Songs and Politics in Eastern Africa

13. Thematising Election Politics in Swahli Epic:the case of Mahmoud Abdulkadir

303 13 Thematising Election Politics in Swahli Epic: the case of Mahmoud Abdulkadir Rayya TIMAMMY Kenyatta University The close relationship between African orature, politics and the traditional state has been acknowledged by several writers. According to Finnegan (1970: 82), the patronage of poets in centralised political systems in the past led to poetry of profound significance as a means of political propaganda, pressure or communication. Masizi Kunene in South Africa has observed that during the period of Shaka, “Zulu literature changed to become a powerful vehicle of social and political ideas. Poets and singers became central democratic agents to reaffirm the approval or disapproval of the whole nation.”182 This is a reality vindicated by this case study. This paper examines how politics is thematised in the epic and how the nature of the epic as an expressional mode allows the composer to delve deeply and widely in his topic. The Utenzi (epic) category is characterised by four lines, the first three having similar end rhymes. The end rhyme of the fourth line which is normally referred to as ‘bahari’ is similar in all the stanzas. The utenzi form is usually employed handling themes that call for long, exhaustive and protracted narration. The epic under discussion is not yet published. Indeed, there is a lot of Swahili literature that has been collected but has not yet been published. An even larger amount remains un-researched and known to few people. Little is known about the composer apart from being an 182 Mazisi Kunene, Emperor Shaka the Great. London: Heinemann, 1979; p. xxv of the Introduction. 304 Islamic scholar from Lamu. Nevertheless, the area is known as a hodgepodge of poetry, according to Kyallo Wamitila, One of the most crucial facts relating to the literary contexts of classical poetry is that it was composed mainly in the northern Kiswahili dialects, especially Kiamu and Kipate. Kiamu is actually considered as having been the standard dialect of scholarship, a model to which all the poets had to aspire. Amu poetry is characterized by a powerful aesthetic excellence.183 The epic was composed in 2002 as a tool of civic and political mobilisation just before the end year General Elections. The main gist was to enlighten the ordinary mwananchi,184 on the importance of voting—voting wisely. The discussion on this epic is on the basic assumption that there is an intricate connection between an aesthetic object or text and society. It would therefore be necessary to situate the text within a generic context be it social, political, economic or cultural. This context is crucial in deciphering the meaning as well as, it is assumed, the symbolism and significance pervading the text. In the words of the New Historicists, there is a textualizing of historical fact. The utenzi has 300 stanzas in total. In the last stanza the composer says: Ina lake ni mwangaza It’s named light Asaa ukashunduza As maybe it will illuminate Kwenye chasi yasaikiza In the era’s darkness Nasi ndiya kuonyea For us to see the way The poet uses the metaphor of ‘light’ in reference to his poetical composition. His significance is based on the archetypal symbolism of light. In his poem he wants to educate the Swahili, Coastal people and even those who are not in these categories and Kenyans in general. We learn of this in the first three stanzas where he says:Kunasihi waswahili to counsel Swahilis Na wapwani asiliya and natural Coastals (stanza 1) Nao wasokuwa hawa and even those who do not fall here (stanza 2) 183 Kyalo W. Wamitila, Archetypal Criticism of Kiswahili Poetry, Bayreuth African Studies 57 2001; p. 43. 184 An ordinary citizen. 305 Na kula alo Mkenya and everyone who is a Kenyan (stanza 3) The immediate coastal context is therefore microcosmic (representative of the wider Kenyan context). Mahmoud wanted to educate the people by giving them political enlightment and showing them the importance of exercising one’s civic rights of voting. Madhumuni yangu khasa My real objective Kwandika hizi kurasa To compose Ni mwangaza wa siyasa Is political enlightment Shabaha nilolengeya That is my aim (stanza 5) In order to achieve his stated goal, the poet intends to dwell on seven basic issues. However, more will arise in the course of the narration. 1. The meaning of elections and its objectives (stanza 9) 2. The role of elections according to the constitution (stanza 10) 3. The...