David Livingstone — Omuzuuli w’Ensi Ataalekera Awo Kugenda

Yali Ani

David Livingstone yazaalibwa nga 19 ogw’okusatu, 1813, e Blantyre mu Sikotilandi, ng’ye mwana ow’okubiri ku baana musanvu mu maka amaavu naye nga ga Bakristaayo abeewaddeyo ddala eri Katonda. Okuva ku myaka kkumi yakolanga mu kkolero ery’okuluka ppamba, n’eyesomesa yekka akawungeezi ng’ebitabo bye abisimbye ku kyuma kye eky’okuluka, era oluvannyuma n’asomera obusawo e Glasgow. Mu 1840 yasaabala okugenda e Afirika ng’atumiddwa ekibiina kya London Missionary Society, era n’amala emyaka amakumi asatu mu esatu egyaddirira ng’anoonyereza, ng’akuba maapu, era ng’abuulira enjiri munda mu ssemazinga wa Afirika, n’obunyiikivu obwewuunyisa n’abo bennyini abaamussangamu ekitiibwa. Yakola engendo ssatu ennene ez’okunoonyereza, n’aggulawo ebitundu ebinene eby’amasekkati ga Afirika eri ensi ey’ebweru, era n’afuuka omuzuuli w’ensi eyasinga okumanyika mu mulembe gwe. Era ye yali eddoboozi eryasinga okunyiikira n’okuvaamu ebibala mu kulwanyisa obusuubuzi bw’abaddu mu Afirika mu kyasa ekya kkumi n’omwenda. Yasangibwa ng’afudde ng’afukamidde mu kusaba, mu kayumba mu kyalo ky’Omukulu Chitambo, mu kitundu kati ekiyitibwa Zambia, nga Mayi 1, 1873. Abaweereza be Abafirika, abaali bamwagala ennyo, baggyamu omutima gwe ne baguziika mu ttaka lya Afirika lye yawaayo obulamu bwe okulituukako, oluvannyuma ne basitula omulambo gwe ogwali gukuumiddwa obutavunda ne bagutambuza mayiro lukumi mu bina okutuuka ku lubalama lw’ennyanja, alyoke aziikibwe mu Westminster Abbey.

Okwolesebwa Kwe ku Buminsani n’Obuweereza obw’Okwefiiriza

Okwolesebwa kwa Livingstone ku buminsani kwali kwesigamiziddwa ku kukkiriza okwandirabise ng’okwekontana eri bangi ku abo abaamuwagira: nti engeri esinga obulungi ey’okuggulawo Afirika eri enjiri teyali ya kusimba bifo bya buminsani ku lubalama lw’ennyanja, wabula okuyingira munda mu nsi eyali tennakubibwa maapu, okukola enkolagana n’abantu abaaliyo, okusaanyaawo obusuubuzi bw’abaddu obwali buzikiriza ssemazinga, oluvannyuma enjiri n’eyitira mu kkubo lye yali aggudde. Ekigendererwa kino eky’emirundi esatu yakiyita “C ssatu”: Christianity, Commerce, ne Civilization — kwe kugamba, Obukristaayo, Obusuubuzi n’Obuntu obukulaakulana — nga kino yali ategeeza nti okulangirira enjiri tekwawukana ku kuteekawo embeera abantu mwe basobola okukulaakulana.

Amaanyi agaasika obuweereza bwa Livingstone bwonna obw’obuminsani kwali kwolesebwa kwa ssemazinga omujjudde abantu abaali tebannawulira linnya lya Kristo — n’okukkiriza kwe okutanyeenyezeka nti Katonda yali tabeerabidde. Yali anywezezza ekisuubizo kya Isaaya ekinene eky’obuminsani: “Eky’okubeera omuweereza wange n’okuzza amawanga ga Yakobo era n’okukomyawo abantu ba Isirayiri kintu kitono nnyo. Nzija kukufuula ekitangaala eri abamawanga, olyoke oleete obulokozi bwange eri ensi yonna.” (Isaaya 49:6). Eri Bungereza ey’omu mulembe gwa Victoria, Afirika ye yali enkomerero y’ensi. Livingstone yagaana okukkiriza nti yali wala nnyo obulokozi Isaaya bwe yasuubiza ne butasobola kugituukako. Yagenda okwekakasa, era n’amala emyaka amakumi asatu mu esatu ng’alaga nti si bwe kiri.

