Ota Benga: Yawambibwa mu Congo olw’ekikula kye n’atwalibwa mu zoo mu America

Bya John Bosco Kiyingi

MU 1904 Ota Benga yawambibwa okuva mu Congo n’atwalibwa mu America n’asibirwa wamu n’enkima n’afuuka eky’obulambuzi era ng’abantu basasula okumwerolera nga yee­moola n’enkima oba enkobe!

Emu ku nsonga eyawambisa Benga yali nkula ye teri kirala. Abazungu baali balowooza nti, ekikula kye kyanjawulo era alinayo banne abalala abamu­faanana bangi ddala be baali basuubira okuzuula babateeke mu kifo kimu.

Oluvannyuma lw’emyaka egisoba mu 100 ab’ekuumiro ly’ebisolo eya Bronx Zoo mu New York mu America, bakkiriza nti, omusajja ono baamuyisa bubi era kye baakola yali nsonbi era bejjusa olwa kye baakola.

Baamussanga ku mudaala okumufuula eky’obulambuzi. Benga yakwatibwa ku bira­giro by’omusuubuzi Omumerica Samuel Verner mu 1904 ng’alabye asobola okumukozesa okufuna ssente.

Amannyo Ga Benga

Kigambibwa nti mu ki­seera we yakwatirwa yali wakati w’emyaka 12 oba 13 Benga yakwatibwa n’abavubuka abalala bana nga buli omu bamu­labyemu ekitone ne babassa ku mmeeri eyaseyeeya okutuuka e New Orleans basobole okwetaba mu mwoleso gw’ensi yonna ogwali gutegekeddwa mu kibangirizi kya St. Louis mu kitundu kye kimu.

Wadde omwoleso guno gway­ingira ne mu biseera eby’obutiti, abavubuka bano baabakuumira mu mbeera nga tebabawa ngoye ziwera wadde eby’okwebikka ne babeera nga buli kiseera batin­tima.

Mu septembera wa 1906 Benga baamutwala mu zoo y’e Bronx okumwemoolerako ne kugenda mu maaso nga bwe bamufunamu ssente kubanga okumulaba kwa­banga kwa kusasulira.

Oluvannyuma lwa bannaddiini okuvaayo n’amaanyi ne bavumirira ekikolwa kino, zoo eno yapondoo­ka n’ekyusa Benga ne bamutwala mu maka g’abaana Abaddugavu enfuuzi aga New York Howard Coloured Orphan Asylum agaali gakulirwa Rev. James H Gordon.

Oluvannyuma baamutwala mu ttendekero nga kuliko ne seminale y’Abaddugavu erya Lynchburg Theological Seminary and College e Virginia.

Eno baamweyambisa okuyigi­riza balenzi banne bwe bayigga n’okuvuba nga bwe baabikolanga mu Congo n’emboozi endala okuli enfumo, obulombolombo bye yali yaakayiga ng’omuvubuka ng’akyali Congo.

Olw’engeri gye yali ayisid­dwaamu era nga tawuliziganya na baaluganda lwe, yafuna emmundu ne yeekuba amasasi. Kyokka Abazungu okwagala okuzibiiki­riza obujulizi, abamu baasigala bagamba nti, Benga okuzann­yazannya n’enkima oluusi enkobe, yali mukozi wa ‘zoo’ eyo!