Play time: 34:35 minutes. Recorded in Sabatia, Kenya, May 13, 2014.

Vulwani

John Lubang'a

Lyita liange ni John Lubang'a Lidede na ndivulwa muhiga wa 1934, na mu lidala lia Itegero, sublocation ya Busali yi ivugwi; yilio lidala lia ndivulwa mu. Na baba Gaidano Lidede Magotswi yamanya ni yadikitswa na kunyi na atsia mu kivala cha Inandi cha kulanga kalunu mu Rift Valley. Muhiga gwa 1944 kuduga mu kivala cha kulanganga Kabla gamlat nahandikwa nu musungu wa valanganga Macdonald. Na kivala chene yicho mu madiku gu vukoloni vakilanganga Gablimuru. Musungu Macdonald yali mukoloni mwingeresa. Navutswa vulwani vwa kavili vwali ni vufwetsanji ku muhiga wa 1944 na 1943 ma ni komenya mu lishamba lia Macdonald yali ni vitagwa kuli ikahawa nende maua gafwanana mavuyu gu musi ga valanganga mu lusungu sun flowers na nende vitagwa kuli maduma, ni vitagwa vindi kuli vunyasi vwe tsing'ombe vwa kulanganga mu lulogoli inamaguta. Nogenda mu vuhanda ku virenge kuli maguta. Na vundi vunyasi vwa kulanga inandwa na mu lusungu vavulanga lucerne. Hanu vundi vunyasi vwa kutumikila ku tsing'ombe na mmadiku vumanyikani sana kuvulanganga ulusie na vasungu vavulanga napiers grass. Miyinzi jia kwakola mu lishamba lila wa Macdonald na kandi yali ni tsing'ombe tsiali ni tsiranji tsindi tsinzakanyu kai kuli iranji ya vasungu varanganga maroon. Mukoloni uyu yali yahandika baba mu igasi yali yu muderi. Vakelamu tsing'ombe. Baba Gaidano Lidede wali mundu wasoma masomo gu muluguchi kandi masomo gu mukitambaya ma nava mwigitsi wu kwigitsa vakristo va Roman Catholic nacho kivune chajira baba nava munyabara wa vandu vakera muderi. Ku nacho kivune chajira baba nateva Macdonald avana vitu vaduchi vu kutsia musukulu, okohe munwa kolete mwigitsi akwigitsi wu kwigitsa avana vitu. Macdonald nasula. Nateva baba kijira ki uteva mwigitsi yatse hano? Baba yali nende voveleli vonene navola "inze mbeye hano na vitagwa ni tsing'ombe avana vinyu valikadake igasi dave. Gajira masomo gitu goneka. Inyinga ya kwaduka muhiga wa 1949, vandu vamwamu va Kenya hasa vakikuyu nu mulogoli, nu munandi, mukamba, mmbo, murubai anoho Mombasa mbole, kuhambana vandu vamenyanga kivala chi ivugwi ni kivala che imadioli, kivala che Ivale, kivala chi Isavalu nambola ndi, kivala chitu cha Kenya chosi chahambana kigaya mukoloni koleka kivala chitu. Kwiyamihi na muhiga gwa 1952, vakikuyu vali vakristo vavugula amita ga vakristo anoho gu vukristo ga vagulikwa vagalukitsila padri hasa vali vi likanisa katoliki; vagalukitsa amita vosi vagaya yavo vagalukitsa amita. Lwa mukoloni yahulila yamanya nasula kukila na yaga najaga kwita vandu vuli hosi naleta mundu wa valanganga mu Sudan namuleta musudan yajaga kusinza vandu kuli tsing'ombe navita. Vulwani vololeka mu kivala chitu cha Kenya. Mundu wosi mu Kenya yagumilwa navikwa mu kivoho ku kali inze omoloma mang'ana yaga John Lubang'a Lidede, mukoloni yanduya ni kilato cha valanganga ibudi na chali kidinyu imbili yiyi, ndarema mpaga na kalunu ngenda ningwila imbega yene yiyi. Vakoloni vakumala, kwasoma vulahi dave kuli kotsa wange yalangwa