Play time: 13:36 minutes. Recorded in Shiru, Kenya, March 19, 2014.

Vivi

Benjamin Egadwa

Inze ni Benjamin Egadwa Okodi Nyenya mumanyie kuli kunyala kudila ni tsikesi tsia vivi. Kuli kunyala kokola mwiyalo tsia vivi mutsinyanga tsiali tsia kale. Avaguka va kale lwa vanyolanga avivi nivanyoleki mu lusoma anoho mu lidala lia vamenyangamu, igasi yavo yalange ndi. Avivi vagumilangwa ma vahilwa imbili wa vasakulu. Vasakulu valange mu lusoma kuli avami. We endeve naveye ligutu navasigali veve, halala na mayutsi wing'i veve. Ma vivi vene yava vagumilangwa ni kindu cha vavetsanga nacho mu makono. Kuli avivi yava nivatsiyi ha vandu ma vabomole inyumba yu mundu nataveye ahimbi mba umwene inyumba yilananga ma anyola vakonyoleka vivi mmba mwimwe na vamanyikani. Na ahundi lwa vingiyi mu nyumba yimu vavunaji likofuli lia muliango ma vivi yava vivi tsinguvu mumba mwene yimu ni milingedi, midoo jia mu nyumba yimu. Avandu vu mwidala halala na vami na vakubiywi lipoti inyumba ya reve vivi mu mbaka avami vavugulanga kumanya kuduka vatsie kulola halala no kokola isachi nukwenya kumanya ivindu tsana yivyo na niva vinyolechi na vivi tsana yava vagumilangwa ma vahilwa kulusha kwa vakolelanga tsikesi tsiavo tsia vwivi. Ma vagumila avivi yava vavikwa kukesi yu vwivi. Ma vami vatangiza kumanya sa vivi vene yava vatsiyi kuvugula vindu via vene vujira iruhusa. Ma ikesi yavo ijagitswa kivune mundu ulalamiki uyu avetsa naviki amashahidi gege ahimbi ili atulize amita ga vandu vene vivi vala. Lwa vanyolanga mita ga vandu yava mavatsia vagumilwa valetwa kulushia, vamanywa ni vindu via vagumilwi navyo vila valetwa kulushia navio ili ikesi yendelee. Umwami ligutu yamanyanga avateva imbili wa umati wa vandu noho mu kiduma cha vandu vavateva "ni munyi muvuguyi vindu viu mukayo uyu munyumba mwimwe?" Vala vagaya da ni kunye dave nagaloleka ndinanga vanyolechi na exhibit mu tsinyumba tsiavo ni milingedi. Viva mu nu mudoo ni tsinguvu ma ganyoleka nivoo avivi va giligali. Sasa avami vene yava vamanyanga valole ndinanga niva vahangaye si viyama dave vavugulanga kandi nguyu mugimiliwi ni vindu viu vwivi na si mwiyama dave sasa kumushila imbili musuyi su mwiyama da ikesi yinyu yakafwele za kulusha kunu. Kweli uyu avola Giligali noho dave. Ma vivi yavo vanyala kwiyama yeee na giligali anoho vagaye dave nagiligali mba ma umwami yavateva amateva kivune mashahidi ga mwene vindu navetsa naveye ho. Lwavamalanga kutulitsa vushahidi yavo vavola vutswa yeeeh kunyi kwa kolola avivi yava ni vivanga vindu viu mwene inyumba. Ku kulondekana na hene yaho umwami ligutu yamanya alola niviyami amale amang'ana gene yago na niva valahangala yamanyanga avahila mu polisi station. Na vivi yava valavofwa amakono gavo ni migoye na lwa vadukanga mu polisi station kandi vatevwangwa amateva ga vwivi nu kuhandikitsa isitetimenti yavo kandi imbia ya kwamba vanyoleka ndinangwa ni vivanga munyumba yu mwene inyumba na tsiexpiti tsiavo tsimaliyi kuloleka ma vasombwa mpaka mu ikoti. Vakashilwa mu ikoti sasa wa jaji yila msamaha guveyo dave. Sasa