THE RIVER AND THE SOURCE - CONFLICT

·         Man vs. man

•        Akoko vs. Oloo

When Akoko was ten months old, she got into conflict with her older brother Oloo who had taken something that she was playing with. Conflict between these two siblings was minor because both of them were still in their childhood years and as they grew up Oloo became Akoko’s greatest helper and supporter.

•        Otieno vs. Chief Owuor Kembo

Conflict between Otieno and his brother chief Owuor kembo began during the negotiation for the bride price of Akoko. Otieno was opposed to the idea of paying thirty head of cattle as Akoko’s bride price. To Otieno that much cattle was enough to marry three wives and he saw no difference between Akoko and the other women.

After the traditional marriage between Akoko and chief Owuor kembo, Otieno became extremely jealous of his brother. In his heart he desired Akoko who seemed to be getting younger every year instead of getting older. Conflict between the two brothers got out of hand when chief Owuor kembo learnt that Otieno and his mother, Nyar Asembo, had ganged up against his wife and was the cause of Akoko’s leaving her matrimonial home.

•        Chief Owuor kembo vs. Nyar Asembo

After the birth of Obura, chief Owuor kembo was under great pressure to marry another wife especially from his mother Nyar Asembo who felt that the rate at which his son was reproducing himself was too slow.  The conflict between these two got worse after Akoko left her matrimonial home and went back to Yimbo after her altercations with Nyar Asembo and Otieno. During the altercations between Grandmother Nyar Asembo and Akoko, chief Owuor kembo had journeyed and gone to a friend’s funeral. When he returned from his journey, he learnt of what had transpired between his wife and his mother and Otieno. His brother and mother tried to bluff the events that had taken place but he eventually got the full story from willing villagers and his children. These revelations angered chief Owuor kembo and it made him to almost strike his mother which was a great taboo.

•        Akoko vs. Nyar Asembo

Though Nyar Asembo liked Akoko very much, conflict between the two started when it became evident that the rate at which Akoko was giving birth was too slow. After the birth of Nyabera, conflict between Akoko and nyar Asembo escalated when Akoko takes a unilateral decision and names her new baby Odero after his father chief Odero gogni who had died recently.  The decision to name her baby after chief Odero gogni infuriated Nyar Asembo who wanted Nyabera to be given names after her dead relatives.

Four years after the birth of Nyabera, Akoko and Grandmother Nyar Asembo got into another conflict when Nyar Asembo declared that Akoko had bewitched her son. When Akoko learnt of the accusations coming from her mother in law she calls out a crowd the following morning and she addresses the crowd by telling them of how Nyar Asembo has accused her of using spells on chief Owuor kembo to prevent him from marrying another wife. She also tells the crowd of how Nyar Asembo and her son Otieno were still bitter because the bride price paid to chief Odero gogni did not translate to children as the two had expected. Because of the accusations that were levelled against her, she takes a unilateral decision and leaves Sakwa to her father’s home in Yimbo.

•        Akoko vs. Otieno

Conflict between Akoko and Otieno started during the negotiation to betroth Akoko to chief Owuor kembo. Otieno was opposed to the marriage between chief Owuor kembo and Akoko because the number of cattle that was to be paid as bride price was two and half times more than the required amount. Years later Otieno was bitter with Akoko because Akoko had not born thirty children in exchange for the cattle paid to her father as bride price.

During her address early morning to the crowd that had gathered because of her wailing and screaming after being accused of witchcraft, Akoko gets into another conflict with Otieno after Otieno dared to beat her. To his surprise, Otieno retreated because of the fear that he had on Akoko and he was also afraid of his brother chief Owuor kembo who added scandal to all his other sins by failing to ever lay a finger on his wife.

After the death of Owang sino, Akoko gets into another conflict with Otieno after Otieno takes over the chief’s stool and sat on it with arrogance. During his tenure as chief of the Sakwa village, Otieno appropriated his brother’s wealth and tried to grab Akoko’s personal wealth as well. Because of Otieno’s greed and arrogance, it became clear to Akoko that Otieno had no intention of ever giving up the chiefdom and after his death; his numerous sons would make sure that it stayed in the family.  When she realized how her situation was regarding the chieftainship, she sought the help of the white men to remove Otieno from the chief’s stool. Conflict between these two escalates when Otieno learns that Akoko had sought the help of the white men to remove him from power. When she arrives to Sakwa from Kisumu where she had gone to seek the white men’s help, she found that Otieno had plundered her wealth having taken advantage of her absence.

Days after seeking the white man’s help, Otieno heard that there were people nosing around his affairs just when they were on their way out. The realization made him furious and he summoned Akoko who declined to go. Her refusal to go and see Otieno brought her into another direct conflict with Otieno and he threatened her but quickly retreated when he discovered that Akoko was not afraid of him.

Several days later after Akoko’s altercation with Otieno, Akoko journeyed again to Kisumu where she presented her complaint again to the DC and her complaints were supported by the messengers who had been sent by the DO. After successfully pleading with the DC, a contingent of askaris was sent to Sakwa to forcibly remove Otieno from the chief’s stool. The conflict between Akoko and Otieno is resolved after Otieno is removed from the chief’s stool and was forced to return all that he had grabbed from Akoko and his grandnephew.

•        Ogoma kwach vs. his wife

After the death of Okumu, Ogoma kwach was given the responsibility of siring children with Nyabera so that the name of Okumu could be maintained and to prevent Nyabera from wandering from man to man. Because Nyabera was an attractive, Ogoma kwach started to spend more time at her house than at his wife’s house. This action brought conflict between him and his wife who felt that he had neglected her. Conflict between the two was resolved after his wife reported the matter to the council of elders who called on him and reprimanded him.

•        Nyabera vs. Catechist

While she was in the mission in Gem learning about the new religion, Nyabera got into conflict with the catechist because she was asking the catechist challenging questions. To the catechist, Nyabera’s questions were like she was questioning God. Her conflict with the catechist subsided after she finally mastered the basics of Christianity and understood its full meaning. She also became entirely dependent on the catechist explanations so as not to annoy him.

