ABANYALA BA KAKAMEGA: The Abaengele Clan

Abaengele is one of the clans among Abanyala ba Kakamega. The members of this clan are found among the Babukusu in Bungoma and Trans Nzoia, among Abasamia in Busia, among the Tachon in Lugari and among the Abanyala of Navakholo in Kakamega. There is a general consensus that Abaengele were originally Abanyala.

Abaengele in early leadership of Abanyala
After Munyala Mareba, an Abaengele clansman called Munyala-I wa Naukhamba was the ruler of Abanyala. He handed over to his son Kiminyi Munyala (Kimi Munyala) who stepped down latter in fevour of a leader from Abaongo. During the ensing confision, a son of Abasiondo uncled among Abaengele called Miriri- I wa Nambengere took over. Miriri- I, being a warrior, died in a war and Mukhamba of Abayemba took over. Mukhamba handed over to Munyala Mukhekhe who passed on the button to Mukhamba wa Nabakholo. Mukhamba wa Navakholo passed the batton of leadership to Nasookho wa Nalukuo. Nasookho became a victim of the peaceful coup by members of the community who handed power to Masiribayi of Abayirifuma. Masiribayi handed power to his son called Mahero wa Naikuta (Nakuta). Mahero was succeeded by Ngao who passed it on tothe Kisauri. Kisauri handed over to Manyuru who paved way for Ndombi wa Namusia. After Ndombi, came Andrea Ndombi, Paul Udoto and then Mukopi.

Howeverr, it is worth noting that the Abaengele have had their own clan leadership within the structure of the Abanyala leadership from early time.

Identity of Abaengele.
The female daughter from the clan of Abaengele is refered to as Nambengele. The male is called Omuengele. The Abaengele have a praise phrase: "Nambengere Naukhamba, Owa Mwalie wa ekutusi, Nabulusya, Nauruchu, abahabinanga ni wusieye, Tundwe Nasiloma.

The ladies from Abaengele are believed to be couragious and social. A story is told of a lady called Tundwe who went on a cattle raiding mission when the brother had feared. The lady succeeded. When the brother attempted what the sister had done, he got killed in the mission.

Abaengele men and ladies were said to be energetic, fearless and hardworking. In fact, most lazy women from other clans, for fear of being proved to be lazy when juxtaposed with hardworking persons, feared having Nambengele Naukhamba-Nauruchu as a co-wife. The Abaengele were also known to be patient, good orators and excellent mediators. They also had exceptional skills in organising events and had the annointing of leadership.

It was ascertained that Abaengele men and women were the best mediators and go-between (wangira) in matters relating to marriages and conflict resolutions. Most dowry negotiation teams made use of Abaengele. Abaengele were also great medicinemen and trusted advisers to Abanyala leaders. Leaders such as Miriri- I, then Munyala, then Munyala Mukhekhe, then Mukhamba wa Navakholo, then Nasokho wa Nalukuwo, then Masiribayi, then Mahero wa Naikuta, Ngao, Kisauri, Manyuru and Ndombi wa Namusia made use of Abaengele. They also extended the same advisory services to the general community in revealing wrong doers and helping people to make valid choices on issues.

All the above qualities were compounded by the fact that they had omukasa kwa oluengele (gift from the creator for descerning hidden past truth using oluengele). In fact, some Abaengele men and women had the powers to determine the truth of a matter using a special tool called oluengele. (Read more on Oluengele from Masakha et al (2018): Abanyala ba Kakamega- A Cultural and Historical Perspective.) Oluengera was some form of truthmeter which was always kept in a hut called Namuima- the religious hut. There was always an adage that you cannot cheat persons from the Abaengele clan twice for they always came to know the truth in one way or the other. They were straight forward in their dealing since their omukasa of oluengera never accepted them to pertake in trading a lie- if they lied, then they could become seriously affected until cleansed off the lie in a ceremony called okhulabia oluengera (making the truthmeter clean).

