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With Victor, a Lusuba ethusiast in Sindo
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Standing on both Rusinga and Mfangano islands and you look East /Ivugwi/, you are facing the direction of Uyoma, Seme, Maseno, Maragoli and beyond. Going by the Maragoli language adage _kohenza vugwi_ as going to the East for new land, the traditional belief that Murogori was once at Lake Victoria in _his_ migration before present location, there being clans as vaSuva who refer to Suba as original home, there is need to search out to strengthen and advance the claim that we are intermingled tribes/clans.
The abaSuba trace their ancestry from abaGanda, present Uganda. Their ancestors left, lakewards, first settling on Sigulu island before Mfangano island island where it is considered as original home for abaSuba. From there they would migrate to Rusinga island, Kaksingiri shores and Gwasi highlands. They would spread far south to Migori as generations were born and new communities were met.
One new community was the waSaki that had attacked them at Mfangano. And the vaTwa people that myth has it, were defeated from Mfangano. Then the Luo whose history with abaSuba is least recorded to be of fights but a pacification where the Suba are now struggling to regain their own identity.
An identity that is intermingled with the Luo. For over the years when Suba men loved and took in Luo women for wives, the children were taught Luo language as they grew. Proximity to maternal land and lake activities which were increasingly dominated by Luo made the few Suba youth prefer Luo to fit. With the coming of religion and formal education, the medium at Asumbi Centre being Luo, it was hard for Suba people to debate that the new world needed too the Lusuba aesthetics against the Luo that was now sister language of English - the white man was speaking both.
Whether language is wholesome identity in its own we shall explore in another topic. For the passionate abaSuba believe that their identity is alive, it only needs knowledge of self, about one's history. As Saniaga desires to celebrate its identity and celebrate others too, so does the abaSuba, in many ways possible.
That with the globalization of the third millennium, abaSuba sons and daughters not only interacting and speaking Luo mainly, can also in national and international foras claim their identity as Suba. Much as the avaSuva clan in Maragoli proudly speaks of its origin to be of Suba yet they speak Lulogoli. Much as vaShimuri clan among Idakho people pride of their ancestral Maasai origin. Much as a woman can proudly speak of her marital home and maternal homeland. That Suba community can be comforted that it is not the only that has the coat of another but tribes and clans have throughout history intermingled, lost and acquired new identities and learnt to live with them.
Yet the initiatives (no longer struggles) to preserve identity and propagate it should be as the sun. Consistent and creative - a new each day with a hope. Suba language recently launched its translated New Testament Bible and it was a dream come true to many of its believers. A ground to dig up for more and share with the world Suba uniqueness. Hard as it may be to change things as names. For Mfangano is indigenously pronounced / _mvuangano_ / to mean 'where we gathered' and Mbita means 'I'm passing' /mbitaa/ as people would cross the channel to Rusinga on foot during low tides. (It should be noted it is increased siltation over time that the lake waters keep rising).
Cycling Suba land is beautiful. To see the land kissing the lake. A youths paddling a boat. A lady washing utensils on the shore. A farmer digging and a child herding sheep. There is what you can get on social media as images from Rusinga Cultural Festival for nostalgia of Suba. There are shanty fishermen offload points both on the islands and the land. You would not believe Mfangano is plateau-like atop as Maragoli hills and people live there till you visit. Green and fertile, good for fruits. You will know Tom Mboya was a Luo and not muSuba as historians have documented when you visit the Mausoleum. As many other clans in Suba land or where vaSuba are presently found.
It goes on...
With Thanks
Lung'afa Igunza
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The Luos came in and took over land and territories for Maragoli, Suba and Kisii. With the help of British colonial government
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