Musinya mbotso mama yakutsila mu vulwani vwu kutanga. Serekali yitu ivanza vandu vitu mu vulwani vwu kutanga na lundi kali vandu vala vatungwa na vandi vatungwa dave. Ku inyinga vandu vatungwangwa vasali vasalitswa kali inze John Lubang'a Lidede ndalumindwa mu vulwani vwa Mau Mau na ndatungwa dave, kuli lwa yago mundu ulisoma kitabu cha mbandika yiki cha mulogoli alitsulitse kali naliva inze mwene ukili mwoyo, naliva ni mwana wange uliteva alitungwi. Ni yago na gameda ku ni yaga: vakenya vanyinge vasalitswa ku si gaveye kuli valala vatungwa na vandi kuvula kutungwa. Lilova liosi asoma ku kitabu yiki ahenze ku gaduchi yaho wa mang'ana yaga nu mwana mukulundu wa va Mulogoli John Lubang'a Lidede we Box 80 Chamakanga. Busali namba ye isimu ni 0728-631590. Na nimolomanga ku mang'ana yaga, molomanga kijira kandi kusanditsa hanene amitu wange Herman Mulinya Asava kweli ni mulala ku amwavo wa ndamanya ku mang'ana kali mulanganga vuli katsotso sujaa. Kijira mulanga sujaa ni kwamanyana mihiga jie vakoloni na yamanya ligali vakoloni vakudambitsa. Kandi yamanya yali mugeli yasoma vulahi na vandu vitu si vamuyanza dave kijira yali mugeli walola namanya vandu vitu vitwa, vanyangana. Ni mulala mu kivalacha Western Province wali nende inganagani yavukani mu avana vitu valogoli, musanditsa ku kila kandi nyasaye kumumeda mihiga kuduka kutsi kuvugana ni koveye vandu vasakulu. Yayinzila vakoloni igasi enene. Yali meneja wi tsihoteli kuli mulogoli wu kutanga; ihoteli ya valanganga African Tours and Hotel Limited, yala mu Starxede Hotel Nakuru na yali headquarter yi tsihoteli tsila. Ni kuva ni ihoteli Meru Mulika Lodge, Mountain Lodge ku Mt. Kenya, nikuva ni ihoteli Namanga Hotel; nuduchi ku Namanga hala ni wenya wambuki ustie Tanzania, Arusha Hotel, kuva nende kilabu Mombasa Ukunda Tradewings Club. Tsihoteli tsila mwami Herman Asava yatsiamiha. Yatsitsa yo kulii vandu valogoli kuli inze wa kwala naye himbe paga nema tsa mwoyo ndoli tsa mwana witu anyala kwitsukana na mberela ku. Kijira kwali mu madiku madinyu gu vukoloni. Ku vwali vudamanu kolola kandi avana vitu vaveye kuli valola imbili kuli va MP vanga Kibisu, Musa Mudavadi vahenzanga kumala tsinzila tsitsie, ku kogenya venya ndi? Venya kutivi? Venya kuvuli kuva ku ni mundu akolola hala? Kali lwa yahenza mang'ana ge inzila yu kutula Kisumu kutsia Kakamega nafwana kuli yononyia. Na luguchi lwali lwamala vandu ni midoga jiali jia kale jia kwalanga Roadways. Jiali vulitu sana. Ku lwa kuvugana naye ni kujaga kutala ku mang'ana yaga ni nyanza sana kijira kali mang'ana gange ndakakutsi vutsa galatsia tsa ndio. Kijira kuli mwana wa vamulogoli munene, mwana mukulundu wa vamulogoli iye umanyanga hango havo sia hafwana; ise na mama weve vakikili vadinyu, vijana; iye umanyanga kindu chekoleka ho. Kali nutsia kohenza koveye na mita munu gayoneka. Kulanga vutsa mita malala gi kinandi, gitu ga vamulogoli kwa givila. Lwa kwivila ndi avana vitu, visukulu vitu, visukulwe vyitu, valimanya koveye vandu va ihiri ki. Kunyi koveye ihiri ya vamulogoli na ihiri ya vamulogoli yasiavulukana kali nutsia