Play time: 37:30 minutes. Recorded in Sabatia, Kenya, April 8, 2014.

Kekevo

John Lubang'a

Lyita liange ni John Lubang'a Lidede na mbeye mwana wa va Mulogoli munene. Mwana wa mulogoli munene vamulanga Musali na Musali yivula avana vanne na ku avana vanne yava inze iye mwana munene; mwana mmagetsa. Ma nameda ku mwana wa valanga Mukoyani, ma nameda ku mwana wa valanga Mbaya na mwana wa valanga Musweta ni mwana wa yivula mu mwandu naganagana ngani mukere yatsa nu mwana ula naveye munda. Ma galolekanga mwana Musweta ha aveye na inze mwana Mmagetsa kunduka andekele vwiyange vwu kumoloma/kusalisa anoho lisala. Na hango hitu ha va mulogoli kovola gi ligali hali havundu ha kulanga mungoma liamagale mwigono. Na vikevo via mwana munene yanyola na alola hango hitu ni kekevo chu kutanga cha kulanga Tsimangula. Kekevo cha kulanga Tsimangula yiki ni kekevo chu kutanga. Kekevo cha kavili kilangwa Kigwambeti. Na vikevo viene yivi vidukanga kekevo chu kutanga yiki chadukanga mundu niyakulungula naveye muyayi munene ligali kali ni tsinderu. Na kekevo cha kavili yiki ni kimeda ku. Kekevo cha kavaga kilangwa Ngurunguru. Kekevo cha kanne kilangwa Angaya, kekevo cha katano kilangwa Save, kekeco cha sita kilangwa Vutsiriri, kekevo cha saba kilangwa Ingumba, kekevo cha munane kilangwa Aluse, kekevo cha tisa kilangwa Kigulisieyi, kekevo chi rikomi kilangwa Nyongi, kekevo cha komi na moja kilangwa Likuvate, kekevo cha komi na mbili kilangwa Engengede, kekevo cha komi na tatu kilangwa Isaviri, kekevo cha komi na ine kilangwa Lumeremere, kekevo cha komi na tano kilangwa Kihungira, kekevo cha komi na sita kilangwa Ivagale, kekevo cha komi na saba kilangwa Muduya, kekevo cha komi na nane kilangwa Lumadede, kekevo cha komi na tisa kilangwa Ulumire, kekevo cha shirini kilangwa Kijedi chu muhiga gwa 1910, kekevo cha shirini na moja cha muhiga gwa 1915 kilangwa Kinangoyi, kekevo cha shirini na mbili kilangwa Munane cha muhiga gwa 1920. Kutula ku kekevo cha muhiga gulangwa Munane valogoli vikala ni vaganagana kulinditsa mwana aluhi aduki paga anyagulage atsie kogenda mu vakana/tsimoni tsitsie tsiugihi koleta mukali ni vulahi dave. Ole mwana tsinderu ni tsiakatsia ku kali ni yakaviluka ligali ni yakakong'a ni vurahi dave. Kandi eng'embe ni yakavita koye amanya yevena sana. Kwevena maana yayo amanya atatsa masaye manyinge kijira mukevi lwa avititsa koye eng'embe atema ni michi jiveye jiakulunduha ma masayi gatula manyinge. Lievena ni kutatsa. Ku vamanya vagiling'anyia ni vavola kalunu kuvikange mihiga jiduka munane ma mwana eng'embe yitsa ivita ku. Ku kutula lwene lula kuduka kalunu eng'embe ivita ku mwana wi mihiga munane. Kekevo cha 1922 kilangangwa Avina cha vavina sana. Kekevo cha 1925 kilangwa Kingili. Lidiku lie vingili vialetwa na vakoloni. Chingili ni ehera. Tsisendi tsiali tsiu musungu tsia valeta munu kiva mu ni induhu, vatunga ku mugoye viduka vitano ku kilangwa chahula/indururu/5 cents. Kekevo cha muhiga gwa 1927 Siego. Kekevo cha salasini na mbili vakameda mihiga vatambihitsi kalunu vatemi ku anho vimbihitsi mwana akevwe na aveye ni mihiga munane, kutula ku muhiga yigukutsia ku muhiga gula. Vandu vakoloni vaduka muno ni vatsia halovega hakulanga Kiminini ni vatsia ni vayava ifedha/igold ma nivakigulika Ifedha. Kekevo cha 1938 ni