WHY “NAMADA ESIIYA" IS THE EPITHET FOR RIVER NDEKWE
Of all the shrines
of the Abakhoone, the Ndekwe shrine is the most revered. When the oldest
ancestor of the Abakhoone, Namada arrived in Bunambo, he first settled in
Bunambo. This was around the year 1350AD (though records being oral, it is
my suspicion that this might have been around 1450 AD when looking at the
generational difference of circa 30 years, since it said that Khoobi brought
back the Abakhoone to Ndekwe around 1550 AD).
Namada on arrival found
the Abalanda and the Abalusere. Their arrival shocked the Abalanda and the Abalusere
because they did not understand how such a large number of people could arrive out
of the vastness of Lake Victoria. Out of suspicion, the Abalanda and the Abalusere
were a bit unsettled and unwelcoming. As a result, Namada and his people
relocated to Igoye (Lumia hills or modern day Ramogi hills). It is here that
Namada, his son Bwibo and grandson Gonja died and were buried. However, the
spirits of the ancestors came and told Namada's great grandson Khoobi to return
to the land they had directed Namada to settle in, that is the mouth of the River
Ndekwe.
By this time, the Abakhoone had multiplied and increased in military strength. Khoobi led the Abakhoone back to resettle at Ndekwe. Upon their arrival, they still encountered hostility from the Abalanda. They went to war and defeated the Abalanda who moved and resettled across River Nzoia in the modern day village of Budiera near Sigiri where a bridge under construction recently collapsed. The Abalusere too were attacked and dispatched by the Abakhoone and fled to the modern day Yimbo location in Siaya. From there on, the Abakhoone established themselves as the masters of the miraculous Ndekwe River.
The Ndekwe River was considered miraculous because its estuary is covered by large swathes of papyrus reeds leaving what looks a stream. But once in a while, very strong winds from the lake sweep away all the papyrus reeds leaving what looks like an inland lake, and then within a few days the papyrus cover returns.
The Abakhoone's explanation of this phenomenon was that once in a while, the spirit (Omusambwa) of Sumba came to visit the spirit (Omusambwa) of Ndekwe. Sumba is the most revered spirit among the Abakhoone. For this special position accorded to Sumba, the spirit (Omusambwa) of Namada always cleared the way for Sumba to visit Ndekwe. Since this clearance of papyrus reeds is facilitated by very strong winds known as "esiiya", directly translated as "the up-rooter", it was named "Namada Esiiya".
Today the whole area of the Ndekwe River is also called Namada Esiiya. However, the name came to acquire a metaphorical meaning too. Ever since the arrival of the Abakhoone in this area, they fought very many wars against other clans expelling many clans from this region. This phenomenon can be equated to the Mfecane wars of Shaka the King of the Zulus that shaped the socio-political history of Southern Africa. According to John Osogo (1965) in the History of the Baluyia and Shadrack Bulimo (2006) in the Luhya Nation, the Abakhoone waged wars against the other clans that lasted about 250 years and shaped the modern socio-political history of the luhya tribe in Kenya and other related ethnic groups in Uganda. As a result, the name Namada Esiiya also came to be used to refer to the Abakhoone clan due to their tendency of uprooting and expelling other clans from the region. Today, the Abakhoone are also called "Abagonja" or "abalokera-igwena" or "Namada Esiiya".
By this time, the Abakhoone had multiplied and increased in military strength. Khoobi led the Abakhoone back to resettle at Ndekwe. Upon their arrival, they still encountered hostility from the Abalanda. They went to war and defeated the Abalanda who moved and resettled across River Nzoia in the modern day village of Budiera near Sigiri where a bridge under construction recently collapsed. The Abalusere too were attacked and dispatched by the Abakhoone and fled to the modern day Yimbo location in Siaya. From there on, the Abakhoone established themselves as the masters of the miraculous Ndekwe River.
The Ndekwe River was considered miraculous because its estuary is covered by large swathes of papyrus reeds leaving what looks a stream. But once in a while, very strong winds from the lake sweep away all the papyrus reeds leaving what looks like an inland lake, and then within a few days the papyrus cover returns.
The Abakhoone's explanation of this phenomenon was that once in a while, the spirit (Omusambwa) of Sumba came to visit the spirit (Omusambwa) of Ndekwe. Sumba is the most revered spirit among the Abakhoone. For this special position accorded to Sumba, the spirit (Omusambwa) of Namada always cleared the way for Sumba to visit Ndekwe. Since this clearance of papyrus reeds is facilitated by very strong winds known as "esiiya", directly translated as "the up-rooter", it was named "Namada Esiiya".
Today the whole area of the Ndekwe River is also called Namada Esiiya. However, the name came to acquire a metaphorical meaning too. Ever since the arrival of the Abakhoone in this area, they fought very many wars against other clans expelling many clans from this region. This phenomenon can be equated to the Mfecane wars of Shaka the King of the Zulus that shaped the socio-political history of Southern Africa. According to John Osogo (1965) in the History of the Baluyia and Shadrack Bulimo (2006) in the Luhya Nation, the Abakhoone waged wars against the other clans that lasted about 250 years and shaped the modern socio-political history of the luhya tribe in Kenya and other related ethnic groups in Uganda. As a result, the name Namada Esiiya also came to be used to refer to the Abakhoone clan due to their tendency of uprooting and expelling other clans from the region. Today, the Abakhoone are also called "Abagonja" or "abalokera-igwena" or "Namada Esiiya".
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