kugunya mu ulungikitsi vurungi, ogetengeke vurungi unyala dave. Kijira vali vakwimili ni vatanga logendo vakwimili na onyola vandi vatsitsa kuchama mu inzila mwene mula, kuvononyia, kuvita mioyo, venya vavite, vavamige, vavagotiste ku ogotwa venya kufwane mufwano ki? Ku mbola ndi sande mwana uyu nyasaye kutululia mu amitu Asava kukuhambanyia nende mwana utsi oveye kuli utaipanga mang'ana gitu anoho ong'oda mang'ana gitu nambula kitabu kilatuli yo kilivola valogoli mang'ana gitu. Vandu valasome ho valigi sa kwali kijira kuduchi mu inyinga iveye indinyu. Nohenza mu kivala chitu kinu inzala yaguluchi mu inene na hango hitu ha mulogoli inzala yali kuho dave. Kwali nende uvuchima hango hala, voro, mbere, nikuva nende ingumba, nende maduma gitu ga mulogoli yali nago gakulanga gi tsimoni, matugu; matugu yaga gamanga kindu kuli mwogo kidinyu; nusambi kifwana vutsa ndi kuli libwoni; nusambi ma kishie ma chumi vutsa ndi kuli mwogo, omega vutsa kadi nulia nunnwa amatsi na nutsia. Unyala kohonga ku muyinzi gugwo nuyinzila na kindu kila nuliyi ku tsa kikutsutsu. Hango hitu vandu vatsa ho vahonga ho ni inzala dave, kwalagila anoho kulie kiveho, umwogo anoho mambwoni gitu gamanya galetwe nende enzogu. Mabwoni gi isukari yaga, nindio mulogoli yavola. Ma kwamenya ndio, ku kalunu ndi nduchi mihiga jiange jiveye kindu kuli imihiga 78 kijira ndivulwa muhiga wa 1936 kuduka kalunu mbenzela ku mihiga 78 na sanditsa yahova wa mahe wa mulogoli vasala ku Imungu. mulogoli yalanga nyasaye Imungu witu. Kali niyaduka inyinga yu kusinza kindu kuli ligondi liu kulia hango, yasingila avolela avana veve ti mulindi; tadili ku dave. Ma inyama isambwa ma yitsa asiavula ku musasu ma asiuva misambwa jilili ku yaho ni hala na avola imungu witu uhuliyi; haya ka jagi lilia, ma avana vajaga lilia. Na mukere yakusia vusie vwo voro ku lugina. Usieye vusie vunyukichi kali machine ga kalunu yaga ganyuka ku ndio mba. Ma vuchima vula avika ku kisietsa (isahani yitu). Kisietsa chene yiki chalange kisero che eng'ombe. Eng'ombe lwa yitwa ma kivagwa, kitula ku mutwi vulahi vujila kufudulwa mu tsitundu ma vahanga chumila ku muvasu ma vahara makayo gatula mu, ma kedota ma kigasa; yicho cha vavika imbili wu lugina. Lwa vavika imbili wulugina, ma vusie vasietsa ni vutsia kwene yiku ni vavika mungungi. Ingungi ni kiruvi chanavwa ni tsisala tsie tsirundu na makindu. Makindu ga vasungu valanganga papyrus. Ma valomba kindu chene kila ma kikili kishia ma vavugula isingu ma mukere ahoma anywelitsa mu ketela kigasa. Vusie nuvika mu vusie vuva tsa havundu halahi ma vamina ma kulagila vuchima vwene vula, vosi kuva vutsa hene hala kulagila vuchima vula. Na guga witu mulogoli yali yayumbaka kayumba hachova hala ka olola ku vandu va kalunu valombi na valombanga vindi vindu ha valolela vandu. Na mulogoli yalomba hene hala nagela kutula yila yatsa yingila munyumba mwene mula, ahumahuma vutsa niyingila hango lidala limanye musakulu utsi. Mukere ahenza ateva visukulu anoho avana "baba winyu yatsi, guga winyu uduchi?" Navo yee. Ma aginga uvuchima ahila hene hala ma kujaga kulagila