X-FILES FROM THE VILLAGE - IT IS A NEW YEAR

Monday

In our language, a virgin hen is called issenye. For the word to make sense, you may have to add "ingokho" so

that it is "ingokho issenye". The k in "ingokho" is silent. On the other hand, imbuushu is an ageing hen that has fed people with a number of eggs and, hatched chicks and is now nearing retirement. Such hens (tsimbuushu) are usually retired into Kimwanga Market or end up in the next meal of millet bread.

Tuesday

Therefore, tt was a normal Tuesday, one of those days when we go to "bury Macheche". Wolukawo woke up with vigor of a person who has a serious transaction to make, only to be met with a bad omen, a precursor to bad luck. He had agreed with his wife - maayi Umududa as we affectionately call her to sell off
one of thei
r older hens in order to raise money for New Year Celebrations. They expected to get around 3,000. But there is one problem. When Wolukawo meets a woman as the first person in the morning, it is a bad omen and the whole day ends up in a mess. So, they agreed that he will not share the bed with his wife. 

She slept in the children's room that night

Very early in the morning, as the frogs started to crock, goats to bleat and the chicken to wake, Wolukawo's wife rose up to go and call Woniaye who stays in his own hut across the compound. The whole intention was to set up Woniaye so that he is the first person to meet with Wolukawo before the head of the house goes to Kimwanga to sell the hen, you never, he may get a good price, enough to buy them a kilo of meat and rice for back in the days, money had value. But people still complained about the money losing value; probably they never knew what would follow.

Wednesday

“If I had this 500 during Amin’s time, I could have bought myself a piece of land in Namunyu. But now, look—it cannot even buy me two kilos of meat,” the elderly would complain.
"But again, even those who had it did not buy land, so what are they complaining about?", the younger ones would wonder after being told how so and so had a lot of money back in days.

Wolukawo who had not been told of his wife's plan did not take heed. Soon as he heard the animal sounds and opening of the door, he knew that it was time to get up and get the chicken before the children can release. And behold, as he dragged his barefeet on the dung plastered ground, he came face to face with his wife, Umududa.

"shissiilani" he grunted in despair and continued on his way out. He did not expect to meet his wife as first thing in the morning.

Kimwanga is a weekly market that opens every Tuesday attracting petty traders from Bumia (Tororo, and Busia), Bunyole (Butaleja), Budadiri and Busukuya (Manafwa and Bududa). There is a peculiar relationship between Kimwanga Market and rain that on every market day it must rain. Even in the dry-most of seasons, God always keeps the Tuesday rain for Kimwanga Market, at least a drizzle. 

Thursday

The people are drawn to their traditions because of what they have witnessed in their lifetime. There is a strong attachment to the past and this brings out the inalienable belief that the dead are actually not dead.

On this particular occasion, it had rained significantly. For people who come from across and  have to cross Marekerero to reach Kimwanga. It is one river that has no bridge, but people have lived with it for all the years as it is and the river has also maintained the sacred relationship with the people of Bumanye, Bukhamunyu, Lwaboba and Muanda. During the rainy season, the river surges and especially on Tuesdays when the citizens descend on Kimwanga to "bury Macheche". Therefore, for the weak ones, when you reach Marekerero on one of those days, you make an alarm not to only to inform the citizens that the river has surged but summon the villagers to help you cross.

Now, when a person says they are going to bury Macheche, it is not that anyone has died, just know they are going to Kimwanga Market.

Wolukawo picked up the oldest hen in the coop despite his misfortune and as others went to the garden, he marched to Kimwanga to find the buyers who always buy chicken at a fair price than what he would make selling it in the village. But before he could go, his wife arranged in a way that the first person Wolukawo met as he embarked on the way to Kimwanga was a man, indeed their son. 

Boy, oh boy, the charm seems to have worked

As soon as he reached Kimwanga, Wolukawo got a buyer from Ojames who they normally call Bamia and he offered 3,500 which Wolukawo accepted without further bargaining. Wolukawo took 2,000 and tucked it away in his coat. The rest of the money he used it to buy fish commonly called Sabulenya, a few home items and still had enough left for waragi "kukunjira" which would accompany him back home. 

Friday

Although Wolukawo had reached home staggering, he was sure that he returned with his fish. The fish went missing and suspects were summoned for interrogation. All of them denied having stolen Wolukawo's Sabulenya. Muyama, Walutsyo and Wanapwaka were summoned before Umududa and she put them to test. She got a small piece cloth from around her waist region and threw it on the ground daring the suspects to jump over the cloth 3 times.