•        Akoko vs. Nyabera

Few months after the death of Owang sino, Akoko decided to go to Kisumu so that she could seek the help of the Whiteman’s government because she did not trust that his brother in law Otieno would relinquish the chief’s stool when Owuor came of age. Her decision to go to Kisumu brought her into conflict with her daughter Nyabera who had tried to caution her about the white people. Nyabera made it clear to Akoko that the white people were not to be trusted. Nyabera also opposed the idea of her mother going to Kisumu because she was afraid of what could happen to her and to Owuor whom she was leaving behind. Nyabera’s worries were met with scorn from Akoko who reminded her that she was not the woman that she brought up and that she doubted that she was fit to be a mother. The conflict between Nyabera and Akoko is quickly resolved when Nyabera assures her that she trusts her with the decisions that she makes.

The two women got into another conflict during Awiti’s ceremony to reward her for her good work in school. During the ceremony Nyabera made a scene and caused a commotion when she heard that her daughter Awiti has been invited to join a teachers’ college. Her actions annoyed Akoko who reprimanded her when they went back to their hut. According to Akoko, Nyabera had become selfish because she thought that her daughter was being taken away from her.

•        Oyange silwal vs. Akoko and Nyabera

Oyange silwal, the uncle of Awiti, was angry with Akoko and Nyabera because the two had insisted that the bride price for Awiti to be a mere token. Oyange wanted the bride price to be twice the normal amount if not more because Awiti was a beauty and she was also learned. Because Akoko had set the bride price low, Oyange threatened to storm out of the negotiation until Akoko reminded him of how he had neglected his duty in raising Awiti. Conflict between Oyange silwal and the two women is later resolved after Oyange accepts the bride price that Akoko had set which furnished the requirements of chik.

•        Mark vs. Italian doctor

Conflict between Mark and the Italian doctor started when Mark took Elizabeth to the hospital after he mistakenly gave her antimalarials which were known to induce abortion. When the Italian doctor heard the story and examined Elizabeth, he started calling Mark and Elizabeth all manner of names. He also accused Mark of trying to kill his wife.

•        Elizabeth vs. Mark

Conflict between Mark and Elizabeth started after the death of Akoko. During that period Elizabeth was in confusion, anger and grief and when Mark approached her together with Owuor to sympathise with her, she told Mark to go away and that she did not want to see him again. Conflict between these two is resolved after Nyabera counsels Awiti and later Awiti asks for forgiveness from Mark who understood what she was going through and he forgives her.

After Mark married Elizabeth and went to live with her in Nakuru, there arose another conflict between the two when Mark mistakenly gave Elizabeth antimalarials after she complained of nausea and dizziness. Unknowingly to Mark and Elizabeth, Elizabeth was pregnant and the medications that Mark gave her caused chloroquin poisoning which was known to induce abortion in early pregnancies. Two years after the incident, Elizabeth accused Mark of having deliberately given her the medications to make her sterile. These accusations made Mark angry and he nearly struck Elizabeth. This conflict is resolved in the third year of their marriage when Elizabeth becomes pregnant and gives birth to twins.

•        Mark vs. his mother

Three years after Mark’s marriage to Elizabeth, Mark’s mother arrived in Nakuru and demanded an explanation as to why the two did not have any children. She tried to accuse Elizabeth basing her arguments on her education and she also eluded that maybe Elizabeth was up to some mischief before her marriage to Mark. Her assumptions angered Mark who told her that it was not her business to mind about them. Mark’s threats to her mother made her angry and on the same evening he put her on the bus so that she could go back and look after her husband.

Mark and his mother also got into another conflict during the time when the country was in a state of emergency. Mark’s mother heard that Mark had taken his young family to live in Aluor. Mark’s mother started accusing Elizabeth of taking off with her grandchildren and treating them like dirt. Her accusations angered Mark who regretted stopping by to see his mother on his way back to Nakuru.

•        Mark vs. pretty girl

When Mark was staying alone in Nakuru after sending his family to Aluor because the country was in a state of emergency, she got involved with a pretty girl and the girl moved in with him. Two months after the girl moved into Mark’s house she announced that she was pregnant. Her announcement made her to get into conflict with Mark who decided to chase her away from his home accusing her of being adulterous.

•        Becky vs. Mary

When Mary was born, she became so much attached to his father and this set her on a collision path with her sister Becky who liked to be the centre of attention and now Mary threatened her position. When she was about to sit for her final ordinary level examinations, Becky was close to a nervous breakdown as she drove herself to work at a pace that she was not accustomed to. During that period Becky tried to take out her frustrations on her little sister Mary.

•        Odongo vs. Mark

Conflict between Odongo and Mark started after the O level results of Odongo and Opiyo were released. Odongo had failed miserably and because he didn’t look particularly concerned about it, his father informed him that he would have to repeat the class. This suggestion by his father angered Odongo who in turn asked his father to get him a school because he knew of boys who had performed worse scores than his and who were in high school. His father flatly declined to Odongo’s request therefore making him repeat the class that he had failed.

•        Mark vs. Becky

Conflict between Mark and Becky started soon after the results of the ordinary level exams were released. Becky had managed a second division pass with which she was well pleased as were her parents. Because of her good results she wanted to look for a job immediately but Mark opposed of it because she wanted Becky to go back to her old school and study for her advanced level certificate in history, literature and geography just as she had been told to do. When Becky told her father that she wanted to be an air hostess, Mark became furious and told her that that was unacceptable. Conflict between Mark and Becky seemed to have resolved itself when Becky decided to bid her time by going back to school and doing her advanced level certificate.

Years later, Mark got into another conflict with Becky when he heard that Becky had an affair outside marriage which led to her separating with John Courtney.

•        Mark vs. Tony

Mark got into conflict with Tony when Tony decided to join the priesthood. At first Mark resisted Tony’s decision of joining the priesthood but during Tony’s ordination he was full of pride for his son. His joy showed that he no longer was in conflict with his son.

•        Mark vs. Vera

Mark got into conflict with Vera when Vera arrived home one day and declared that she wanted to join the catholic prelature of opus dei as a non – marrying member. Though Mark had never heard of opus dei, he could not understand why Vera could not marry. The conflict between the two is later resolved when Mark accepted Vera’s decision because he loved her.

