Be Nunyal - Odongo Agwata & Omega Kings

Nagorno-Karabakh is a small plateau in the Southern Caucus ridge between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The 4400 KM2 region has been a cauldron of rag-tag between Armenia and Azerbaijan for over 4 decades. The Lock-down morning of September 27th of 2020 marked the merciless shelling between the armed forces from the two countries. Truce is on for now!
When the Persians and Turkish came to Eastern Africa (today’s Kenya, Ethiopia, the 2 Sudans, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, Eritrea and Djibouti) between 908 - 1327 AD, then land there already belonged to the natives
Fast-forward to 1960s, the 55 African countries begin to secure the limited autonomy which all the countries call “Independence!” and which they celebrate on specified dates every year.
So, what is the connection between this song (original title; Museweni be Nunyal = now that you’ve given-up, will you ever try another quest?), Odongo Agwata and Land issues?
Despite attaining the limited autonomy on December, the 12th of 1964, the Forestry Department under British colonial rule remained active even with the Jomo Kenyatta presidency. By 1965 many regions across Kenya had been relieved of the Squatter status; However, an in-charge from the colonial govt. of the renamed Lands Commission recommended that Western Kenya and some parts of the Coast remain under Squatter status.
By mid 1970s, the Lands Commission was totally under native African command hence the obvious was expected. Both the colonial govt. and new Kenyan govt. were formed hundreds of years after the natives had settled in Kenya hence it would only be prudent to return the ownership of all the occupied land to natives.
This failure drove strings of issues.
After Moi took over in 1979, he applied the divide and rule card and issued title deeds to a majority of Western Province and parts of Coast but almost none to Luo Nyanza.
After 1982 skirmishes, Moi sought opinion of his cronies. A man named Kuria Kanyingi had a suggestion; revoking previous title deeds and turning the whole lake region into squatter status. Moi heeded the call and natives became Squatters in their ancestral land.
With it came a nightmare! all the land in Luo Nyanza became govt. property.
Local activities like logging, mining, grazing the livestock and even brewing the millennium old traditional drinks became illegal. The Forestry Department with the help of Civil Police conducted raids on pastoral lands, mines, and villages in Police Mahindras known as “Nai-Nai,”.
Any cattle found grazing outside the homesteads were rounded up and taken to the posts. The release fine was 900 shillings (considering the rates then of 1$ to KShs.5) = US$ 180 ; a sum which many couldn’t afford hence surrendered at least 3 heads of cattle to pay the fine. Women brewing Busaa were arrested and released on KSHs.50,00 fine, gold miners in the rural were arrested and fined KSHs 120.
The regime with full support from Thatcher and Reagan administrations wreaked havoc on the region. Kuria Kanyingi acquired big tracks of land in Ruma National Park in then Homa-Bay District. Other Nyanyo loyalists from Central and Rift Valley acquired Muhoroni and Miwani lands.
Feeling hopeless, 3 men from Nyanza, the MPs: Horace Owiti Ongili, Peter Oloo Aringo and Raymond Oloo Ndong´, decided to court and befriend Moi. They then negotiated some title deed issuing for some natives.
Odongo Agwata was released from Naivasha Security Prison in late 1984 in a deal likely brokered by MP Horace Owiti. Soon after Odongo's release, Owiti Ongili was murdered in unrelated event. When he did this song mid 1985, he couldn’t risk return to prison so he made a veiled criticism of the Nyayo regime, while mourning his godfather, late Hon. Owiti Ongili.
In the 1st line he sings; Samoro lit kaingo ni aonge dala kuma nonyuola = at times I grieve on realizing that I’m no longer in my ancestral home]; I’m now a Squatter
In the 4th verse he sings; Janeko lich kaboroni dhiang´e lela dheri no nyalo thoo = It’s scary when a mad-man drains blood from your cow in daylight, you might lose the cow} in reference to the confiscation of the herd so that the owner pays a fine for release.
Land issues have spelt deadly fates all over the world. Israel-Palestina conflict is about land. In the early 1990s there were land clashes in Kenya in Sotik, Tinderet, Molo, Kano-Nandi border, Burnt Forest; The Ethiopia-Eritrea war, Kigoma conflict between Tanzania and the Idi Amin led Uganda, The Mau Escarpment issue, the Greco-Turkish-Macedonia War and most recently, the Migingo Island scuffle, all over land rows!
It is unbelievable that today, June 4th of 2023, a majority of Luo Nyanza and many people in Kenya are still Squatters in their ancestral lands.
Land ownership issues are still following the Pareto Principle: in Kenya 20% of individuals own 80% of all the land nationally
Closing from "Changes" - Lesane Parish Crooks(1971 -1996)
“Some things will never change”

