SUMBA SPIRIT (OMUSAMBWA KWA SUMBA)

Sumba lived many years ago on the two islands of Sigulu and Sumba in Berkeley Bay (Lake Victoria). The full story of his life is kept secret by those of his clan (Abakhabotsa), but he is believed to have performed miracles, and when be died, a religious festival which consisted of dancing, wrestling, sacrifices and feasting was observed annually. This used to be held on Sumbá Island and people came from long distances to attend.

Then some generations later a girl of his family got married to a boy of the Abakhoone clan in western Bunyala near Port Victoria. This boy was called Ogumbe the son of Muyinda of the House of miini (Abakhoone abaimiini)  from Khabagaya village in Bunambo (current Budalang’i).  After some years of marriage, it is said that the spirit of Sumba followed her and entered her. It told her that the Sumba Annual Festival should henceforth be organized by her offspring.

That is how the Sumba festival was moved from the islands and from its organisers, the Abakhabotsa, to western Bunyala among the Abakhoone, who still organise it to the present day. The festival used to be a great occasion, and people used to come from as far away as Samia and Alego to attend it. It lasted several days during which the special festival drums were beaten continuously, with women dancing to them. During the day there was a wrestling contest which made the Abanyala very famous wrestlers.

There were many important restrictions during the Sumba Festival. For instance, immorality of any kind or fighting was punishable by death unless purified by special sacrifice. Heavy fines were imposed. The food and beer required at the festival was collected from the whole of Bunyala as a matter of custom. No one could refuse to contribute and if he did it was believed there would be no rain, and no one wanted to be blamed for this. So about two months before the festival the organisers went round the country beating their drum and collecting chickens and other food stuffs. The early missionaries thought the practice was evil and forbade Christians from going to the festival or contributing to it. Later they found that there was nothing wrong with attending the day ceremonies. In order to make the festival acceptable to Colonialists, Father Biessen in 1900 baptized the spirit of Sumba and called Joseph.