"If you deny that you did not steal the fish, I want you, one by one to jump over that cloth three times. If you know that you stole it, better confess early or else...." she ended

Muyama walked forward and confidently jumped over the cloth; one time, the second and without hesitation, she jumped the third time then stood aside daring Wanapwaka and Walutsyo to do the same. Walutsyo moved forward. Looked at Wanapwaka and everyone could see that Wanapwaka was visibly shaken. Everyone could tell who the suspect was and before Walutsyo could make the first jump, Wanapwaka confessed. Upto now, no one knows what would have happened if Walutsyo had jumped over the cloth. But that is how tradition comes to be respected and in many instances used for arbitration.

Saturday

Meanwile the "brother" (as they call themselives) who led his religious followers to burn the shrine never walked again. After burning it, he had returned home with a smile of a hunter who returns after a successful expedition. But what happened after shall always live to be told. The "brother" went to bed normally but did not manage to get up again. It is widely claimed that the spirits attacked and struck him. 

The most astonishing though was his death. 

For people who lived around Namaloko, you remember the man who spent more than few weeks bed ridden. But one day, they woke up to find the patient missing from his bed. He was discovered leaning in the corner of the bedroom, dead! Todate, no one can explain the mystery behind this.

Sunday

Being end of year, we are going burn banana leaves in celebration. The new year is a year of circumcision and we shall dance to Kadodi all night because at Wetonyi's home, they have an imbalu candidate (umusinde)!

Till then, we shall keep you posted!

X-FILES FROM THE VILLAGE - CHRISTMAS RUMBLINGS

 Monday 

As we grow old it is very easy to forget about things like "tsukulilo", those moving creatures we used to play with in the dust. Then the cassava pods which we used to balance on the tip and swing around. We would call them "mutukyele" as we sing "wachacha". Now we make cameras and planes out of paper for our young siblings! 

Tuesday 

We then pass by the village football field full of girls singing, wailing that you may think there is a death only to realise that the girls are hunting for ants "tsiswa". You hear the young girls calling onto the ants to come out to be eaten, in a sweet voice like the monster "Wanesilikhe" who wooed "Sela" in a sweet voice according to the common folktale. When the ants refuse to come out,  the girls' tone suddenly changes to cursing. You will typically hear them sing "woowoowoo woowoowoo tsingalabuyi, tsitanyisa kumurwe" meaning hunting for ants causes headache!

Wednesday 

After circumcision, the local surgeon commonly known as "umushebi" must induct the candidate about the basics to life. It is a long standing belief that boys don't spend much time with their fathers the way girls do with their mothers. It is therefore a pre-requisite for every boy that after initiation, they must be told things like not to urinate while on top a tree, not to sit on the cooking stone "liyika", not to sit on the mortar "shiwili" and to always respect their parents. Boys who don't undergo such inductions always turn out to be a disgrace to society, they say! 

Thursday 

If offered a meal by a man which rarely happens, you should not thank him after eating. The appreciation is always reserved for the mother of the house. Whether she is the one who cooked or your elder sister, after eating it is the mother to be appreciated. Even by the elder sister who could have cooked. "Mayi watekhele" or in  short "watekhele" is expected from all including father. We adore the woman who works hard to bring the food to the table! 

Friday 

Now is the time when people start selling off their animals and other valuables in preparation for Christmas. By now the families have prepared the animals to be slaughtered. They normally pool money monthly for this purpose. Everyone eats meat for Christmas. Some families prepare food from a central point on a rotational basis. Now that there is friction with the two families of Mwalye and Wanda, we don't know which family will attend and which one will boycot but it is in such times that families would come together to settle disputes at that round pot over a beer (malwa) party! 

Saturday 

There are generally 3 tough times for anyone who has been circumcised; when umushebi cuts a vein "kumusiya", the minutes after circumcision, "tsisaalila", and the third day when "umushebi - the local circumcision surgeon" comes to initiate you officially into manhood with the great words of wisdom. We call it "shabalye". On that day, removing the bandage from the wound can take 6 hours and whichever food they bring will always remain tasteless. But it is just a great moment when you command what to eat at anytime. 

