Play time: 42:37 minutes. Recorded in Sabatia, Kenya, April 8, 2014.

Mima Ja Likuza

John Lubang'a

Kolondekana na mwima gwitu gwa mulogoli mundu kulikutsa vakutsa na likutsa lyitu liali ndi: mundu mukulundu nakutsi kuli mundu munenene; yani mundu wa mihiga zaidi kuli mboye inze kalunu John Lubang'a Lidede idagiga ya molomela mu yinu ndivulwa muhiga gwa 1936. Na lidiku lia vakoloni vali varuru; lwa vakoloni vatsa mu Kenya vali varuru sana. Ni vanyola wayivulwa mihiga jia hanyuma vakugarukitsanga utungi vusutu hanyima hala; ugaluki inyima. Utungi mihiga jia wivulwa mu; nutatunji dave vakovoha mu jera. Ku musakulu baba yambola giligale inze ndali mmisheni wa Roman Catholic. Na ndamwivulwa mu Roman Catholic na ndamanya muhiga gugwo mwana wange gwa wivulwa. Na ni ovola utivuli wivulwa muhiga gwa 1936, valakutungitsa ekodi kutula ku 1937 na 1938. Na lwa uvula tsisendi ndi ole igasi ya kwakola mmadiku gene gala, gali madiku gu vukoloni, madiku madinyu sana. Igasi yange mukoloni yasula kuvuli kosoma. Baba nammbola avana vitu vaduchi mihiga milahi jia avana vanyala kosoma, kwiguli isukuru hano. Mukoloni nagaya ndi nangwa vasome kijira ki? Navola valinyola ndi tsigasi madiku gatsa. Mukoloni navola igasi inze mbeye nayo, inze mbeye ni lishamba hano ndataga ikahawa, mbeye ni tsing'ombe, ndaga ingano, maduma, amaua gandi gakulanga mu rusungu sun flowers. Avana vinyu na vayinzili tsa igasi hano, navadake ku igasi dave. Baba nahula vururu yinama hasi na kwali na baba muhiga wa 1951. Baba nachiling'ana na vela. Lidiku liene lila yalagila mmba dave. Ku lisoma lyitu baba natanga ku kwiva mwigitsi yatsa ku kwigitsa vudiku ku isukulu ya vudiku mwana mulahi wenya osome vulahi unyala kosoma ndi? Tsitaya tsia kosomela ni vindu vie tsikoroboi. Lulala kwavugulanga kisala cha kulanga mu lulogoli luvinu; chama maua ga yellow na murusungu kilangwa Casier flowers. Kisala chene yiki tsinzuki tsiayanza kutulitsa ku amaua gu kutsia kolombela vwuki. Koveye nende kisala kindi vakilanga livono. Livono yili liamanga tsinzoli tsinde mufano kuli liawa lia kulanga kendron; liawa linde liakanyu nindula ichova iyi nyala kukumanyia ndoli kuli liveye ku hala. Livono lila kwavugulanga visala kohenza kisala kindi kovatsa keng'ele ma kutungaku tsinzoli tsila tsikola ilaini indambi. Kunyala kolomba tsisala sita kali rikomi. Na nuvugula mulu mashiga ma uhambitse ku chaduka kuli maguta. Ma kutunga muhiru kijira koveye ni imesa dave kwikala vutsa mu ruguchi, ma chadukanga nosoma. Lisoma liange liali lie itabu sana. Na musungu nakonyola noveye ni kitabu nosoma yakohenza tsimoni tsimbi sana which means yakugaya utasoma dave. Si venya kosome dave. Kwali mu lishamba liu musungu undi McDonald Turbo sehemu indi vangilanga Gavuladi. Baba yatsia kuyinzila wene yila, yatula hano mu vulogoli muhiga wa 1940. Na kunyi nakuhilayo 1943 ma ni kuva hasi hu vutumwa vwu mukoloni, yakotesa sana. Ni wononyia kindu yavola baba wovo "lete toto yako mimi napiga" na baa wovo atsia akulanga Mr. Kevin Alulu akuhila mustore yu musungu avikamu magunia ga maduma anoho kindiki akukubili mu tsingovi na mateke. Na anyala komoloma dave kijila namoloma alakubwa kandi alahilwa mu polisi agone mu cell kandi mgamba lwa musungu mwene ula yantsa ku mutulitsa. Ma vandu vatia kulatsia kovofwa, kulakubwa kandi alakugalukitsa yaha kandi kulava vayinzili. Ndalola vokoli vonene sana. Na mundu niyakutsanga ku valogoli vitu ku mwima gwtitu gwa valogoli musakulu eng'ombe ni vita vatulitsa ku lwiga. Lwiga lwene lula ma vasomola mu kigumba ma lutigala lwere; mu inzila yindi lwalange kuli glass yu kunwa amalwa madiku ga kale. Lidiku lindi vogitsa luva kindu kuli ksiliva; kwalanga illere. Kali ni wahulanga mundu nakuyanzi mwana kuli Alulu wavola ndi "oh, mwana uyu ni mulahi ndakakwimbili mu llere ku vulahi vwa ongoleye." Ku ngovola ni ndivila Alulu nyasaye okoleti kuli ndakahula amitu Asava navola okoleti hano ukudile. Kwakubwa na vakoloni sana inze ndakubwa na vakoloni sana. Na igasi yange ndakola igasi yosi; ndalima mu tsikahawa ni ligembe, ndalima ku mulava gwa maduma kosembera maduma go mukoloni. Na kijira ndali mwana machachari ndatsitsanga