vakilanga Litsulitsa, yani kwitsulitsanga chali kekevo kindi chali ho ku ni chakafwa kila ma kandi vilana vitsulitsa. Kekevo cha 1946 chalangwa Nzelolele. Sasa nzelolele ni kwelolela kindu yani olole ni tsimoni kindu kila. Kekevo cha 1953 kkevo chene kila kilangangwa Serura. Kekevo yiki chali 1952, na kekevo chene yiki mukevi witu kunyi kuli inze ndachereva ko kekevo cha 1946. Baba ni agaya uyu mwana akili mudi na avandi vakevwa kali vakekeke na inze ndalola ni ngaya nzie na ni vambanila mmba ni galuha ni ganyola ku kekevo cha Serura, 1952. Kutula ku 1952 yilwo lwa kutsanga ku kekevo cha Ifomu. Kekevo yiki cha kava chu muhiga gwa 1960. Alafu ni kutsa ku kekevo cha kulanga Hybrid cha 1968. Ma yilwo lwa kwakatsa ku kekevo cha kulangwa Kilo cha 1975. Na kekevo cha 1983 cha kulanganga Nyayo. Halafu kekevo cha kwa kalanga Idisi nganaganyia ni kekevo chajira kukilange Idisi ni lwa tsidisi tsiamedwa muno. Kuli Idisi ya Vihiga, Nyamira ku tsia ndamanya ku ahimbe yivio vike,vo via ndagumila ku na vinde ni galoleka kulameda valogoli vikale kutulana ku mwima gwitu gwa valogoli kwikale komolome, koleng'anyie, kogere ku kwungi vikevo vinde hano kolondekana nu mwima gwa va mulogoli kijira kuvuli kugada kindu molomanga kuli mwana munene wa va Mulogoli na mwana wa va Mulogoli uyu kuli ummanyi Mr. Alulu interpreter witu uvugulanga mang'ana gange ga va Mulogoli mwana mukulundu hango hinyu iye mwana umanyanga imima jia baba weve na mama weve. Kuli vamwivula kijira vali vakili ni tsinguru ma mwana uyu nalola ku vikolwa viavo vie tsinguru tsila; kuli valima, kuli vanyaguraga. Na mulogoli illima lilie hango hitu yatanga kulimila kindu cha kulanga lihaya. Muhaya anoho lihaya nu musala gwa vatswangwa gu kola ndi gwinama ndi guva kuli ligembe guvatswa vulahi na malova gitu mu lidiku lia kutanga madiku ganga mulogoli gali gavumbuha, gali madoto, gali unyala kulima kali ni kisala, uyave vutswa uyave na utage mabwoni anoho matugu, milavi. Ugunyiki vutsa yaha kijira mulavi gwaletwa ni enzogu. Kwasuvila mulavi enzogu yata hasi na nigutula na niguloleka ni kindu kiyaynzitsiywi ni tsinyama kulia ku na vasakulu vitu va kale vasimika na ni gwama libwoni. Libwoni lyitu lie kimwamu liatula. Ma lihaya yilio lia kwa limila kutanga. Ni kolekana ni lihaya, ni kutsa ni kova na malova gandi; magina gandi gaveho; si ndakwibanga dave lwa na utsi ni onyole ni ndakwibangila ni mbeye na magina gene gala. Amagina ga kwavika mmulu ni kolomba kindu cha kulanga muguba. Mundu wa kuranga Muturi mwitanyi. Ma na avika magina gala ku mulu na agaduya ni gahambana ni gagwa kindu cha kulanga mu lulogoli imbago. Kutula ku lihaya kutsia ku imbago. Imbago ila kolomba umuseno gutambiha ni kolomba umugoye kutula ku makambi anoho likambi. Nikubwora nikuvagara niliuma, nikusita ku lufunu, nikuvohela ku kisala chu muhaya kila lilolnda muhaya; imbago. Ni kuvoha vulahi, ni kutatura kutsie kulima kwasama ku amatsi; yani ku idinye navutsa nutula migoye jila ni jiumi imanya isomoka; iyo ya vaguga vitu valimila. Na kwalima kutaga, kutumikila viukulia vio voro, ambere ni makanyu, ingumba ni indavu, ma miogo ni kusimika kandi ni kumanya ligali ligomia lietu lia kulanga kisigame liveyo. Leka matemwa gakutsa ga mugorova gano gayomboka manenene yaga; litemwa tsa rimbe kali ni liakomela