To know which Maragoli clan had most people, the colonial administration called for a gathering at Kidundu, Vihiga. VaSaniaga's queue was longest. Which, only if, clans as vaNondi did not queue under vaMavi umbrella. For we would have had four unending queues of the documented indigenous sons of muRogori. And there must have been clans which did not even get the information that there was a count. Or their numbers were still too few to desire recognition in the glaring intimidations of the time.
If a century later such an exercise was revisited in Maragoli, there would be as many clans than Chief Paul Agoi's count in 1930. Clans that were only of two heads are now of three to four generations heads. Save those who were a few families? Clans who lived in the thick periphery, not sure to which tribe to ally are now in the defined boundaries. Where the desire to keep such identities alive can have them documented and their offsprings educated. It is good for them and us.
Two such clans are the vaGwero and vaMagambe whose ancestral stay in the neighbouring Nyore and Idakho areas respectively kept them least attached in Maragoli. The vaGwero do not even belong to the vaNyore tribe as they might be placed. But they root themselves back to the vaGwere in Samia and Uganda. Their pocket presence evoNyore and evoRogori might be seen as few as any other clans whose seed is being sowed in different places. At all times, despite numbers, a clan name needs to be recognized. One man is too many a seeds alive.
The vaMagambe, whom this Search draws a perspective, are an Idakho identified clan whose attribute is as of Saniaga - found in more than two tribes. The clan origin traces that they rosee from Rusinga island. Then to Kamagamboi where the clan begot its name. Gulusu, son of muMagambe destroyed a sacred family fetish god that belonged to the step mother. He was, and his family, casted out.
It will be accepted to note that the Idakho, Kisa and Isukha are more or less distant relatives, always held bull-fights together, and they share clans. There is an oral tale hinting of muIdakho and muIsukha being brothers where when they killed an animal one took the upper lung part (Isukha) and the other lower abdomen (Idakho). For peace, for identity or in conflict it would still shed light on one earlier abode. Counting 26 clans in Idakho (there of course must be more), the ones as vaSagala, vaMalava, vaShimuli, vaSirigwa, vaMusali and vaShigulu are common in neighbour tribes. The Baduta near Busia are traced back to Idakho.
How Gulusu and family or friends later came to be heard of at the present Gisambai in Hamisi would need us to consider the chronicles of muRogori. Which, as they orally state, it was via the lake that muRogori came from. And could the muRogori group have found not only the Terik and Nandi in the present Maragoli but earlier groups that, springing from the South headed North? When people ran away after such a misfortune, it was an added courage to seek new zones and colonize them. Two generations or three afterwards they would already be calling their relatives yonder. Same to the recent migrations to Nandi area which at first was a despised outcasts zone.
Another happenstance at Gisambai sent some Gulusu descendants away, lead by Shiremo to the spotted Wagule hill (now Misango hill near Kilingili). The hill was then occupied by a lonely Nandi man called Arap Gure who kept livestock. Shiremo would be well received where he stayed and begot Akhonya. Akhonya is one of the five sub-clans of vaMagambe in Idakho and also found in Nandi.
While there, an attack from vaKisa tribe who were moving North because of the Luo pressure from South ensued. From Wagure, vaMakambe arrived at Kaluni, near Eregi. Where they established a sacred spot deep in the thicket bush called viremo. Before a new season of crop was planted, elders would go there to conduct rituals. This made them be also known as vaViremo or Waviremo.
Akhonya begot Vulambo, Mudama, Ngwiri, Avulitsu and Ashidiore who would kill a tribesman and be banished to Isukha. Vulambo lived at Mulwanda, having moved from Kaluni.
A war-like son of Vulambo called Muguheri, in his warrior might endeavors was one of those who repulsed Nandi attacks, making them come into contact with vaRogori warriors who were also on the same mission. As avaIdakho repelled them from the North, the Maragoli repelled them from the South. Muguheri would find a girl of muRogori tribe by the name Gwahangalla that he would marry. She was of avaMasero clan the house of Maraho. Maraho son of Muganda. Maraho who is said had no male successor and his land would be inherited by the son-in-law at Lusala village near Chavakali.
In friendship with allies (who mainly were maternal people), Maragoli warriors had one day gone to Misango hill to fend for cattle. Misango hill is in Kisa at present. It was at this unexpected moment that spies rushed word to the elders of enemy sighting. It was a market day and women traded unaware. The vaFumbwa would have caused great harm to the unarmed folk had the witty old elders not quickly brainstormed and asked the women to quickly wear war regalia and arm themselves. VaFumbwa saw the many disguised warriors and since never were they heard, the legend giving credit to these proud women and and eternalising them by name, Chavakali.
In the time too, Lusala neighboured a thick forest cover in the valley bottoms where springs sprung. To access the homes was through man beaten grass always being in the hide for any attacks. From the Mungoma hills, few of the Maragoli people had spread North and East. Making the earlier movers also be questioned whether their move was also by conflict, a kill or so. The very way muRogori people had disagreed with the abaGusii in the Kano plains leading to their separation. The starter roads were a leg wide cleared for chiefs to pass as they went to visit their kins or meet elders. The Chavakali Eregi was courtesy of Chief Shivachi of Idakho to go visit his brother in Eregi from Lusui. On occasions, it was cleaned. The coming of Eregi Catholic Mission busied the road. And the later coming of a police station where it joins Kisumu - Kakamega road was due to the increased theft and killings by robbers who hid in the thickets.
Muguheri may have begotten sons and daughters but Musa Manani is the one in record. Musa came to maturity when tribal warfares were toned down and communities stole from one another. By 1919 Lunyerere market had already flourished and he was one of the people who worked for the muHindi. His energies went into labour unlike his father whose energies waited for tribal war. There at Lunyerere he would start a butcher. Butchermen were famous as they were known by people from far and wide. Cattle dealers walked long distances, traversed communities and even stole or cheaply bought stolen cattle.
His butcher would be robbed severally. Complaints that he took to Chief Odanga. By the eighth report, the chief told him that the people did not want him there, that is why they robbed him. What to do, to move elsewhere and continue selling meat. This is how he would uplift the face of Chavakali (formerly written Kyavakali). A butcher was as huge a landmark and the butcher man a famous or influential person. No wonder he would rise to be a Nyanza KANU leader in the rise of independence calls.
It is a bull gift that he offered to Kenyatta as a present for visiting Chavakali school which boosted the effort to build a first Harambee school in Kenya. The Maragoli, Tiriki and Idakho got involved. Kenyatta could not carry it with him. He would ask the organizers to see what to do with it. Which they decided to sell, contribute more and build a school as a show of pulling together - Harambee. And Kenyatta was fond of the clarion which for the great grandchildren of Manani who walk past the 1936-painted butcher building of their great grandfather are proud to be called vaRogori.
With Thanks
Lung'afa Igunza
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