wi itractor iveye tsigomba mine grease nimbika ligembe lilima mu lishamba. Niyatsanga anyola mbichi i grease ateva "nani nafanya hii?" Ma mundereva ammbola "hii mtoto." Avola "wee mzuri sana, si nafundisha wewe kazi ya tractor." Ndajaga kuhila itractor ni mbeye ni mihiga komi na tisa yaho. Kali komi na nane nimba mundereva wi itractor kijila isukuru yange yali yi tsishida, ndasoma kishidashida na ndegomba some sana. After igasi ndatsitsanga wi vitabu viveye, mbenza ku lwasoma ku kugunza naye paga ninduha nenyola ku kidogo basic education. Musakulu ni yakakutsa ukubila mu kisiliva kilila vudinyu kabisa kandi ni chalilanga ku alata vandu mundu munene ukutsi. Na kwavika mu lisandugu dave. Kwalimanga kirindwa hasi, musakuru oveye na avana veve; kwalima kirindwa ma kitsia kindu kuli tsifuti tsivaga ma kutulitsa koreka ha kiveye hala ma kwata hagati ilaini yindi vutsa yu mundu kubimi. Ma kuhila hasi kandi himbe kindu kuli tsifuti tsivili anoho tsivaga kandi ma kolomba kuyava yila kitsia ku ndi kusunda ku yila kuyava ku kusunda yila. Ma musakulu uyu yakamala kukutsa ma kutulitsa vutsa hala mmbili mwere anoho kuvuguli ivembe kutsie kwale musi mula; mulogote lula ma kuvuguli mmbil;i mwere kwikitse yaha ma kusundi hala. Kwa kasunda hala kulungikitsi vulahi ma koteme tsisala tsie tsisiola anoho lwugu anoho musala gwosi guva ni guveye himbe. Kotembe vindu kubimi ma kwale kwigulu; kukuniki lilina yili kutla yila paga yinu; ma koteme ivembe kotemele hasi ma kutsie kugidandase ku samu ikuniki malova gavuli kutsia ku mmbili gula. Ma kutaku lilova kukunika. Na mima jiali ku vakutsu vene yava. Koveye ni mufano mundu utivula ku mwana akutsi. Nakutsi vakurundu vatsitsanga kuvugula rifwa lie kigunzanguva, kisala cha kulanga kigunzanguva kifwanananga nende ikayapa.Rifwa liene lila mundu atsia ahenza lilahi liaduka liakomela ma vamutotsa mu kikururi hano, vatotsa kabisa lingila ma vareka mu ma vamuta nalio; yivula ku mwana dave. Likutsa linde liali ndi; mundu mufano kuli mwene oyo ni kitsili, wa kototsi rifwa lila. Mukutsu undi ni mkundu wi indurume. Vulwaye vwa indurume vumanya vutula mundu adegera ku akinda, yinyala avugula muda ku avuka. Mundu wi indurume nakutsi ku mwima gwa mulogoli naruki hanyuma hakutsutsu; musakulu wa kwakuta wa kuyavi kirindwa kitsia ma ni kolomba musi mula kusalitsa ku mu ivembe ma ni kwala ku tsisala kukinga ma ni kustuka ku malova ula, lwa kwenya kuta winyumba musakulu wu llela lwilwe iye umanya avole ha kuvika kirindwa kila. Alatula ni rigembe kandi musakulu murungi waleta mukali, yaivula ku vandu na amenyi hango hehe yatse mufano kuli ivugwi anoho nogeli ndi nusingiyi ndi kaskazini ni yaha; ni ndio; ogere mutwi gohenze yiyi na kunyumba yeye lwa wingila mu kiliango mwa inyumba yeye, nu wingila munyumba yeye ku mukono murungi nu wingila munyumba yeye kirindwa chiche kiyavwe ku mukono murungi. Kivune musatsa atevwa ku mukuni murungi niyingila munyumba yeye na mukali nolomba hi chiriri kimanya kive; ha amanya atenge kuva ku mugutu ku kidari, olombe kidari cheche cha agunzila ku ichova yila ku mukono murungi. Kali yive gadukana ugimiri ling'ana lia moloma yili kutula lidiku lia kalunu ndi. Nuwingila mmba ku mukono murungi, avikwi wene yila kandi natevwe ku isaidi yu mukono murungi kutula munyumba yeye. Yicho chajiri nengovola hango hitu ha vamulogoli mbe si ndatsia ku ho dave, mbe ndatsia ho, ninzia ho ndatsia kumanyia wi kirindwa cha guga vata. Na ni vakata hene hala, kali mwana nakutsa varakate anywhere. navutsa kwanza musakuru isehemu yeye itigale; kali mundu undi nakutsa ave mwana muyayi anoho mukana vata ku hene hala dave; hala ni vwiyangu vwu musakulu. Na vwiyangu vwu mukere vuveho. Na mundu windurume walwala vulwaye vwa kifafa mu luswahili nakutsi, vandu vavetsa na vandu lugano lwene lula kali vivuli vala vaveye na avana lugano lwene lula. Mwana ula nakutsa ku mwima gwitu gwa vamulogoli, utsie umute handuru kabisa, kali hanyima kidogo kunyumba. Vayave kirindwa ma vayaviri mwana ula ma vasalitse kirindwa chene kila kivuri kuva ndi dave, keve kuli imesa, vsaritse; mwima gwu mundu wi indurume. Kuli amitu avoye almost kuchangiya