liengera tsa ku musala igulu. Kandi liadika vutsa kandi rimbe likomelu kulilanga chisikame. Yivio vindu via kwatumikila via mulogoli yatumikila, ni ligembe lilie kwalilanga imbago ma nende lubanga lwilwe lwa yatimula muhitsu anoho liharo. Vindu via kwa tumikila. Na yalela avana veve mu inzila iveye iindahi kuli ndakovola mulogoli vikevo ivi na lidiku lia kokeva litsia kuduka yelombela viukulia via avana navalie vaveye mu tumbi. Mwana ni yakakevwa, mwana wakevelwa mu kivanda mwana yavuka kale atsia vahilwa mu kivanda mmatsi matsilu vatsia visinga amatsi matsilu. Kivune cha amatsi matsilu avana vasoleli vayayi kutsia kwisinga mu kivanda va kulanga avagasa, galange ndi mmbili gutsile lwu muvano guduka ko yee avuli kutatsa masaye manyinge. Mbiri gove ni gwa kutsila kijira mbiri ni gutsiliyi masaye gatula manyinge dave. Kivanda kiveye ihale mulogoli avana veve vatsitsa hu musala gwa kulanga musunzu vakubi ku mugongo akevwe. Ma vatuli wene yila mudiri ni yakuvikwa halovega. Mundu wakevelwa mu kivanda mwana natatsa sana na yivena sana ni galoleka atatsa masaye manyinge sana vatsie kohenza vindu via mwana ula yadila ku anoho via ise yali yayanza kudila ku; kuli muhitsu, vatsie kumuha agumili mmukono masaye gakarike. Ni gataveye ndio dave vatsie kohenza kindu kuli mugasa vaviki ku mukono vaviki ku mukono kuli kimingili masaye gala gakariki. Mwima gwa mulogoli yatumikila ku lwuvulu lwilwe. Na mundu uyu atsie kogenda nu mwana ula. Avana vala lwa vatsitsa mutumbi komenya mu mudiri alava mu navo avamanyie sa vagona. Agona luhunzu ndi dave,agone magarama. Ni ganyarika valombe ingata yu vwiyanga nagona uvusatsa vwivwe yivu vove mungata mula ndi; ni vugwa iyi vuyeke ku ingata, ni vugwa yaha vuyeke ku ingata, ni vutsia yila anoho yinu vuyeke kungata. Ni kivune ni vwitsukana tsindolo tsimuhila ma agone ingata nitamugimiyi ma yidile ku inyama yi kerenge irahanda ku. Ni yakagemula ihande ku kutula ku alakuvuka kandi atatse sana. Ku mudiri kuduka ave mundu wi kivune, mundu mugeli. Ahenze alole ninda ndi avana yava. Avana vala vave ni linwa ovosera vwo ovoro, isukari yali ho dave, vagunaminye vokole tsa kihulalule hadi, anoho vatsie mmulitu vatsie kuyava misala jie migombero minyinge vaviki mu kimuga kiginga mmbere anoho mu kayingo kaginganga ovosera vwa avana. Vugunamu uyu nalete mugamba ovosera, na sasaba ula nalete ligomia, na hamugorova ula nalete vuchima ni muduya anoho ni engoko, anoho ni mutere; galalondekana kuli vaveye. Vaveye ni viukulia mu inzila indahi vakonyane; na avana yava valamenya mu inyumba ndala, itumbi. Itumbi iyi ni yu mwana avamu lwa alitula mu mwana yigila mula mang'ana gosi, kuli aligenda, kuli alikola. Mudiri amwigitse kutia; atie vakere, vasakulu. Umwana uyu lwa atulanga mutumbi mula mwana uyu si alakagende ni mukali wivula dave. Muyayi uyu lwa utula mutumbi mukali ni yatsa imbili wovo wivula na akuchelitsa umuhetsa kidete kila agumiri ku ma alola tsisoni atsia. Nateva kijira ki unjeritsa ni kidete kila umbola tsia uchelitse vasakulu. Kijira yive uveye muyayi. Nogenda ni mukana wivula ku umuhetsanga amasaye gu vwana vwu luyayi naye nakuha masaye gu vusakulu vwakunguha. Ma uniala tsa ufwana kasakulu na wali mwana muyayi mulahi. Chajilanga kwamulanga kidwadi. Mukali kidwadi, muyayi si omoloma naye dave. Ogenda