“Njanji Yopanda Phindu” ya ku East Africa

YOLEMBEDWA NDI MTOLANKHANI WA GALAMUKANI! KU KENYA

ZAKA 100 zapitazo mapulani a dziko la Britain akuti amange njanji kudutsa mu East Africa anthu ambiri sanasangalale nawo m’nyumba ya malamulo ku London. Munthu wina amene ankatsutsa analemba monyoza kuti:

“Idzadya ndalama zambiri zosaneneka;

Cholinga chake palibe ubongo umene ungachimvetse;

Pamene ikayambire palibe amene angadziŵe;

Kumene ikupita palibe amene adziŵa.

Kuti idzagwira ntchito yanji palibe amene angalote;

Katundu amene izidzanyamula palibe angalongosole;

Iyo ndi njanji yopanda phindu.”

Kunena zoona, sikuti anthu ankaifunira zoipa ntchitoyo monga mmene munthu uja ankanenera. Njanjiyo ankaiyembekeza kuti idzakhala yotalika makilomita 1,000, kuchokera ku Mombasa, doko la dziko la Kenya ku Nyanja Yamchere ya India, kukafika ku Nyanja ya Victoria. Amene ankalimbikitsa kuti imangidwe ankakhulupirira kuti ikadzatha, idzalimbikitsa ntchito za malonda ndi chitukuko ndiponso idzathetsa malonda ogulitsa akapolo m’dera limenelo. Mtengo womangira njanjiyo ankauyerekezera kukhala $5 miliyoni (U.S), ndipo olipira ake nkukhala anthu a ku Britain mwakupereka msonkho. Ankayerekeza kuti idzatenga zaka zinayi kapena zisanu kuti ithe.

Komabe, zinthu zambiri zokhudza ntchitoyo zinali zisanadziŵike. Pamene George Whitehouse, amene anali injiniya wamkulu anafika ku Mombasa m’December 1895, iye anali chabe ndi mapu a kumene njanjiyo inkafunikira kudutsa. Zambiri zokhudza njanjiyo zimene Whitehouse anadzazindikira zinali zochititsa mantha. Kummaŵa kwa Mombasa kunali dera lotentha lopanda madzi limene anthu ambiri apaulendo ankalipewa. Kungodutsa pamenepo njanjiyo inayenera kudutsa mtunda wa makilomita 500 m’chigawo cha udzu ndi zitsamba mmene munali mikango ndi ntchentche zoyambitsa matenda a kaodzera zotchedwa tsetse ndi udzudzu. Ndiye kenaka panali mapiri opangika ndi volokano amene anasiyanitsidwa ndi chigwa chotchedwa Great Rift Valley cha mtunda wa makilomita 80, ndipo kuya kwake kokwana mamita 600. Ndiye makilomita 160 omalizira a ku Nyanja kunkanenedwa kuti nkwalowe. Choncho nzosadabwitsa kuti kumanga njanji imeneyi kunayenera kukhala chinthu chovuta kwambiri m’Afirika.

Mavuto Oyamba

Mwachionekere, panafunikira anthu ambiri odzagwira ntchitoyo. Popeza tauni ya Mombasa inali yaing’ono, odzagwira ntchito ankaŵatenga ku India. M’chaka cha 1896 chokha, anthu 2,000 anafika pasitima yapamadzi—odziŵa kumanga ndi miyala, odziŵa za zitsulo, akalipentala, akatswiri opima malo, olemba mapulani, makalaliki, ndi antchito wamba.

Ndiye panali mfundo yopanga Mombasa kukhala doko lolandirira katundu amene ankayenera kumadzatumizidwa kumene akumanga njanji yaitali makilomita 1,000. Zitsulo zomangira njanjizo zinkafunika kukhala 200,000 chilichonse chokwana mamita 9 muutali, cholemera makilogalamu 200. Zinanso zomwe zinkafunika ndi zoyalapo njanji zokwana 1.2 miliyoni (zambiri za izo zinkayenera kukhala zitsulo). Pofuna kulimbitsa njanjiyo ndi zoikapo njanji, pankafunika tizitsulo tina 200,000 ndi mabauti 400,000, ndi tizitsulo tina topangitsa kuti njanji zisamayendeyende tokwana 4.8 miliyoni. Kuwonjezera apo, mutu wa sitima ndi vani yokhala ndi mabuleki, mabogi (matoloko) onyamula katundu, ndi mabogi onyamula anthu anayenera kuchita kubweretsedwa. Komabe asanayale njanji yoyambirira, anayenera kumanga poima sitima yapamadzi, mosungira katundu, nyumba zogona ogwira ntchito, mashopu okonzera zinthu zikawonongeka, ndi galaja. Mwamsanga, tauni yomwe inali yapansi inasandutsidwa doko lamakono.