Sunday 

You will always find a recently circumcised boy/man, who will call "umufulu" moving around in his sister's skirt or lesu. Those without sisters borrow their mother's and there is nothing wrong with that. In Bukyisu where imbalu is held in high regard and celebrated, umufulu is that boy who is nursing the circumcision wound, which honour lasts for at least a month and half. On a day like this, some years ago, we were wondering why Wanapwaka was taking longer to heal. Some woman suggested that it can be because of his big "member"? 

But till then, we shall keep you posted

X-FILES FROM THE VILLAGE - THE FERTILITY ROCK

Monday

There is a big rock in our area called "fertility rock". It is said that for people who are trying to find a baby, when they perform the required rituals, they are then taken to make love on that rock in broad daylight. Ritual has it that it works. 

That rock belongs to Wanda's family!

But now, Wanda Umuwalasi has converted to another
religion. Upto now smoke can be seen coming from the shrine that was burnt by the "church" that visited Wanda and converted him to their religion. Since then, the village has been experiencing strange things. The dogs have been wailing just like the way they do when they see a ghost. Last night, more than 3 owls were hooting all night. This is a sign of a looming disaster. Owls are announcers of bad news and this cannot be taken for granted. We therefore organized ourselves to chase the owls away by throwing burning pieces of wood toward them. Surprisingly, the owls would stop for few minutes and resume their haunting hoots. We tried until we gave up. 

Tuesday

Everyone concedes that Wanda has brought shame to his household and his clan at large. From when he allowed the church-people to burn down the home of the ancestors he has never come out of his house despite summons to the clan meeting. Today the last call was made to him or else the meeting will go on in his absence. Being head of the clan, Wanda is supposed to be the pillar and the person to hold the family together and carry the mantle to his elder son. 

He is the custodian of the sacred heritage of the family. Right now we can't know whether all these items were destroyed or not. Who else does not know the three-mouths pot that had been passed on to him from Nyeletsi to Washirekho, Wanda’s grandfather. 

Now we hear that the pot was broken.

Wednesday

Umukatsa, also called "village radio" for her perpetual gossip excitedly told us that the man who led the burning of the shrine has been struck by the ancestors "basambwa" and since he was rescued from the mob he has never been able to walk without support. He is said to be bedridden, "ali khushisyelo" as we call it. Shisyelo is derived from animal skin. Back then when there were no modern bedding, people who were struck by long term illnesses would be put on lisyelo as a more comfortable bedding. So the "brother" as commonly known has been condemned by the ancestors. 

The meeting happened and it resolved that the clan should elect another leader and Mwayafu was selected. The only problem is that he is not from the lineage of Soita. But everyone thinks that he is a better leader.

Thursday

Rituals were performed to have Mwayafu accepted as the clan leader and the first task given to him was to raise another shrine for the ancestors. Putting up a shrine is not as simple as building a normal house. "Bafumu" or sorcerers were called this time from Bunyole to oversee the whole process.

Friday

In performing rituals around the resting place or graveyard of the ancestors a huge snake sprung from one of the graves and bit Mukhwana, the twin brother to the late Wamono who died at Bumashebe on the way to Budwale. The traditional doctors were in handy to give first aid. A cloth was tied just below the knee to prevent poison from reaching the heart. They then cut "tsisalu" around the bite. The leg was swelling so fast but we were assured that it is nothing big

Saturday 

Mukhwana is recovering well but what is worrying is the meaning of the whole saga. A snake is a representation of both evil and custodial justice in our society and when  it bites a person, such is treated with a big measure of superstition. The construction of the shrine was halted, the people wanted Mwayafu as clan leader but the ancestors have rejected him.

Elkanah called his children and explained;

"A leader shall naturally emerge from and lead us against the perils that have befallen us. A leader of Bakyisu is never selected in a meeting or by ballot. A leader just emerges and he does not proclaim himself; he just connects with his people. But he must be from amongst us, one who is willing to lead, command respect and valor, He definitely cannot be Mwayafu who has even failed to tame his younger wife" 

Sunday 

What started as bitterness against Wanda has turned to a worry. People have started getting worried of what may become of Wanda now that Mwayafu has been rejected by the ancestors. The man who burnt the shrines is still down. 

Till then, we shall keep you posted!

X-FILES FROM THE VILLAGE - OUR ROOTS

Monday

When a person eats a lot of Bufukke and gets a bloated stomach, they will feel uncomfortable and start belching (ukhupa imbisha). Such persons are advised to sleep on a cold floor. Remember that there are two types of belching: one is out of satisfaction, and we call it khubetsakala, while imbisha is when the wind emitted through the mouth is actually smelly and is caused not by satisfaction but by overeating. Therefore, when one overeats, they are made to lie on the floor on their stomach for a few minutes, and after that, they will be fine, at least the discomfort goes. I do not know the link between the two, but we have seen it work on many occasions.

