LIFE HISTORY OF MY FATHER MR. NABOTH ONYANGO PAULO

Mr. Naboth Onyango Paulo was born in June 30th 1935 at Ngurime village in rural Musoma and was brought up at Gamasara Village in Tarime district. He started his primary education in 1945 and finished lower primary education in 1949 at Gamasara. He continued with Upper Primary school education up to standard eight (8) in 1953. He joined secondary school education whereby he studied for two years only and ended up in form two level in 1955 at Asumbi Secondary School which is in Kisii district in the Republic of Kenya. He couldn’t be able to continue with the secondary school education up to form four level due to a number of family problems including lack of money and instead he opted for an employment with the Ministry of Health and Social Services of the then colonial Tanganyika government as a Nursing Auxiliary. His first appointment was at Maweni Hospital in Kigoma town. Maweni hospital is currently a regional hospital in Kigoma region, the hospital was established as a medical centre by the colonial government way back in 1950.

When we arrived at home about 6 miles away from the hospital, the coffin was kept inside a house that belongs to my father’s elder wife. The move is as per the Luo’s traditional customs. It’s very sad when people knew that our father’s elder wife had deserted it for the last twenty years.

Inside the house, that evening people clustered weeping and wailing over the coffin, among them was my sister (dressed in a red blouse) who fainted and later helped by neighbours.

Standing fourth from left with a walking stick is Major Peter Oguda, a retired military officer and a senior member of the family, in discussion with other members of our family showing the appropriate spot where the grave was later dug in the morning of 6th September 2009. This was during the funeral day.

People and other family members gathered around to see the progress of the grave as diggers were almost seen in half way their waist.