[@Jamigori1]

Just a few tips here; The reason the colonial government preferred the Lake Region squatters had 3 factors; Lake Victoria Egypt and the Nile River The British-serving Asians in Uganda The West had special interest in a thriving Egypt. Lake Victoria was considered the biggest source of the River Nile which was vital for the livelihood and prosperity of Egypt. The British of the time believed that that their servant Asians in Uganda could industrialize but still cater for the waste that might pollute the Lake Victoria. On the other hand, they viewed the native blacks of Western Kenya as incapable of catering for the waste in case they became land owners and started to invest and industrialize. They therefore decided to sacrifice the possible growth of the Western Kenya economy in order to guarantee the Egyptian interest in the Lake Victoria. So, the lake region remained squatters! I'm thanking a brother from the Channel; Benga Memoirs" for the sound truck file. The song first aired on his channel and he has great collections!

[@stemdhako1638]

Erokamano jamigori kuom history maler kama. Odongo Agwata ne en achiel kuom jothumbe mogen kendo malich ahinya ❤

[@Jamigori1]

Very true. He was a rare species of an artist.

[@OkwatchOmoro]

It is the history for me. It runs deep and makes me understand the song more. Ngeche mag Agwata are too complicated if you can't understand their background. Thanks so much for this, sir.

[@Jamigori1]

Odongo was cut above many!

[@bensoseno9036]

The gentleman was talented.

[@georgephilip9512]

Please upload Ayany jowi, omollo kobumba,etc,etc

[@ojjailvicekilimanjaro]

And now so you understand the satire........One would think that Odongo was criticizing his former group but masterily pointing at Nyayo and his cronise.

[@Jamigori1]

He was a thorn in the shoes of Nyayo regime. Remember D.O Misiani too would hit on the Moi but the Nyayo regime felt heavier blows by Odongo than by Owino.

[@ojjailvicekilimanjaro]

@@Jamigori1 Yes the duo dared Mzee Moi more often.

[@richardgaya3965]

Omini this should serve as a permanent historical record!!!!

[@Jamigori1]

Very true Richard. This was both entertainment and history writing where the wasn't "winner takes it all"!

[@richardgaya3965]

​@@Jamigori1It does definitely affirm Odongo Agwata's iconic legacy..a musician, a linguist, commentator, political and social activist, and a humanist!

[@Jamigori1]

@@richardgaya3965 , He was. To be honest and humble, I met him thrice, and believe me; he was a very intelligent human being. In fact, he would talk more of the general plight of the society than his life as a musician and he held people with academic achievements pretty high. I think his main frustration was that he was expecting a collectivelly supported breakthrough in a society where people only viewed him as a musician/an entertainer (with exception of the Nyayo Regime which had him on the radar) and very few could dig through his intelligence. In Kenya and Africa, titles matter more than abstract wisdom!

[@Jamigori1]