tsa himbe hala, mundu ulumindiywi, witiywi mufano kuli avana vitu vala vadaka tsigasi ma vaganana ninzi kwiva ndalia vulahi ndagona vulahi. Lwa anyolekanga ma agumilwi vasambe anoho vatemage, mundu ula lwa vandu muhula ni voveleli kwu lwivulu lwivula, mariga valalila navutsa vang'ung'une vutsa. Na kirindwa chche vayave isa yosi yosi na lwa vakiyava isa yosiyosi ma lwa vemya kutulitsa wa yakogona mwigono wa akutsi, ma vagingi varete vadukitse hango hala vudiku, lwa vareta vavititse vutsa vatulitsa mmakono ni vingiritsa mmbwina. Na vandu vachiring'ani vutsa nitali avene vanyala kulila kijira mwana wavo. na vakunika lilova, vakunika mundu ula ni vadandasa kirindwa kandi kiva flat. Niva vatemaji, niva ukutsi likutsa lia kwisunga, anoho kotonya mmasti mwene; atavikwa ku mugutu alombelwe livugana dave. NI muvika ku mjugutu alombelwe livugana mwumbachi kindu kila na vakutse vanyinge sana likutsa igavila yene ila; gwali mwima gwa mulogoli yali niyavika. Icho kijira nigava ndio navutsa kijira avana va vandu venya valili ku, venya vagunze ho, valili ku ho vindu, tsichai, maganda, vite tsingoko vilkwatsi valombe livugana vatsie kulagila uvuchima ni tsingoko paga valombe mundu ula onyola ogoni madiku gavaga. Na gadukana ndio dave, kandi si gali ndio dave. Kindu kila si chali ku yo dave. Na kindu kindi ndegebishe ku amitu omolomi, eng'ombe yo lovego mu lidiku lio lovegeo lwu mundu oyo, eng'ombe yo lovego ku musakulu oyo lwa vatsia kugula niva ni musakulu valagula eng'ombe yakulanga ijirichi iveye na manege kamili ituma. Na lwa vatsia kugula igirichi yeneyo vagehenze yo lovego, eve ni ligondo lilala; niva ni imwamu ive imwamu, anoho inzakanyu; apana ya magondo gavili dave. Tsinziga tsihenzwe tsiveye vulahi, amino gahenzwe gaveye vulahi gakulika mu dave; eng'ombe yila ma yitse ive ichova, pana mu kego dave. Eng'ombe yila yenye yitwi saa komi na moja vutsitsa kuchia. Na mukere wali mwene musakulu ula niva akiliho mwoyo, niva yagenda vulahi asingiri ho musinzi aviki mmbano mu ihore naveho. Na vandu vu mugitsi mula kwikaye ku tsinduru kuvichi tsimoni wu mukere ula aveye. Uvuguyi ekofia yu musakulu ula yagendera yivichi, uvuguyi ibagoro yu musakulu yagendera agenda nayo mu lwanyi mula. Kokola mukali ula hevwe lyita mukaye. Pana vutsa vosi na vakaye dave, ahevwe lyita mukaye. Ma ave hala ma akole igasi yeye ma vavage eng'ombe yila virenge nu mutwi ni kigulu vavuli kitsie mmba vatsie kusunga mmba mwimwe mula, virenge vitsie hasi hi kigulu kila, mara vatsie vatulitse mu vosee, vatulitse mu mukova vatulitse mu isingu vogitse mara. Mukere ula yatse ni mmbano avuguli mara gala vandu vagumili nakaragilaku vakere vandi tudi tudi, gatigaye gatsie mmba mu kifuria kagaraginyiywi gatavagiri boilo vandu valie nu vuchima mmba mula. Mukere ula yalinda inyumba yeye munzila indahi. Na yive musatsa niva walinda inyumba yoyo munzila indahi si wagenda ichova yila mmbakali vandi dave na mukere wovo akutsi, vandu vamanyilanga ku kivango; wikula ni kivango nugimiyi mmakono nogenda ichova yila nutala mukali wange ondechi nugimiyi kivango cha alugila vuchima mmakono. Lwa vandu valola vutsa nogenda ichova yila nachio, ma vavola mea ula yalinda inyumba yeye vulahi. Na pana vanyinge va ulilola ndio dave, kali nohenza ulakalole ndio dave, ni vakekeke sana. Na mukali niyagenda ichova na musatsa ukutsi mukali ula lwa vavola vutsa yakagalama ukutsi ajaga likuba tsikwiri niyingila mmba natula muchandangu nalila natsia indangu namatemwa yila. Lwa uhula vutsa ndio nohenza yo umanya oyo yali mundu dave. Na mukali uhulanga ling'ana liali ho livola ndi warega mukali aleng'anywangwa ni mundu yarega enzogu. Lidiku lilala musakulu mwana weve yatsa navola baba mukali wange nyoye mang'ana aheya; agenda na vandu ichova iyi na leo atoke aende asipoenda ndita. Musakulu nambola "ae, wenya wite? Uhuliyi ndi?" Navola mbuliyi mukali wange agendanga vuvi. Namuvolela ma vavola paga yahelitsa nu mwana ku atsie anoho nzite. Ma nammbola yilu ni lugano lwa mulogoli yakolekera kunyi avana veve navola hamba mwana wange yikala yaha. Ma mwana weve niyatsa niyikala himbe na muvola nzenyanga ugwi mulwale, nyenya ku gwikitsa