Grasp the Shield Firmly the Journey is Hard: A History of Luo and Bantu migrations to North Mara, (Tanzania) 1850-1950

7. Warieri

7 WARIERI Kiseru mkubwa alizaa watoto watatu, wavulana wawili na msichana mmoja: 1. Kine, mtoto wa Kiseru, 2. Tesi, binti wa Kiseru, na 3. Kiseru Ajwang’, mtoto wa Kiseru, yeye aliachwa kabla hajazaliwa, ila mama yake alikuwa na mimba wakati baba yake Kiseru mkubwa alipofariki. Na alipozaliwa akaitwa jina la baba yake, Kiseru. Neno Ajwang’ maana yake aliyeachwa hivyo hivyo. Binti wa Kiseru mkubwa, huyu Tesi, yeye alikuwa mwenye ulemavu na akashika mimba hapo hapo kwao. Na akaishi na jamaa mmoja aliyetoka sehemu ya Magharibi wakamuita Wuod Ugwe, na ndiyo maana hawa Warieri wanajulikana kwamba ni wa Ugu, kufuatana na kule alikotoka huyo aliyekaa na mama yao, kama bibi na bwana, ingawaje hakutoa chochote. Kuna habari ya kutatanisha, maana huyu Tesi wanasema alikuwa mtoto wa kike wa mzee Kiseru mkubwa na alikuwa mwenye ulemavu, na alishika mimba akiwa hapo kwao, na ndipo akazaa ukoo huu wa Warieri. Na kuna usemi nyingine unaosema kwamba yeye alikuwa mtoto wa kiume wa Kiseru. Na kuna usemi mwingine kabisa ingawaje 7 RIERI The elder Kiseru had three children, two boys and one girl: 1. Kina, the son of Kiseru, 2. Tesi, the daughter of Kiseru, and 3. Kiseru Ajwang’, the son of Kiseru. His father died before he was born, when his mother was pregnant with him. When he was born he was named after his father. The name “Ajwang’” means an abandoned child. The daughter of Kiseru, Tesi, was a disabled girl who became pregnant while still in her father’s home. She lived with somebody from the east whom they called “the man from Ugwe.” This is why the people of Rieri are known as people from Ugu, in reference to the place where the man who lived with their mother as her husband came from, even though he did not pay any dowry. There is a confusion about the identity of Tesi. It is said that Tesi was the eldest child, the daughter of Mzee Kiseru and a cripple. She became pregnant while she was at her father’s home and thus she gave birth to the Rieri clan. But there is another story that Tesi was Kiseru’s son. There is also another story, although each of them start from Kiseru’s 122 SURA YA SABA yote inaanzia mji wa Mzee Kiseru, wenyewe unasema kwamba asili ya Warieri kwamba asili yao ni Waganda. Ati hapo awali mila na desturi ya Waganda ni kwamba kama Mtemi akifa basi huzikwa na watu waliowazima, wao hukalishwa kwa nguvu shimoni na kukalisha Mtemi kwenye mapaja yao na mara moja huzikwa wangali hai. Kwa hiyo siku moja Mzee Tesi walitaka wamshike kijana wake, ili azikwe pamoja na Mtemi. Na Tesi alipopata fununu hiyo alitoroka kwa mtumbwi hadi ng’ambo, na akafikia kwa mji wa Mzee Kiseru, ndipo akaishi hapo na jamaa zake na ndipo wamepanuka wakaiitwa Warieri, na wameishi chini ya Kiseru hadi leo. Huo pia ni usemi wa kutatanisha. Warieri walipokuwa bado wako Kadem Warieri waliwapa baadhi ya Watawala wa pale wasichana wao -- ili waweze kuwa marafiki kati ya Warieri na Kadem, kama mama wa Owuonda Akuba na binti mwingine alikuwa akiitwa Wigesa, ambaye mtoto wake aliuawa wakati Mdachi alipoingia Kadem na watu wakakusanyika kwenda kupambana naye. Waliuwa watu wengi sana na akauwa mtoto wa Wigesa wa kiume. Mdachi alipofika kwa Mangana, mtawala wa kike Kadem, akamwambia Mdachi, “Eti, Bwana, wewe umeuwa mtoto wangu (akijifanya mtoto wa dada yake kama ni yake) na Bwana akamwaambia, “Wewe Mtawala mzima uliruhusuje mtoto wako kwenda kutushambulia sisi, basi haizuru nitakupa ng’ombe kumi utafanyia maarifa wa kupata mtoto mwingine.” Na akapewa ng’ombe kumi, na pia akakabidhiwa madaraka wa kusuluhisha ugomvi kati ya watu weusi na Wadachi. Toka hapa watu wa Kadem wakawa wanampa Mdachi mayai na maziwa pia kumsaidia Mdachi kwa shughuli zake za utawala na huyo Mang’ana alitawala hadi iliposhikilia Owuonda. Watu wa Ugu au Rieri waliongozwa na dawa ya Mwere, baba wa Mukumwa Aguyo, ndiye aliyeongoza watu na dawa zake. Siku moja ilibidi atoe dawa iliyopakwa kwa samaki kavu (suku) ili ipelekwe hadi Kanyamwa, ambako ndugu yao Rubara Kateti alitekwa, ili akionja hiyo samaki mara tu roho yake itaanza kutamani kurudi kwao, maana alikuwa ameisha zoea huko na madawa ya kule ilikuwa ikimzuia kuja. Hadi alipopelekewa samaki hiyo akala, alikubali kuja ila aliwaambia wa kwao kwamba, “Mwende, mimi nitatoroka kuja ama mmoja aje baada ya siku chache tutafuatana naye.” Na alipofuatwa walitoroka wakaja wakati huo alikuwa mtu mkubwa na kule alienda...