tsa kunzila kula genya wagane nu mukana ligali oketeji tsimbere. Kandi madiku gene gala mukana yivika vutsa kandu ndi atega tsimbere ma muviri gwatela kandi mukana ula yakohenza ku aganagane ove musatsa anoho oveye ki dave; paga lwa lidiku liliduka lia vakere valitsia kumuvaka maguta yenya atsie lukali ma vavika koye ingano anoho tsinuni. Ma vuha koye vuha koye ma tsihanda ku amanya wa ngani ndakuduka lukali; nzitsa lukali. Ku mukana uyu natsia lukali amanyanga kali inyinga yindi akolegele muyayi kuduka koye. Kijira amanyi mang'ana gala dave nalola ni utala anoho wisunda wene ila akulasa tsimbasi tsia ajabu. Ku na yive kandi ove mwana muyayi musatsa wi myika ku uduki koye kabisa umwononyie kabisa. Ni wakamwononyia kabisa atatse masaye. Niyakatatsa masaye ahenza tsa hango hinyu kali ijirichi ni yaliho ya mwayanza atula atsia avaka ku ijirichi ila masaye. Na avachi ku masaye mutala ku kindu dave vakoma tsa vahila wavo; yila ni ya masayi. Kali musakulu amoloma dave kali muyayi amoloma dave. Lwa vandu valola vutsa malala ga mugonanji ku gala anoho kitweya cha kulanganga iganiji chali kimwamu chali chu kutanga chatsila baada ya mulogoli kogendela visero kijira musakulu yagendela kisero cha kulanga luhare; apana luhale lwa kovega mmutwi yilu dave. Chalaho cha kwalanga luhare na chalange ni gumuya gonenene kwalanga endede. Endede yalange ni gumuya gonene ma mugoye mutambi kutula iyi ndi paga iyi. Na musakulu yagenda ni musala gwegwe niyidila nalola vandu vatula imbili akinga imbili. Atsia avita kovo ma agalukitsa inyuma iyi ma atsia vutsa; gumuya gwalange mu gwa yagingila uvuchima watsiyi na alagiyi ku vutigaye avika mu agela navio yengo. Na naduka havundu kuli harusha anyole avana vavoha likora vakola mpira vaveye veere; vaveye ni kindu cha varanga chitsilu. Yavoha mu kisindi muno ikamba ma yavugula gulavi ma yakunika yaha; lidako yili tsa kuvulavu na mbili tsa mwere. Varanga "Alulu, hamba yinu ko, eng'ende ilanzita mu kerenge yimu." Ma ohenza yo, alanga anoho mwana undi mwana ula akola "ae, inze nguba mpira nyenyi vasakulu kunyangitsa dave." Ma vahenza akola oh Alulu aveyo, akola "Alulu hamba yinu ko." Lwa ohenza yo ma olola oh ni mjusakulu wa ndamanya ula, unyagulaga tsimbilu. "Ovola ki guga?" Naye "eng'ende inuma yaha, ikala yaha." Ma wikala hasi, akuba mu gumuya yigu atulitsa mu vuchima vuli ma akuha, avugula indangulu yila akovola lagila. Ku avana valola yila paya, Alulu akola ki hala, alagila. Avugula musala avola wasena yaha ndakuhula. Akunganyia avana vala ma yive ulagila. Gali amigitso ga vasakulu va kale valogoli vigitsa avana mundu na akuranga utsie olole akulangila ki; isaindi akulangila kindu kilahi na yive wuhula maono nusula. Ku yigitsa musakulu yalanga kutsa avana vanyagula tsimbiru vasuvila handi anangila vuchima. Na isaindi giligale lifwa limototsi mu kerenge anoho eng'ende yamuruma mu kerenge imusalitsamu na agerora dave. Ku yigwo mwima gwa mulogoli yali nagwo niyigitsa avana kuva himbe ku vasakulu. Niyigitsa avana kutula ihale ku vakali wivula ku; mukali wivula ku yatatsa masayi muyayi si gadukana amolome nangaye dave. Yicho kivune cha ololanga nohenza ku vayayi va kalunu vasakula kuvita va ise, nohenza ku mwana yairinga mugongo, yeyenga tsindama yitsi tsiakomera; akovola ni maisha, yenyu