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

Utangulizi/Introduction

UTANGULIZI Kweli nafahamu kwamba bado kuna mwanga zaidi unatakiwa ili watu hawa wanoishi kandokando ya Ziwa Victoria waeleweke vizuri. Uhusiano kiundugu kati yao bado unahitaji ufafanuzi zaidi, ambao naamini wenzangu wenye jitihada na ujuzi zaidi watazidi kuipanua kutokana na machache niliyoandika hasa wakati watu hawa walipoanza kusambaa baada ya kuzuiwa na ziwa. Makabila yote ambayo yametajwa katika kitabu hiki wametoka pamoja Sudan, kama ni Wabantu au Wajaluo. Mto Nile ulikuwa kama kiongozi wao hadi walipofika mwisho wake katika Ziwa Victoria mahali walipoanza kutawanyika. Wengine wakapitia ziwani wengine wakawa wanazunguka kando kando ya ziwa. Huko Sudan baba yetu Podho alizaa watoto kama wafuatao: Ramogi, Noo, Kombe na Amara Oruba. Kombe na Ramogi wao walikuwa watoto wa mama mmoja. Ila walikuja kutengana tena kwa sababu Ramogi alianza kumnyanganya Kombe ng’ombe wake. Kombe akaona ahame, ndipo akaanza kufuata Mto Nile akaja mpaka sehemu ya Uganda kwa sasa. Kombe alizaa Girango, Kuria, Ragol, Gusi na Ragem. Hawa kwa INTRODUCTION Truly, I know that more light is needed to further understand the people living along the shores of Lake Victoria. The interrelationships of the extended families of these people need more explanation, which I believe my skillful and diligent colleagues will expand from the little information that I have written, especially about the period when these people started to scatter after being hindered by the lake. The ethnic groups mentioned in this book- the Bantu and Luo-speaking peoplesoriginated in Sudan. The Nile River served as their leader until they reached its end at Lake Victoria, where they began to divide. Some of them crossed the lake while others travelled around the lakeshore. In Sudan our founding father Podho fathered the following children: Ramogi, Noo, Kombe and Amara Oruba. Kombe and Ramogi had the samemother.ButtheyseparatedbecauseRamogistartedtotakeKombe’s cattle. So Kombe decided to move away and he followed the Nile River until he reached what is now Uganda. Kombe gave birth to Girango, Kuria, Ragol, Gusi and Ragem. Some of the offspring of these children 4 UTANGULIZI sasa wengine wanazungumza Kibantu lakini wote wametoka babu mmoja. Na Ramogi alizaa Podho, Guara, Otiak, Oluk, Arua, Aluru, Omam, Amad, Mdama, Julu, Akwa, Akwach, Lango, Obor, Aigiera na Toro. Podho alihamia Mlima Genga, Ramogi, huko Kenya, na mtoto wake mdogo aliitwa Ramogi Ajuang. Ramogi alizaa Konya, Anda, Amolo, Omwaa, Ramogi. Anda alizaa Alego, Ragem, na Ragenya. Konya alizaa Olole, Sakwa, Moth, Owino, Mot, Mageta na Julu. Omwaa alizaa Noo, Chwanya na Omwaa. Amolo alizaa Owila, Omia, Lee, Marama, Wanga na Waturi. Watu wajue kwamba sisi sote wa sehemu hii ni ndugu na kugawanyika kwetu kuliletwa kipindi cha ukoloni. Turudi kwenye hali yetu ya undugu. Kitabu hicho, Shikilia Ngao Vizuri, Safari ni Ngumu, naamini itawapa mwanga zaidi, hasa watu wengi wakaaji wa sehemu hizo. Kwanza kimefafanua undugu zaidi ambao umeanza kudidimia, hasa baadhi ya watu wakawa ni maadui kati yao wenyewe. Pia kitabu kimegusia zaidi jinsi mababu zetu walivyojitolea kupatia wajukuu mahali pa kuishi. Pia kitabu hiki kimeacha uamuzi juu yako kwa yafuatayo: 1. Je, una uchungu wa kuilinda kwa hali na mali nchi uliyopewa na babu zako? 2. Je, utakuwa tayari kuweka amani kwa jirani yako kwa manufaa ya watoto wako na wajukuu wako? 3. Je, ni maendeleo gani utapenda kufanya ili iwe kama kumbukumbu kwa watu wako? 4. Je, wewe utashughulika kiasi gani kuondoa uhasama ulioota mzizi tokea hapo awali enzi za babu, ili undugu ulete amani? Bado kuna safari ndefu inakungojea ya maendeleo. Z.O. Siso INTRODUCTION 5 speak Kibantu languages but they all came to us from one grandfather. Ramogi gave birth to Podho, Guara, Otiak, Oluk, Arua, Aluru, Omam, Amad, Mdama, Julu, Akwa, Akwach, Lango, Obor, Aigiera and Toro. Podho moved to Genga Mountain, or Ramogi, there in Kenya, and his younger child was named Ramogi Ajuang. Ramogi gave birth to Konya, Anda, Amolo, Omwaa, and Ramogi. Anda gave birth to Alego, Ragem, and Ragenya. Konya gave birth to Olole, Sakwa, Moth, Owino, Mot, Mageta and Julu. Omwaa gave birth to Noo, Chwanya and Omwaa. Amolo gave birth to Owila, Omia, Lee, Marama, Wanga and Waturi. Let it be known that those of us from this area are brothers and we were divided as a result of the colonial administration. Let us return to this essential brotherhood. This book, Grasp the Shield Firmly, the Journey is Hard, I believe will shed more light on those processes, particularly to many people that live in the area. First, the book describes the brotherly relationships...