The clan name of Abaengele originated from their forefather who had oluengele hence his generation called Aba-engele to mean 'those of the generation whose people have the traditional holy gift of oluengele.'

The four sub-clans of Abaengele
The Baengele among the Bukusu, Abaengele among the Tachon, Abaengele among the Samia and Abaengele among Abanyala are originally one. They cannot intermarry and they can trace their paternal generations to a common ancestry. They now have one national chairperson for the four sub-clans.

Abaengele are said to pay allegiance to the Bamwalie cluster of Abanyala clans who came by the Mwalie hills. The first recorded leader of Abaengele was Songa who was a son of Sioya. Sioya was the elder half-brother to Kuria and Songe sons of Songiek. Songa represented Abaengele clan as their leader in clusters of clans that were under Munyala-I wa Naukhamba. Munyala-I then ruled under an overall leader called Kintu.

1. Splinter group of Abaengele among Tachoni
While under Songa wa Naukhamba, the Abaengele split into two groups. One group remained under the leadership of Songa wa Naukhamba and the other moved to join the leadership under the El Konny clans of the Kalenjin. Therefore, the Abaengele among the Tachon are a product of this first split of Abaengele. They joined the Mwalie cluster of the Luhya-Kalenjin clan clusters that remained on the Eastern part of El Konyland. This is the group that was latter called Abaengele of Tachon. The split was occassioned by accidenatal murder of a brother by a brother.

That there were two brothers who lived in same olukoba. One day, when the elder brother was asleep, he heard screams of help from a neighbours house. That there was a man who had been cought in a compromising situation with the neighbour's wife. He swiftly moved out, saw a dark shadowy figure of an escaping man and threw a spear towards the direction. He moved closer but could not find the targeted man or the spear. A search by those who had gone to aid the neighbour did not yield anything. In the morning, the man went to search for his spear. He followed a trail of blood and found his brother dead with a spear in his ribs cage. He had killed his own bother.

On realising this, the wife involved, took off back to her people of the clan of Abangachi just after the cleansing ceremony. Her son's family, later, followed her to the uncles among the Abangachi. This son is he who become the forefather of Abaengele among the Tachon. That is why the Abaengele among the Tachon respect the Abangachi as their uncles.

During the cleansing ceremony that followed, the Abaengele clan swore never to be rushing to help incase of a night alarm in the neighbourhood. They swore to be coming to help in the morning. This was because a desire to help at night had lead to the death of the brother. This was the origin of the praise phrase "bahabina ni wusieye." Those among the Tachon do not like using the 'Nambengere Naukhamba, Nauruchu- abahabinanga ni usieye' motto. Later, the man who killed the brother became known as Lusaba- he who shot without missing. The one who was killed was refered to as Nakome- he who had taken (okhukoma) the other's wife.

Also, due to the eagle like strength of the dead brother on preying on neighbours wives there arose a phrase in reference to Abaengele that the dead man was an 'eagle' called eruchu to the ladies. The wife involved was also considered to have been another preying female-eagle to the dead man's family. That the male and female Abaengele had the strength of an eagle called eruchu. This brought about the praise phrase of Nambengere Nauruchu abakomi.

Eruchu- of the Nambengere nauruchu fame.

On the other hand, one group that did not join those who went to join the Kalenjin, emigrated Westward into present day Uganda under clan leadership of Sioya wa Naukhamba. The clan was under the clan clusters that were under the leadership of Munyala-I. This Munyala-I lead clans that joined other clan clusters under the leadership of Kintu. While in Uganda, their settlement and movement was part of that of the Abanyala group. This is the group that gave rise to Abaengele in Abasamia, Bukusu and Abanyala

ii) Splinter group of the Abaengelea found in Abasamia
They are of the generations of Kiminyi Munyala's Son. When Kiminyi accepted to step down and join Abaongo for a reunion, his eldest son, Okundi, refused to move on with a clan of what he called cowardly people. He wanted to be given the batton of leadership incase his father had been defeated. In protest, he joined his uncles among Abasamia. Traces of this family has not joined the other Abaengele fully in it present leadership.