iliisha. Navutswa mwana niyivulwa wa kalunu alonde mang'ana ga koveye nago kuli kunyi koveye mang'ana ga mwima gwa vamulogoli. Lwa koveye mu mang'ana gu mwima gwa va mulogoli, kwigitsanga avana vitu vanyale kwigama mang'ana gitu na vekonye mihiga jietu. Kunyi koveye na madiku makekeke; kutula. Hasa kuli inze ndivulwa muhiga wa 1936. Na lwa ndivulwa ndamanya ni komenya ni kuva mbeye mwana wa kavaga mmba mwitu baba yakwivula avana tisa. Na avana tisa vano vayayi vali vanne na vakana vatano. Na muyayi wu kutanga uyu nava vosi kunwa malwa. Kwosi kwanyola mmba baba na mama ni vayenga amalwa go loseke. Na lidiku lilala nindula mu chayo kwaitsa tsing'ombe ninyola vihi amalwa hamatemwa hala vanywela ho amalwa gi tsiseke. Kwalangwa ulukuli; tsiseke ni lomoloma lwa vidako na visuka na vadiriji na vandu vandu; lulogoli valanga lukuri. Na nananga navola mukere wali niyikaye hamalwa ga vavuga "daha amalwa chengorongodi (kakobo isaisi yinu ndi ma) kitsuyi amalwa ga maseke mihiga jiene jila)" avugula ma amuha ma naye avugula amba. Ma ananga lyita liange linene Lubang'a na inze yoo, nwa vwangu vwangu utsie ichova. ma nguba tsa pose miseke jila jimiga ma mala. Lwa mala avola "hula, ngohe amalwa yago unwe, amalwa yaga gatsie munda, gatatsia mmutwi dave. Kandi ngovola amalwa yaga gatakwamiha dave, yive ugamihi, uhuli?" Na inze "yee". "Tula" Ma ndula ichova. Hakika, ku giligale lwa yambola ndio baba na mama sahi vakutsa vaveyo dave. Muyayi witu mukulundu watanga kwivulwa mmba mwa baba na mama Andrea Konzolo yakutsa ni mukali weve. Alfonse Isaji yakutsa nu mukali weve. Inze ndatigala mukana vatano vala mukana mukulundu yakutsa, kwatigala vayayi vavili na vakana vanne. Inze yee watigala kuli muyayi mukulundu hango hala anoho musakulu watigala ho. Na sanditsa nyasaye yahova nyasaye witu wa mulogoli yasala ku yamulanga Imungu. Valogoli kwasala ku Imungu wimiliyi misambwa jiosi. Musakulu wa kale ni yita engoko anoho witi imburi yavugula ku inyama atanga asalisa asala lisala lyitu liali atsunere ku kadi asiuve yaho musambwa gulili ku yaho. Alase yila ni yila avole Imungu kwenya kulia viukulia vyitu, gasitsa. Ma vikala vajaga kugavula vandu ma kujaga lilia. Kwalanga nyasaye Imungu. Kukikiri kuduka kusigamila kabisa ni mang'ana ge tsivangeli ni vindu vindi dave. Ku kwamenya ilimenya lia lugano lila na kwali ni mirembe, vasakulu vamenya mihiga jiatsia kijira ijumbi yitu kwagilanga uvusalu. Vusalu kwalomba ku munyu na tsimoloma tsinde valanga munyu musumi. Lakini kunyi valogoli kulanga uvusalu. Vusalu vasakulu kuli baba yakaya ilise ma avagala liuma, ma asamba ma lilomba ligoke kitumi kinenene. Ma avugula inyingu kuli yi kibanji yadika ata ku mahiga ma akereka munyu natsuka mu kibanji yimu; atsuka mu makekeke. Ma gashia paga gahaka ma gakama. Lwa gatsia kukama lwa gakola lufuru kundulu na akuta na avungitsa. Ma alomba kindu kiva tsa kuli mpira ndi. Kindu chene yicho kiva kilavu, kindu kuli greyish; yani vulavu vuvemu, vumwamamamu vuva mu. Ma avumba vugwa kuli ligina. Kali unyala kukalaga ku kandu kadi ulagili ku vuchima kijira katestanga bitterly. Nuta mmunwa nuta vuchima ulagla vutsa. Uvusalu yivu yivo vwali ijumbi yitu, ya koveye na yo iyi dave. Vusalu vula vwalomba vandu va kale viungu viamenya; mundu yaduka kali mihiga kali mia na shirini.

