The Garden Village: Stories from Kitokota Village.

Harvest of Deceit: The Secrets of Kitokota

In the aftermath of the beer party organized by the banana farmers in thanksgiving for Chief Yokana Katogo Musegezi’s 38-year reign as chief of Kitokota village, the village council of guardians went for a one-week agricultural summit at Kyankware. You know, at Kyankware, different village crop-growing associations gather there for lessons on how to train farmers in their different crop-growing groups. However, given that the banana growers, whom some call the yellow party on account of the theme colour of their chief crop, have been the leading farmers association in Kitokota village, Kyankware is nearly a possession of the banana farmers, as the banana growers have dominated it for a long time.

While at the Kyankware Farmers Training Institute, Chief Musegezi reiterated the vow to crush farmers who steal farm produce meant for the entire village. It is a common practice for the council of guardians to take some produce for their own families. As such, Kitokota village is on fire these days, as stealing village produce is the talk of the day. Day after day, new stories unfold as the council of elders and village guardians, among others, steal sacks of produce from the village barns. Such is the anarchical situation in Kitokota village.

Away from the Kyankware agricultural summit, back home, the fight against theft of village produce is ongoing. Ironically, villagers who rise to against this taboo are handled pants down, yet the village's written constitution permits them. Recently, the village guards manhandled one peasant who matched towards the Big Hut where elders gather to argue about issues but rarely reach consensus. The peasant, dissatisfied with how the village orator, a certain once black-spotted but currently white and remotely black-spotted lady who presides over council meetings, lavishly feeds herself, allegedly with farm produce, angrily stormed the Big Hut prior to the intersection by spear-welded guards. At the mercy of the village arbitrators, she was released, but still has unfinished business with the village council.

Other than, other crop-growing associations are busy in their gardens, tilling the land as the harvest draws close. The tomato-growing union, usually called the red party based on the redness of their tomatoes, is the immediate competitor with the yellow party. You know, these tomato growers have given Chief Musegezi a headache. The banana party’s market drastically decreased when the tomato growers stormed the village market. The latter not only reduced the former’s clientele but also manifested how rotten their bananas were. At the heart of the tomato growers’ success is Bobina, a young, energetic farmer. Together with his fellow tomato farmers, he has become a thorn in the necks of the banana farmers.

The Blueberry Farmers Association is restructuring after an alleged virus that many say came from the banana garden. This virus swayed this association off the market as its clientele realized that the same virus that made the bananas go sour had found its way in the blueberries. Nevertheless, the blueberry farmers have resolved to get a remedy before their clientele fully diminishes.

Avocado growers, under their umbrella association, the Avocado Growers’ Network, were fully annihilated by the banana virus. Despite efforts made by their chief farmer to rejuvenate their fruits, the disease persists. Shamelessly, their head farmer, Nobari Maondi, is a close ally of the banana farmers’ association chief farmer, who does not want to see other crop-growing associations prosper. As such, the green party, as many call the avocado growers association, has lost many of its farmers, just as many have joined the tomato growers.

Other than these organized associations, other minor crop-growing associations are not so vibrant. All these contend for the best portion of the market. You need to know that in this village, the crop-growing association with the biggest market stands a chance of leading the village with its chief farmer as the village chief. As such, all associations are busy in view of the imminent harvest period.

That aside, rumors regarding the village orator, whose abnormal feeding raises suspicions about her food whereabouts, are on the rise. As such, she (the white but remotely black-spotted village orator) has yielded to the villagers’ pressures. She promises to schedule a gathering under the village Muti-Lugambo tree, of which many gossipmongers believe she will brief the inhabitants about the suspicious whereabouts of her feeding, and how she manages to fill her home pantries.

By the time I left Kitokota village, chief Musegezi and his council were back from Kyankware. As usual, I saw Chief Musegezi ride past me on his bicycle at a terrific speed. His round hat, which some villages talk about as being in an existential crisis with the village gods, nearly fell off his head as the chief together with his entourage rode down at breakneck speed from Kyankware Hill.

Having re-resolved and deliberated on many issues, especially smiting the produce thieves, they returned with new hopes of fruitful reigning over the village for the coming harvest period. Nevertheless, the hopes of the village residents are low that anything concerning the chief’s reign will change for good.

The writer is a weekly pilgrim to Kitokota village.

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