kindu. Nyenya utange tsa vulwale, ovole tsa mutwi gunuma, munda munuma mbeye vulahi dave. Ma wenye utsi ndita engoko ndasinza engoko na ndakinga masaye gala mbuguli ma ngohe uviki mmunwa ku dagiga ngutsutsu ma ututsi. Masaye mavisi ma ugimili mmunwa, ma nyagurage nzie ku munwa; ndanyola tsa mukumu himbe yaha; ambole chekoleka ku mwana wange yive ohone. Kijira oveye mwana wange wa ndayanza, ndavola mukere. Na ganzitsa nago ndakovola ulalola. Musakulu navugula navola mwanange ku akutsa, kalunu atula tsa masaye mmunwa, ku vavola mukere wavula kogenda ku ichova wa endoa yeye, wavula kutsia kogona ku nu mundu undi ichova yila, lwa atsia tsa kudira ku mutwi ndi na mwanange naluka vutsa masaye lulala nahona. Lwa aruka vutsa masaye gala gatula mmunwa gatonya nahona. Ku kalunu nambole mukere ki. Linda ndange na mama wovo, manya ndange mama wovo, ndenya nange wanga mukere wovo, nya; ndenya nange kali guku wovo, mama wanzivula, ndenye nange ku vakali vaveye vatende yaha vatse ni vayanza tsa mula kuvo yavula kugenda ku ichova nu undi mundu adire vutsa ku yive ndi ma usare vutsa lulala masaye na nohona. Gona vutsa ivwasi yila, ndatsa vutsa kwigula mwanzu ma kohenza ku kolola masaye gidora vutsa gatura mmunwa na yive ugimiyi vutsa uchring'ani. Na umanyi ninze wa kokovola okole ndio, pana komoloma dave, pana kututsa masaye gala dave, ugimiri tsa mmunwa gatonye vutsa tudi, ndatsia tsa himbe ngaruki vwangu kali si ndagonayo dave. Mwana oyo nakola ndio, natsia nagona hasi. Musakulu nakubwa tsikwiri navola mwana wange ukutsi kali vatende ni vatsa vafwela ho. Navola na ndula wu mukumu na unzigitsi kindu ku muyaynza vatende vange mungonye. Navola nya nuva si watula ku mmba munu wagenda ku ichova iyi kutula nengoleta hano tsia udire tsa mwana uyu ku mutwi alahona, mukere nakola wuyi; mwanange ku ukutsi, nalonda chandangu natsia indangu. Navola mukaye ula tsia winyu tsia oteve ku mama wovo niva si yakola ku kindu mang'ana gosi ichova yatse adire ku yatsa dave natia. Navola vatende vakali vagimila vutsa tsinzila. Navola mama kakiri kakere keveye hango hano leka nzie kumulanga. natsia nalanga nya. Niyatsa navola vavola kokole ndi ku ahone, ma namuvola mukere yavula kutula ku mmba mwimwe nagenda ku ichova nadira ku vutsa ndi alahona. Mukere nakola vutsa "wooi, mwisukuru wange goi" na yiluka. Ma navavola ndi ka lechi ngaruki ku mukumu ula nzie komoloma ku nangaye. Ma nasimuka natsia ma nagota vutsa ku tsisaa kidogo vamanya atsiyi hayi. ma natsia nagunza yo ma niyatsa, ma navola vamboleye inze mwene, vambeye kuli ngola ma vambeye tsinyasi ma vamboleye kuli ngola ku lechi nzie kuduka ku mwanange mwene, ma nadila ku nakola ku vindu vie liveshi ma mwana weve ula naluka masaye gala pwaa ma nigidola. Woi, akutsa noho. Dave galoleka lwa asara yilu yilwo lwa anyola lunyasi. Ma nammbola tsia wisinge uchenje tsinguvu onyole vwiyangu kwikale ngovole linde ling'ana. Ma namuvolela mama wa nzivula inze yaleka baba natsia nagona ni mundu undi, mukere wange mama wovo uyu yakoleka inze nu mwanange yive natsia nagona nu undi mundu, wanga mukere wovo, gali ndio; vatende yava vosi mukali utsi ku hano aladira ku yive kali mula? Nyenya kukovola warega enzogu, mundu warega mukali narungikitsa mukali narungika mundu oyo afwananywanga nu mundu warega enzogu. Na enzogu mundu wagimanya kuli inze ndasingila kunzogu himbe kuli kololana nende amitu Asava, ndagelola kuli oveye ndi, ni kindu chuduya ni tsingumi yiruki? Ku lwa yago, mukali leka ave, takuba dave, tita dave, leka amenye. Ngokonyi mwana wange, nuviti ku gene yago, genago na gogo. Mwana navola baba sande unzigitsi ling'ana linene na vandu yava vosi ndoli ku mulahi dave, na vavi. Kwa hivio kulamenya tsa. Ma nachiling'ana. Ku mukali mugeli, nolola mukali wikaye vutsa kalunu ndi musakulu ni yakakutsa ula dada navugula rigodi ni tsibakole vatsiyi kumuha tsinyasi tsia wakahula amitu navola tsila, tsie misala jia yasimika jila. Atsi kumuletala lunyasi avola ole hayilu komba yilu, ulikala tsa hala kindu chekoleka dave. Alikala ho kekoleka dave after few madiku nuhuli yakatula ho. Misala jila jiayinzila dave. Ku likutsa lyitu ku lwa kalunu kanu