iii) Abaengele among abanyala and the Baengele among the Bukusu
The two moved on under the leadership a leader from Abaongo. The Abaengele Abanyala and Baengele babukiusu are one people who were with Abanyala who split from Abaongo under Mukhamba. They moved away as one group. However, we have Abaengele in Abanyala and Baengele among Babukusu because of the following reasons:

1. Masiribayi taking over power from Nasokho- By the time of the split, the leader of Abanyala was Nasokho wa Nalukuwo from the clan of Abayemba. However, a rainmaker of Masaai origin took over power when the people made him omwami- leader. This was because he made it to rain after long drought seasons. Due to this, some Abaengele lead by Kulokoma son of Sioya sided with Nasokho of Abayemba and refused to move under the leadership of Masiribayi. Therefore, those who moved on with Masiribayi became the Abaengele in Abanyala while those who remained became the Baengele in Babukusu. 
2. For example, the great grandfathers of the late Vice-president were buried in Navakholo before they emigrated to Trans-Nzoia. This is the same family to the Chesolis in Musidi.

   

   The Late Vice President of Kenya Hon. Christopher Michael Wamalwa of Abaengele clan

3. The cruel rule of chief Ndombi wa Namusia- Chief Ndombi ruled with an iron fist. This made some of the Abaengele, who were among the first elites in the community, to emigrate and join their kins among the Babukusu. For example, grandparents of the late Wamalwa Kijana migrated from Navakholo.
4. Normal migrations in search of land- this is a minor reason that accounts for a few of the Abaengele families in Bungoma and Trans- Nzoia.

Family tree of Abaengele.
Before settling in Uganda, the Abaengele were under the leadership of Sioya. Sioya of the family tree of Songiek son of Chesaniak sired by Makhulu. Makhulu son of  Mangeti sired by Lukuluti son of Birende . Birende was son of Maruti of the scion of the Namiri.

While in Uganda their traceble Abaengele clan leader was Kulokoma okhwa Sioya who took over from Sioya wa Naukhamba.

1. One family tree of those in Navakholo starts with Muwoya son of Sioya. Muwoya fathered Wasike the father of Kulokoma-II. Kulokoma II sired Songa the father to Lusimbo. Lusimbo was the father to Muyanda. Muyanda, Wangia, Simeone, Mwamba and Okerera. Of the above Muyanda sired Songa II, Muchanji and Barasa.
2. Another family tree that joins with most of the families in Bungoma is found in Musidi, Lutaso and Namirama. We have the family of Mitungu, Aonda, Chesoli (who had Mayende father to Musungu) and Kaula Mutioko's family that has Chemoto.
3. In Siyombe, we have the Basilianos family
4. In Sisokhe, we have Mulekano and Omuli's family.
5. In Chebuyusi, we have the Otwisa's family.
6. In Lugari we have the family tree of Ekasamuya wa Mukhobe and Wetakho wa Sikulu. Ekasamuya the father to Wechuli, Wechuli sired Nabibia, Nabibia sired Khaemba then Khaemba sired Lusweti, Chivoli, Makokha and Wanjala. On the other hand, Wetakho had two sons: Lukendo wa Namwaya and Efumbi wa Namwaya. First, Lukendo sired Luseya and Matindibalo. Luseya sired Oliecho the father to Dishon and Masifwa. Madindivalo sired Juma the father to Ronald, Lunani, Lichuma and John. Secondly, Efumbi sired Wetakho and Mayende. Wetakho sired Waiswa the father to Kuloba.

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Dear Abaengele,
This blog will be updated into a leanear family tree detailing how the various families of Abaengele leads into one great family tree.

With:
Thanks to Eugine Wamalwa for his input.