•        Aoro and Tony vs. Odongo and Opiyo

After the drowning incident, Aoro and Tony got into conflict with the twins (Opiyo and Odongo) after the twins absolved themselves of blame by telling their parents that they had been forced by Aoro and Tony to swim in the river. When the twins were telling these to their parents, Aoro and Tony looked at them with loathing and then looked at each other with the understanding that the twins would be banned forthwith from all their activities.

•        Becky vs. John Courtney

John Courtney got into conflict with Becky and the conflict led to the separation of the two. The conflict was brought about by Becky who had an affair outside their marriage. After the separation of John and Becky, John moved back to Canada where his roots were and he was never heard of again.

•        Aoro vs. Wandia

The conflict between Aoro and Wandia started when both joined the university to study medicine. In the team of six students that was formed by Dr. Gitonga, Aoro and Wandia started competing for the top position in anatomy. The conflict between the two is resolved after their examination when Aoro realized that Wandia had beaten him by a single point to score 78 while Aoro had 77. Though Aoro was deeply disappointed he offered to buy a drink for Wandia at the cafeteria so that they can resolve the conflict and competition that existed between them.

After college, Aoro married Wandia and during their marriage the two got into another conflict when they learnt that their son Daniel had leukaemia. The day that Wandia discovered that her son was sick she was angry at Aoro because she felt that Aoro had neglected some of his duties as a father. Later on, Wandia got herself into another conflict with Aoro when she got a scholarship to go and study haematology in America. Aoro was opposed to her decision of going to study far away because it meant leaving the children behind, the youngest of them being four years old. The conflict between the two is resolved when Aoro suggests that he will ask his sister Mary to live with them and to help them take care of the house and the children. Wandia also suggested that they get an extra house help who would assist Tabu in running the house. These suggestions helped to resolve the conflict that was building up between the two characters.

•        Vera vs. Becky

The conflict between Vera and Becky started when Becky showed signs of disliking her sister Vera. Becky’s dislike for Vera is evidenced when Becky kept her things strictly to herself and her side of the room was always spotlessly clean. On the other hand Vera’s dislike for Becky showed when she started having doubts about Becky when she showed no concern when they both learnt that Tony had been taken to the hospital the previous night.

When the two girls reached seventeen years old, Vera had become tired of her sister’s selfishness and she made a promise to herself to go very far away from her as soon as she could. Vera’s dislike for her sister Becky is also shown when she realized the magnitude of the sacrifice she had made for her uncaring sister.

The conflict between the two sisters gets worse after the birth of Mary. After Mary’s birth she became so much attached to their father Mark and Becky started to dislike her because she wanted to be the centre of attention and Mary threatened this. Vera pleaded with Becky to go easy on Mary but Becky took out all her frustrations on Mary especially during the time that there were about to sit for their examinations. Becky attacks on Mary angered Vera until one night when the conflict between the two twins blew up and the two nearly engaged in a fist fight before being stopped by their mother. After the incident the relationship between the twin sisters received a blow from which it never fully recovered.

The conflict between Vera and Becky seemed like it was going to resolve itself several years later when Vera goes out to look for her sister Becky who was working at the airport. She looked for Becky because she was finding a way to have peace and solace after her breakup with Tommy muhambe. When the two sisters met at the airport where Becky worked, they talked as if there was no bad blood between them. Becky confesses to Vera that she was jealous of her throughout her life because she had everything that she wanted. When Vera left Becky’s flat and returned to her hostel she in turn confesses to Maryanne that she too was jealous of Becky because she was beautiful.

After the divorce between John and Becky, Vera became concerned as to the kind of influence Becky was having on her children who looked lost and confused. Vera became so incensed that she suggested to her sister Becky to send the children home to mark and Elizabeth or to Canada to their father. This suggestion angers Becky who scathingly attacks Vera thereby creating another conflict between them.

In her last will before she died Becky’s final statement shows that she was making peace with her twin sister Vera. She did this by leaving her children under her care and by giving her control over her vast wealth that she had accumulated over time.

•        Aoro vs. mark

Conflict between Aoro and Mark started when Mark learnt that Aoro had been suspended from school because of indiscipline. Mark made a decision during dinner time that since Aoro had become a man he would have to provide for himself. Mark’s threat to Aoro became real when he ordered his family not to provide food for Aoro and for the next thirty six hours Aoro stayed without eating any food. Aoro’s predicament continued until the next day when he realized that death by starvation was imminent. To resolve the conflict between him and his father, Aoro asks for forgiveness and he promises his father that he will never do the things he had done in school again.

·         Man vs. self

·         Chief Odero gogni vs. Self

Two weeks after the birth of Akoko, chief Odero gogni suffered internally because the baby who had been born by his second wife and who was his first daughter developed a prolonged bout of colic and screaming which brought fear to him. Because of his fears he summoned his mother to help him figure out which might be the cause of the child’s sickness.

Chief Odero gogni was also faced with another conflict during the marriage negotiation between chief Owuor kembo and Akoko. During the negotiation, chief Odero gogni undergoes a moment of confusion when chief Owuor kembo accepts the bride price set for Akoko. He resolves the conflict within himself when he rises beautifully and accepts the suit coming from the people of Sakwa.

·         Chief Owuor kembo vs. Self

Chief Owuor kembo suffered internally after the death of his father chief Kembo k’agina. As the current chief of Sakwa he was under great pressure to get married since it was unthinkable that a chief should be unmarried. His urgency in seeking a wife and the beauty of Akoko made him accept the bride price of 30 head of cattle that had been set by chief Odero gogni. After his marriage to Akoko, chief Owuor kembo got into conflict with her mother Nyar Asembo and the council of elders because of the rate that he was reproducing was too slow. He became internally conflicted because he did not know how to tell her mother that since he married Akoko he had profoundly lost interest in all the other women. Chief Owuor kembo’s internal conflict did not end there because during the birth of Owang sino, Akoko had a difficult pregnancy and the birth was harrowing. The chief found himself wishing fervently that he did not need more children.