Bufukke is a mix of cassava, potatoes, and beans. The preparation starts with boiling the beans, which are prepared separately. The potatoes and cassava are steamed together until they are soft enough. At this point, the beans are added, and together they are mashed to form a smooth mold that is served with water or black tea. When eating Bufukke, it is always difficult for one to know that they have eaten a little too much until you drink water.

It was at this stage that Seperia started having difficulty breathing; he tried to call his wife but could not muster enough energy to call out his elder wife, whom we commonly refer to as Umukatsa. She was outside, in the kitchen.

From the kitchen, as if noticing that there was something wrong:

“Seperia,” Umukatsa called.

No response.

Tuesday

Seperia tried to respond, but could not. His belly was so full that there was no gap to allow him say a word. He thought that his stomach was going to burst, like how Wanesilikhe’s stomach burst after swallowing Selah. Sometimes, the tales of the Wanesilikhe when being recited to kids over and over and again would go to his head that he would come to think that it is true Wanesilikhe ever existed and used to occupy the hills of Bumanye in Bumasikye, or maybe those big caves of Wanale.

“O Seperia,” Umukatsa called again, which woke Seperia from the wild fantasies.

This time, it occurred to him that he could actually communicate with his wife the same way he talks to his cows in the wilderness. Still failing to mutter a reply, Seperia responded with a whistling.

“Ingwongele Bufukke (Should I add you Bufukke)?” she asked.

Again, Seperia responded with whistling.

“Namwe inguyile ikyewa? (Or I take you to the bush?)” (for that is how people call the latrine).

Seperia whistled back in the affirmative.

Wednesday

Umukatsa rushed to the sitting room where she had left her husband and assisted him to his feet. She slowly led him to the latrine, where Seperia spent some time before emerging with the limp of a person carrying a very huge load in his belly. He belched, looked at his wife, and smiled sheepishly. Communication born of the decades spent together. 

His wife understood him, and he knew it. How else could she have noticed that he needed help?

Together, they walked back to the house, and Umukatsa pushed their sleeping mat away to make room for Seperia to lie down to treat his bloated stomach. They made sure that Seperia was not seen in this condition before the grandkids returned from school.

Thursday

Seperia’s condition had normalized a little bit by supper time, and since he did not join his fellow men at the drinking point, Seperia chose to tell the children some stories.

“What do you want me to tell you about today?”

Before they could answer, he followed with another. As if he had already made up his mind on what story to tell.

Friday

“Do you know that all these Bakhamunyu, Banambutye, Ba’alasi, Bawabuyi, and other clans of Bakyisu are closely related by blood, born of a man who came from Ethiopia and settled around Masaba?”

“Long, long time ago, our grandfather, Mutinyo came wandering from Ethiopia and settled among a people called Barwa, who were at the time occupying the land around Masaba. Some people say that these people later changed from Barwa to Batwa, but it was among the Barwa that Mutinyo admired a girl whom he later married. That woman came to be known as Nabarwa, and it was she who made Mutinyo get circumcised, for among the Barwa, a man could not marry unless he is circumcised. That is where the custom of circumcision hails from among the Bakyisu. It was introduced by our mother, Nabarwa as a precondition for Mutinyo to win her over” 

Seperia was telling the story with clarity of a person who understood not only the geography of the region but also the politics and economics. The night time story would be ocassionally interupted by Umukatsa who would walk in to ask for something from her husband or one of the grandkids.

"Did Mutinyo have any brothers or sisters who are still there in that place you said he came from" one of the kids asked.

“Little is known of Mutinyo’s life in Ethiopia and what exactly caused his migration to settle around Masaba, but in those days, people used to wander and establish themselves away from their homeland. Even when he settled around Mt Masaba, Mutinyo had made friendship with a man called Watuwa, who was the leader of Babetsye, who had settled around present day Nyondo where the Catholics set their Mission.”

“Mutinyo and Nabarwa had many children, but most of them were killed by his in-laws. In the end, Mutinyo was left with only two sons (Nyeletsi and Washirekho) and a daughter, Namaulula. To save his lineage, Mutinyo decided to send his living three children to live with Watuwa among the Babetsye. Watuwa accepted to adopt Mutinyo’s children and integrated them with the people of Bubetsye.”

