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.
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!
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