hene hala. Ku mwima gwitu gwa vamulogoli nandio gwali. Na na kalunu ndi ningaluka ku hanyuma hadi mundu wa kulanga mukoloni yakwima kosoma, yigala tsinzila tsyitu kosoma. Yamanya vandu yava ni vasoma vamanya vagelihe na vakageriha kuli kuvanyanyatsa kandi kugta da. Ku mwana wa kulanganga mugikuyu uyu iye yamanya navola mba, kali ni gava ni mavi leka gave mavi; kali ni gava ni kukutsa lechi kukutse. Iye wavumbula; sa aveye walwana weng'ine mu kivala kinu dave kijira mukulu avola lisanda lilala limina ku inda ma itulika dave, paga gave gavili gamine inda. Ku nohenza olola mang'ana ni gakoleka vandu vitu venyanga kalunu kutungwa anoho vahelwe ku tsa kekeeke ku vusalilitswi vwa vasalilitswa onyola mugikuyu iye ohevwa ku kogenya koveye ku ni mwana okolola amanye avandu kuli sujaa Herman Mulinya Asava vamoloma paga Tanzania yila vatungwi ku dave, venya kwitilwa ku giligale, valomba vandu vagase. Why kijira ki na vosi si vatungwa ku? Vatungwi ku tsirefu tsingeekeke tsila mia tatu tsila navo valole ndi na vulwani vwavo vanyola ku kandu kadi; kali kunyi va kwalema kuli inze nengenda nembeye kunzila ninzimiyi ninzitsa yila Mr. Alulu okong'odela,nembenzi yila ulalola nzeka lovega lwa left iyi. Musungu yanduya ni ibudi yalange ya kale yi kivia chali imbili iyi hano, ndarema. Ngenda vutsa, inze mwene nzelola ngenda vulahi lakini mundu ononda ambola wigwila sana na inze mmbola ah ah, ndarema dave nzivila musungu yanweka. Yanweka paga yaineminya. Nandeva olola ku vandu vagenda munu na masu gayumba manene va valanga Mau Mau. Na ndali mbole dave kijira ndali ndamanya vandu va valanga Mau Mau ni mulala ku mundu ulwananga musungu akolekele kivala chitu kunyi vene kwiyamihi. Ku ndali mbole ku mukoloni yee muloli dave kijira kali inze mwene ndali Mau Mau, ku ndali mbuli mwana witu anoho mulina wange da. Yigo mang'ana ga ndali nago. Na kolondekana nende kuli koveye sasa koveye mmbwami vwa kalunu na vwami vwa kalunu vuno vokolegeye. Cha vokolegela ni kivune avana vitu veyenyela vene, vandu vanyang'ana mbika mfano kwa amitu Herman Asava kijira iye wa kwali naye. Vandu venyanga mundu amenya vutsa ndi, nakutsi ndio navo ni vavuna ni valia. Ku mang'ana gene yaga gakolegeye koveye nu vuveleli hasa avandu va kuganagana kutale ku mang'ana ga komoloma gu mwima gwa vaumologoli va kwenya dave. Valola vandu yava vafwana venya vasimugukitse kindi kindu. Na keveho ni kndi kindu cha kusimugukitsa kokole dave, kwegomba vutsa vandu vamanye ha kwatula, koveye nyumba ki, koveye lwivulu ki, vamanye mulogoli yali vwaha. Na valogoli vene yava vatula hayi. Mundu utulanga lovega lwe ivuganda wosi mni mulogoli. Kijura Luganda yali amwavo mulogoli wa kavili, mwana wa Andimi wa kavili, na iye wagaya vamwavo inze nzumbaka hano ma nagilung'anyia mwima ma ni valanga Ivuganda. Ma nahana vandu kuli Nabongo ni vatsa mu kivala mu kivala che Ivugwi, vatsa kwamiha paga Limuru. Mundu uyu na avana vandi vaveye yimu vosi ku tsinyumba tsia uhula inyumba fulani, ni mukana wagilung'anyianga inyumba. Mukana iye wa valanga lyita. Ni ndakohela hene yaha si voveye vulahi.