Circumcision

My name is John Lubang'a Lidede and I am the elder child of the Mulogoli. The elder child of Mulaogoli was called Musali. Musali gave birth to four children and among the four children I am the elder one. A child known as Mmagetsa he added a child called Mukoyani then he added Mbaya and the child called Musweta he gave birth to Mwandu thinking that the wife came when pregnant of the baby. Then it appears that where the Musweta when he is near me am Mmagetsa he has to give me a chance to speak first or pray. Our home of Mulogoli to speak the truth was called mungoma liamagale mwigono. And the circumcision that our elder brother found and saw at our home was a circumcision we call Tsimangula. The circumcision that we are calling Tsimangula is the first circumcision. The second initiation is called Kigwambeti. These initiations take place when someone has grown and he is a big boy with beards. When the second initiation is following the third initiation is adding known as Ngurunguru. The fourth initiation is known as Angaya and the fifth initiation is known as Save. These are the initiations:

1. Tsimangula

2. Kigwambeti

3. Ngurunguru

4. Angaya

5. Save

6. Vutsiriri

7. Ingumba

8. Aluse

9. Kigulisieyi

10. Nyongi

11. Likuvate

12. Engengede

13. Isaviri

14. Lumeremere

15. Kihungira

16. Ivagale

17. Muduya

18. Lumadede

19. Ulumire

20. Kijedi it was in 1910

21. Kinangoyi was in 1915

22. Munane was in 1920

From the initiation that we call Munane he Maragoli sat down and they thought about making the child to wait until he runs and chase after girls and sharpen his eyes to a point of marrying a wife was not good. When the beards have grown and he has matured it was not good.

When the razor blade has gone through him, he normally bleeds much. The meaning of kwevena is to bleed a lot because when the initiator initiates he cut some vessels that are already mature and they bleed a lot. It is to bleed. They changed and said that from then the razor will be going through a child with eight years. Since then up to now the razor blade goes through a child with eight years. The initiation of 1922 was called Avina the one that they really shaked. The initiation of 1925 was called Kingili the day that the colonists brought money. Kingili is money. The money of the white man that he brought and it had a hole in the middle. They used to tie 5 of them on a string and it was called five cent. The initiation of 1927 was called Siego. The 32nd initiation was adjusted or reduced to eight years that is when the child was taken for initiation beginning from this year to those years. The colonists came and went to a place called Kimilili and they mined gold and called it gold. The 1938 initiation was called Litsulitsa. We were volunteering, another initiation has been finished they volunteer again. The initiation of 1946 was called Nzelolele. Nzelolele was to see something; you see something with your eyes. The 1953 initiation was called Serura. This initiation was in 1952 and I was late for circumcision I was supposed to be circumcised in 1946. My father refused and said that the child was still young I tried to go for the initiation but they refused and they locked me inside the house and I was found myself in Serura in 1952. Since 1952 that is when we came to the initiation of Ifomu. This initiation was there in the year 1960. And then we came to the initiation called Hybrid in 1968 and that is when we came to the initiation that we call Kilo in 1975. The initiation of 1983 we called it Nyayo. Then we came to initiation called DC I think the reason to why we call them DC is because of when the DC offices were added here. Like the DC of Vihiga and Nyamira is the one that I know and that is how I mastered them. The others we shall add the maragoli have sat according to the culture of the maragoli and we have sat to talk.