·         Otieno vs. Self

When he was in Yimbo to negotiate the bride price for Akoko to chief Owuor kembo, Otieno becomes internally conflicted because the bride price that had been agreed upon was two and half times more than what they were expecting. This annoyed him because he argued within himself that at the rate his brother was paying for bride price there would be no cattle left for him to pay bride price when his time came.

·         Akoko vs. Self

The birth of Nyabera brought suffering to Akoko because the delivery had not been easy. This was because the baby had lain badly in the womb and was trapped. During the delivery process Akoko was gripped in agony as the midwives tried to turn the baby. When she finally delivered the midwives had to struggle with her to save her life since she was bleeding.  When they were about to give up the bleeding slackened and eventually ceased. This was a relief to both the midwives and Akoko because it had looked as if both mother and the baby were goners. Because Akoko was still also in mourning after the death of chief Odero gogni, she tried to resolve the pain within her by naming her new-born daughter Odero after her father.

After leaving her matrimonial home in Sakwa because of the conflict between her and her mother and brother in law, Akoko reveals to those who were present in Yimbo how  leaving her matrimonial home was a great wound in her heart and that she had never thought about it until the night before it happened. She also told those who were present in the negotiation between her and the elders of Yimbo that she felt it was a great insult to her honour and pride to be accused of witchcraft against her own husband who had been good to all of them. This conflict that existed within Akoko was finally resolved after her husband and seven elders from Sakwa arrived in Yimbo to negotiate the return of Akoko back to her matrimonial home.

Akoko again suffers internally after learning that her son Obura had left with Ambere kongoso and Nyaroche silwal to go and work for the white man. During that period she becomes internally conflicted because she feared for the life of his son. She was unable to sleep because she was being haunted by nightmares. Her other children hung around her trying to make her eat and the older women who were watching her also feared for her sanity. When the search party that was sent to track Obura returned and informed the chief of what had transpired, Akoko’s suffering increased and it reached a climax when strangers arrived in Sakwa to inform chief Owuor kembo of the demise of his son. Akoko and the whole village went into mourning and their mourning was made worse by the fact that there was no body to mourn over and to bury. After the demise of Obura, chief Owuor kembo mysteriously started ailing and his condition deteriorated until he died. His death was a blow to Akoko who mourned for sixty days as was mandatory for a chief’s death. When the mourning period ended, Akoko suffers another tragedy when his second son dies after choking on a fish bone. His death was a shock to her and to her daughter Nyabera. After the death Owang sino, Akoko knew that as a woman, a widow and a sonless mother, she was greatly disadvantaged.

·         Nyabera vs. Self

After learning about the death of her brother through the strangers who had been sent by the government of the white men, Nyabera becomes internally conflicted and she finds it difficult to mourn her dead brother. She was also in a difficult phase of her life since she was pubescent. These factors forced her mother Akoko to snap out of her personal grief so that she could pay attention to her daughter.  To help resolve the conflict that Nyabera was facing within herself, Akoko tells Nyabera stories about the life of Obura until she started weeping for her dead brother. Four days later Nyabera ran out of tears and her life returned to normal as if nothing had happened.  Her peace was short lived because few years later she lost her younger brother Owang sino and her two sons. Because of the loss she becomes depressed and downcast that she stays indoors without going out or eating. Her mother again comforts her and during that time she tells her mother about the dream she has been having that has been disturbing her almost every night. When she tells her mother about the dream, her mother assures her that the dream was a message from the spirits which had a deeper meaning.

When Awiti was three years old, her mother, Nyabera got pregnant again but she miscarried. Nyabera’s sufferings were further increased when her husband, Okumu, went down with a sudden fever and died three days after the onset of the illness. These tragedies left Nyabera in mourning and she became internally conflicted because her entire life seemed like one big disaster. She felt that she was living her mother’s life all over again which made her to think that they were cursed. Because she was yet a young widow, a husband was found for her and together with her new husband they sired two children both of whom died of sickle cell. The death of her children left her full of bitterness and she decided to seek a different way of life which promised to give hope and rescue her away from bitterness. After joining Christianity and getting baptized, she returned to Yimbo where she stayed for six months. After staying in Yimbo for six months she was internally conflicted because she longed to go back to the mission in Aluor. Akoko, her mother noticed how her daughter Nyabera missed the mission because of the longing of her voice when she spoke. Nyabera also reveals to her mother how lonely she had been in the mission. Nyabera’s conflicts are resolved after Akoko accepts Nyabera’s offer to go with her to the mission together with Owuor and Awiti.

While they were in Aluor, Nyabera is again conflicted because of her need to have a son. This makes her to leave the mission and go back to Yimbo where she starts a licit union with Ogoma kwach and they live together as man and wife for a while. During their union, they bore a child but the child died as a result of sickness. The death of the baby caused Nyabera a lot of sorrow and when she returned to the mission in Aluor her mother noticed the suffering her daughter had gone through during the two years that she had been away from the mission. To resolve the internal conflict that faced her during that period, she seeks forgiveness from God by going to the church to pray for forgiveness.

When Awiti finished her primary education, she passed and she was invited to join a newly opened teachers’ training college. Her mother Nyabera became internally conflicted because she feared that her daughter would die if she was taken away from her. Nyabera’s fears for the life of her daughter Awiti was because of all her children Awiti was the only one who had defied all odds to live to the threshold of adulthood. The fear within her is resolved after she is reprimanded Akoko. Akoko advices Nyabera to try to be happy for Awiti because the world was changing and Awiti was acquiring what will make the difference as to whether she survives or perishes.

·         Nyar Asembo vs. Self

Nyar Asembo suffered internally because her son chief Owuor kembo had refused to marry a second wife and he was too slow in reproducing. Even the intervention of the council of elders did not help because chief Owuor kembo felt satisfied with Akoko and he had lost interest with all the other women. Because of his son’s decision not to marry another wife, Nyar Asembo was reduced to wails, lamentations and dire predictions.

·         Obura vs. Self

Obura was internally conflicted when he got to learn about the white men from Ambere and Nyaroche. He became restless after hearing stories from the two men. As the first born son of chief Owuor kembo, he was the next in line in becoming the chief of Sakwa but he harboured ambitions of seeing the world. When he talked with his parents about his decision to travel and see the world his parents were opposed to the idea and their opposition caused him to have mood swings which could not be explained.