At 0:59 he says: "ka oche ber wabudho gi mbaka moro ji manyo chiemo" = (when we get together with our peers people searching for food ) ; he was referring to the usual survival activities that were from then forbidden like hunting, grazing, brewing, mining, logging and even restricting the sizes of farm lands. At 1:09 he says; "Makata iromo gi omuga kiringo koro, jopiny chieni" ; (omuga ,rhinoceros in Luo was a reference to the shape of the Civil Police Mahindra trucks) = whenever we see the rhinoceros (mahindra) we must flee. We curse this]. Those days anytime a Mahindra stopped by, they could arrest anyone without any warrant or any charges, so people used flee anytime they walked by the road and the civil police passed by. At 1:35 he says; "piny otuk walaro gi omuoro (the wildebeest) koro piny ma odagi ruu": =the days are getting longer as we dispute pieces with the angry wildebeest (in reference to president Moi's angry physique anytime he was in the Western region) and the land that was being snatched away from locals. At 2:34 he says; "Yawa jogi e joka wakwa koware wasombo neno" ; (Jogi = the current black led regime; Joka = the former colonial regime) = There is no difference between before and after ´independence` because we're still squatters and still live in fear} Odongo Agwata, the musician was a lower secondary school drop-out who never lost his foresight profile and oral literature prowess!

[@otienokojwang]

Jamigori... Very interesting, I wouldn't understand a thing of Odongo's compositions... I just enjoy the music the way it sounds and keep wondering what the hell he means! I hear sometimes even his fellow band members never really understood his compositions and he often declined to explain them in any ordinary fashion! I want to believe that your explanation is based on your own understanding of his deeply encrypted delivery and not a universally agreed or authentic decipherment of the same.

[@Jamigori1]

@@otienokojwang ; It's not my conclusion. One of my uncles was a personal friend of him. I met him 3X as a young boy. I heard him and my uncle discuss this song while eating in a restaurant. My uncle asked why he didn't take a dig at a fellow called Mr. Otieno Ambala, who was accused of murdering Hon. Horace Owiti Ongili. He replied that the initial intent of the song was to highlight the noble title deed fight which Owiti Ongili was championing. In fact, the song was ready before Hon. Ongili died and he had to reformulate it to include mourning lines. While Odongo Agwata WASN'T aware of the Lake Victoria-Nile River- Egypt saga as the cause of the post direct colonial rule squatter status imposed on Western Kenya (Nyanza & Western), he believed that the order came from former colonial power and that it was being done deliberately in both Kenyatta and Moi regimes.

[@mosessculptures9263]

Am just Left hanging, you guys you are beyond my cope. I salute you.

[@ajwangO478-xk4zs]

@Jamigori1 Erokamano, Wuod Luo. Thanks for your time and the effort in explaining. This just goes to show that historical context is vital in order to grasp the meaning of some of his compositions. When you reminded us of those *Mahindra* vehicles (which apparently were colloquially known as "Omuga"), it brought back to me disturbing memories of the illiberal Moi police state and the retail dictatorship these police vehicles were associated with. They would regularly break down,though. They were a testament to grand corruption and irregularities in the government tendering processes. I'm stunned by how a short innocuous song quickly turns into a serious social/political commentary too.

[@Jamigori1]

@@ajwangO478-xk4zs , You're on point. We went through it. The scars never disappear totally. We nolonger produce visionary musicians. Let's hope those days never return and that we move atleast 2 or 3 steps further into some brightness. Good week!

[@mosessculptures9263]

Thanks for this song. Can you bring us DJ jupi, jogi e joka no. 5

[@Jamigori1]

Thanks Moses. Getting it is a bit hard but I'll try.

[@meranojoseph695]

We lost alot jameni. I don't even listen to today's music so boring

[@asheru9254]

Ichal koda

[@juhudiomwanda6511]

Jamigori, Nyasaye ninyali chueyi.

[@Jamigori1]

Omwanda, the current economic status of Nyanza has its origin in some long shot historical hindrance and embargos. Of course it's not an excuse to justify some isolated cases of laziness and lack of clear ambitions but the major part of it dates back to the 1960s.

[@juhudiomwanda6511]

@@Jamigori1, it has been a long and tedious process of righting the wrongs sir. I learn so much about Benga by reading your posts! I wish there was a way I could reach you easily instead of the email address you sent to me. I have so many unanswered questions about our Benga Giants.

[@Jamigori1]

@@juhudiomwanda6511 , I'll reach out to you. Can you get my number from OkwatchOmoro?

[@juhudiomwanda6511]

@@Jamigori1 thanks sir, I have sent him an email request. Amor kodu.

[@asheru9254]

Mit adua

[@Jamigori1]

We've come from far!