Mwamsanga Whitehouse anazindikira kuti padzakhala vuto la madzi; zitsime zochepa zimene zinali m’Mombasa sizinali zoti nkukwanira kupereka madzi oti anthu a mumzindawo nkukwanira kumwa. Mpamene pankafunika madzi ambiri akumwa osamba ndi ogwiritsira ntchito. Whitehouse analemba kuti, “Malinga ndi zimene ndawona ndi kudziŵa zadziko lino, ndiona kuti pafunikira sitima zapamtunda zonyamula madzi pamtunda wa makilomita 150 oyambirira.”

Choyamba, mainjiniya a njanji anathetsa vuto la madzi potseka mtsinje ndi kumangapo damu kuti lizisunga madzi. Kenaka anabweretsa makina amene anali kusefa madzi a m’nyanjawo.

Ntchito inayambika, ndipo kumapeto a 1896—pambuyo pa chaka chimodzi chifikire Whitehouse ku Mombasa—Njanji inamangidwa pamtunda wa makilomita 40. Ngakhale kuti panali patachitika ntchito yambiri yotere, ena anati ngati ntchitoyo siyenda mwamsanga, sitima sikanadzayenda kuchokera kugombe kupita ku Nyanja ya Victoria mpaka kumayambiriro kwa ma 1920!

Kudutsa Chigwa cha Taru

Panthaŵi ino, ogwira ntchito anagwidwa ndi matenda. M’December 1896, ogwira ntchito okwana 500 anagonekedwa m’chipatala atadwala malungo, kamwazi, zilonda, ndi zibayo. Milungu pang’ono pambuyo pake theka la ogwira ntchito linali gone chifukwa cha matenda.

Ngakhale zinali choncho, ntchito inapitirirabe, ndipo m’May njanji inali itakwana makilomita oposa 80, kufika ku Chigwa cha Taru choumacho. Ngakhale kuti poyamba zinkaoneka ngati kuti ntchitoyo idzapitirira monga mmene imayendera, Taru inali nkhalango yaudzu waminga wausinkhu wamunthu wakuthwa ngati leza. Fumbi la katondo linkatsamwitsa ogwira ntchito. Dzuŵa linkawala kwambiri ndi kumatenthetsa dziko—deralo linali chigawo chaminga ndi chotentha kwadzaoneni. Ngakhale usiku, kunali mwakamodzikamodzi kuti temperecha itsike kuposa 40 digiri. Mlembi wotchedwa M. F. Hill analemba motero za mbiri ya njanjiyo: “Zinkaoneka ngati kuti pachokha chilengedwe cha Afirika chinkakana kuti mzungu apititsepo njanji yake.”

Kuopsedwa ndi Mikango

Kumapeto kwa 1898 njanji inayandikira mtsinje wa Tsavo, makilomita 195. Ndiye kuwonjezera pamavuto a matsitso ndi zitunda ndi zomera za kumaloko, panabukanso vuto lina—mikango iŵiri inayamba kumagwira anthu. Mikango yambiri imapewa kudya anthu. Imene imagwira anthu kaŵirikaŵiri imakhala kuti ndiyokalamba kwambiri kapena ndi yodwala ndiye singathe kugwira nyama. Koma sizinali choncho ndi mikango iŵiri ya ku Tsavo, waumuna ndi waukazi. Siinali yokalamba kapena yodwala, koma inkabwera mwachinsinsi usiku nkugwira anthu nkuthaŵa nawo.