We compare and add according to the culture of the maragoli. Without lying I am speaking as the elder child of the Maragoli the way you know Mr. Alulu who is recording my words of Maragoli the elder son of the maragoli at home he is the one who knows the things of the father and the mother. The way they gave birth to him and this child managed to see their actions of energy. The way they were digging, running and the Mulagoli at his home he began digging using something we call lihaya. It is a stick that they were sharpening and it looks like a digging tool and our soil during the days of planting of Mulogoli it was fertile and soft. You could even dig with a stick and then you plant your sweet potatoes, vines and calabash. You just plant them because vine was brought by seed men in the past used to plant it and it produce sweet potato. Our black potato was growing and the lihaya is what we were using to dig at first. We had some soil and stones I have not prepared when you come you will find I have arranged those stones. The stones that we were keeping on the fire to make something called muguba. Someone called Muturi mwitanyi. He kept those stones on fire and he hit them and they came together to form something we call in maragoli imbago. We left lihaya and moved to imbago. From that imbago we made a saw and then we made a long rope from plants called makambi or likambi. We dried it and it followed imbago. We tied it well and when we were going out to dig we were sprinkling water on it. So that it tighten but if you leave when those ropes are dry it gets off. That is what our grandparents were using to dig and we were digging and planting feed like wheat, millet, and cassava. We knew that our banana plantation is there. Forget about the banana that came yesterday that is huge, we had a small banana and it was ripening while on the sack and it was breaking. We have another short one that we were calling chisikame.

Those were the things that the mulogoli was using and his digging tool was called imbago. And his arrow these are the things that we were using. And he was raising his children in the right way the way I told you. When the season of circumcision was nearing he was preparing meals that the children will use at the hut in the forest. When the child was circumcised he used to wake very early in the morning and he goes to the river they bath him in called water. The reason to why boys were bathing cold water at the river is that when the razor will go through them they will not bleed a lot. The forest was far and the mulogoli children used to go to a tree called musunzu they show there back there and they get circumcised. After circumcision they put them aside and the person who looks after them is there and if an initiate is bleeding they look for the things that he was touching or the things that the father like to touch like a muhitsu they take to him to hold in his arms so that the blood stops bleeding. If not that they go and look for mugasa and they keep it on his hand for the blood to stop bleeding and that is the culture that the Mulogoli was using on his birth. And this person will go and walk with these children and when the children are going to the hut the person taking care of them will show them a place to sleep. They will not sleep on the sides they will sleep while facing up. If possible they make something for holding the penis when he sleeps it leans on it. The reason being that if he falls asleep and the penis get stuck on the laps it will be difficult to remove it and he will bleed a lot. The person taking care of them has to be intelligent and a person of value to ensure that he has taken good care of those children. Those children were drinking wheat porridge there was no sugar. Or they go to the forest and uproot some sweet roots and keep them inside a gourd for milk or the porridge for the initiates. One to bring porridge in the morning and the other one to bring banana at lunchtime and the other one to bring baked maize flour and bean stew or chicken. Or green vegetable it depends the way they are. If they have food in perfect condition they assist each other and these initiates live in one house. They stay in that small house until when the initiate will leave and that initiate learns everything in that small hut. The way he will walk and the way he will be doing.

The person caring for them will teach them to respect women and men. When this initiate will leave the hut he should not walk with a woman who has given birth. When this boy leaves the small hut and a woman who has given birth comes in front of him he gives her one finger to shake and she becomes ashamed and leaves. When she asks why is he greeting her with one arm he asks her to go and greet old men. You are a young man when you walk with a woman who has given birth you are giving her fresh blood while she is giving you old blood. Then you look old and yet you were a good boy. That is why we were calling her "kidwadi" this type of a woman a young man doesn't walk with her. You walk on the road like you want to meet a girl who has stunning boobs. Those days a girl used to put on something small and she leave the boobs open and the body was swift and that girl was not looking at you like a man or a boy until the day when the women will go to apply her oil to get married that is when she realizes that she is getting married. She doesn't know those things and when she sees you chasing after her she disses you.