·         Ogoma kwach vs. Self

Ogoma kwach who was the second cousin of Okumu ang’olo was internally conflicted when he failed to sire children with Nyabera so that Okumu’s name may be maintained and to prevent her from wandering from man to man.

·         Owuor sino vs. Self

Owuor had to fight the feeling of either joining the priesthood or of taking up his birth right of becoming the chief of Sakwa because he was the grandson of the late chief Owuor kembo and the son of Owang sino. Owuor knew that her grandmother Akoko had set her determined heart on wresting back the chief’s stool which was in the hands of the council of elders. He also knew that his grand uncle Oloo would provide the necessary means with which he would get back his birth right. Because he felt it was his duty to get back the chieftainship he suffered internally because there was a constant voice at the back of his mind that urged him towards a completely different life. A life of joining the priesthood. Owuor agonized over the matter and he constantly wanted to tell his grandmother but he failed to do so because he did not want to disappoint her. The author of the novel says that at one moment he would prepare to sacrifice his call to the priesthood for his grandmother’s sake and the next he would be filled with a longing for God.

Conflict between Owuor and himself is resolved after her cousin Awiti advises him to wait until Nyabera returns to Aluor so that he can tell his grandmother about his decision of joining the priesthood. When Nyabera returned to Aluor, Owuor courageously tell his grandmother of his intention of joining the priesthood and his grandmother who knew all along that something was troubling Owuor accepts his decision of joining the priesthood on condition that he takes the name of his grandfather and be called Owuor kembo.

·         Elizabeth vs. Self

After the death of Akoko, Elizabeth was traumatised because she had no comprehension of the dying process. She became more confused and angry because her grandmother had just died when they were planning her marriage to Mark sigu. After the burial of Akoko, Elizabeth was still in grief and during her moments of grief she threatened not to get married to Mark. The conflict within her is resolved after her mother sat down with her and started talking to her until she accepted the finality of death.

Years after her marriage to Mark, Elizabeth becomes internally conflicted during her last pregnancy which had threatened miscarriage leading her to be frequently hospitalized. Elizabeth miseries and sufferings increases when the doctors suggested that she aborts the baby but she declined and one and a half months later she gives birth to a baby girl ending the conflict that had built within her.

Elizabeth becomes internally conflicted again when a telegram from Aluor informs them that her mother had become ill. During that period she becomes confused and unsure of her next action.  When Mark picked her from school and when they got home she had the most oppressive premonition of doom pressing in on her and she experienced a completely different pain from the one that she had experienced at her grandmother’s death. She felt and told her husband that she had failed and she kept blaming herself for not spending more time with her mother. After they travelled and went to Aluor, Elizabeth’s internal conflict subsided for some time when she heard that her mother was still alive and that she had been taken to a hospital in Maseno. When she went to Maseno where her mother had been admitted, she found her in coma and moments later she died while she was with her. Her mother’s death came as a shock to her and she was in agony for having lost one of the people that she truly loved.

·         Mark vs. Self

After mark unknowingly gave Elizabeth anti-malarial drugs when she was pregnant, he was in agony and felt guilty because the medicine that she had given Elizabeth had caused her to abort her pregnancy prematurely. After Elizabeth had been discharged from the hospital, Mark felt so guilty that he dared not talk to her. This conflict is resolved three years later after Elizabeth became pregnant again and gave birth to twins.

Mark also got himself in another conflict when he had a brief affair with a pretty girl whom he chases away after announcing that she was pregnant. After the girl leaves Mark becomes internally conflicted on realizing how promiscuous he had been. The decision to chase away the girl was the first step in resolving his internal conflicts. After chasing the girl, Mark makes two resolutions that changed his life. One of the resolutions was to go and see his family who were living in Aluor.

Several years’ later Mark became internally conflicted again when his son Odongo nearly drowned in a river. The thought of his son near drowning made his face to darken with anger.

When Elizabeth was pregnant with Mary, Mark became internally conflicted because the pregnancy had threatened miscarriage after miscarriage needing frequent hospitalization of Elizabeth which made Mark to be in constant worry. His worries were further increased when the doctor who was looking after Elizabeth suggested that Elizabeth pregnancy be terminated before time to prevent severe damage or death of the mother. This conflict between Mark and himself is resolved after Elizabeth successfully gives birth to Mary.

·         Tony vs. Self

Tony becomes internally conflicted when he becomes sick as a result of the inflammation of his appendix. Before being taken to the hospital he struggled for about an hour before waking up his brother Aoro who alerted their parents. The conflict that Tony faced is resolved when the inflamed appendix was successfully incised and removed.

·         Aoro vs. Self

When Aoro left home and went for his secondary studies in a boarding school, during his first week in school he got on the wrong side of the school captain and the head prefect. Because of his indiscipline he got suspended from school and he was asked to go back to school with his father after completing his suspension. When he got home he got into conflict with his parents when they learnt of his misdemeanour and his father made a decision that left him internally conflicted. His father’s decision not to provide for him made Aoro to starve and he was unable to sleep. After asking for forgiveness from his father, the conflict that he faced within himself is resolved.

·         Becky vs. Self

When Becky was about to finish her ordinary level examinations in two months’ time, she became well aware of the importance of doing well in school. This awareness made her to be internally conflicted and she got close to a nervous breakdown as she drove herself at a pace that she was not accustomed.

After her divorce from John Courtney, Becky undergoes a period of agony and suffering as a result of contracting HIV which finally killed her.

·         Opiyo vs. Self

After the death of Maria, Opiyo was internally conflicted because he was torn between being glad to be home again and missing her grandmother whom he had grown attached to.

·         Odongo vs. Self 

After the death of Maria, Odongo was internally conflicted because he was torn between being glad to be home again and missing her grandmother whom he had grown attached to.

·         Vera vs. Self

When Vera joined campus she undergoes one crisis after another. Her first crisis happens immediately after she breaks up with Tommy muhambe. She becomes internally conflicted and blames herself for making Tommy to believe that he had a chance of marrying her however she was convinced that marrying Tommy was not what she wanted. Because of the breakup with Tommy, Vera felt so lonely and that was why she went out to seek her sister Becky who worked at the airport.