koveye ni mima ku likutsa kandi ohenze mukali ula isa ya vahilanga mmbili gula mu kirindwa. Nohenza vutsa ustei wa mundu akutsi venya vashire mukirindwa, henza ku mukere weve kirindwa dave. Umutere vutsa tsimoni, isa ya vaginga vutsa mbiri valeta mu kirindwa ulalola namwalitsa nakola ndi tsimoni; avuli kolola ni yingila mu kirindwa kijira nahenza niyingila mu kirindwa kila hata yeye ataondoka. Umanye huyo alitenda mabaya, hakukuwa mwaminifu kwa mumewe. Ku lwa yago likutsa liveye na mang'ana manyinge. Linde mwana mukana nakutsi ulamuta tsa mmugitsi kamakawaida. Navutsa mwana wa indasimba nakutsi anoho mwana wa mu-dauta mukali uyu yaheya mwana uyu, mufano kuli undi witu iyi yaheya ma niyivula tsa mwana iranji yu munya ula, isaisi yu munya ula, vumwamu vwu munya ula. Na mukali mwene uyu ni mwifwa himbe ha koveye hano, mwifwa mkisunda. Nemboye mwifwa mkisunda umanyi mbola hango hanga Kibisu. Mukali ula ya itsa lukali muhiri yange. Mundeve muravu naye mwene muhaku, hango hala hosi vandu na valavu. Ma niyivula tsa mwana mmwamu kuli munya wa kwamanya hene hala. Ma navika kutsa lyita lia hango hala ma naregela musakulu weve. Mwana ula yamenya vindu vienyeka kuli amitu avoye mima jienyeka mwana ula avuli kudila ku nadila ku, nasila mbaga, nafwana mwene hango, nafwana mukulundu wa hango hala. Yaduchi inyinga vutsa nakalika, nayula yo. Lwa yatula yo mukali uyu yamanya nagaya navola ndi mwana wange kwenya kuyavili vutsa ise yakutsa kutanga navola mwana wange kuvika vutsa kuruvalu ha ise yayavilwa yaha. Vandu vatia kumbola mtoto huyu asizikwe hapa kwenda zika huko chini. Na uyaviri kunduru kwu murimi ku lwako, vayave lilina kunduru ku lwako indangu. Mwana utaveye wa hango. Pana mmulimi vurungi dave. Keveho ling'ana lila na kalunu ndi; mwima gwitu. Mukali ula nasula nagaya vutsa inze nzavila ku musakulu yaha. Ma nayavila ho, mwana weve wa kamili yaguduchi muyayi, undi wa kamili yaguduchi muyayi, utigaye mulala aveye tsa mahututi kali numohenza ku ulagenya. Yabahatichi ku mwana ula nalia kindu cha kulanga bahati na sibu, mudoga gwa varanga isizu (pick up). Mundu ula yamanyi mwana ula yamanyi nalwala ulwaye vuvi saidi kogeteywe cha kokola. Sasa atsitsa kutugala na avana vakana na kandi valalonda ku. Nyenya kokovola muyayi Kevin Alulu, ngikiri kumanya oveye mwana kutula munyumba ki dave; na ulambola. Nyasaye okoleti kove nive okoli kindu kila cha kogenyia. Nyala kokomolomela kali nduki tsisaa tsivaga, kali tsinne ole kivune ni ngusira ku havundu handi ha kulanganga Kisumu. Kisumu naho ha kwalanganga ndi Ivusumilu. Mulogoli na mugusi vakilanyila wene yila viganda. Na lwa vakilanyila wene yila viganda, valangwangwa Ivusumilu; yiho ha kwavuganila ni kukilanyila viganda; ha kwakola viasara. Ma musudani yatsa ma nateka ova kutura Bondo mu chanyi cha va mulogoli cha kavili, lwa mulogoli mama Kaliesa yamuvolela vandu yava vasava munwa vavagale yaha mirivu jiumi ku virane mmatsi na mulogoli navola ndi niva nindio lechi vatse yaha ma ni vatsa vavagala miruvu lakini vakola vogeli; ni vanyala tsisutse tsinyinge, vinula maraa vasiuva yaho ni yaho ma ni hafunya. Mulogoli lwa yatsa nakola "uh, mindu yji jiononyi hano; kandi eng'embe yavita ku da, mindu yiji ni migasa; kwisundi. Yilwo lwa atula ho natsia Asembolamba, Okuto area ya Seme. Ku yilwo lwa vateka ova na hali hatgala ivusumilu na vasudani valanga Osumo. Lwu musungu yatsa ni vavola wilwongu ka Osumo ma musungu navika ku 'ki'. Ku ndakayanzi kovola nimalitsanga sande kulimboye inze ni mwana wa vamulogoli mukulundu John Lubang'a Lidede na mbeye mwana wa Musali. mwana mukulundu wa mulogoli na Musali ni yivula mwana mukurundu Mmagetsa nende Mukoyani nalonda ku, Mbaya nalonda ku, Musweta nava mwana wu mwandu. Na baba wange vamulanga Gaidano Lidede, na ise wewe vamulanga Magotswe, ise weve vamulanga Tsimbasi, ise weve vamulanga Chahare, ise weve vamulanga Amogola, ise weve vamulanga Maduhitsa. Inze mbeye inyumba ya Maduhitsa mmbusali hitu na hitegero, mundu musali mmagetsa, na sande mwami akugasitse ku igasi ya okokoleye na kwegomba usingili vudinyu okokonye. Koveye na manyinge ga komeda komoloma. Mwami akugasitse sande.