War

My name is John Lubang'a Lidede and I was born in the year 1934, in the village of Itegero, East Busali sublocation; that is the village where I was born. By my father Gaidano Lidede Magotswi who shifted with us to the land of Nandi that we call these days Rift Valley. In the year 1944 we got to the land called Kabla gamlat he was employed by a white man called Macdonald. And that land during the colonial period it was called Gablimuru. The Whiteman by the name Macdonald was a white colonialist. The second world war had just ended in the year 1944 and 1943 we lived on the land of Macdonald he had plantations such us coffee and the flowers that we call sun flowers and other plantation like maize, and other plantation that we call Napier grass. When you walk they stick on the feet like oil. And another grass we call in English lucerne. Here the grass that is used in more quantity is called in English Napier grass. We used to work on Macdonald's farm again he had cows that had different colors like one is called in English maroon. This colonist had employed father as a herdsman. They used to milk. Father Gaidano Lidede was a person who had received education and was teaching Christianity at Roman Catholic that is the reason to why father was instructing while others milk the cows. That is the reason to why father asked Macdonald that our children were grown ready to go to school, he gives them a teacher to teach them how they can educate their children. Macdonald refused. He asked father why he was requesting for a teacher to come father was so sad and he said that he had crops and cows and their children will never lack work. It caused our education to get spoiled. In the year 1949, black people of Kenya especially the Kikuyu, and Nandi, Kamba, Luo, Rubai or Mombasa, we united the people from east and west the land of north and south and am telling you this the whole world of Kenya united and asked the white man to live this land. We govern ourselves and in the year 1952, the Christian Kikuyus took their names that they were given and they returned to padre especially the ones from Catholic Church; they took back the names and they said that they are returning tem back. When the colonist heard that he refused and he began killing all the people and he brought a Sudanese who began slaughtering people as cows and killing them. There was war in our land of Kenya. Everyone in Kenya was arrested and sentenced even I who am speaking this John Lubang'a Lidede, the colonist kicked me with a boot that was very rough at the end, and I am lame until today I walk when I lean on that side. The colonists finished us we didn't learn well like my uncle Musinya the brother to her mother died in the First World War. Our government asked for their compensation some have been paid while others have not. At some point people are compensated like I who was injured John Lubang'a Lidede I was injured in the war of Mau Mau and I have not been paid, for that reason whoever will read this book of maragoli that I am writing will know even if I am still alive, if it will be my child who will ask to be compensated. It is that and what I am adding is this: many Kenyans were hurt and it should not be that some are compensated while others like us are not. The whole world whoever will read this book should consider it is that and is the elder son of Mulogoli John Lubang'a Lidede Box 80 Chamakanga. Busali phone number is 0728-631590. And when am speaking this words am speaking at length to appreciate my brother Herman Mulinya Asava it is true he is a brother that I knew from the issues that you call heroes. The reason to why I call him a hero is because we knew each other during the colonial period and he knows well that the colonists troubled us. Again he was clever he read well and our people didn't want him, he saw our people troubled. He is among the people in Western Province who had a different thought among the maragoli children, I thank him and I pray God to add him years we shall meet when we are old. He did for the colonist a great work. He was a manager of the hotels as the first maragoli in the hotel that they call African Tours and Hotel Limited, he was in Starxede Hotel Nakuru and it was headquarter of those hotels. We had a hotel in Meru Mulika Lodge, Mountain Lodge at Mt. Kenya, we had a hotel called Namanga Hotel; when you reach at Namanga when you want to cross to Tanzania, Arusha Hotel, and we had a club at Mombasa Ukunda Trade wings Club. Those hotels chief Herman Asava was running them. We used to go there like I who was close to him I used to wish for him to have mercy on me because we were in tough colonial days. It was difficult the way I am seeing our children like MP Kibisu, Musa Mudavadi were aiming to block his way, we were wondering what did they want? They wanted us to perish? They wanted us not to have someone who will see us? Even when he looked after the issue of the road from Kisumu to Kakamega he seemed to have destroyed. Dust had finished people with the vehicles that we were calling Roadways. It was very difficult. That is when I met with him and we began talking about this and are very happy I could have died and my words could have been lost. Because I ma the elder son of mulogoli the firstborn of mulogoli. He is the one who knows how their home looks like; while the father and the mother were still strong, boys; he is the one who knows what happens there. When you look there are names here that have been spoiled. We are using the Nandi names and we have forgotten our own maragoli names. When we forget like this our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, will they know our clan? We are the tribe of maragoli and it has broken even if you try to straighten it, you cannot manage. Because those that were to lead us on the way and they began the way you find others have blocked the way, we are destroying them, discouraging them, they want to kill them, hung them, they get us lost