Two of my six sisters (Sr. Jennipher Mutale and Sr. Lucy Mutale – they are not related, their surnames are pure coincidence), two lay leaders of the Executive Committee of Lay Parish Council of Kiabakari and myself set off to Tarime at 7.30am, right after quick breakfast which followed a morning Mass in the shrine (today it was 15 minutes earlier than usual, at 6.45am to allow ourselves an ample time to say Mass with no hurry and get ready for the journey).
The itinerary of our trip led us from Kiabakari through Kukirango Valley, to the Kiabakari-Butiama junction, then to Nyamika village, around the Kigumu hills (now barren, with now trees), then down to the creek dividing Nyamika and Songora and Irimba villages, then up the Irimba plateau, down to the creek dividing Irimba and Isaba villages, up to Mmazami hills where Kiabakari parish borders with Makutano parish. Then down all the way more than a kilometer long stretch of tarmac to Mmazami village and further on to Musoma-Mwanza highway junction with the highway leading to Tarime and further to Sirari (border town; on the other side of the border there is Isibania town) then Migori, Kisii, Kericho, Mau Summit, Nakuru, Gilgil, Naivasha and to Nairobi (from Kiabakari to Sirari is 103 kilometers, to Kericho 300 kilometers, to Nairobi 540 kilometers) then all the way to Voi town (you know it already from my posts when I was there for seminars and retreats for Sisters of the Congregation of St. Joseph) and from Voi town to Mombasa on the Indian Ocean coast. From Nairobi to Mombasa is more than 500 kilometers.
So, I took a right turn at Makutano junction (called by local people 0-0, Ziro-Ziro, as the counting of distances begins from there). A tarmac road, laid by Italian company around ten years ago, is still in a good condition. At first, we drove through the valley leading from Makutano, Nyankanga villages, Nyankanga-Kiagata junction down to Mara river. Mara river crossing at Kirumi village area is one of the most picturesque spots in the whole Mara region. It is so beautiful all year round, but especially during rainy seasons or shortly after when the vegetation is at its peak beauty and there is plenty of water in Mara river.
For many years people were crossing river there at Kirumi using pontoon/ferry service during daylight hours. Then Italian company built a suspension bridge which was the ultimate successful attempt to lay a bridge over the strait there at Kirumi, after several failed attempts (its is forbidden to take pictures of the bridge, not sure why, but I won't post pictures of it, to not get into trouble). But even this bridge, as I hear from many sources, has become unstable (allegedly the banks of the river on both sides are moving, leaving bridge in the middle and swaying from one side to the other), so driving today over it, I felt a bit uneasy, to be honest. The government is said to begin already construction of a ferry service facilities from Musoma (Mwigobero area) to Kinesi on the other side of the Mara river delta. All heavy traffic will cross Mara river via ferry, whereas small cars will be allowed to cross Kirumi bridge.
From Kirumi bridge, before the new highway was constructed, we used to take sharp right turn immediately after the crossing and follow a dust road (it was dust and mud all the way from Ziro-Ziro to Sirari) around Kuruya hills up to Komuge junction then to Baraki, Ochuna, Kowak, Utegi to Gamasara and Tarime. Now, we just follow a tarmac road through the Kuruya hills, as the road winds left and right as we climb steep slopes of those picturesque hills, spotting scarse human settlements here and there along the way. Reaching the first summit one stop and look around and – in good visibility – see up to Kiabakari and beyond, such a huge expanse of land...
Then driving down to Kuruya village junction and up to the second summit (this part of hills are called by local people as Loketo corners). There is a sequence of tight corners and bends making it particularly dangerous to drive the other way (from Tarime). Several accidents occur every year and many people lost their lives and possessions as bus or daladala drivers speed down the summit recklessly and ending in the stone walls or in ditches. Bent or broken Armco barriers are silent witnesses of human tragedies there...
