NAMISINDWA CAVE A SUBTERRANEAN TREASURE WORTH VISITING

By Richard Wetaya

The Namisindwa cave in Matuwa,

Manafwa, Eastern Uganda, is a subterranean treasure worth visiting.
Found on the huge and majestic Namisindwa Mountain, the cave is locally refered to as Libina lye Lukulu lwe Namisindwa.
Namisindwa mountain straddles almost half the land mass of Manafwa district.
The cave offers a rare glimpse into prehistoric life in Bugisu.
It is according to local folklore, the place where many firebrand Bamasaba warriors opposed to Semei Kakungulu’s forays into south Bugisu sought sanctuary in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

According to a local narrative, the warriors retreated to the caves when battles between them and Semei Kakungulu’s conquest army escalated.

Fred Wekhola, an elder in Matuwa village says the warriors found the cave handy especially at night.
“This cave is an important site for archeology. It has a rich history. It was used by our ancestors on several occasions as shelter and as a hiding place as they struggled to fight off conquest. Kakungulu and his men never got to know where those resisting them in this part of Bugisu were hiding. There are not many vestiges left of the weapons the warriors used but once you get in, you can see how difficult it was to find them once they hid. Many artifacts like metallic circlet beads, machetes, spears, gongs have been found in the cave but we have not been able to stash them in one place,” Wekhola says.

The cave is huge inside; it almost feels like being in a maze. For the claustrophobic, I suggest you take thought before you visit.
The experience of moving inside the cave is slightly unnerving; partly due to the pitch darkness as you tread your way around, especially towards the interior.
Just near the cave’s entrance is a water stream that flows gracefully into a beautiful formation of rocks.

Wekhola tells me the earliest evidence of human art works, to wit, stone tools, beads decorated with abstract designs and gourds were recovered from the cave by one resident, Kigai Namanda. He reportedly relocated to Magale, a nearby trading center after receiving threats from some residents who felt he had made money off the ancient odds and ends.

“Namanda had to go deep inside the cave and that required like 3-4 big torches. He succeeded in reaching one chamber but he could not proceed any further. From his account there are more undiscovered artifacts in the cave. It is just the darkness inside that impedes. To explore the whole cave, big torches are needed. The cave was also used as a temple by our ancestors whenever they were bestowing upon specially chosen people the ancestral power of divination, locally refered to as bufumu. The divination was done through some of the gourds that Namanda found,” Wekhola says.

Wekhola says drums, Imbalu head gear (Kamarubisi), grinding stones, spears and old stone knives have been discovered in the cave.
“Some of the artifacts were however taken by some of the white visitors without our consent,” Wekhola says.

The cave has also serves as a convergence place for newly circumcised young men of Bumbo subcounty when they are preparing for the traditional ritual of Khukhuyalula (hatching) normally performed every February in odd years. The Khukhuyalula ritual involves the burning of the dry banana leaves newly circumcised boys sleep on.
 “Inside the cave, new initiates sing songs repeatedly proclaiming how they have chased the fifth of Businde (Boyhood) away. They sing whilst moving through the cave,” Wekhola says.

Students coming from Bungoma and other parts of western Kenya have been making the cave a picnic and rendezvous site.


The hike to the cave is not difficult save for the last part which is very steep. My young guide Sibi Kutosi almost left me behind. I had to stop to catch my breath.
 You will however be rewarded for your efforts with spectacular views of the highlands below and on the Kenyan side. Both young and old can visit for picnics and sightseeing. It is worthwhile.

HOW TO GET TO ITAALI AND BUMBO
To get to this historic cave, you will have to board a Bumbo bound taxi from Mbale Taxi Park.
It will cost you 5000 shillings to Bumbo. From Bumbo to Matuwa trading center on a boda boda will cost 5000 shillings as well.
Once you reach Matuwa trading center, ask for a guide to take you to the Libina lwe Namisindwa or the cave of Namisindwa. From Matuwa to the cave is roughly 60-70 metres.

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