·         Johnny vs. self

Johnny became internally conflicted after the separation of his parents. His father returned to Canada and he was never heard of from again. His father’s actions make Johnny to miss him a lot and he resorts to staying in his room. When he reached his adolescence years he struggles to fit in the society and his skin colour was a source of his struggles. He tried to resolve his internal conflicts by speaking mostly Swahili, eating African foods and having friends who were mostly black. When he reached eighteen he compromised and took the name sigu as his middle name. He did all this so that he could fit in a society where most people were black.

·         Man Vs. Society

·         Chief Odero gogni vs. Society

During the marriage negotiation to marry Akoko to chief Owuor kembo, chief Odero gogni set the bride price for Akoko two and half times more than the usual price. That amount did not impress Otieno and some of the people who had accompanied chief Owuor kembo to negotiate with him. The conflict between chief Odero and the entourage from Sakwa was resolved after chief Owuor kembo accepted to pay the thirty head of cattle to have Akoko’s hand in marriage.

·         Chief Owuor kembo vs. Society

Chief Owuor kembo got into conflict with his entourage that had gone to Yimbo with him to negotiate for Akoko’s hand in marriage. His entourage was opposed to the idea of paying 30 heads of cattle as bride price but chief Owuor kembo was determined to pay because of the beauty that he had heard that Akoko possessed. During the negotiation one of the people who had tagged along with him asked if he was crazy by accepting to pay the full bride price without even bargaining. The conflict between chief Owuor kembo and his entourage was resolved when the chief’s uncle advised the chief and the rest of the entourage to shock the people of Yimbo by accepting their offer without bargaining.

Chief Owuor kembo got into another conflict with her mother and the elders from Sakwa who felt that the rate at which he was reproducing himself was too slow.  This conflict seemed to have been resolved when chief Owuor kembo thanked the elders for their advice and informed them that he would ponder over the matter.  After the birth of Nyabera, chief Owuor kembo was still under great pressure to marry especially when it became clear that Akoko was one of those women who found it hard to conceive regularly. The pressure on the chief became very intense when Nyabera turned four and her mother remained slim. Conflict between the chief and the people of Sakwa was resolved after the birth of Owang sino. The child was a boy and everyone uttered a sigh of relief for the chief because they believed that two sons were definitely an improvement on one. The birth of Owang sino helped to resolve the conflict that chief Owuor kembo faced with the elders of Sakwa and his mother Nyar alego.

In later years when Obura was past his teen years Chief Owuor kembo got into another conflict with Ambere kongoso and Nyaroche silwal after the two filled his son Obura with stories about seeing the world. He warns them of dire consequences if they did not stop filling his son’s head with their stories.  Conflict between chief Owuor kembo and the two people got worse when chief Owuor kembo learnt that Ambere and Nyaroche had left Sakwa taking with them his son Obura. After the death of Obura and Ambere in Tanganyika where they had gone to fight the Germans, chief Owuor kembo was in an angry mood and he chased the visitors who had come to relay the message of their demise. He was also angry after learning that Nyaroche silwal was still alive and he wanted to find out where he was so that he could kill him.

·         Akoko vs. Society

Akoko experienced her first conflict with the society fourteen days after the marriage negotiation between her father and his husband to be chief Owuor kembo and his entourage. After the payment of the bride price, the young men who had brought the bride price woke up very early the day after the bride price was paid and they forcefully grabbed Akoko who was sleeping in her grandmother’s house and dashed out with her. During this time the young men from Sakwa put up a spirited fight against her brothers and other young men from Yimbo. As they were fighting Akoko let out one piercing yell after another protesting her kidnap.

After her marriage to chief Owuor kembo and the birth of Obura and Nyabera, Akoko maintained a beautiful figure which went totally unappreciated by the people of Sakwa and especially grandmother Nyar Asembo who were against her because of her slowness in giving birth. When she declared that she was seeking separation between her and chief Owuor kembo because of the accusations levelled against her by Nyar Asembo, the crowd that was listening to her during her rants did not take it kindly when she said that the cattle paid to her father as bride price would be returned back to Sakwa and she would be given back the cattle that she had acquired during her married life in Sakwa.

When she was living in Aluor, Akoko was under great pressure from her relatives to return to Sakwa which was her matrimonial home. Her refusal to go back brought her into conflict with her relatives who lived in Sakwa and the conflict did not end until her death and burial in Aluor.

·         Obura vs. Society

Conflict between Obura and the society began the night when her sister Nyabera was being born. During that time he got into conflict with his grandmother and one of his many aunts when he demanded to know where his mother was.  To his grandmother and those who were present, Obura had become irritating and therefore there was a need to remove him there. One of his aunts took him and locked him in his grandmother’s hut for two hours. Efforts to make him take his breakfast fell on deaf ears. Conflict between Obura and his relatives is finally resolved when his grandmother informs him that he had a sister. This information gladdens his heart and when she saw her sister he smiled in wonder.

After the birth of Nyabera, Obura got into conflict with the many girls who had lined up to hold Nyabera. Obura became jealous because he wanted his little sister all to himself. When he became a teenager, Obura got into conflict with his parents when he informed them that he wanted to see the world. His parents were opposed to the idea because as the first born son, he was the next in line to inherit the chieftainship after the demise of his father chief Owuor kembo.

·         Otieno vs. Society

After the death of Owang sino, Otieno took over the chief’s stool with arrogance and dispensed the venerated council of elders. This action brought him into conflict with the people of Sakwa. When the messenger who was sent by the D.O went to Sakwa to investigate whether Akoko’s complaints against Otieno were true, the messenger found out that Otieno was bad just as Akoko had said and he was hated by his own people. The messenger also found out that Otieno had done away with the council of elders and he was making decisions all by himself.

·         Oloo vs. Society

Oloo was in conflict with his wives when he took in Akoko to live with them in Yimbo after the death of her husband and her two sons.