Anthu ogwira ntchito atachita mantha anamanga mpanda waminga kuzungulira misasa yawo, ankasonkha moto, ndiponso anasankha alonda amene anati azimenya migolo yomwe akhuthuramo mafuta kuti zilombozo zizithaŵa. Pofika m’December ogwira ntchitowo anaopa mikangoyo kwambiri mwakuti ena mwa anthuwo anaimitsa sitima imene inkabwerera ku Mombasa mwakugona panjanji, ndi ena okwana 500 anakwera m’sitimayo. Pafupifupi anthu 48 okha ndiwo anatsala. Ntchito inaima kwa milungu itatu pamene ogwira ntchito ankamanga nyumba zolimba zoti mikango izilephera kuloŵa.

Kenaka, mikangoyo inaphedwa ndipo ntchito inayambiranso.

Mavuto Ena

Mkatikati mwa 1899 njanji inafika ku Nairobi. Kuchokera apo inapitirira kuloŵera chakummaŵa, kutsika mamita oposa 400 kuloŵa m’chigwa chotchedwa Rift Valley ndiye kenaka kukakwera mbali inayo mkati mwa nkhalango yoŵirira ndi zigwembe zakuya mpaka inafika pansonga ya phiri la Mau, lalitali mamita 2,600.

Panali zovuta zambiri pomanga njanji malo azigwembezigwembe otero, koma panalinso mavuto ena. Mwachitsanzo, anthu okonda nkhondo akomweko ankabwera kumsasa wa anthu ogwira ntchitoko nkutenga zida zomangira—mawaya a telefoni ndi mabauti kumakapanga zovala m’khosi, ndi njanji nkumakapangira zida. Pothirira ndemanga pa zimenezi, Sir Charles Eliot, amene anali bwanamkubwa wa East Africa, analemba kuti: “mungayerekezere mmene anthu angamabere panjanji ya anthu a ku Ulaya ngati mawaya a telefoni anali zovala m’khosi ndi njanji inali yopangira mfuti zoseŵeretsa . . . Nzosadabwitsa kuti [mitundu] ya komweko inatengeka mitima.”

Chigawo Chomalizira

Pamene kunangotsala makilomita 10 kuti ogwira ntchitowo afike ku Nyanja ya Victoria, anthu ambiri pamsasapo anagwidwa ndi kamwazi ndiponso malungo. Theka la ogwira ntchito anadwala. Panthaŵi yomweyo, mvula inayamba ikumapangitsa nthaka yaloŵe kaleyo kukhala yoterera. Dothi limene anaunda ndi kudutsitsapo njanji pamwamba pake linafewa kwambiri mwakuti sitima zonyamula katundu zikabwera ankatsitsa katunduyo izo zikuyenda; apo ayi zikanamagwa ndi kumira m’matope. Wogwira ntchito wina analongosola za sitimayo kuti “inkabwera pang’onopang’ono ndipo mosamala kwambiri, ikumapendekera mbali iyi ndi iyo, nkumathovola matope ngati sitima yapamadzi, madziwo ataŵinduka ali ndi mafunde ang’onoang’ono.”

Potsiriza, pa December 21, 1901, anamanga bauti lomaliza panjanji yomaliza padoko la Port Florence (tsopano potchedwa Kisumu), pagombe la Nyanja ya Victoria. Njanji yonseyo ya makilomita 937 inatenga zaka zisanu ndi miyezi inayi kuti imangidwe ndipo inadya ndalama zokwana $9,200,000 (US). Mwa anthu antchito 31,983 amene anakawatenga ku India, oposa 2,000 anamwalira, ena anabwerera ku India, ndipo ena zikwizikwi anatsala napanga chiŵerengero chachikulu cha amwenye ku East Africa lerolino. Anamanga masiteshoni okwana makumi anayi ndi atatu, kumanga m’malo oipa ndiponso milato yoposa 1,000 ndi timaulalo ting’onoting’ono 35.

Mlembi wotchedwa Elspeth Huxley anaitcha kuti “njanji yomangidwa molimba mtima kwambiri padziko lapansi.” Komabe, panali funso lakuti, Kodi phindu lake nlogwirizana ndi ntchito imene inalipo, kapena kodi njanjiyo nzoonadi kuti ndi “yopanda phindu,” kutaya nthaŵi, ndalama ndi miyoyo pachabe?