Endowooza ye ku kwefiiriza mu buminsani yakolebwa mu bufiirwa obwamutuukako emirundi n’emirundi mu buweereza bwe. Yafiirwa obulamu bwe obulungi — omusujja gw’ensiri gwamukwata emirundi egisoba mu asatu, era oluvannyuma n’alwala ekiddukano ky’omusaayi, okuvaamu omusaayi, n’endwadde endala nnyingi ezaamufuula, mu myaka gye egy’enkomerero, ekisiikirize ky’omubiri gwe ogw’edda. Yafiirwa mukazi we, Mary, eyafiira mu Afirika mu 1862, ng’akomyewo okuva e Bungereza okubeera naye nate. Yafiirwa banne be yali akola nabo, emikutu egyamuleeteranga ebyetaago, era emirundi egiwerako n’ekkubo lye — ng’abuliddwa ddala mu masekkati ga Afirika nga tamanyi w’ali. Naye teyafiirwa kukkiriza kwe nti obuminsani bwali bugwana omuwendo gwonna gwe bwamusaba. Yanywerera ku bujulirwa bwa Pawulo: “Tunyigirizibwa erudda n’erudda, naye ne tutabetenteka. Ne tweraliikirira, naye ne tutazirika. Tuyigganyizibwa, naye Katonda tatuleka. Tusuulibwa wansi, naye ne tutabetentuka” (2 Abakkolinso 4:8–9). Ebigambo ebisooka byonna yabiyitamu. Eby’okubiri tewali na kimu kyamutuukako.

Okuwakanya kwe okw’amaanyi obusuubuzi bw’abaddu kye kimu ku bikolwa eby’obuminsani ebyasinga okuba eby’omugaso mu buweereza bwe. Yategeera — nga William Wilberforce bwe yali ategedde omulembe ogwamusooka — nti enjiri erangirira nti buli mmeeme y’omuntu erina ekitiibwa kye kimu mu maaso ga Katonda teyinza n’akatono kutabagana na nkola egula n’etunda emmeeme ezo. Yawandiika ng’asinziira mu masekkati ga Afirika ku bye yali alabye, n’obusungu obwakuma omuliro mu ndowooza z’abantu ba Bungereza, era ne kiyamba okuleetawo amateeka agaakoma ku busuubuzi bw’abaddu mu Buvanjuba bwa Afirika. Yali akola Ebyawandiikibwa kye byalagira: “Yogereranga abo abatasobola kweyogerera, otunulenga mu nsonga z’abo bonna abaasigala ettayo. Yogera olamulenga n’obwenkanya, olwanirirenga abaavu n’abali mu bwetaavu.” (Engero 31:8–9). Eri Livingstone, okulangirira enjiri n’okulwanirira obwenkanya bwali buweereza bumu.

Mu myaka gye egy’enkomerero, Livingstone yabula ddala mu masekkati ga Afirika — ensi ey’ebweru n’emala emyaka nga temanyi w’ali — era olugendo olumanyiddwa ennyo olwa Henry Morton Stanley olw’okumunoonya lwavaamu okusisinkana okumu ku kwasinga okumanyika mu byafaayo by’okunoonyereza ensi. Stanley bwe yamala n’amusanga mu 1871 e Ujiji, yamusaba amuzzeeyo ewaabwe e Bungereza. Livingstone yagaana.

Yali tannamaliriza. Yawandiikira muwala we nti: “Ndi muminsani, mu mutima ne mu mmeeme. Katonda yalina Omwana omu yekka, era Ye yali muminsani era musawo.

Ndi kifaananyi kye ekinafu ennyo, ddala ekinafu, oba njagala okuba bwe ntyo, naye mu buweereza buno mwe nsuubira okubeera omulamu; era mu bwo mwe njagala okufiira.”

Era mu bwo mwe yafiira. Obulamu bwe bwalaga byonna Yokaana by’ayogera ku Kigambo okufuuka omuntu: “Kigambo n’afuuka omubiri, n’abeera mu ffe” (Yokaana 1:14). Livingstone yabeera mu bantu be yali azze okutuusaako enjiri. Era yaziikibwa mu bo.

Okufa kwe ng’afukamidde mu kusaba, mu ndowooza y’abo abaasinga okumumanya, kwe kwali okubuulira okwasinga okukwata ku mitima mu byonna bye yali abuulidde. Obuweereza bwe obw’obuminsani yabutambuza ng’afukamidde mu kyama, era ng’ayimiridde mu lwatu — embeera zino zombi nga tezaawukana, emu ng’ewanirira ginnaayo. Okutuusa ku nkomerero, yali oyo eyatumibwa ataddayo nnyuma, kubanga ekisuubizo ky’Oyo eyamutuma yakikkiriza nga bwe kiri ddala: “Ndi nammwe bulijjo n’okutuukira ddala ensi lw’eriggwaawo” (Matayo 28:20). Olunaku ensi ye lwe yaggwaawo lwamutuukirira mu kayumba ak’ebitoomi mu Zambia.

Era ekisuubizo kyanywera.

Essaala

Mukama abeera mu ffe, tuwe obumalirivu bwa Livingstone obw’obutalekera awo kugenda. Bwe tulonda ekkubo ery’obukuumi mu kifo ky’okuba abatumiddwa, tunenye mu mitima gyaffe. Bwe tubuulira enjiri ekwata ku mmeeme naye n’eziba amaaso ku kubonaabona kw’omubiri, tufuule abantu abajjuvu okusingawo.

Tuwe obuvumu okugenda maapu gy’ekoma, n’okukkiriza okwesiga nti okubeerawo Kwo kutuuka wala okusinga maapu zaffe. Amiina.