THE STORY OF MAHMOUD ABSURA BAKHIT

THE STORY OF MAHMOUD ABSURA BAKHIT Mahmoud Absura Bakhit Came from Sudan. Absura had two other brothers. They were trained bythe British army to fight for them during WW1. As theywere on their way back from the war, they lost oneanother. The two brothers went and settled in Ugandaand Absura came through Kismayu and settled in Kenya.He had two wives. The first wife was called Amna andthe second one was called Fatna. Fatna was Amna’sniece. Absura and his family first went and settled ata place called Sarang’ombe. After the Nubians hadsettled in Kibra they had a chief called the ‘luwali’.The luwali had many duties to do. My grandfather and his two wives werebrewing “kuite”, something the Nubian community hadabolished. So the luwali called for a meeting to talkabout the behaviours of Absura and his two wives. Theluwali talked to Absura to stop brewing kuite, but herefused. So the luwali and the community chased himaway. Absura and his two wives went far away from theNubian people and settled in a place called Langata. He first went and settled opposite Nairobiorphanage before he was moved after the place wasallocated for a cemetery. He was given another placein the langata area by the then British governor. Hewas the first Nubian to stay on the other side ofKibra. ‘Kibra’ is a Nubian word which means forest. As my grandfather lost his brothers ontheir way he was alone here in Kenya. So he started anew family. He had ten children-three boys and sevengirls. He gave every man who married his daughter apiece of land to build a house. If that man divorcedhis daughter, he was chased and he remained with thedaughter and the children. That is how he becamefamous and had a big family. Now everywhere in Kibrayou will find his grandchildren and great, greatgrandchildren. Absura came to reunite with his brothers in his agingyears. They thought he had died during the WW1. Theywere surprised when one of there grandchildren wantedto marry a woman from Nairobi who happened to be Absura’s granddaughter. After demanding to know theclan of the girl and her family, they were shocked todeath to hear the name Absura. So one of thebrothers, Bilal, accompanied his grandchild to meetAbsura. He could not believe his eyes that he was seeing his previously believed to be dead brother.