·         Elizabeth vs. society

Elizabeth got into conflict with the society in Aluor when she joined the newly founded primary school in the mission. The people in Aluor were opposed to her getting an education because the role of women in that society was known and getting an education was not one of them. Conflict between Elizabeth and the people of Aluor flourished as the people there were opposed to her being so clever and to openly show it.  The people thought that she should be ashamed or at least try to hide her brilliance; otherwise they prophesied darkly that no man would marry her. During the awarding ceremony in Elizabeth’s school, the teacher commended Elizabeth for her good work. The teacher knew that she had suffered long enough at the hands of the boys and the villagers.

While she was in college, the boys were so over awed by her prowess at school that they only thought of her as an object of derision and not of desire. This made her quite disturbed by the boorish behaviour of some of the men in the teachers training college but she decided to take it in her stride. Towards the end of her course, it was discovered that she had a brother studying for priesthood. This revelation coupled with her brilliance led to bitter taunts by her college mates and she was constantly insulted and shunned by both men and women.  After finishing her college studies she was still an object of curiosity since she was not like the other women who worked on tilling the land and rearing children.

The conflict between Elizabeth and the society in Aluor was resolved during the wedding between her and Mark. The society had come to accept her with time as part of them and they became proud of her though they were sad that she got married by a man from the rocky county of Seme.

·         Mark vs. Society

Mark got into conflict with his friends who derided him because he was helping Elizabeth around the house especially in taking care of the children. The conflict between Mark and his friends was resolved after he proved adamant and they gave up considering him as a lost cause.   Mark also got into conflict with his sons when one of the twins nearly drowned in a river. When he saw the condition of his son Odongo, he disciplined Aoro and Tony who the twins had accused of forcing them into the river.

·         Nyabera vs. Society

While they were living in Aluor, Owuor discovered that her aunt Nyabera was under great pressure from her relatives because they wanted her to go back to her ancestral village.

·         Mary vs. Society

Because of the close attachment between Mary and her father, Mary was given special treatment by her father and this made her other six siblings to grumble especially Becky who wanted to be the centre of attention.

·         Vera vs. Society

When Vera completed her final primary exams and passed with flying colours. She was called to join a national school but she declined to take the offer and preferred to go to the school where her twin sister Becky had been called to. Because of her refusal to join a national school she got into conflict with her parents who wanted her to join the national school. Her refusal to go to a national school made her father for the first time in his life feel like beating her into submission. Conflict between her and her parents was later resolved when her mother convinced her father to allow her to go to the school that she wanted to go.

·         Aoro vs. Society

When Aoro left home and went for his secondary education studies in a boarding school, he got into conflict with the house captain for failing to make his bed on time and also with the head prefect for one misdemeanour after another. Because of his indiscipline he got suspended from school and ordered to go back to school with his father. When he reached home he got into another conflict with his parents when they learnt that he had been suspended.

·         Becky vs. Society

After developing full blown AIDS, Becky’s health started to deteriorate and these led to a change in her physical appearance. Because of the physical changes that she was going through with, she did not want to talk with anyone and confided to no one the fear and despair that she felt. Her condition forced her to send away anyone who had gone to console with her.

·         Man vs. Supernatural

·         Grandmother Nyar alego vs. Supernatural

Two weeks after the birth of Akoko, grandmother Nyar alego was summoned by chief Odero gogni to help save the baby because she had developed a prolonged bout of colic and screaming that went on all night. When she was summoned, grandmother Nyar alego started talking in a conversational manner complaining to the ‘Great were’ and the departed souls of her mother Achieng, her husband chief Gogni adinda and her late sister Akelo. Her complaints to were and the departed souls was a revelation that she still had some unfinished business with the supernatural. This is true because when she mentioned the name of her sister and co-wife Akelo, the baby stopped crying and then fell asleep. Akoko’s actions resolves the conflict that grandmother Nyar alego had with her late sister who had wanted to be remembered through the naming of Akoko after her.

·         Akoko vs. were

When Akoko approached her nineteenth season, suitors came tumbling over each other to ask for her hand in marriage only to be repulsed by Akoko’s twenty one brothers and her impossible to please father. Because of his father and brothers actions towards the suitors, Akoko was resigned to the fact that were had forgotten to create a man good enough for her. Conflict between her and were is resolved after Akoko’s father accepts chief Owuor kembo’s bride price of thirty head of cattle.

·         Nyabera vs. were

After the death of Owang sino, Nyabera questions the existence of were and why he would permit tragedies to happen to her mother Akoko who had never looked at anyone with an evil eye, never denied food to anyone and who had been generous in sacrifice and libation. She also questions why were give children only to strike them dead at the prime of their lives. To Nyabera, were was cruel and that was why she chose to join Christianity to resolve the conflict that she had with were.

Nyabera was also in conflict with the evil spirits and that was why she lost three of her children. After giving birth to Awiti, a little ceremony was performed to confuse the evil spirits and to enhance Awiti’s chances of survival. The ceremony was done and the baby survived every illness and she lived to adulthood.

After she joined Christianity, Nyabera got into conflict with the Christian God after she left Aluor and went back to Yimbo where she starts a licit union with Ogoma kwach. She does this after hearing from someone who had arrived at the mission from Yimbo that Ogoma kwach’s wife had died. Her decision to live with Ogoma kwach as man and wife was contrary to the teachings of Christianity and that was why she felt that she had sinned. Conflict between her and God is resolved when she confesses her sins and asks God for forgiveness. After her confession she felt as if a load had been lifted off her shoulders.

·         Wandia vs. God

When Wandia learnt that her son Daniel had leukaemia she was in agony and she silently blamed God for what his son was going through. When it was confirmed that indeed Daniel had leukaemia, Wandia abandoned her agnostic stance and went to church to bargain with God. Her decision to go to church and pray seems to have resolved the conflict that existed between her and God whom she saw as the cause of her son’s predicament.

·         Man vs. destiny

·         Chief Owuor kembo vs. Destiny

Chief Owuor kembo’s destiny was to make Akoko his wife because of the beauty that he had heard about her. His love for Akoko made him to do the unthinkable by accepting to pay the hefty bride price without bargaining so that he could have Akoko as his wife. His destiny with Akoko was sealed after Akoko’s father chief Odero gogni accepted his offer to pay the bride price without bargaining. During the negotiation for the bride price, chief Owuor kembo made it clear to his brother and the rest of the entourage that Akoko was going to be his mikai and he had set his heart on marrying her.

