ORIGIN OF DEATH IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL SOCIETY. EAST AFRICA

Nambi prepared to leave her home in heaven to go down to Buganda to live with kintu whom she loved. But before leaving her  father  called her. Remember, he said, that there are no crops and no animals to tame on earth. Take as many as you can and leave quickly and quiet  and do not let your brother  Walumbe “ angel of death”  see you he will want to go with you and if he goes with it will be worse for you.

So Nambi collected cows, sheep, chickens and everything she wanted for survival on earth and left the heaven by a secret path silently as shadows. As they reached the gate of heaven, Nambi remembered she had forgotten millet to feed her chickens. So she left kintu and ran back to fetch it. But on the way she met her brother Walumbe “angel of death” who asked her where she was going. At first she refused to speak to him but at last she broke down the secret and told him everything. In the end Walumbe followed them on earth.

Kintu and Nambi built a house and raised their chicken, sheep, and cows there. Nambi had children which grew up healthy and played in the court yard in front of their home. Walumbe also set up a house   a distant from Nambi and kintu and sometimes they would see him watching them from nearby shades of trees. Walumbe made no garden and kept no animals. He did not seem to need food. Then one day he came to Kintu’s house and asked them one of their child to for him. Nambi snatched up the baby been playing in the court yard and ran with it and hid at the back of the house.

Kintu answered,’how can I let my children work for you. What if gulu “God” should ask me for one to help him in his house? Shall I tell him that Walumbe has taken them?’  Then Walumbe went away between banana plantations, fearing to anger Gulu his father. Years passed, Kintu’s banana garden grew larger and there were more cattle. Nambi bore him more children. Then suddenly Walumbe appeared again and asked for a child to be his servant and they again rejected Walumbe request.

At this time Walumbe “angel of death” committed to kill their children if they fail to send him one of their children to him as a servant. Then kintu said, ‘what is death?’ Walumbe laughed at him. That night Kintu’s eldest child fell ill and by morning the child had died. At this time Nambi and Kintu understood what death is. And the next week another child fell ill and also died. In the following week a third child also died. Walumbe stood at the edge of Kintu’s garden watching and when kintu pleaded to him to stop he just laughed at him. And he mimicked him ‘what is death? And Walumbe then bragged saying now I think you know what death is.

Kintu then thought wisely and made a long journey to heaven and asked for help against walumbe’s evil deeds. Gulu “God” first refused to help them because of nambi’s disobedience that made Walumbe follow up earth journey. Later he sent kayikuzi his son and brother to Walumbe and Nambi to capture Walumbe and take him back to heaven.

Kayikuzi approached Walumbe and asked him to return to heaven and Walumbe asked him that is Nambi coming with us? No, Nambi is to stay on earth. And then Walumbe said, if Nambi is staying I will also have to stay. Finally kayikuzi lost temper  and wrestled  Walumbe unfortunately  Walumbe slipped from kayikuzi and ran away. Kayikuzi continued to follow up walumbe’s traces  to tanda where there is a great deep hole on hill side top. Walumbe went deep in the hollow pit and hid. Kayikuzi kept waiting for him,

Then kayikuzi told kintu , so long as Walumbe remains underground I cannot harm him, and so long as he thinks we are waiting to catch him, he will stay under the earth. So we must make him think we have gone away. I want you and Nambi and your children to stay indoors and silent. You must not send your elder sons with the cattle or young ones with goats. And instructed them not to make alarm when they see Walumbe. So kintu promised. They stayed indoor for three days kayikuzi laying down waiting for Walumbe. On the third day Walumbe raised himself cautiously from the mouth of the hole . He then climbed slowly out and began walking  straight towards Kintu’s house. Kayikuzi grasped his spear waiting to capture Walumbe.

Two of Kintu’s sons broke the promise and slipped out of the hut. And they unfastened the door of goats and led them to grazing yard. The two boys fell in sight of Walumbe as kayikuzi was about to leap upon him. And the boys raise an alarm. When Walumbe noticed the alarm  began running back towards tanda in the hole. Walumbe disappeared in the pit by the time kayikuzi arrived at the hole.

Kayikuzi became angry  and accused kintu and Nambi of being incapable of keeping their promises and he left back to heaven. Walumbe stayed on earth and continued to kill Nambi and Kintu’s children from that day up to date.