Of the Maragoli who were settled in Kigumba settlement scheme these are the names of the avaSaniaga clan people; Andrew Marova, Govedi Aseneka, Horus Adorondo, Andrew Ombonyo, Philemon Agesa, Zepha Mungere, Andambi Gabriel, Shem Emeri, Laban Kilagava, Samuel Ogada, Misango Stephen, Jackton Ogada, Abraham Adaka, and Umutu.
Umutu's Christian name is hardly recalled as he migrated back after a short stay in Kigumba. He was not alone. Samuel Kivi is not recalled yet he was one of them. Shem Adindivana of Isa Kemoli of Ummugusi of Evore who migrated to Gweywe (among the Pokot) from Kigumba was fading in local memory were it not for his son, Deyie, who is back in Kigumba. Not in Adindivana's land but his father-in law's. As Maragoli people reached Kigumba and each person and family suffered delineation, a new thought system cropped. They started to talk of Maragoli so often. News from there became for hope and strength. Later knowledge of happenings as the death of a brother or parent due to poor communication means suffered the emotional ones. Home, home, home, we shall go back home. Here we came to eat (as hens, kovoza) but home we shall return, they solaced. This homesickness capitalized on several opportunities to get from Kigumba. Horus Adorondo, Govedi Aseneka, Laban Kilagava, Andrew Malova and Agesa Philemon took off so each at his time and excuse.
Some of their children, having little to do with Maragoli, opted for stay. Courtesy of them we have room, though little in projecting two generations more. It is by Samuel Endeche that Agesa Philemon is remembered. It is by Willy Analo that they speak of Herman Govedi Aseneka. Kigumba at first was Maragoli dominated, to shape it. They had together seen the unhealthy conditions of the camps and quickly built in their lands. For water they drew from the stagnant rain pools. Sugar, soap and salt became scarce. Diseases that avaNyoro feared and stayed away from, or pestilence that had caused earlier migrations of tribes was on them. Flies that irritated, tsetse flies that stung, mosquitoe nuisance, leg swelling, eyes malady. And wildlife that was not to be trusted. Thatch houses at present portray a picture of recent past and as interior Africa continues to open up such experiences shall sound fables.
These earlier families will speak of avaRuri tribe that practised cannibalism. If you shallowly burry your dead they would easily, using charms, get the body. At dusk it was said that if you met any people you were not to speak or greet them. Burying a dead one with a needle at hand would disable their charms as the dead would say to be busy knitting, why call it out of grave? A circumcised Maragoli cannot be eaten, the stereotype was counter balanced. They only eat people they know of different villages in their environments. This is after the stories of cannibalism more or less appeared rumours. Drunkards allude of a human hand that local brewers used to stir in the pots. In Maragoli it was a woman's under wears that sieved busaa, made it concentrated or called drunkards forth. All but the other side of superstitious man. Yet it should not be completely rubbed off. Early savage man, for reason best understood if we time travelled back, may have been a cannibal.
To keep the Maragoli people pure from intermarriage was not going to be easy. Canary, as the white man was called, had brought in the Maragoli to 'civilize' the land. Hideous vaRuri on the periphery of Bunyoro kingdom behaved as vaTwa of the Tiriki and Nandi area whose land it would be requested to be settled by a more cooperative people to pay tax. Chief Amiani of Tiriki acted in the best interest of the government same to Omukama Sir Tito Winyi IV. To mobilize vaRuri for farmwork in their small numbers from the thick forests was impossible.
Stephen Misango's girls (elder sisters of Haran Aziaya) had already won the hearts of avaNyoro landrover pickup drivers on alight from the ferry at Masindi Port on Victoria Nile. New in the land and already warmed up for. It is said they were beautiful as their mother, light skinned. As Canary, the slender tall white leader of the settling mission inducted people to the new land, warning them of rush to intermarry, Misang'os girls were, their parents unknowing, being mixed-matched. They did not come with goats. Neither cows. It was 12 heads of Cattle in Kanyamkago which enticed a number of Maragoli families to migrate with their daughters south. It is intermarriages that reduces intercommunity tensions of hatred or exclusion. Had the whites learnt to take in black wives and sired children in Africa as Persians did at the coast their block houses would have nostalgic inheritors. Indians who traded at Lunyerere would curse better if they had paid any bride price to Maragoli or their girls taken by curious Maragoli. A lesson to any other migrants - morph! Misango's daughters avoided poor camp life in this manner as refugee women instinctively opt.