·         Obura vs. Destiny

As the next in line in becoming the chief of Sakwa after his father chief Owuor kembo, Obura had already carved his destiny which was to see and discover the world. His destiny was threatened by his parents who opposed his ideas of seeing the world. His wish of seeing the world came true after Ambere and Nyaroche convinced him to go away from Sakwa so that he could see the world. They convinced him by telling him stories about the white people and their prowess. Their stories made Obura to become more curious of how the outside world was. After a year, Obura fulfilled his destiny when he made the decision to follow Ambere and Nyaroche in their journey to work for the white men.

·         Peter Owuor vs. destiny

After the death of his father and during his stay in Aluor where he studied the new religion, Peter Owuor came to the realization that his destiny was to become a priest. As a son of a chief and the only surviving male he became conflicted and had two choices of either joining the priesthood or to wait until he comes of age and claim his position as the chief of Sakwa. After discussions with his aunt and grandmother, Peter decided to join the priesthood because he felt it was his destiny to serve God.

·         Aoro vs. destiny

When Tony got sick and had to be rushed to the hospital for an emergency surgery, Aoro became more interested with the study of medicine after looking at the incision mark on Tony’s stomach. His fascination with medicine is further shown when he performs surgery on a frog. After successfully performing surgery on the frog, Aoro becomes aware that his destiny laid in medicine. Later on in the novel Aoro joins the university to study medicine and after completing he studies more to become a surgeon.

·         Wandia vs. Destiny

Wandia’s destiny was to become a doctor and a teacher. She successfully managed to become a doctor and a lecturer after her studies in the university of Nairobi and john Hopkins hospital in Maryland.

·         Becky vs. Destiny

Becky felt that her destiny was to become an air hostess. Three years after she left Nakuru to go to Nairobi, her sister Vera finds her working at the airport as an airhostess.

·         Man vs. nature

·         Nyabera vs. Nature

Nyabera’s journey from her matrimonial home to Gem was through thick bush. She started her journey very early in the morning when there was still darkness and she did not reach the mission until dusk.

·         Other conflicts

·         Jo-ingreza vs. jo-jerman

The author of the novel has revealed the conflict between the Germans and the English which had lasted for four years. The strangers who had gone to Sakwa and were taken to chief Owuor kembo’s house having been sent by the government to give a message to the chief, informed the chief of the conflict that was taking place between the white tribe of jo jerman who had started a war with everybody in the world with everybody in the world joining in and taking their side or the side of the jo-ingreza who eventually won the war therefore resolving the conflict that had spanned over a period of four years.

·         Colonialists vs. Mau Mau

Conflict between the colonialists and the Mau started when the colonialists became unjust and unheeding to the pleas and aspirations of their black subjects. This led to rebellion against their rule and the resistance led to the formation of Mau Mau which fought with the colonialists so that they could get independence from them. During the emergency period, the conflict between the colonialists and the Mau Mau became very bad and death became a common sight.

The conflict between the colonialists and the Mau Mau was later resolved after the country gained independence and the affairs of the country was left to the locals. The first president, mzee jomo Kenyatta, also helped to resolve the conflict when he exhorted the locals to forget and forgive and the people listened because they also wanted to live in peace.

ROLE OF CONFLICTS

1.       To enhance literary devices.

Literary devices such as suspense, poetic justice, flashback, foreshadowing, chronicles and dialogue have been advanced and clearly understood through the conflicts that are taking place in the novel.

2.       To create suspense.

Suspense is created when the readers anticipate to know what will happen next before and after a conflict is resolved.

3.       To set the tone and mood of the story.

The conflicts in the novel have helped to create tension therefore helping to set the mood and tone of the novel. The arguments and disagreements between characters have helped to shape the mood of the characters and the tone of the story.

4.       To reveal a character’s weakness and strengths.

Conflict between Otieno and Akoko reveals how fearful Otieno was towards Akoko while the conflict between Vera and Becky reveals how the twin sisters were jealous of each other.

5.       To reveal secrets.

The conflict between Vera and Becky made Vera to admit that she was too jealous of Becky because she was beautiful.

6.       To reveal changes taking place in the society.

Owuor’s inner conflict is brought about by the need to join the priesthood instead of taking his rightful position as the chief in waiting to the people of Sakwa. Without the change in religion in the society, Owuor may have decided to take back the chieftainship.

7.       To reveal the antagonist.

The conflict between Akoko and Otieno reveals Otieno as the antagonist since he is the one who causes Akoko to suffer. His undesirable qualities also help her to reveal him as the novel’s antagonist.

8.       To reveal the protagonist.

The conflict between Akoko and Otieno reveals Akoko as the protagonist since she is the one who suffers at the hand of Otieno. Her admirable qualities also help to reveal her as the novel’s protagonist.

9.       To reveal the character traits of other characters.

Akoko and Otieno’s conflict reveals just how arrogant Otieno was and how feisty Akoko had become.

10.   To reveal the themes.

Themes such as change, tradition, justice, succession, religion etc. have been revealed through the conflicts that are taking place in the novel.

11.   To reveal the setting of the novel.

The conflict between the Germans and the English reveals the time period of events that are taking place in the novel. The conflict between the Mau Mau and the colonialists also helps to reveal the physical setting and the time period on which the novel is based upon.

12.   To instil moral values to the readers.

13.       To help characters to make choice between good and bad.

The conflict between Aoro and Mark made Aoro to be able to make good choices that helped him later in life.

14.       To reveal the culture and traditions of a society.

The conflict between Akoko and the society helps to reveal the culture and traditions of the luo people. After Akoko’s death, her family opts to bury her in Aluor because she had broken her relationship with the people of Sakwa. Traditionally she was supposed to be buried in her matrimonial home next to her husband.

15.       To give background information of historical events.

Historical events such as World War 1, World War 2, and independence in Kenya have been defined through conflicts that are taking place in the novel.

16.       To foreshadow events that will take place in the novel.

Conflict between the colonialists and the Mau Mau foreshadows the independence of Kenya.

17.       To change a character’s view on life and society as a whole.