Rwandans never lose culture and language

A section of Rwandan community living in Kericho Kenya never abandoned their culture and language. The first ones arrived in Kenya in 1930.Their descendants who came back during and after Liberation is the evidence that they are still in touch with their nativity.

Rwandans are among the first people to work in Tea Plantation of Kericho. The first banch left in 1930s. The second one went in 1940s.” One of the survivors living in Kinazi told the UM– USEKE that he left his home, Butare, in 1947. This is what he said, “the whites came with the Chief of our village Kansi and told us that we were going to be employed in Kenya and that the working condition is very conducive with free housing and food (posho).

At my age, 18years, this was exciting news that we went doing a campaign to lure other young people to come along with us”. Munyeshaka narrated how they left their village and gathered in Butare town waiting for the day of departure. He said that the route was from Butare to Bukoba where they took a big ship on Lake Victoria and arrived at the show of Lake Victoria in Kisumu. This is where they were issued with papers of identification. After one week they boarded a bus to Kericho.

Samuel Hakizamungu son of Simon Mihanda, a descendant of a Rwandan who lived in African High Land Produce Company which changed to James Finlay, is now living at Kinyona Tea Factory-Kenya. He is about 50 years and has never been in Rwanda. He narrates to UM– USEKE what his father told him.

“My father told me I was born in Marinyin Estate in Kambi Nyarwanda(Rwandan Camp)in 1962. The camp was inhabited by Rwandans only. So we learn t how to speak our mother tongue at home, Kiswahili and English at school”.

Hakizamungu said that occasionally  Rwandans story teller would be brought  in to narrate to the children bed time stories and  they liked it.

Andrea Butoyi now living in Kinazi(Mu Banyakenya) told the UM– USEKE reporter that Christmas and Easter time were the best period to let their children see and watch them dancing Kinyarwanda songs.

“We used to prepare local brew “BUSAA”, and would celebrate in songs and dance  while sipping the local brew. We would prepare delicious meals and our children would enjoy the rare food eaten twice a year. Sometimes during Christmas there would be dance competition and the winner would be rewarded. This was very good opportunity to impart to children our culture”.

Nsengiyumva Emmanuel, working with Palliative Care Organization told UM– USEKE that he was born in Tenduet Estate, “Kambi Nyarwanda” precisely. He speaks Kenyan local languages like Kisii and Luo plus English and Kiswahili. But he is also fluent in his mother tongue Kinyarwanda. He can speak French which he learn t when he arrived in Rwanda.

This is what he said: “My dad was strict when it came to which language to use in the house and of course we all had to speak Kinyarwanda as crooked as it was. There was no use of foreign languages ‘igishi’ in my father’s house. Our mother too was another one. She would pretend not to hear Kiswahili at home. So this is how we managed to speak our mother tongue. I’m grateful they did so”.

The Rwandans UM– USEKE Newspaper interviewed talked with a lot of nostalgia saying they still feel Kenya being their second home. But they do complain how they were mishandled after indigeners increased in number in those tea plantations. And they are happy that the government of Rwanda went for them that were willing to come and settle in the country.

James Finlay (African Highland Produce Company Limited) and Unilever (Kenya Tea Company) Companies have been growing tea in Kenya since 1924. It was started during colonial Time when Kenya was under Britain. Rwandans are among the first people to work in Tea Plantation of Kericho.

After independence a good number of locals came in and companies began sending away aged Rwandans and Burundians leaving behind their descendants.

Tea has remain to be one of the economic pillar in Kenya but no one talks about the people, the backbone of this cash crop, who lost their lives without leaving an inheritance for their children.

During the discovery of the source of River Nile, John Speaker gave a description of Rwandan people, “a mountainous country whose people strong and stern can work with bear hands on their land”.

This is how white settlers in Kenya decided to go for Rwandan in order to cultivate on the rich and fertile land of Kericho. The second reason is that the indigenous (Kalenjin) had refused to cooperate with the whites since they were interfering with their land hence joining MAU MAU( a strong force movement in Kenya before independence ) to fight for freedom from  colonialists.

The estate employs 14,000 workers with 55,000 dependents, the majority of whom are housed in 11,000 homes on the estate. To cater for the welfare of the employees and in line with good agricultural practices, Finlays provides families with various on-site amenities, nurseries, schools and medical services to build and foster a strong sense of community. These amenities include a 110-bed hospital, health centers, 13 medical dispensaries, 15 primary schools and one secondary school.

Noel Byukusenge 

UM– USEKE.RW