Uyu muzungu Speke ngo yaratwawe n’abacakara bamujyanye ku kiyaga cya Victoria ngo akivumbure! Amashirakinyoma kuri iyi nkuru

Mu kinyejana cya 19, Afurika yari yarahinduwe ikarita iriho utubanza tw’ubushakashatsi bw’Abanyaburayi, buri gihugu kigaharanira gushyira izina ryacyo ku byo kitari cyarigeze kigira. Muri uwo murongo w’amateka ni ho hagaragara izina rya John Hanning Speke, Umwongereza wagizwe icyamamare nk’“umuvumbuzi” w’Ikiyaga cya Victoria. Nyamara iyo umuntu asuzumye neza amateka ye, urugendo rwe n’uko icyo kiyaga cyari gisanzwe kizwi n’abaturage baho, bigaragara ko iryo zina ry’ubuvumbuzi ryubakiye ku musingi wa gikoloni kurusha ukuri kw’amateka.

John Hanning Speke yavukiye mu Bwongereza mu 1827, mu gihugu cyari kimaze kuba igihangange mu by’inganda no mu bya gisirikare. Icyo gihe, u Bwongereza bwari mu marushanwa akomeye n’ibindi bihugu by’i Burayi byo gushaka kugenzura inzira z’ubucuruzi, amasoko n’ahantu h’ingufu kamere. Afurika ntiyarebwaga nk’umugabane w’abaturage bafite amateka n’ubumenyi, ahubwo yafatwaga nk’ahantu h’amayobera hakwiye “gusobanurwa” n’Abanyaburayi. Speke yinjiye muri uwo murongo w’abasirikare n’abashakashatsi bakoraga ubushakashatsi bufite isura ya siyansi ariko bufite n’intego za politiki.

Urugendo rwe rw’ingenzi rwatangiye hagati ya 1857 na 1862, ubwo yajyanaga na Richard Francis Burton mu gushaka inkomoko y’Uruzi rwa Nile. Nile yari uruzi rukomeye mu bitekerezo by’Abanyaburayi, kandi kurumenya byafatwaga nk’intsinzi ikomeye y’ubumenyi. Mu 1858, Speke yatandukanye na Burton ajya mu majyaruguru y’akarere k’Ibiyaga Bigari, aho yahuye n’ikiyaga kinini cyane ku rwego atari yarigeze abona na rimwe mu nyandiko z’i Burayi. Icyo gihe ni bwo yatangaje ko abonye isoko ya Nile.

Icyakora, Speke ntiyageze kuri icyo kiyaga wenyine, kandi ntiyageze ahantu hatuwe n’abantu badasanzwe. Yagezeyo ayobowe n’abaturage baho, mu moko arimo Abaluo n’andi moko yari asanzwe atuye ku nkombe z’icyo kiyaga. Abo bantu bari bazi icyo kiyaga mu buryo bwimbitse, bakagikoresha mu buzima bwabo bwa buri munsi, bakagiha amazina, bakakigira igice cy’umuco n’imyemerere yabo. Kuri abo bantu bo muri ubwo bwoko Speke yasanze, icyo kiyaga nticyari ikintu gishya cyangwa amayobera kuri bo; cyari ahantu hazwi, hafite amateka n’icyubahiro.

Mbere y’uko Speke agiha izina rya Victoria, icyo kiyaga cyari kizwi ku mazina atandukanye bitewe n’akarere n’ururimi. Mu Buganda, cyitwaga Nnalubaale, izina rifite ibisobanuro byimbitse bijyanye n’imbaraga n’ubutungane by’Imana mu myemerere yaho. Mu tundi duce, cyane cyane ahari Abaswahili, cyari kizwi ku izina rya Ukerewe, rifitanye isano n’ikirwa kinini kiri muri icyo kiyaga. Ibi byerekana ko Speke atigeze “avumbura” ikiyaga kitari kizwi, ahubwo yahuye n’ikiyaga cyari gisanzwe gifite amazina, ibisobanuro n’uruhare rukomeye mu mibereho y’abaturage baho.

Igihe Speke yahisemo kugiha izina rya Lake Victoria, yabikoze atitaye ku mateka yaho, ahubwo ashingiye ku muco wa gikoloni wo gushyira ikimenyetso cy’ubwami ku byo babonaga. Yakitiriye Umwamikazi Victoria w’u Bwongereza, mu buryo bwari busanzwe bukoreshwa n’Abanyaburayi mu kwigarurira ikintu runaka cyangwa ubutaka haba  mu bitekerezo no mu nyandiko. Iryo zina ryari ikimenyetso cy’uko icyo kiyaga cyinjijwe mu ishusho y’inyungu z’u Bwongereza, nubwo cyari mu mutima wa Afurika kandi kikaba cyarabayeho imyaka ibarirwa mu bihumbi mbere y’uko Speke ahagera.

Nyuma yo kugaruka mu Bwongereza, Speke yatangaje ko Ikiyaga cya Victoria ari cyo soko nyamukuru ya Nile, avuga ko ari we wayivumbuye. Ibyo byavuzwe byateje impaka zikomeye mu bahanga n’abandi bashakashatsi, cyane cyane Richard Burton, wigeze kuvuga ko Speke yihutiraga gufata imyanzuro idafite ibimenyetso bihagije. Nubwo impaka zabaye ndende, inkuru ya Speke yemerwa n’abategetsi b’u Bwongereza kuko yari ihuye n’inyungu zabo zo kwagura ubutegetsi n’ubucuruzi mu karere k’Ibiyaga Bigari.

Speke yapfuye mu 1864, apfa mu buryo bwakomeje gutera urujijo, ariko umurage we wakomeje kubaho mu bitabo by’amateka byanditswe n’Abanyaburayi. Icyakora, uko imyaka yagiye ishira, abashakashatsi n’abanyamateka batangiye gusubiza amaso inyuma, bagasesengura inkuru ye mu ndorerwamo nshya ishingiye ku kuri kw’amateka n’ijwi ry’abaturage ba Afurika.

Uyu munsi, kuvuga ko John Hanning Speke “yavumbuye” Ikiyaga cya Victoria ni imvugo igomba gusobanurwa neza. Yari Umunyaburayi wa mbere wagishyize mu nyandiko z’i Burayi kandi akagitangaza ku rwego mpuzamahanga, ariko ntiyari we wagihanze cyamngwa wakibonye bwa mbere, ntiyari we wagihaye amazina ya mbere kuko cyari gifite amazina atandukanye bitewe n’uko cyari kinini bityo ubwoko bw’abantu bagikoraho ari bwinshi, buri bwoko bukagira izina bwita icyo kiyaga bushingiye ku muco wabwo ndetse n’ururimi. Speke we aje yakise izina rimwe rihuriweho, kandi ntiyari we wagihaye agaciro mu buzima bwa muntu. Gusubiza amateka mu kuri kwayo bisaba kwemera ko ibyo bita ubuvumbuzi byari akenshi ugushyira amazina mashya ku bintu byari bisanzwe bifite amateka, umuco n’ababituye.

Iyo foto yo mu 1864 igaragaza Abaluo batwaye Speke ni gihamya ikomeye ko amateka yanditswe mu buryo bumwe, ariko ukuri kwabayeho mu buryo butandukanye. Ni ishusho itwibutsa ko Afurika itigeze itegereza kuvumburwa, ahubwo yari isanzwe ibaho, izi kandi yiyizi. Inkuru nk’iyi ntigomba gusomwa nk’inkuru y’intsinzi y’umuntu umwe, ahubwo nk’isomo ryo gusubiramo amateka no kuyandika bundi bushya, mu kuri no mu bwubahane.