“The children of Mutinyo, when they grew up and married among the people of Bubetsye, would give birth to Bawabuyi and Banambutye from where most clans hail. Nyeletsi, who was the firstborn, gave birth to Wabuyi, Mutambo, and Lusambu in that order. These three split to become three clans. Washirekho, the second-born of Mutinyo, also gave birth to another branch of Banambutye called Bashibalayi, while Mutambo, Nyeletsi's second son is the father of the Banambutye of the Nyeletsi branch.” The kids were listening attentively as Seperia spewed the knowledge. Such is how history has been passed to generations.

Saturday

He continued “So the birthplace of most of our clans is Nyondo. When you go to places like Nabiiri, Nabumali, Khatwelatwela, you will find Bakatsa, Bakhamunyu, Bamasikye, Bawabuyi, Banambutye, and many other clans.”

“Of the three children of Nyeletsi, Mutambo settled in Manana near Watakhuna, Wabuyi settled in the plains of Busiu, and Lusambu continued farther west in present-day Bulusambu.”

Sunday

By now, Seperia’s words had become largely incoherent, some kids had started dozing and the attentive ones could not make sense of what he was saying. Slowly, his hands fell to his sides, and his chin dropped toward his chest. 

Shortly, Seperia started snoring loudly. One of the kids ran to their grandma to tell her that their grandfather had fallen asleep.

Umukatsa walked to where her husband had slumped in slumber, sent away the grandchildren, and lovingly led her husband to bed.

Till then, we shall keep you posted!

X-FILES FROM THE VILLAGE - DAYS OF UNCERTAINITY

Monday

“Ponyokho was the firstborn of Mushikoma and his wife, Wefura. Mushikoma himself was a son of Mutambo. Life was not kind to himMushikoma having been denied his mother’s care at an early age. He had to grow up faster to face what lay ahead of him. His short body stature was said to be a reflection of the weight of responsibility, having been left to fend for his siblings, Khabungala and Shangabo, after their mother was poisoned by their stepmother, Nasya. Nasya was the first wife of Mutambo. He met her at a music fete known as inemba. She is said to have hailed from Kenya.”

“For those unfamiliar with our history, the Banambutye clan was born of intermarriage between Nabarwa and Mutinyo. Mutinyo who had wandered from Ethiopia before settling in Masaaba, met Nabarwa, who later became his wife.” Elkanah was telling us the story of Bunambutye clan and how it came to be.

The young men gathered around Elkanah, eager to hear about their roots. But Elkanah, old and restless, could not hold his conversation to one topic. His mind wandered, and the tale shifted.

Tuesday

His eldest grandson tried to steady him: “Kukah (grandpa), you once said that history dies when it is not told. If you do not tell us where we come from, how shall we know where we are going? Tell us the story before your days of reckoning arrive. Our history is our culture, our culture is identity, our identity is our livelihood, it is who we are!”

Lately, Elkanah has got into a habit of telling many stories, but none, did he tell to completion. His mind kept drifting from one story to another. But those who were of his age whispered that misfortune had followed him, ever since the accusations that he had killed his own brother, Wotsomu was resurrected at Shangabo's burial.

Wednesday

It is said that during the reign of Idi Amin, Elkanah, Wotsomu, and Wabukala were not just blood brothers but also trading partners. Their smuggling business thrived after the departure of Indians whose expulsion had led to a shortage of basic supplies. Unlike others like Mabonga who was gifted the shop of Nanya, the Busiu-based Indian businessman who left the country, the 3 brothers were not so lucky. They decided to venture into smuggling coffee and cotton to Kenya while returning with salt, soap and sugar.

At 3pm every Monday, the group would gather at Musese, ready to head toward Kenya. Namunyo and Biraha, the caravan leaders of Greater Busiu, who were always armed with arrows and machete were no smugglers. Their role was to lead, watch out for soldiers, and guide the smugglers across the border. Once across, the smugglers would disperse into small groups mostly composed of family members - now like Ponyokho's family.

That day, the brothers set off in high spirits. At Lukhonge, also called Mutsukhi or place of many behives, they picked up Wafumbo before joining the larger group at Nambwa. Each man carried a sack of coffee or cotton, hoping to evade Amin’s soldiers, sell their goods, and return with soap, salt, and sugar. Those were hard times, they say. Times of scarcity. And at the same time, smuggling was a treasonous crime that could lead to instant execution. But the people were moved by the need of the time and others by the appetite for profit. To Kenya they went knowing that when they return, their wives will welcome them back with ululations and pride of warrior's mistress. A warrior who has conquered all the treachery to bring home what everyone was yearning for - salt, sugar and soap.

