SULTAN HAMUD & THE MAASAI CONNECTION

 17 November 2024

SULTAN HAMUD & THE MAASAI CONNECTION

“No WiFi out here, but I found a better connection." - Anonymous

SULTAN ALI BIN HAMUD

Today we are off to Sultan Hamud ... to see Arif (Imtiaz's Brother-in-Law), to see the Sheikh Nazim Mosque (which is within the town) and also take a walk into the hinterland to view the landscape, to hike and to meet up with some near and distant Maasai relatives.

We drive along Mombasa Road for a distance of about 100km and reach the town in a comfortable two-hour drive - there is no way of saving much time due to the heavy but generally moving traffic. 

The Town - Sultan Hamud - got its name from Sultan Ali Hamud who ruled Zanzibar from 1902 to 1911. When the construction of the railway reached present-day Sultan Hamud, the Zanzibar ruler visited to see the progress and camped there for some days.

FLAMBOYANT TREE IN FULL BLOOM

As we maneuver through the half tarmac-half murram roads of the sleepy and muddy town, one of the first sights to catch us with pleasant surprise were the lush greenery and evergreen trees - basking in the recent rains.

This Flamboyant Tree (Delonix Regia)- in full bloom, is one of several planted 

along the boundary of a church compound. A reminder that we are in tropical, hot and dry parts of Maasai and Kambaland of Eastern Region of Kenya

Flamboyant tree, also known as Delonix regia, is a spectacular tropical tree with a broad-spreading, umbrella-like canopy of lacy, feathery green leaves cut into many small leaflets. It is native to Madagascar and is renowned for its leaves that look like ferns and its bright orange flowers that appear over the summer months. The tree grows rapidly to 30 feet tall and nearly as wide. It is evergreen, except in climates that have a dry season or mildly cool winter.

We arrive safely into the compound of Sheikh Nizam Mosque. This mosque is built by Arif with help from Imtiaz and several other well-wishers. Apart from the simple mosque, it houses a double storeyed mussafir khanna (Guest House), a madrassah and a kitchen and dining hall.

Arif is waiting. A humble but nourishing breakfast of scrambled eggs and bread with margarine spread awaits us on a 'mkeka' (a traditional mat sometimes made of straw but more recently more available in plastics of varied colours and patterns). 

Imtiaz and I had both filled up with a hearty breakfast of Mbaazi (chick peas) and Mahamri in Nairobi before departing - prepared lovingly and sumptuously by Muna. 

But tradition and the sunnah of Islam dictates that we partake in the breakfast we are offered - and so we do!

Breakfast setup!

Seated on the 'mkeka' on the floor - traditional style

   We sit        down and     do justice     to the         meal set      before us ---before       the trek       begins. 

Breakfast is demolished in a short while. A larger portion done justice by Abu (he seems to have been the hungrier one amongst us).

We change footwear from comfy sandals and casuals to hiking Timberland shoes (designer shoes and costly ones too!). 

6km journey to and fro with a stopover at Shosh's place to check her out.

She was ailing and admitted in a hospital.

Its uphill.

The air is crisp. No pollution. It feels therapeutic as it fills my lungs. Its a turbo feeling.

The cooing of an African Mourning Dove is constant and from at least 3 different directions.

A few Superb Starlings hope onto branches and back to the earthen floor - foraging for what must be tasty insects and seeds.

A couple of the trademark Masked Weaver Birds fly past with green Palm Tree leaves - they are nesting!

The sound of cowbells can be heard from the thicket. A Maasai herds boy is tending his goats. A chewing twig in his mouth, he leans against his walking stick.

Arif hails at him  - "Soba" 

"Eba" comes back the reply .....

The smell of the green thicket mixes with last night's rain and the fresh air - a cocktail of life enhancing air!

I breathe in deeply - "I need more of this"

Halfway up the incline - two middle aged men join us.

Leonard and Uncle Duncan. 

Both locals and well known to Arif.

Today they are showing Arif his plots of land and also filling us in with the happenings since the last encounter.

