A RICH HERITAGE BLENDING TRADITION AND MYSTIQUE

For generations, African communities have venerated sacred sites, which they conserved and preserved as part of their cultural traditions and as a symbol of mystic power. Many politicians believe in these mystical powers and pay homage to such cultural sites seeking divine intervention as they seek elective positions. Apart from politicians, even believers of other religious faiths are regular visitors to these ‘sacred homes’, hoping for spiritual restoration. 

In Marsabit County, the Sakuye Gamo cultural shrine site in Dabel, Moyale sub-county, 55 kilometers south west of Moyale town on the Moyale-Wajir road, is a popular attraction. Locally known as “Gamo” by the Sakuye community who reside in the area and still partly practice traditional religion, the site is located within Dabel town and has a permanent caretaker known as the “Abbaganna”. 

The majority of the Sakuye are Muslims, although a few practice Christianity. The Abbaganna’s position is inherited and passed on from father to son, on the death of the father, thus the lineage continues from generation to generation. The  site  is  divided  into  five  areas,  the major ones being Gamo guddo the big Gamo and Gamo dikko the small Gamo. 

The soil surrounding the site is whitish, as opposed to the general surrounding area, which is brownish. The soil, known as “jawwar”, is extremely salty. One of the five Gamos has a borehole. The community considers water from this borehole as medicinal and it is not used for domestic purposes like cooking and washing. It is only consumed as a drink, with the belief that it helps to boost the immune system and to ward off diseases. 

Occasionally and as the need arises, the practitioners of this tradition, sing special songs in the evenings, known as “haadhar” in praise of some supreme being. The site is also used to hold special prayers, like during droughts and famine to seek rain, blessings for animals and to ward off attacks from enemies and other calamities. During such occasions, the Abbaganna asks the believers to donate an animal for sacrifice. In the case of rain prayers, it involves several camels.

The Bunna ceremony (the coffee ceremony) is also conducted. Kumbi and lubadin are also burned in the traditional incense burner, the “idina”.Women who are barren also go to the Abbaganna to pray so that they can bear children. Again, the Abbaganna will ask for a sacrificial animal, which the practitioner will provide. The animal is slaughtered, the meat cooked, distributed among the attendants and eaten. The Abbaganna is believed to be a seer or prophet and the adherents place their faith in him, with the traditional belief that his prophecies always come true.

Since Islam has taken strong roots among the Sakuye, many sheikhs oppose this practice, but still a good number of Muslim faithful are adherents. Then there is the Dimbi tree Gamo, tagged the ‘fig tree shrine’. One is within Karantina location and the other at the foot of Mt Marsabit. The former is the most commonly celebrated and exploited. There is also a huge dambi tree (Ficus mammigera) at the foot under whose leafy branches rites ceremonies are held. 

The place is also known as Sara Gobana (full moon), though it is not essential that ceremonies be held during full moon. It is usually during calamities such as drought, famine,  floods,  fear  of  attack from enemies and barrenness that the adherents go to pray and ask for spiritual intervention. 

A group of people, women accompanied by some men (sheikhs) will undertake the ceremony, which starts with the group asking for donations from well-wishers to buy the necessary items including a fat sheep, rice, spices, tea leaves, milk, incense and sugar, etc.

On arrival at the “gamo” (shrine), the surroundings around the dambi tree are swept and cleared of any fallen leaves and debris. If the place has not been in use for some time and is overgrown with bushes, these will be cleared first.

The fat sheep is slaughtered and the meat is prepared and cooked with rice (pilau). While the rice and meat is cooking, bunna will be prepared on a second fire.

This involves heating a lot of fat in a large sufuria. Once the fat is hot enough, whole, dry coffee berries are fried in it, till they become black. Milk, sugar and water are added and the mixture allowed to simmer for some minutes. The pot is then taken off the fire. As it cools, the fat slowly accumulates and floats on the top.

The participants will partake of the rice and meat dish. Later, bunna will be served. A ladle is used to skim off the fat on top and each participant is given some drops of it in his or her palm. The oil is smeared on the forehead, arms and legs. Some of it is smeared on the lower trunk of the dambi tree as a blessing.

The mixture is then poured into cups and each participant partakes of it. The blackened coffee berries are chewed and spat out. After partaking of the food and bunna, the group starts salawat (prayers) in praise of the Prophet (SAW), something similar to the Muslim Maulid. They raise their hands and ask for rain, protection from enemies or whatever causes that took them there.

The salawat involves men and women dancing and singing to the accompaniment of a “dibbe” (drum), thus invoking the spirits. The number of days that the ceremony lasts depends on the number of animals available for slaughter, as only one animal is slaughtered in a day. 

For instance, if two sheep are available, the ceremony will last for two days. This would mean staying overnight. Locally, the sheikhs who perform this practice are referred to as the “warra ayyana” (ayyana people), a kind of offshoot of Islam.

Women normally tear a small, threadlike piece of their head cover (agogo) and tie it to one of the trees hanging branches. They intone a prayer and make a wish, like to get rich or to bear a son, etc. It is believed that the prayer will come true. When the prayer is fulfilled, the woman will come back to the tree, untie the knot and offer a sacrificial animal for slaughter.

Among the Rendille there are three natural not man-made running deep into the mountains, forming winding, meandering alleys, wide in some places, narrow in others, high in some places and very low in others. It was difficult for  the  Rendille  community to comprehend these natural phenomena and they marveled at them, considering them as places of mystery, supernatural powers, which they held in awe and wonder.

They came to believe that these places have supra-natural powers to grant their wishes and to protect them. Thus, it came to be that these shrines were located at the mouths of caves and became places of worship for the community.

Women conduct various activities at this shrine. When a Rendille manyatta shifts and settles around any of these three caves, women perform certain rites at the shrines. What a deep and rich cultural heritage that the ‘Marsa’ community has to preserve for posterity.