The current long dry spell in Uganda is the generational gap and the absence of transitional process, between the old age people and young generation due to long Uganda turmoil. And the influences of Christianity that destroyed African resiliency tradition norms.
A speech calling on Britain to “break the very backbone” of Africa has circulated online for years. The words are attributed to politician Lord Macaulay in an address to Britain’s parliament in 1835.
“If the Africans think that all that is foreign and English is good… they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation,” reads the extract of a speech purportedly given by Lord Macaulay to Britain’s parliament on February 2, 1835. It calls on Britain to “break the very backbone of this nation”
Araa Lamyiling (1944-2022), theory on Christianity believed destruction in African family stalemates and caused massive death.
“I have seen powerful families in Puranga chiefdom with good education, but because they have fallen to the white man religions they are nowhere. The family of Luke Labeja, my own brother’s family in Ayamo village, the family of Ogwang Obadiya, and the family of Ogwang Amayo are nowhere now.” Elder Araa lamented.
Luke Orach (1943-2022) on the theory of assimilation and inferiority complex argues that Africans lack of advancement couple led them to believe that their inferior and naïve, at the advent of colonialists Africans were so advanced that they were able to withstand long dry spell, and they could predict the weather rain partner.
“At the advent of the British colonial master, when they came into Africa. They were welcome at King’s and Chief’s palaces. And they found even divine deities, rainmaker’s councils of chiefs in the palaces, they were living in synchronization. But when the Christianity now digs holes in African traditional cultural norms. We are to blame” Orach warns.
OMORO DISTRICT-UGANDA: The current dry spell that has affected food crops and farming season is nothing to do with climatic changed, Luke Orach 79 years old is of the view that, Acholi community abandoned their ways of living adopted alien’s traditions norms and this result drought.
“A stranger who seeks shelter at your home, you become your pins doctor, let’s retract where Puranga chiefdom made a mistake.
My journey to Idure village 24 kilometer east of Gulu City on Saturday 20, July 2021 during the CORVID-19 made a turning point in my life when I came face to face with reality to see heaven on earth. But, with rejected life and abandoned care to the family of the rainmaker of Kal Odokotiya.
What was my mission, to seek the opinion of the rainmakers?
In Idure, home to Puranga traditional cultural rainmaker Sabino Olobo 75 years old sat quietly waiting to meet me, I was introduced to him by a young boy in his early twenties.
Olobo asked me what can I do for you? Without a menacing word, my response was, I want to understand why there is no rain coming for a month, and yet I was told that you are in-charged of rainmaking?
Olobo, opened up saying we don’t have rain because the person who performed the ritual called Onek passed on a month ago. And the absence of rain can be equated to his death.
Olobo further narrates, for them as the people in-charge of rain making, when their dry spell, they will not even perform the ritual ceremony unless the complain come from the public, or when there is too much rain they will not perform ritual to regulate heavy downpour.
“At the moment the person who could have been installed in place of the demise, his younger brother refused to take over the mantle. Because he was born again Christian.” Olobo lamented.
He attributed challenges that are now facing them as the people in custodians of performing the ritual of rainmaking, as a lack of the Puranga community contribution. And the generation gaps that have affected our community.
“We have 10 communities that come from different clans in Puranga would oversee the role of rainmaking, but the Puranga community must come up with Black chicken, and white chicken, also they should come up with black sheep and white sheep and black bull. In order for them to make a ritual.” Olobo remarked.
Geoffrey Omony, the son to the late Onek who was in-charge of Puranga rainmaking, told me that visitors are not allowed to enter into the hut where the purported rain’s mild stone is kept.
How did the Puranga chiefdom acquire rainmakers?
Opobo, one of the traditional rainmakers says way back in the 18 Century during the period of Rwot Ogwang Okok, there was a man who came to the palace of Rwot Ogwang Okok with an African ulcer wound.
However, he was asking women to help boil for him hot water so that his wound could be treated, but for the last two days no woman responded to his calls.
Thus, the third day, one woman came up and welcomed the stranger man that she would help him redress his wound, so she prepared hot water and later she had summoned the stranger man in the outskirts of the palace.
When everything was set, the man turned up and gave a new demand that what he referred like an African ulcer wound was not, but, “Three stones for rain making. He gave a new demand that he wants a new pot, black sheep and white one, black chicken and white one, plus black bull.
When those items he had tabled to that woman was accomplished, therefore, the new dawn of Puranga rainmaking was born, so if God had given you heaven on earth, why are you running to the colonists who came to disentangled your cultural norms.
Second edition would be how rainmaker ritual is carry