Cultural rules for death

Following the rules that guide a person who has died our death practices are like this: when an elder person has died for example like me John Lubang'a Lidede I was born in 1936. When the colonists were hash. If they found that you were born during those years you were to pay tax. You were to pay the years that you were born and if you do not pay you were jailed. My father used to tell me that he was a missionary of Roman Catholic and he gave birth to us while in Roman Catholic and he knows the year that I was born. If you were born in 1936 they started asking you to pay from 1937 to 1938. You can imagine with the type of work I was working the colonist didn't allow me to read. My father told him that our children were able to read hence he suggested that they open a school but he refused and my father asked him how would they get work in the coming days? He said that they would get work. He has work he has planted coffee, he has cows, he has flour, maize and some other flowers that we call in English sunflower. Your children will get work, they wont lack work my father felt the pain and he went down I was with him in the year 1951. Father was silent and he didn't eat on that day. Father porched a teacher who was teaching us at night and we were using lantern. One time we used to take a casier flower the one that the bees like using to make honey from it. We have another stick that produces flowers that look similar to kendron. When we go outside I can know it I have seen it is here. We used to take that stick and then we put the seeds on it and when you light it the seeds used to burn like paraffin.

Then we read we didn't have a table we were sitting down on the ground and it lights as we read. My education had problems and when the white man saw you with a book he used to look at you with jealousy eyes hence this means he didn't want you to read. They didn't want us to read, we were on a white man's farm McDonald Turbo at a place called Gavuladi. My father went to work there in the year 1940 and he took us there in 1943 and we were under the colonialist. The white man mistreated us very much and if you spoiled something he used to tell our father, "lete toto yako mimi napiga" (means bring your child I beat him) then your father comes and call you Mr. Kevin Alulu and then he takes you to his store where he has sacks of maize and then he beats you and kicks you also. He cannot speak if you speak he beats you and takes you to the police where you sleep in a cell until the followring morning when he will come to pick you. Then the people fear that they will be taken to jail and then be beaten and he brings us back to his home to work there. I have seen great maragoli and if an elder person died they slaughtered a cow and then they remove the horn. Then they put in a bone and it remains empty like a glass the one that people used to drink beer from during the old days. Another time they used to wash it. Even when you heard someone likes you Alulu you used to say, "Oh! This child is good I will sin for him for the good that he has done for me" before I forget the way Asava has said Alulu God brought you here to take good care of us. We have been beaten I was beaten by the colonist and I did my whole work I was digging on the coffee plantation. I used to weed the maize of the colonist. Because I was an active boy I used to go where they were greasing the tractor I fix the digging tool on it and when he comes he asks who has done that and the driver tells him that it is I. He used to say that I am good and they will teach me the work of a tractor. I started driving a tractor when I was 19 years. At 18 years I was driving a tractor because I had problems with my school I really wished to learn. After work I used to go where he is reading from and we stay with him until I got the basic education.