Thursday

Their first stop was Nangirima, where they rested for close to fifteen minutes. On that day, Wesuta’s cows had already occupied the upper part of the river and therefore had stirred the water and if not for the situation, no one would drink such water. Biraha reminded them that the next rest would be at Nanderema, near the border. Therefore whoever does not drink at Nangirima will have to soldier on till they reach a water stream called Nanderema.

In order for them to reach the border at dusk and avoid Amin soldiers, they wasted no time as they drank, dunked in, and cooled themselves from the scorching July heat. But here came Elkanah’s undoing. Swimming beside Wotsomu, he eased himself in the river. The mold drifted toward his brother, and Wotsomu cried out to the leaders. Elkanah was reprimanded for his actions and punishment accorded to him by Namunyo, one of the caravan leaders. It is said that this act of Wotsomu unsettled his brother and you could sense that he felt not only betrayed but humiliated, a feeling he carried all the way to the Kenya and border. Even pleas from Wabukala, their other brother could not bring his spirits back. Biraha thought it a bad omen for one of them to respond in such a manner to a punishment well deserved.

Friday

At Nanderema, Elkanah withdrew from the group. He did not drink of the water, he shunned conversation. Silent, but with his sack of coffee beans on the head, they walked on.

The caravan sluggishly pressed forward, passing Kwapa which welcomes them into the alien land of Bamia. Bamia is a reference made of people who are not of Bantu ethnicity, especially the nilotics and nilo hamites. 

At Lwakhakha, the leaders instructed everyone to stay off the main path as they scouted for soldiers. Finding none, the traders were guided and they skillfully swam across. For the 3 brothers who had grown up swimming in Manafwa, swimming across Lwakhaha was never a problem. But there was also Wafumbo who had to be crossed. The only reason they were nice to him was because of his mastery of Swahili language, he was the most eloquent of them.

While crossing Lwakhakha, Ugandan smugglers could dip their coffee sacks in the river, so that the wet beans would weigh more at sale to the traders in Kenya.

Saturday

Time check, 10pm and the  smugglers have descended on Kolait Market in Kenyatta’s kingdom, waiting for the next day to make their sales. Traders from Busiu normally sold their produce at Kolait Market, while the ambitious ones from Sibanga proceeded to Malakisi where they would sell at better prices.

Unlike when they are going, the return home would be in smaller family groups. But to everyone's surprise, Wotsomu did not return with his brothers, Wabukala and Elkanah. But Biraha swore upon his tongue that Wotsomu had crossed Lwakhakha to Kenya with the rest of the group. "Wele angala lulimi", he swore, his hand raised, the index finger pointing to the sky. Yet from that day, Wotsomu was never to be seen again. Suspicion fell heavily on Elkanah because he was the last person to be crossed by Wotsomu before disappearance. 

Sunday

Despite all this, among Bakyisu, the dead do not rest when they die mysteriously. They always visit the living in form dreams, and revelation to tell what took them and where they are so that their spirit which is the most important can brought back home to the clan.

A month after Wotsomu’s disappearance, he appeared to his elder daughter. She swore that her father had been killed and his spirit is lingering around Lwakhakha border. In her vision, a stone was tied to his body before the body was cast into the river. As to who did it, she could not tell. It will later be told how she led the family to the very spot where she claims her father's body was dumped and customs were made to evoke the spirit and carry it back home.

But in all this frenzy of suspicion and accusations, Wanda tried to dismiss the tale, claiming he had seen Wotsomu working on a farm in Kitale. But no one believed Wanda. After all, his tongue was known to respond faster than his brain which has earned him the nickname of ryeha. 

And so it is said, that the shadow of Wotsomu’s death remained, heavy upon Elkanah.

Till then, we shall keep you posted!

X-FILES FROM THE VILLAGE - OUR MYTHS

Monday

“Nangakambilla akwa khumuwanda kwe tsofu” is a lifelong adage called lusiimo among Baakyisu people, also known as Bagisu. It stands for, "one who does not heed advice learns the hard way." Well, this and many other provers form the wisdom that has transcended ages across generations. There are simple ones like Kamakyesi kamatiini bulwaaye - lack of knowledge is sickness, Umukaamani akama mumatsukhu - a greedy person at a slaughter house ends up being given lungs, Indekhelo’mali inamukobosa - hunger will always drive a child back home. But there are also those proverbs that are hard to crack, like Kameelu kappa khububambi - What it means, Abuneri knows and has promised to interpret it for us one day.

