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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

The Chahare

With Chahare Visaho at his home, Chatamilu village

The Chahale sprout from Chatamilu and Chekombero. One Saniaga ancestor of Mweremi descent by the name Chamuya begot Ihiru. Ihiru begot Navinge. Navinge begot Amujira. Amujira begot Chahare. Chahare begot  Visaho (also known as Mudagare) and Kemori. Those are years past, in the late 1800's. Our tale begins at Chahare.

Chahare had a brother called Mugasizi whose descendants are found eVokori, Kigugura village. Mugasizi was born near Itegero where his first son, Murusa, remained. Isadia was his second son that migrated to Kigugura, begetting Chahare, Sayi, Madahana, Gideon and Adondora. Of these, Sayi and Adondora migrated to Lugari. The Third son of Mugasizi, Musikari, went to Handidi, Kakamega.

Chahare is believed to have been burried at Chatamilu, his year of passing 1926, where Lusite /Rusite/ family is at. But his descendants are a few metres downwards. Chahare married a woman called Sinzore, muKevembe and begot Visaho, Hamisi Gavara and Kemori. Visaho begot Sira and Rovoga by his first wife, Kasoha, muDidi. By a second woman called Sabeti Rihemo, muGihayo, he begot a son, Tom Kemori. Sabeti had other children by herself and two girls for Visaho, Jerida Isindani and Roisi Midarimo. Hamisi Gavara is said to have migrated further to Hamisi and the town is named after him, where his descendants are presently found.

Sira grew up  in Eldoret /Endereti/64/ and when he matured up, he came home to an aged father and a suggestively errant step mother. Kasoha, his mother, died while he was young. At the time Rovoga, his brother, had died at Losos, where he was working. And due to the dynamics of the time, carrying the body home would be an expensive for nothing effort. He was burried there. Leaving behind Laban Visaho and Mboga offsprings, begotten by Dina, mukana muMigango. The home coming of Sira was not as peaceful for he found that his father had already sold their piece of land at Chatamilu to one Mugasia, muyayi muVurugi /mburugi/.

Reason why the sell was to the "misleads' by Sabeti Rihemo, on his father, Visaho. That this Visaho had also bought land for his brother, Kemori, at Chekombero. And Kemori had died at Magadi, in first World War. This land that he had bought by a goat, would still be enough for him, thought Sabeti, as they sold the one at Chatamilu to Mugasia. This was happening with little considerations of the daughters Kemori had sired, and a wife that he had, at Chekombero.

Ousting Mugasia from Chatamilu, Sira would also be hard on Tom Kemori, his step brother. For when their father had died, Sabeti would be taken in by another Saniaga called Kiruhura from Chatamilu still. By unobserved customs, it is said. Tom Kemori was young and he had followed his mother there. Grown, he would be disliked at this new home his mother was at. Back where Visaho was burried, he found Sira settled. And Sira pointed him to Chekombero, that land that his mother had 'lured' the father to going to. And it would not be easy because Kemori's wife and daughters were demanding ownership, they were settled there. But with another self defeating argument that though Kemori was the owner, the buyer was Visaho. At the end, the land was split, Tom Kemori getting a share there. Chatamilu remained for Sira. Sira was born in 1905, was circumcised in 1920, cha Munane age-set.

Sira begot Shadrack Mudagare in 1946, Phoebe Nyangasi, Simon Rovoga, Reuben Ziganyu and Norah Imari as twins, Tebra Makungu, Mary Dembeko and Lenah Mboga. Of these daughters of Sira, none is said to have had a resilient marriage. Yet all, as sons, are counting grandchildren and forth.

At Chekombero, Tom Kemori begot four sons. John Visaho, Endovo, Kivisi, and a Fourth* one.  Grandfathers now.

-/With Thanks

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