But when you drive up that second summit, negotiating those sharp corners, you may spot vehicles that were conquered by Loketo corners, unable to reach the top. Sometimes passengers are asked to disembark and go by foot uphill while the empty bus or daladala tries to get there. Sometimes you will see a driver and a turn boy sleeping under a lorry or bus, as this is the only shadow you may find in the vicinity of their vehicle, waiting for help which may come in a matter of hours or even days (if it is a semitrailer from Mombasa going to Democratic Republic of Congo or to Rwanda or Burundi or somewhere else...
Luckily, we were able to reach the second summit without any problems. Driving to Tarime, on that spot, looking to the right, one will see down there a beautiful view of Mara river, with lush vegetation on its banks, and a thin table of water in between. Wonderful view point. I wonder why people have not come up with an idea of setting a small bar or cafe there luring tourist to stop and take pictures. There are only a bunch of people selling charcoal in sacks. That’s it...
From the second summit all the way down to the Rift Valley stretching from Mara river and Kuruya hills/Loketo corners up to the escarpment on which Tarime is located. Along the way you will pass several new villages which sprung up in those few years after completion of the new highway which goes through different areas than the old twisty dirt road from Kirumi bridge via Kowak, Utegi to Tarime. Closing to the escarpment of Rift Valley first you will notice to the left a majestic Rorya hill with two peaks, free standing proud mountain (sorry, didn't take pictures today as it was too misty) where at her bottom at Butuli village, White Fathers established their second mission expanding north from Nyegina mission (established in 1911). They arrived to Butuli, and then eventually they settled on the northern side of the Rorya hill, at place known as Kowak mission now (1993). Father Jim Conard, Maryknoll missioner, working there for more than three decades now, has turned the mission into a small town with a hospital, secondary girls’ school, two religious congregations, lay missioners, you name it!
Passing by Kowak to the far left, you will then go through Komaswa parish, quite new, which was a response of the Diocese of Musoma to the relocating movements of the people settling along the new highway. The parish, beautifully thought out and built by Maryknoll missioner, Fr. Edward Hayes, former Provincial superior of Maryknoll Society in East Africa, now retired, who just recently celebrated his Golden Jubilee of priesthood, catches an eye of a passerby with its maroon chipping finishing of walls.
Then, up the escarpment on the plateau, then down again to a river, passing on the way Mika junction leading (to the left to Utegi and then right to Ingri Parish, Soko Laboro village, Bukama center with a junction to Nyarombo parish, and then to Shirati parish, then to Masonga parish and Kenyan border). That seasonal river has become famous during El Nino rains in autumn of 1997. The bridge was swept by torrential waters of swollen river, this has happened at night, and there were several casualties of people who plunged to the river in their vehicles. There were people warning them with flashlights but the drivers thought they were bandits and ignored their signs, eventually finding themselves diving in their cars into the embrace of death.
Nothing testifies to the tragedies of that year. We crossed the bridge, drove up the plateau again, arrived at the junction of the new highway with the old dirt road, then passed Gamasara with Our Lady of Miracles Center run by Ivrea Sisters (it is a former base of that Italian company Cogefar which constructed the Sirari – Ziro-Ziro highway and transferred an ownership of the camp to the Diocese of Musoma due to successful negotiations done with the help of European Union).
I love that place, I love those courageous hospitable nuns who turned a dilapidated camp into a small paradise with a well appointed area, very well equipped and run health center – remember the Saruman tower in Kiabakari, that incinerator I copied from Gamasara health center, read my precious post on this. This is the place where I copied that incinerator. And Sister Bianca, Italian nun running all technical things in the camp, she herself copied the incinerator from Milan hospital somewhere there. Then, there is a pre-school and a primary school now, I believe.
I like to come to Gamasara. Those container houses, left by Italians, are very homey, and the quiet surroundings make for an excellent environment enhancing creativity and focus working on something, or just resting...Sadly, I have no time on my hands to come up to Gamasara very often, just once or twice a year. Too bad!