vashilangwa wene yila ni vavolwa ndinangwa evindwivi mwanyolechi navio nu mwivanga sasa munyi na vandu vu kuvofwa. Na jaji yalange msakulu wa kuhuliza ku tsikesi tsifuana ndio kandi bado vatevwangwa amateva kijira uvwivi niva valiyama imbili wa ikoti. Jaji yamanyanga avashila ichova niva vahangali okwiyema avashila kutsia ku mutembe gwa vasimika himbi ni ikoti halala ni litimu livetsa hamutembe hala ni inyingu ya amatsi iveho ma jaji aginga ibaibo avahabisha. Vaginga ibaibo igulu kuvola ya kwamba vakoli dave. Nuwiyamanga ukoli ulahona na ni wagayanga dave lwu ugiinganga ibaibo mutunga litimu mmutembe ma wisava amatsi gali munyingu ya vataho ya kibanji ila. Nuwisavamu suwatulaho nuwiyambakani mu uve mwoyo dave. Watulanga ho vutsa ma utsia hutsiyi kali vakuvoshi mujela uduka yo mukutsilala yo kijila gwali kuli mwima umutembe gula gwali nu vukinu dave. Wiyamanga yeeeh wisava mumatsi gala dave anoho ugingi ibaibo dave anoho ototse litimu mmutembe dave, wamanyanga sasa ovofwa utsia mu jela umala kivoho chicho ma ulakulwa, na nugai dave sulatsia mujela mumale kivoho chicho dave. Kandi ma jaji atsia akukalagila kivoho kiduchi yaani utsie mujela kuli uhelwanga adabu ya kwamba wanyoleka nukolanga inzila ya uvwivi munyumba ya vene. Ukoli asara kufamili yene anoho uviviye vindu viavo munyumba yavo. Ku avandu avanyingi vamanya nivalola ndio nivatia kukola ikilage chu vwivi nivamanyanga nunyolekana nuwivanga ulahilwa mukoti unyala kutulayo ma ukutsi. Maheneyaho uvwivi vwamanya vugekha avandu sivalangi avivi ligali dave. Kandi avandu vivanga yava vali avandu zaidi valange kuli valevi, vandu vatamanyi nyasaye dave. Lwi kivala chamanya kigilung'ana vakristayo nivingilamu, avandu vatsia mbukuristayo na sasa vagehitsa mang'ana gu vwivi. Si vamanya vatsirili nu kwiva mba na vandi kutsia mu mavugana kuvugana kulekana na mang'ana gu vwivi. Na zaidi sa mboye valevi nivo vala vandu vo kukolanga vwivi yani vihagame. Ma vwivi si vwamanya vuve ku ho ligali dave kjila kutsia na vandu lwa vamanya vatsia musukulu kutsia kusoma vanyola vugeli vamanya vagehitsa mang'ana gu vwivi. Ma henaho kulola ndinanga ni vulahi serikali kuvaho kuambula avandu avivi. Kijila nokora kilage nu vwivi ulavofwa mujela kali unyala kukutsilamu. Na kandi avana vakeke avana vivi avana vakeke vatsitsanga mbwivi vene vala vahanilangwa ku probation ofisa ma adila na ikesi yavo avafunga probation ichova avolela vivuli vene vakubangei ripoti mu probation mpaka lwa vamala kivoho chavo. Niva vavohiywi mihiga jivili noho jivaga akubange ripoti muprobation akiri kugosaku mba kuduka lwa vamala kukuba ripoti lia mihiga jivaga yaani savakolani ku kandi amagoso gandi niganyolechi nilwo lwa vamanya vashilwe tsa mujela straight kutsia kuvofwa kijila navo vaveye na mahangali. Ni kivala kalunu kiveye kilahi probation ofisas kali vaveye ni igasi kalunu da. Kalunu avandu vatsia musukulu vana vageliha vagilung'anyia liva lia limenya ma vamenya vulahi ni milembe ni tsifamilia tsiavo. Niyago ga nzenyi kumumanyia makeekeke kutula ku Benjamin Egadwa.