"Your plots are safe" they inform him.

"But why are people crisscrossing my land?" - he retorts.

"Oh don't worry! These are local herdsmen, and they mean no harm"

"And by the way, "Shosh" was sick and admitted to hospital. But she is back and well"

"Ok, we shall visit her on the way down"

The trail is but an earthen road with deep gulleys on either side. And in several locations, the road has been cut away by the gulleys - so the only means of transport here is by Boda Boda who race up and downhill with disdain, as though human spare parts are plenty and readily available!

Woe unto them, our hospitals are full of injured riders and boda boda passengers in varying degrees of demolition caused by these boda bodas - yet the disdain and carefree attitudes continue as they freewheel downhill with sometimes blaring shrill horns - made in India and China.

The Golden Hearted Locals - Abu & Leonard
The stick I am holding was a gift from Leonard - utanikumbuka na hii!

The plots checked out. We head down.

We have to go visit Shosh.

A brief history - Arif's grandparents were part Maasai - so we do have Maasai blood and real Masai relatives in Mashuru.

Some 15 minutes' walk downhill, and we turn East into an overgrown pathway towards a homestead of a few stone walled and metal roof houses. 

3 donkeys who have been tied up together are slowly trodding towards us. 

A distinct smell of a manyatta is in the air. 

The sweet smell of animals mixes with sounds of a homestead.

This is a modern Maa enkang

Children are running around half naked but decent. 

A young teenager girl is washing clothes in a bucket whilst another taller slimmer one darts from one house to the other - obviously very busy with house chores.

Shosh has noticed the visitors, and a set of blue plastic chairs are brought under the large Acacia Tree - which serves aptly as the sitting room. 

A perfect African setting for us Africans!

We really don't need expensive sofa sets in expansive sitting rooms, and tvs and lounges with bar counters and useless endearments - the nature is our home and perfect at that!

We greet Shosh.

She is genuinely elated to see us. She is beaming!

"Yes, I was sick" she informs us in perfect Kiswahili.

Shosh is fluent in KiMaasai, Kigikuyu (she is Kikuyu by birth) and Kiswahili and Kikamba.

"But I am thankful to God, I recovered" - she continues.

The conversation darts from health to the state of the homestead, the girl who is doing well in sports to Shosh's age.

"My ID card shows I am 97 years old. But I am older, because the guys recording my date walikula miaka kadha" 

As we chat away, the children of the homestead file one at a time towards us.

We touch their heads as a greeting from an elder unto a younger one.

Next come the teenage girls. Rather shyly. We touch more heads.

More chatting.

Uncle Duncan reminds the teenage girls to be well behaved at all times. 

"We are expecting cows from you girls (as bride price)".

The younger sportwoman walks away shyly but declares "Mimi sitaolewa"

Then Betty appears.

She is Shosh's daughter in law. She shakes hands with us. She is a mother and old enough to shake hands.

Before long, tea is served.

Fresh tea made from fresh milk obtained from the cows of the homestead.

Arif and Imtiaz enjoying the special tea. Notice the new enameled steel mugs used for tea. These are special and reserved for special visitors

Once tea is consumed. A tray of freshly boiled eggs is served. These are organic free-range Chicken eggs - the healthiest available.

We demolish these with cheer.

Shosh and Betty - with the rest of us in the background. Notice the large shade the tree is providing creating a perfect sitting room!

Time to leave.

Arif asks Shosh to pray for us.

Shosh obliges and immediately bows her head and devoutly prays and blesses us in KiMaasai.

"Musipotee sana" Don't stay away too long" Shosh tells us.

We head downhill. Back to the Mosque and then back to Nairobi. It's a 2-hour drive - mostly uphill.

Tomorrow is a Monday - I need to rest enough - ready for the week ahead.

One of the cups we used for breakfast
As indicated on the cup - indeed we had a nice day!

“No WiFi out here, but I found a better connection." - Anonymous

Indeed, we did not need any wifi - Shosh, Arif, Betty, Leonard, Uncle Duncan and Abu were, in fact better connections!