Meet Mutoto Bushenyi's 'rain maker'

Sep 04, 2015

Irene Mutoto has spent over half of her life ‘making’ rain. This is the reason why everyone in her Karubuga village in Kainamo parish, Ibaare Sub County in Bushenyi district — about 350 kilometres south of Kampala city — identifies her as the rainmaker and not Irene.

By Fredrick Mugira


Irene Mutoto has spent over half of her life ‘making’ rain. This is the reason why everyone in her Karubuga village in Kainamo parish, Ibaare Sub County in Bushenyi district — about 350 kilometres south of Kampala city — identifies her as the rainmaker and not Irene.


Mutoto, aged 50 as she estimates says she has been “artificially inducing rain” for the last 28 years — the powers she received after her father made special cuts on her shoulders and rubbed in charms, an act locally known as Okushandaga.

Irene is not the only rainmaker in her village. Six other people in her Karubuga village, including her family members claim to be having powers to do exactly what she does.

On several occasions, they are hired to stop rain from disrupting burial ceremonies; wedding parties; musical concerts and fundraising functions, among others. They are also paid to induce rain especially during planting seasons. In return for their services, the ‘rainmakers’ are usually given meat particularly lungs and duodenum; local beer; chicken and all kinds of food stuffs.

Rainmaking is not a new concept in Ugandan agricultural and pastoralists communities whose lives depend on rainfall. Communities such as the Banyankole, the Karimajong and Iteso among others believe that it is possible for rainmakers to alter weather patterns. This is the reason why communities attribute some effects of climate change such as droughts, floods and destructive hailstorms to them.

 



Jeconeous Musingwire, an environmental scientist with the national environment watchdog –NEMA says the tale of weather modification by rainmakers is not a myth.  “They have indigenous knowledge of tracking wind breezes and knowledge on cloud formation,” notes Jeconeous.

What is surprising is that this is almost the same as how meteorologists track signals of rain formation using satellite. Meteorologists also analyse wind breezes, the accumulation of nimbus clouds and how big such clouds are, among others.

And so, “Because ‘rainmakers’ have been tracking wind breezes and clouds for a long period of time, they have wiser and elevated prediction of what is going to happen,” further stresses Jeconeous.

But what is not clear is how ‘rainmakers’ stop rain from falling. For Irene Mutoto aka ‘rainmaker’, the trick lies in not bathing.

“There is nothing much I do. When clients hire me to stop rain, I make sure I do not bathe on the day of the function. If I did, it would rain. I gently scratch my head to strengthen my powers when it threatens to rain,” narrates the almost one-eyed Irene.

“But sometimes the situation gets out of control and it rains heavily.  I am also human. But most times I stop it.”

These acts of ‘rainmakers’ highlight the relevance of indigenous spiritual customs and cosmology of the Africans in preservation of natural water resources.

However, the water and environment minister, Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu challenges them to cause rain during drought when rain is needed most.

“I have never understood the science of rainmakers. Sometimes they are paid to stop rain and it rains. Sometimes they are paid to bring rain and they fail. Why do we have droughts? Why wouldn’t these guys during drought bring rain?” wonders minister Kamuntu.  

“What I know is that there are areas which you need scientific explanations instead of depending on these wizards.”

What is worrying is that several people in Uganda and other developing nations are discharging indigenous systems, especially spiritual values and consequently overlooking their potential to facilitate sustainable development of communities. This is unswervingly linked to westernisation which subdues indigenous customs and knowledge — some of which are vital in conservation of environment.

For this reason, Reverend Charles Mukundane, a PhD student and lecturer at Bishop Stuart University in Mbarara believes environmentalists and meteorologists need to tap such indigenous knowledge even though he disagrees with what he calls the “demonic powers” of rainmakers.

“There is need for more research in the acts of these people. Research can help scientists to know how to work with them. This is very important because it would help to foretell occurrence of droughts, storms and floods,” notes Reverend Charles.


This story was produced under the aegis of the CSE Media Fellowships Programme.



 

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