Tuesday

And just like all other African natives, we have our myths; superstitions are rife and deeply held beliefs. Some of these beliefs bear testimony, and we have seen them manifest. For example, when a grasshopper lands on you, it is a signal that you’re going to receive visitors and this is true. Abuneri says that it was the way nature communicated with people back in the days when there were no phones. So when we asked why some of these things do not work anymore, he told us: “Why should nature duplicate roles that can now be played by mobile phones and letters? Back in the days, we had no such inventions, and nature knew that we needed to communicate, so it came in handy. Having established other means, nature has to retract. This is not a myth, it is a reality. I, for one, being that I do not have a phone, when a grasshopper lands on my shirt, I do not wait, I immediately start preparing for the visitor.”

Wednesday

By coincidence, before he could not even complete the sentence, a grasshopper called Nambarara flew toward Abuneri but did not land on him; instead, it landed on the handle of the chair he was sitting. Abuneri immediately proclaimed that he would be getting visitors today and summoned his grandson, Wokape to find where their mother's cock is and make sure he keeps it under lock. At the point when Wokape was chasing the cock, Maayi Umukatsa, who is Abuneri's first wife returned from the well carrying a jerrycan of water. Even at her advanced age, Umukatsa can comfortably balance a 20‑liter jerrycan of water on her head while casually carrying kyimisyebebe (pumpkin leaves). Since our childhood, we have always known her as Umukatsa, and none amongst us knows her real name.

Thursday

It is normal for women to be called by their clan name, and no mention is made of their real names. So, in our village, we have Umukatsa, Umusoba, Umuyobo, Umuddadiri, Umuganda, Umunambutye, and so on. There is a story of one woman we call Mayi'Umuganda because she had come to the village speaking only Luganda. Later, when her people came to collect the dowry, we were surprised that none of her relatives could speak Luganda. It was then that we learnt that she was actually an Ateso and not a Muganda. But Umuganda took hold and we have never changed.

Friday

When Umukatsa found Wokape chasing the cock around, she wanted to know the reason. "Kukah told me," he threw the words, running past her trying to reach the chicken which was by now losing momentum and almost giving up. Umukatsa hurriedly put the jerrycan and the vegetables down, ready to calmly confront her husband.

"Papa webasiya" is a respectful manner in which women address their husbands, and therefore she needed an explanation. With a bit of incoherence, Abuneri could not satisfactorily prove to his wife that they needed to prepare for unknown visitors just because a grasshopper had landed on a chair he was seated on. 

"Nature works in such a way that it is only and only when the grasshopper lands on your shirt/blouse or anywhere above your waist that it means you’re going to receive visitors. And since when did we start slaughtering chicken before the visitors have reached the homestead? What if it is a visitor bringing bad news, like to announce a death?" Umukatsa r
eminded her husband.

"My wife, the instincts tell me that we are getting visitors, and it may even be Mukhwasi, your younger brother," Abuneri tried to convince Umukatsa, who did not seem ready to be convinced.

"What if he is conveying bad news?"

"But you know very well, since time immemorial, that if anyone had died back at your home, the owl would have visited us in the night for it’s the owl that announces a death in our area. So, take heart. Let Wokape get the cock and keep it indoors so that when the visitors come, we shall not have to bother the boy."

Saturday

Among the Bakyisu, when an owl hoots around your house at night, it is an announcement that someone in the household or related to the household has died. It is one way nature communicates with the people. There is another bird called Wududu, the angel of death, and when it lands on your house, a person in the household dies.

Sunday

That is how nature communicates with us!

X-FILES FROM THE VILLAGE - THE JUDGEMENT DAY?

A dark cloud hangs over the village as we gather in response to the summons for the meeting. One of its kind. It is not everyday that we have so many people from different clans gather in this place; the gathering shows the importance of the matter. 

The sombre mood is worsened by the incidents of the last 2 months where there is a notable disregard for the laws of the land. Mutenyo from Bawabuyi circumcised all his children in the hospital, worst of all, he circumcised them in the “year of girls”. According to traditional, circumcision among Bakyiisu is supposed to be conducted in even years and the odd years are always referred to as the year of the girls. Mutenyo, in defiance of tradition decided to circumcise all his 4 boys in the year of girls. He took them to hospital in what we refer to as Lubaawo.

