruoth, kingdom/chiefdom. He was social with others, the Luo for instance. They were last to arrive, Joka Owiny group.

Ogelo was the elder son of Kisodhi in the hierarchy of Owiny of Adholla. His brothers were Ager, Nyigoro, Nyakwar and Dimo. He was outgoing, always enroute, he had many wives. He also inherited wives of his brothers. And Kisodhi did, by that, give Ager the heirship. It would be for Ogelo, the first son but his demeanor was not allowing. And as he went 'hunting', he came back to find power was given to his second brother.

Ogelo's recorded sons are Rumo, Akwiri, Okoth (the bloodline of Barrack Obama), and four other sons from women he married away as he traversed. One was a marGori* woman whom he begot a son called Kisa (the Khisa). Another was with a Luo woman from Nyakwar clan that he begot a son called Nyang'ori. And another by a Tugen woman he begot Khagela found in Cherengani. He also had an affair with a widow (mwandu) of Kano, a Nyore woman and he begot a son called Kabar. Ogelo was a friend to Osumo people, clan that boarded the Kalenjin and Luhyia which as he visited did also find a woman.

To put a break on this and open up a thinking path, genealogies when they encompass the children of sisters born in the clan do bring about focus of origin and at the same time confusion of paternalism. Communities as Maragori, when you come to think of it and the clans found in, there are as many questions than answers to their origin. Even the name itself, Mar.a.goli could be a fusing of two people, 'founders' or first to settle than a name of an ancestor figure. As floating islands that took people to different shores. Clans and identities have always accommodated people, those that are in blood and those by association. Ja and Jo, in Luo language.

(NB. Much thanks to Mr. John Lodiaga for the informative session we had, strangers as we were but a moment that went long into times. He is of Ogelo lineage, an Adholla.)

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