Homecoming: Meeting the extended family

By Dan Okoth

That night, Steve Ochieng did not sleep. Overcome by emotion, he recalled what he had seen and heard in the past few hours. But that would pale in comparison to the following day’s events.

When morning broke, Jacob and four other Kenyan students joined him. They would be going to Katwe to meet the rest of Mohammed Ssebulime’s clan. As soon as Jamesa and his journalist friends arrived, the journey began. His father would meet them at the bus stop near his home. Mohammed was all smiles. He asked them to go ahead to the village as he waited for other clan members arriving from other places by bus.

"The area looks very much like Kisii. Green rolling hills and red soil, with a lot of bananas growing in the shambas. It was drizzling, so I covered my head with a hooded jersey. We met villagers on the way and I was told they kept asking, ‘Which is the boy? Who is he?’"

Apparently, everyone knew Mohammed’s son had arrived from Kenya. Not far from the Katwe bus stop, they saw a new home. There was a large crowd waiting, and as soon as they were in view, the crowd burst into song.

"I did not understand what they were singing in Kiganda, but it was moving and beautiful. It was something like Nyalon en Ssebo, which I understood to mean ‘welcome, son’."

A new name

Soon his father arrived and the party began. All family members were present except the son in Dubai. Prayers were offered according to Muslim tradition.

"I had never attended a Muslim prayer before. We were asked to remove our shoes."

After brief introductions, Mohammed’s brothers spoke.

The clan gave him a new name, Sendijja Mohammed. Then it was Steve’s turn to speak.

"I thanked them for their generous welcome. I told them I was on a mission to meet my dad and his family in Uganda. I asked them to accept me as I am, just as I had accepted them. I made a solemn declaration that I would not seek land or any inheritance from my father, unless he strongly felt I needed to have it."

Steve said he was a Kenyan with Ugandan roots. He told them he had a family of his own and land in Kochia. Then he spoke to his siblings.

"I advised them to study hard. What’s important is that we have finally met and we could only thank God."

Steve spent the rest of the day with his new family. In the evening, he went with his sisters to Kampala, him to the hotel and them to their university hostel for the night. On Wednesday, he was on the bus returning to Nairobi, his mind at peace, his thoughts wandering between Siaya, Kampala and Nairobi.

He had learnt many lessons.

"I thank my mother for telling me about my roots. I hope other single mothers will read my story and tell their children about their fathers. It is a child’s right to know. When she was sick with my pregnancy, she could have taken a shortcut, but she chose to keep me. I thank her immensely. Now I’m at peace."

okothd@eastandard.net