When and elder man died you used to blow that horn to alert people that and elder person has died. And we were not putting him in a coffin we were burying him down. A man who has children we used to dig three feets down. Then we make another line that someone has measured. We again dig two feets and we dig on the sides. Then when the man is dead we take hime the way he is and we apply some leaves on the bottom of the grave. Then we take the body and lay it down there. We burry it well then we take some sticks from a specific tree or any other tree that is available. And we measure and put them on top of the body from one side to the other. We cover it well to prevent the soil from reaching the body. And then we put the soil and we close. There are some laws that were followed for example if he was a man who didn't have children old men used to go and they take a thorn like kayaba they look for a good thorn then they pierce deeply on the buttocks and they burry him with it. That is a person who had not given birth to a child. For that case that is a disabled person and he was buried with a thorn. Another death of a person who was fainting he faints and urinates and then he takes time to wake up such a person when dead an old person will choose where the grae will be put. He goes out with a digging tool and that's a straight man that has a wife. The head will face east in front of the house. The grave will be on the right hand side of his house. Because a man is buried on the right hand side of his house and the wife is buried where his shadow is. He will be outside on a bed and she will spread the bed that he normaly relax on outside on the right hand side.

Even you should remember the word that I am speaking today. When you enter the house he should be buried on the right hand side from his house. That is the reason to why I was telling you that at our home of mulogoli whether I have gone there or not when I get there I can know where the grave of our grandfather is. Even if they have not buried there when a child dies and they bury anywhere but for the man his grave has to be allocated first. Even if another person dies whether a boy or a girl they wont burry there. That is the space of the old man.

And the space of the wife was there. If an epileptic person died they chose two people with that condition and who also have children. When that person dies you go and burry him on the sides or behind the house. They burry him/her and they levelize the grave it should not be raised it should be flat like a table. That is an epileptic person. And like my brother has said just to add on it when a person has been killed for example our children who stay in urban and they do not have work and then they decide to go and steal in order to eat and sleep well. When he is caught they cut or burn him, when they receive information about his death they will cry but not loudly instead they will mummer. Then they will dig his grave anytime and then they will bring his body from where he was staying and they ensure that the body arrives at home in the evening and then the body will enter the home from behind using a gate that has been made temporarily and not the normal gate. People are not allowed to cry except the parents because it is their son. Then they bury that person and the grave is flattened. If you cut yourself, if you hunged yourself or you drowned in water such a person there is no funeral service held. If you put him on the veranda and make a funeral service many people from that homestead will die such death. That is the rule of mulogoli and he is the one who kept it but because people want to eat and stay there they eat things, tea, beans, they slaughter chicken. They go and take tea; they eat baked maize flour and chicken until you find the person has been kept for three days. It should not be like that; those things were not there. And I correct something about the cow used on the funeral of an elder person. They will buy a bull that has ass and it is shooting straight and when they go to buy that bull they check on it should have one colour if it is black it should be black. It should not have two colours.

The horns should be checked if they are okey. The teeth should be checked if they are okey and none has been removed. The cow is then brought and it should be outside and not in the shade then the cow will be slaughtered very early in the morning at five o'clock. And if the wife of the dead man is there she should stand firm and cut the bulls neck if she was faithful to his husband. We the people of the village are watching that wife where she is. She should take the hat that the husband was putting on then she puts it on. She should take the walking stick that the husband was using she walks with it on the compound. We are making that woman to be called a wife. Not all are wife. She is given the name a wife. Then they slaughter the bull and they take the legs and the head they go and hung in her house. That woman will come with a knife and then she cuts the intestines as she shares with the other women. The remaining one is taken to the house and cooked other will eat with the baked maize flour. That woman has taken good care of her house. And if a man has taken good care of his house, he has not been walking with other women outside there and the wife has died people knows it using the cooking stick. You mourn while carrying the cooking stick in your hand. You mourn with the cooking stick saying that your wife has left you and you have the cooking stick at hand. When people see you walking with it outside they say that this person has taken good care of his house. There are not many that you see them proving that faithfulness they are few. And if a woman was walking with another man when the husband dies when they say that he is dead she starts crying and she goes through the back door and goes to the banana plantation. When she does that they tell you that she is nobody. And a woman who hears that there is a saying that was saying: the one who defeated a wife she defeated an elephant. One day a child came to his father and told him that the wife is adulterous. She is walking with other men outside and he wanted her to go out if she doesn't go he will kill her. The father asked him, "You kill? You have heard what?" he told him that he has heard that the wife is walking with other men. Until she has a baby she has to go or he kill her. This is a story that Mulogoli left for us, he said my children come and sit here. The child came and sat where he was then he told him that he want him to be sick to pretend that he is sick. I want to teach you something. He asked him to start pretending that he has headache, he has stomach ache and he is not in good condition. Then you come I will slaughter a hen and then give you the blood to put in your mouth for some minutes. And then you will spit it.