You should be an energetic boy you approach her and you destroy her fully (break her virginity) after destroying her she bleeds. After bleeding she looks around your homestead and if there I s bull that you love most she goes and apply the blood on it. When she applies the blood on it you do not say anything they take it straight away to their home that is a bull of blood. The father doesn't speak and the boy also doesn't say anything. When they see the dry leaves that you had slept on. And old man used to put on cow skin called luhare. Not the style that we shave on our head and the old man used to walk with his stick when he sees that people were coming from the front he used to cover the front part. He goes and passes the he puts it behind and passes them and goes ahead. He had something that he was using to carry the remaining baked maize flour home. And when he comes he finds the children are outside naked they had tied their waist with a cover the buttocks and the body was naked. Then he calls "Alulu! Come here a jigger will kill me on my foot" you come and check him then he calls another child and he says, "I am playing football I do not want disturbance from old men" then he looks around and sees Alulu is there and then he says, "Alulu come here" then you see the old man and you wonder what he's saying then you run there and you ask, "Grandpa what?" and he says a jigger is eating him and he asks you to sit down.

You sit down and he removes baked maize flour and gives you, he takes one part of a chicken and gives you to eat. Those children look there and they wonder what is Alulu doing; he is eating. He takes a stick and tells them that if they dare to move near he will beat them. He chases away those children while you are eating. Those were the teachings that a Mulogoli was offering to children when someone calls you run there fast to see why he is calling you. Maybe he wants to give you something good and you refuse to go. He used to teach like that and when he called the children they used to run very fast maybe he wants to give them baked maize flour. Maybe sometimes the thorn had pierced his foot or he has a jigger and he is not seeing it. That is the lesson that the mulogoli had and he taught children to be near old people. He was teaching them to stay away from a woman who had given birth; she was spreading bad blood hence a young man wasn't supposed to talk to her. That is the reason to why you see boys of these days are older than their fathers. You see a boy has curved back with fat chicks. Then he tells you that its life and yours has passed. But when a child is born today he should follow the things that we have today like we have the culture of the mulogoli. Since we have the culture of they can use it in their lives during their years. We have fewer days to go away. Like me I was born in 1936. When I was born I knew life and I was the third born out of 9 children. Among the 9 children four were boys and five were girls. The first boy was drinking alcohol and all of us found father and mother brewing beer.

One day when I was from grazing I found that they were taking beer from the banana plantation using the traditional straw. We were called. The "tsiseke" is an idakho word and the isukha and tiriki are sharing the word. In maragoli they call it "lukuri" he called me then he asked the woman who was sitting there to fill a cup with the beer. Then he gave me. Then he calls my name Lubang'a and I respond by saying yes. "Drink fast and go outside" then I drink once and finish it. After finishing he says, "Listen I have given you that beer. The beer should go to your stomach, it should not go to your head and I ma telling you this beer should not be your master you master it have you heard?" and I say yes. "Go out" he says. Then I went outside. For sure when he told me that now father and mother are dead and they are no longer there. Our firstborn who was born first by father and mother; Andrea Konzolo died with the wife. Alfonse Isaji died with the wife. I have remained among the five girls the elder girl died. We have remained two boys and four girls. I have remained as the elder boy in the home or the old man and I thank God whom mulogoli was praying to and calling him "Imungu" we maragoli were praying on God who rules over other gods.

Old man of the past whenever he slaughtered a chicken or a goat he used to pray first then he cuts a piece of the meat and throws for the spirits to eat as he prays. He threw it there and there and then he could say "imungu we want to eat our food bless them" then they begin to serve people and we begin to eat. We were calling God imungu. Before we knelt down to the bible and other things. We were living that type of life and we had peace. Old men were living for many years because we used to call our salt "uvusalu" we used to make soda ash out of it and in other tribes they call it "musumi" but we the maragoli we call it "uvusalu" old men like dad used to look for a certain plant called "lise" then he dries it then he burns to from ash and he takes a broken pot he sieves it then he pours it in another pot. He pours it in small amount. Then they heat and get dry. Then he makes something like a ball. That thing is clean and it is greyish it has some whiteness. Then he puts it together like stone. You can cut a small part of it and you eat it with the baked maize flour because it tastes bitterly. When you put it in the mouth and you add in baked maize flour you just eat it. This was not the salt that we are currently having. This type of salt was making people in the past strong. Someone was even reaching one hundred and twenty years.