History

The Prophet Sakawa

  • Print
Details
Published on Saturday, 30 June 2007 23:07
 
(the following is adapted from William R. Ochieng's "Kenya's People: People of the South-Western Highlands - Gusii")
The majority of the peoples of East Africa foresaw the coming of the Europeans. Among the Kikuyu, the prophet Chege wa Kibiru had prepared his people to expect 'white strangers who look like butterflies'. He said that these strangers would take the land of the Kikuyu, but he warned the Kikuyu not to fight with these white people, 'for if you do so they will kill you with their fire', meaning their guns. In Luo country the prophets, orjobilo, had issued a warning that 'some white people are coming but they must not be fought. If you oppose them they will kill you with their sticks which vomit fire'. The arrival of the Europeans and 'a long snake' (the Mombasa-Kampala railway, which brought with it colonialism) were prophesied by a Kamba sage and chief called Masaku, and the Embu medicine man Mwenda Mwea similarly saw 'a black snake coming', as well as 'a bird with a metal beak flying this way,' and 'all our cattle gone. Plundered from us by red people.'

Although no European traveller, trader or missionary had visited Gusii country in the nineteenth century, the Gusii, like the other African groups, had known through their prophet that some white people would come to their country. Sakawa used to collect his followers at the site of present-day Kisii town and tell them where the future police lines, the hospital, the offices and churches would be built. He lit fires in a long line in order to show where electric poles and lights would follow. He also prophesied that the Gusii warriors would be disarmed by the white strangers if they showed resistance, 'but these white people', he said, 'will stay and later leave for their country, leaving us to rule ourselves as we have always done in the past'.

All these prophecies came true. Sakawa, who was born around 1840, disappeared mysteriously in 1902. It is believed that he died on one late November night, but when people came the following morning to bury his body they did not find it. Some people believe that he ascended into the skies and that he will come back one day. Indeed in 1921 many of the Gusii were expecting his return. Whatever had happened to his body, it is known that two years after Sakawa died, the British arrived in Gusii-land. The Gusii had forgotten that Sakawa had warned them not to oppose the white men, and when the Gusii warriors took their spears to defend their independence many were killed by the British who were fighting with guns. Together with the Giriama, the Taita, the Kamba, the Kikuyu, the Nandi and the Elgeyo, they were on the receiving end of murderous 'patrols' which many times ruthlessly killed men and women and exterminated their stock.

By 1907 the Gusii had been brought under British rule, although resistance continued in the form of the 'Gusii Revolts' until 1914.