Thieves

I am Benjamin Egadwa Okodi and I want to show you how we can deal with the cases of theft. The way we were solving cases of theft long time ago. Our grandfathers when they found thieves in the village that they were staying in their work was this: the thieves were caught and taken before the elders. The leders were like leaders in the village. Like the village elder and his police. These thieves were caught with what they had in their arm.

If these thieves went and broke into someones house while he is not there, when the owner came back and realised that the thieves had broke into his house and they are known. And when they broke in they broke the pudlock and they stole his clothes and blankets from this house. The people in the village together with the elders had to go and confirm the things that were stolen and also know if the thieves have been found. These thieves were caught and taken to the field where they used to solve such cases. They then prosecuted the thieves with theft case. The prosecutors who were the village elders could inquire the reason to why the thieves went to take those things without permision. Then the case begins because the person who was stolen from has the witness near who will be able to mention the names of the people who were involved in the theft. Once they receive the names of those people who stole, they are then caught and brought to the field (Lushia mean an open place where matters are solved openly in front of a huge crowd) they caught together with the items that they stole so that the case can proceed on. The village elder is the one who ask the questions in front of people. They are asked "are you the people who stole items from this woman in her house?" some may deny and say that they did not, and yet they are found with the exhibit inside their house, they have blankets.

They stole matress and clothes and they are found that they are the true thieves. And if the village elders see that they are denying they will insist, and inform them that their case has to be finished at the field. Are they telleing the truth or not, the thieves can admit yes they did or they deny that it is not true and the elder asks them questions because the witnesses are already there.

After they finish to witness, they say that they saw the thieves stealing from the house. The village elder will then weigh the matter, if they agree they will finish the case from the field and if they deny, he will have to take the case to the police station. These thieves will be tied their hands and when they reach at the police staion they will be asked the same questions. Then they will write a new statement again, that they have been found stealing from someone's house and their exhibit have been found then they are pushed to the court.

Once they have been taken to court there is no forgiveness there. As they are taken there they are told that they were found with the things and they should now be jailed. The judge is an old person who has listened to such cases and they are asked questions if they will agree infront of the court. The judge will tehn take them to a tree palnted near the court together with the sword that is near the tree, together with the pot of water and the judge carrys the bible and swore them, and they carry the bible to say that they didn't do it. If you agreed that you did it, you will be safe, and if you denied while you carry the bible you spear the sword into the tree then you wash your hands inside the pot that has water that was drown from the huge pot with drinking water. After washing your hands, when you leave the place, you do not survive. You could leave the place and you couldn't even go to the riever because the tree was highly respected and you could not play with it.

If you agreed you didn't wash your hands inside the water, or carry the bible or wash spear the sword into the tree, you were handcuffed and taken to the jail, then you stay there for the peiod that you were sentenced then you will be released. And if you refused you will not go to jail, and finish your sentence. And the judge goes and sentence you that you go to jail to be given discipline since you were found in someones house on theft issue. You caused loss in their house or you stole things from their house. People used to see that and they feared theft activities. They knew that if you are found stealing you will be taken to court and you can come out of the place and die.

From there theft cases reduced and people were not thieves. And the people who were stealing in most cases they were drunk, people who do not know God. When the world changed, the christians came in most of the people joined christianity and the theft issues reduced. They didn't continue with theft issues. The way I said, the drunk people are the ones who used to steal. Theft is reduced since people began to go to schools, to go and gain knowledge. And we saw it was good to have a government that can stop theft. That is why it was made that thieves should be taken to court, and at the court you can die while inside there.

Young children who were found guilty with theft cases they were sentenced on probation and an officer was dealing with them while they were outside. He could ask the parents to be giving report until the probation is over. If they have been sentenced for three years he/she should give a report until the three years is over. They won't repeat the same mistakes because they will be taken to the jail because they are guilty. The world is good today, the probational officers do not have work, these days people have gone to school, children are clever, they have changed their way of life. They are staying at peace with their family. That is all that I wanted to tell you, from Benjamin Egadwa.