Tuesday

Secondly, once a lucrative custom, now Bumakoki is being disregarded. Bumakoki is a bond created when boys are circumcised in the same year. Those who share the year of circumcision refer to each other as Makoki.

“We don’t know what will become of our children” Walyaula rested his chin on his isoonyi as he used his toes to scribble into the ground. “Even the respect for the elders seems to be waning. We truly don’t know what will become of their future.”

Wednesday

“How can I expect anything good of Mutenyo’s children after what happened? I am told that even one of them joined their father to humiliate Mungasa who had gone to demand Bumakoki.”

When a boy is circumcised, his fathers circumcision mates - Bamakoki are entitled entitled to a token. A Makoki will camp in the home and must not talk to anyone until he is handed his token which may be in form of chicken or a goat. It is after the token is handed over that Makoki can then talk to the members of the homestead. It is said that when Makoki is not given a befitting token, he has the power to cast a spell on the boy’s incision wound. He can even cast a spell on the boy’s manhood. But in a bizaare event was Khaukha who cast a spell on Mwelu and the foreskin returned to the penis.

Mwelu had to undergo circumcision twice.

That is how powerful Makoki is!

Thursday

The meeting began as if it had not begun. Everyone just realized that Mungasa was speaking and we had to give him our attention.

“………….become people who deny their roots, we are at risk of losing our identity. When we lose our identity, we risk losing direction and when we lose direction, what shall follow?” He rhetorically asked. As if to answer himself, “We shall lose ourselves. We appreciate that we belong to different religions but no religion should tell you to discard your identity. To discredit your tribe and abandon the ways of your people is the same as abandoning self”

As he spoke, you would feel a deep expression of genuine concern in his voice and the body language. 

When Mungasa paused to breathe, you could see that somehow, the concern has been transmitted like electricity to the hearts of all other elders around. Even us, the children dared not talk.

Generally, that is how our gatherings begin before erupting into chaos that precedes judgement.

Friday

“How can Mutenyo, the heir of Khatoko, who was handed the spirits of Bawabuyi abandon the ways of his ancestors and the clan not bring him to order?” Mungasa’s deep voice reverberated as he turned around to scan his audience.

You would think that a person speaking was of big stature. But on the contrary, Mungasa is a short man of small build. He walks with a limp and he tells us that he sustained it while running away from Amin people who came searching for men who had participated in a football game organised by Maumbe Mukhwana who was actively recruiting rebels for FRONASA.

Back to the meeting, audience was already swayed, the people were convinced that something is wrong. But what would they do about it? Gone are days! We would now have matched to Mutenyo's home and brought it to order, but we cannot do that anymore. The last time we tried to confiscate Mukyelo's land and transfer his inheritance, we all recall what happened

Mungasa continued, “As I sit, I challenge this gathering to come up with a solution to this problem. If we don’t, we shall be judged as a generation that destroyed the tribe. isse nababoleye”, he chimed as he took his seat besides Walyaula.

Surprisingly, even after Mungasa’s passionate appeal, there was no other comment on Mutenyo’s issues because we have gathered for some other case which seems to be more important than Mungasa being denied Bumakoki by Mutenyo, moreover during the "girl’s year". From the loud silent “response” to Mungasa’s concern, you could feel that his was regarded as a complaint about not being given a token by Mutenyo and not a general concern for the tribe. 

Saturday

All the attention now turned to Sakwa’s issue. It started with Mzei Wepukhulu telling us the lineage of Banambutye and how they directly descended from Wabuyi. Today, Sakwa is not accused of sleeping with an under age Agnes. Sakwa is accused of using Agnes to shed off his boyhood in a ritual known as khukhala kumulindi and worst of all, he did it at a funeral which under normal circumstances would be referred to us khusaala umuffu (replacing the dead).

Before the hearing started, we looked forward to an excruciatingly protracted case, one which would lead to counter-accusations, arguments and maybe permanent enmity between the two families or clans. Everyone was surprised when Sakwa's family acknowledged what had happened, apologised and asked that they be allowed to marry Agnes. It was agreeable. But as a precaution, it was decided that two goats should be slaughtered to appease the ancestors (khuwossa bakuka). 

Sunday

“As usual, a goat has to pay for a man's wrongs” a comment that got us laughing.

Till then, we shall keep you posted!