You hold the blood in your mouth then I will run near and look for a witch doctor near to tell me about the issues of my son and how he can be healed. Because you are my child that I love most, I will tell my wife. And what I am coming with I will tell you and you will see. The man pretended that the son was dying and he was bleeding from the mouth. He told the wife that they are saying whoever has not done adultery when she touches his head he will spit blood and get healed. When he spit and that is when he gets healed now he wondered the woman to tell. He told him that he would start with the mother the grandmother to him. He told him that he want to call the neighbor who has not done adultery and when she touches on you that is when you spit the blood and get healed. He asked him to sleep there and hold the blood in the mouth and he keeps quiet. And he should know that it is him who has told him that, he should not tell anyone and he should not spit the blood. He hold the blood and release little he will just go away for a while and come back fast he wont sleep there. That son did that he went and slept down. The man screamed that the son is dying and all the neighbors came there. He told them that he is from a witch and he has taught him something if they like they help him. He started with the wife and he told her, "If you have not done adultery since I married you go and touch that son and he will be healed" the wife started crying saying that the son is dead and she went out using the back door. He asked the wife to go back to her home and ask her mother if she has not commited adultery to come and touch their son, the mother didn't come she feared. He asked the neighboring women and they started going away. He said that the mother is at home and he went to call his mother and she asked him what to do in order to save his life. He told him that the woman who has not commited adultery should touch him and he will be healed. She began crying calling his name as she ran away.

He asked them to release him to go back to the witch doctor and talk with him. Then he disappeared for a short while and they didn't know where he had gone. He came and told them that he has been instructed on how he can handle it; they let him to reach his son. He then did his tricks and the son spitted the blood. She asked him if he ws dying but he told her that when he vomits the blood that is when he is getting healed. He asked him to go and bath then he change the cloths and come to him for another word. He told him that the mother who gave birth to me left dad and went to sleep with another man, your mother left my son and me she went to sleep with another man. At your wife's place it is like that. There is no neighbor who has come to touch you. I want to tell you that a man who defeated a wife is compared to one who defeated an elephant. And an elephant I have stood before it the way we are with my brother Asava and I have seen it the way I look at you it is something that you cannot hit with hefty blows and it run away. For that reason let your wife be, do not beat her, let her live and he told him that he had assisted him that one belongs to him. He thaned his father that he had assisted him and among all the people there is no one who is good they are bad. He told him that they will stay and he kept quiet. A clever wife when she sees a woman who is just sitting when the husband dies the father takes medicine that you have heard my brother saying and he gives her. He asks her to take it and she will stay there. Nothing will happen. After a few days you here that she is no longer there. Those herbs have not worked. For our death these days we have rules and should look at the wife when they are taking the husband to the grave. Just stare at the wife and not the grave.

You just stare at her when they are carrying the dead body to the grave, you will see her closing her eyes. She doesn't want to see her husband being laid down if she stares at him she will also die very soon. You should then know that she did adultery. She was not faithful to the husband. Because of that death has many things. When a girl dies you will bury her in the homestead as usual but when a child of a woman who has commited adultery dies for example there is one from our place who commited adultery and he gave birth to a child that looked similar to the father, he was the same size with that man. Dark skin of that man and that woman belong to Mwifa clan when I say that you know I am talking about the home of Kibisu. That woman has been married in my clan. In that home people are white and she gave birth to a dark chld like the man that we know comes from there and then she gave him a name from his home and she defeated the husband.

Did that child survive? The way my brother has said the rules should not be touched by that child; he touched and went beyond the boundaries. He acted like the owner of the home. He behaved like the elder of that home. It reached a time and he died. When he died the mother argued that they should bury him beside the father who had died initialy. People were afraid to tell her to burry the child behind the house. To bury on the fence they should dig the grave on the fence behind the house. That is a child born out of marriage. Not on the land. There is a word; our culture. The woman refused and said that she buried the husband and she want the son to be buried next to him and she buried him there. Her real son died. There is one who is remaining and he is in poor condition when you look at him you will wonder. There was one who tried promotion competition and he won a car called pick up isuzu.

That man became very sick and we do not know what to do. He is sleeping with girls and they will follow him. I want to tell you Kelvin Alulu I do not know the house that you are coming from but you will tell me. God brought you to come and be with us and it is a great thing. I can talk to you for even three hours or four. I want to skip to Kisumu that is where we were calling Ivusumilu. That is where we met and formed groups. Where we did business. And a Sudanese came and took over from Bondo the second land of Mulogoli. Mother Kaliesa told Mulogoli that those people were asking for permision to dry their nets on that land and then they return to fishing. When he heard that he allowed them but they did some tricks. They threw many fish there and the place began smelling bad. When Mulogoli came he said, "uh, these people have spoiled here and razor has not gone through them and they are uncircumcised let us move on" that is when he leaves to Asembolamba, Okuto area of Seme.

That is when they took over and the Sudanese called it Osumo. The white man came an then he added "Ki" to make Kisumu. I will end by saying thank you the way I have said I am the elder son of Mulogoli John Lubang'a Lidede and I belong to Musali clan. The elder child of Mulogoli and Musali is the one that he gave birth from Mmagetsa and Mukoyani is following him. Then Mbaya followed. Musweta was the child of Mwandu. My father was called Gaidano Lidede. And the father was called Magotswe. The father was called Tsimbasi whose father was Chahare whose father was Amogola, whose father was Maduhitsa. I am from the house of Maduhitsa in Busali. And our home is Hitegero. I am a musali mmagetsa. May God bless you for the work that you have done and we are wishing that you stand firm and help us? We have much that we are adding as we talk. God bless you Thank you.