From Gamasara it is just a few kilometers to Tarime town, taking a right turn off the highway which would eventually brought us to Sirari border, and after a few bends we arrive to the town. The parish is located right in the center of the town, adjacent to the main market, which attracts customers from all over the Mara Region as prices of farmers’ produce are very competitive. The Tarime area along the escarpment of Rift Valley is famous for its rich soil and favorable climate.
We parked our vehicle in the parochial courtyard at 9am then got a quick breakfast (a cup of coffee for me) and got ready for the Ordination Mass presided by the Bishop of Musoma, Rt. Rev. Michael George Mabuga Msonganzila.
I was very happy to see lots of priests from our diocese and elsewhere, even from Bukoba, Mpanda, Mbulu and so, which are far away from Musoma. Altogether we were maybe sixty, which is a very good number. Still, several missionaries are excused, as they are away for their holidays.
The Mass took three hours. Deacon Alfred Kwene, hailing from Tarime parish was ordained as a priest. Then, there was a period of presentation of gifts (among them goats, sheep, even cows) and well wishes.
Along the gifts, each parish handed over an envelope with contributions towards covering the purchase of the motorcycle for the new priest. Then we had a quick lunch and headed back home.
We arrived back in Kiabakari around 4.45pm. Such a relief to take a chilly shower after a full day in dust and scorching heat. Not helped by my pitch black attire (safari suit).
I will be back in Tarime this Saturday for a thanksgiving Mass of the new priest in his home parish. Father Kwene wrote a personal note to me asking me to be present as – in his words – I am a very important person to him. I don’t know why, but anyway, I was pleasantly surprised reading his kind letter. So I cannot let him down. Will drive back to Tarime on Saturday with a new set of sisters and lay leaders, and – this time – with my personal gift for Alfred.
Tomorrow is a Solemnity of Our Lady of Carmel, the Patron Saint of Cloistered Carmelite Sisters in Bunda. They asked to come and celebrate a special Mass for them at 10am in swahili as the local Catholic community in Bunda will be present. So, I will go earlier there for their confessions, then the Holy Mass of Solemnity, the back to Kiabakari for the remaining part of the Friday recollection day.
Someone once told me: “Our greatest need for us as priests is to be needed”. And this is exactly how I feel in these three days, in a special way...
Oh, I almost forgot. I have met in Tarime my old friend, Mr. Anthony Giyani and his wife Blandina. We haven’t seen each other good five or six years. He once way a chairman of Lay Parish Council of Kiabakari Parish, for several terms. He is a retired police officer. His piety was astonishing always to me. He used to come for confession on Saturday afternoon, walking 11 kilometers from Kyawazaru village, then return back home by foot to Kyawazaru, then the following morning he was back in the church for the first Mass at 7am.
Anthony is a friend of my Dad. My Dad and my parish priest visited him in 1995, then again in 1998 with two priests working at that time in our home parish in Kraków.
My Dad whenever I am home, always asks how 'Antonio' is doing. And ‘Antonio’ always asks how my Dad is doing, and today was not an exception to this rule. When I saw Mzee Giyani before the Mass walking by, my heart jumped in joy and I rushed to embrace him. We were so happy to see each other, to find each other again. He was forced to move to his home area from Kyawazaru due to the ethnic clashes between Kurya influx people in that area (Anthony is Mkurya himself) and Wajita people who claimed it was their land and started burning houses. A small scale war followed and several Kurya families were forced to move out of the area for their safety.
So, Anthony and his family moved back to their homeland in Korotambe village. And they still live there. It was such a pity to lose them in Kiabakari parish as they were absolutely great parishioners and shiny example to all. His wisdom and prudence were such a strong foundation for me in times of troubles and hardships.
As it turned out today that Anthony is a godfather of a newly ordained priest, i am sure I will see him on Saturday and will have more time to sit and talk with him. Can’t wait for this to happen! It is such a rewarding feeling to find a long lost friend after so many years of ‘feeling lost’...
What a great gift to come back from Tarime today. Never mind gifts our new priest received today. It is nothing comparing to what I got! The greatest gift of all! And so unexpected and so wonderful! Thank you, o Lord!
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