In this manner the Maragoli found favour of the land. Young girls learnt to kneel before men as a show of respect. It is not ggod for your community's women to be abhorred as disrespectful. Language was easy to grasp as L'logori is near luNyoro, luGanda, luRuri among others. Kigumba, a land of animal borns (vigumba) or ancient trees as hard as borns or named because avaNyoro gentlemen were less productive. Young men poor to marry would be taken in by aged women as the sappy maturing became a reserve of the elders. This tradition of the avaNyoro contributed to low population growth. Gentlemen had come, people who did not eat cassava and went to bed in such hunger. They had carried grinding stones and maize seeds for the loved Ugali staple.
Energetic, Laban Kilagava of Lushaka of Adaka of avaSaniaga clan begot 19 children with two wives. Govedi Aseneka closed at 18. They were not alone. Other Maragolis at the sight of uncleared bush populated. The present calls for family planning and monogamy can be binned overnight if new land is sighted. The children of Kilagava by the first wife Norah Khasandi, muVurugi, are; Godfrey Lushaka, Wycliffe Mwandihi, Beatrice Engelwa, Wilberforce Adziaya, Judith Kasiaya, Kennedy Analo, Rose Mugehera, Naphtali Kemoli, Alex Olindo, Joseph Indire and Benson Kereda. By second Dorris Tabitha, muMasingira they include Jane Kasiara, Catherine Muhonja, Alice Njemo, Aggrey Liboyio, Joshua Mongoi, Zipporah Oside, Daniel Amuhanda and Ester Ayago. It is with the first son that Kilagava combined efforts to buy land at Shisiru amongst the vaTsotso in Kenya where he died at. At present there are sons and grandchildren of Kilagava settled and working in Kampala and up North in Juba.
For Govedi, his first wife was Kavai Maria, muDiriji. He begot Javan Mukiza, Finike Kavere, Florence Musimbi, Boaz Isadia, Priscah Muhonja, Jeremiah Atsiaya, Evans Senerwa, Willy Analo, Julius Ndalegwa, Daniel Igadwa, Benjamin Muliga, Muhadia Beatrice, Lovega Ebby, Loida Lusangi and Andoro Reuben by her. It is Javan whom, come the 1957 migration, was working in Nairobi that changed the fate of his brothers by buying land in Migori and slowly, drew his brothers there save Willy. At that, marrying second to beget Mugodo, Jeremiah and Kavere, slowly Govedi pulled out of Uganda to Migori.
A moment with Ondego Laban of Andrew Malova who came from Gisambai to Uganda, Kaduku village highlighted how important it is to keep track and knowledge of these births. Andrew Malova was the son of Ondego the son of Mukangari whose migration from Mazigulu to Gisambai made them avaSaniaga vaTiriki /vaDiriji/. Malova was amongst the 1957 migrants who had the opportunity to stay near Canary's farm, got ten iron sheets for a starter house, were supplied with suger, salt, flour, beans and soap for six months and for two years were exempted from tax. They did not suffer the poor toilets and hygiene as Kigumba campers to force them out of the camp. Basics as responsible egestion had long made North Kavirondo a loved area. In South, the Luos, it took two to three generations more campaigning for it.
It happened that one mwifwa muSaniaga, Thomas Kisiavuchi, muMasingira had a brother called Muzami. They lived in Kaduku. Muzami married the daughter of Abirodo, muMavi and migrated back to Kenya, Nairobi. They begot a girl. This girl fell in love with a Kenyan boy. The boy would be found to be the grandson of Abirodo's brother, iMavi. It is the girl who became curious of the names she was hearing when they visited the groom's-to-be home. Further enquiries spoilt the stew. Lucky, to say, they had not sired. Unlike for the family of Philemon Agesa where his son had met a girl in Tanzania, sired thrice before coming back home for more introductions of the wife. It is the last time the three were heard of in Kigumba. For this Ondego said that it is important to preserve names and keep contacts, those in Kenya and Uganda. The brothers of Ondego Laban are Erasto Malova, Harrison Chazima, Michael Luvai and Misoga Livanze all who backed Kenya
Saniaga identity in Kigumba is fired by a welfare group. Members are encouraged to actively participate as in their day to day activities. Avoiding to fold hands or sleep a little in fighting poverty. The young to the old. Asked to utilize the present opportunity of space to get a Saniaga space. Where, thinking, one part can be left to grow a thick cover of lantana and a few Jack trees, a reconstruction of the depleting past scenery. While for totem they ask whether to use kizyenzye, African pied wagtail, or lung fish for the monkey is unheard of, of the Saniaka in Marakwet and vaHinda in Bunyoro. Clans in Uganda oftenly speak of their totems, Maragolis can't recall.
With Thanks
Lung'afa Igunza
....
saniaga.orgsaniaga.blogspot.cominfo.saniaga@gmail.comfacebook.com/saniaga.org
Comments
Post a Comment