and I do not now they want which example from us? I am saying this thank you for God to use our brother Asava to join us together with the child that has come and is typing our words in order for a book to come out that will be talking about valogoli and their words. People will read and know the way we were since we are in difficult moments. When you look at this world there is hunger and at our home of mulogoli we didn't have hunger. We had baked maize flour at that home, wheat, millet, and maize that mulogoli had, the pumpkin when you cook it looks like potato; you break and eat a little, you drink water as you move. You can spend your whole day working while you have eaten a little of that thing. At our home people used to come and they were not staying hungry, we used to eat baked maize flour or whatever was there, cassava or our potatoes were brought by. Sweet potatoes are what mulogoli used to say. And we have lived like that, today I am about 78 years because I was born in the year 1936 up to today am heading towards 78 and I thank God of war that Mulogoli was praying to. Mulogoli used to call God our God. Even when it reached a time of slaughtering a sheep at home, he used to stand and ask his children to wait and they should not touch it. And the meat is roasted and then he comes and cut a piece and he throws it to the watchdogs and then he says that our God has heard it then he asks the children to begin digging and they begin to dig. And the wife has grinded the wheat flour. She has grinded swift wheat flour that even the mills of today cannot grind. And then that baked wheat flour she keeps it on a plate (our plate). This plate was the skin of a cow. When a cow was slaughtered they used to remove it, form the head well without putting in holes then they put it on the sun to dry and they remove the top meat, then it dries and becomes good that is what they used to keep in front of the grinding stone. When they keep it in front of the grinding stone then they grind as the flour goes there as they keep in the basket. It was a basket made from sticks. They call them papyrus. They make that thing while it is still new the woman takes cow dung and applies on it she applies inside and it becomes smooth. When you put in the maize flour it is in a good place and then they press it and we eat the baked maize flour, all of us are there we are eating that baked maize flour. And my grandfather had made a house outside there like the one that people make where they view people (Gazebo). And the mulogoli used to make it there when he comes he enters there, he used to mummer when he enters and the homestead knows that the man has entered. The woman looks and she asks the grandchildren or the children if their father or grandfather has arrived and they say yes. Then he carries baked maize flour there and we begin to eat. That is how the maragoli culture was. And today when I move back a little the man that we call a colonist denied us education, he prevented our ways of reading. He knew if these people receive education they will be clever and when they are clever it will be difficult to mistreat them. This child that we call Kikuyu is the one who said no, even if it was bad let it be bad; even if it was death they better die. Is the one who began; it wasn't him who fought alone because the elders have said one finger cannot kill a louse, they have to be two in order to kill a louse. When you see today our people want to be compensated a little for the injuries that they got but you find that it is on the Kikuyu who are paid and we wonder if there is a child who sees heroes like Herman Mulinya Asava who was seen even in Tanzania and they are not paid, they wanted us to be killed, they make people to be great. Why they are not paid all? They be paid enough money the three hundred thousand and they say in their war they were paid too; even us who are lame like me when I am n the road leading towards there Mr. Alulu who is writing for us, when I look there you see I am leaning on one side of left. A Whiteman kicked me with a boot that had a metal in front I am lame. I am walking I myself I feel like I am walking well but the person behind me tell me that I am dragging behind and I say no, I am not lame and I forget that the Whiteman kicked me. he kicked me until he made me lame. He asked me if I saw people moving around there with shaggy hair we called Mau Mau. I could not say because I knew the people of Mau Mau is one among the people who are fighting for the Whiteman to leave for us our land we rule ourselves. I could not tell the colonist that I had seen him because I was also a Mau Mau, I could not reveal my brother. Those are the things that I had. The way we are we are in the present government and governing has defeated us. The reason to why they are defeating us is because our children want things for themselves; people are struggling with their relatives for example our brother Herman Asava because I was with him. People want a person who is just staying like that; when he dies they harvest and eat. This issue has defeated us we are so sad especially we the people who are thinking of speaking these issue about the culture of Mulogoli they do not want us. They think that we want to revive another thing. And there is no anything that we can revive, we will wish for them to know where we came from we belong to which house our age group and whom the Mulogoli was. And where these maragoli came from. Everyone who is coming from the Ugandan side is a Mulogoli. Because Luganda was the second brother to Mulogoli, the second child of Andimi he told his brothers that e will build there and they changed the culture to Uganda. He gave people like Nabongo who came to the eastern side; they came to rule up to Limuru. This person and the children are all here and that is when you hear a certain house, it is the girl who changes the house, a girl is the one named after the clan. If I leave it there it will be well.