User:Lodrick wangatia/Wangatia

Introduction Wangatia wafula was the first son of wafula Saaka alongside two other siblings both named Saidi each having each having a mother. Wangatia was born around 1893 in the village of Butali in current Malava district western province Kenya in the sub clan of Abachibusia, Kabaras clan luhya tribe.

When Wangatia was at the age of 8 his father Wafula died a natural death and on the second day after burial his mother together with her co-wives collapse on the grave after returning from ritual bathing. This is believed in the luhya community as a sign of infidelity on the woman.

Wangatia together with his sibling were taken and raised up by an elderly widower Saaka a cousin to Wafula (wangatia’s father). Since there was no mum of the home Wangatia being the big brother had to do all the house core including cooking.

At the age of 15years their only remaining hope Saaka died and they were back in the thick, this time they were not taken up by a relative. They remained in the house of Saaka until they grew up fending for themselves.

Marriage life At an early age of 20 years due to big desire to get somebody who could help him is the house Wangatia was betrothed to Ennes Muyoka a girl from Machina sub clan Kabaras clan and married her in the year 1913. They were blessed to have there first two children and were happily married. They had a big farm of around 40 acres which they did farming including cattle.

Natural calamity visits the family One fateful afternoon when Wangatia had joined his friends for a drink and Muyoka was at home with kids there was a heavy down pour accompanied with thunder and lightening. The lightening struck the two children dead, killed all the cattle and destroyed all the crops on the farm including trees.

According to luhya community this was not just a happening, it was a bad omen and everybody was worried what could follow. Wangatia together with his wife had to seek refugee with the clansmen living in Tande (like 2km away). He abandoned everything on the farm which had to lay idle for so many years being referred as the land with a curse.

Moving to the current land in mikuva village The clansmen in Tande accepted him and lived with him for 2 years. There was a clansman by the name Wasilwa who had traveled to current mikuva village webuye division Bungoma District long before to work as a herds boy. After living in this land for many years he had become old, married one of the native girls and worn the acceptance of the Tachoni clan (also luhya) to live in there midst. They gave him land along the river and he became very rich owning a very large herd of cattle.

Wangatia decided to visit Wasilwa and after narrating his story to him, Wasilwa advised him to come and live with him in Mikuva. Wangatia went back to collect his wife and also came along with a young man Naviswa who had become wangatia’s friend during the 2 years he had lived with his clans men in Tande. Nabiswa was later to bring his mother and small sister Kwamutoro (George)

The two were employed to look after animals and of the rich locals. They were also assigned to live along the river next to there clansman Wasilwa. ( the land along the river was less productive and mostly bushes that’s why the were being given generously). In the year 1961 when the then colonial government introduced the land registration act, Wangatia, Nabiswa and Wasilwa were registered to own land along the rive Lugusi where he lived until his death.

Wangatia full life In 1977 Wangatia died at the age of 84 years, his wife died a year later and together they left 7 sons and 2 daughters living and 3 who were diseased at childhood. In the order of age the children include: Wafula(diseased) Nambande Risper(Diseased) Joyce Mumula, Burudi (Diseased) Peter Luvuwa, Fred nyongesa, Job Simiyu, Martine Sikuku,  Saidi.