Njanjiyo Masiku Ano

Yankho la funso limenelo limapezeka mwakufufuza zimene zachitika mkati mwa zaka 100 kuchokera pamene inamalizidwa. Sitima zoyendera nkhuni zinaloŵedwa m’malo ndi zamakono zamphamvu zoyendera dizilo zoposa 200. Njanjiyo inawonjezeredwa kukafika ku matauni ndi mizinda yambiri m’Kenya ndi Uganda. Njanjiyo yathandiza kwambiri pachitukuko cha mizinda ya Nairobi ndi Kampala yomwe ndi malikulu.

Ntchito za njanjiyo lerolino nziŵiri. Choyamba imanyamula anthu apaulendo modalirika ndi motetezereka kukafika kumene akupita. Chachiŵiri, njanjiyo imathandiza kunyamula katundu monga simenti, khofi, makina osiyanasiyana, matabwa, ndi zakudya. Kunyamula makontena osaŵerengeka kupita nawo mkatikati mwadziko ndi ntchito yaphindu kwambiri imene kampani ya njanji ya Kenya Railways imagwira.

Nzoonekeratu kuti njanjiyo yakhala yaphindu kwambiri ku East Africa. Mwinamwake tsiku lina mudzasangalala kukwera sitima panjanji imene inanenedwa kukhala “njanji yopanda phindu.”

[Bokosi/Chithunzi patsamba 28]

KUYENDA PASITIMA YAPAMTUNDA

KWA anthu odzaona malo chimodzimodzinso akomweko, sitima yapamtunda ndiyo njira yodziŵika kwambiri yakayendedwe, makamaka pamaulendo ochokera ku Mombasa kupita ku Nairobi. Sitima zonyamula anthu zimanyamuka ku Nairobi ndi Mombasa tsiku lililonse pa 7:00 p.m. Ngati mukwera kalasi loyamba kapena yachiŵiri, mumayamba mwaona kaye malangizo kuti mudziŵe bogi ndi chipinda chanu. Wogwira ntchito momwemo amaima chapafupi ndipo amafunsa ngati mufuna kudya pa 7:15 kapena 8:30 p.m. M’madzisankhira nokha, ndipo iye amakupatsani kapepala koyenera kuti mulembepo.

Mumakwera ndiye Sitimayo imaimba belu, ndipo nyimbo zimaimba pamene sitima yanuyo ikunyamuka kuchoka pasiteshoni.

Ikakwana nthaŵi ya chakudya, munthu wina amayenda akuimba mangolongondo kukudziŵitsani kuti chakudya chakonzedwa. M’maitanitsa zakudya m’chipinda chodyera mutaona kaye pandandanda ya zakudya zomwe zilipo; ndipo pamene mukudya, wina amaloŵa nchipinda chanu kuyala bedi.

Mbali yoyamba yaulendowo mumayenda usiku. Komabe musanapite kokagona, mwina mungafune kuzimitsa magetsi a chipinda chanu, kusuzumira pawindo, nkumadzifunsa kuti: ‘Kodi zithunzi tikuona m’kuwala kwa mwezizo ndi njovu ndi mikango kapena ndi zitsamba ndi mitengo chabe? Kodi zinali bwanji zaka 100 zapitazo kugona pano pamene njanjiyi inkamangidwa? Kodi ndikanaopa kugonapo panthaŵiyo? Nanga bwanji tsopano?’

Ulendowo umatenga maola pafupifupi 14, choncho pamakhala zambiri zoti muone m’dziko la m’Afirikali pamene kuyamba kucha. Ngati mukupita ku Mombasa, mmawa dzuŵa limatuluka lili lofira pamwamba pa nkhalango yaminga, ndipo kenaka mumapeza mitengo ya migwalangwa, kenaka mupeza kapinga wotchetchedwa bwino, maluŵa oduliridwa bwino, ndi nyumba zamakono za ku Mombasa. Achikumbe amalima minda yawo ndi manja pamene ana osavala nsapato amakwezera alendo manja ndi kumaŵalonjera mokuwa.

Ngati mukupita ku Nairobi, choyamba kuwala kumaoneka pamene muyenda m’chigwa chopanda mitengo. Pamenepo nkwapafupi kuona nyama, makamaka mukamadutsa Nairobi National Park.

Mumaona zinthu zapadera kwambiri. Kodi ndi sitima ina iti imene mumati mukudya chakudya cha mmawa uku mukuonera pawindo gulu la mbidzi kapena ntchefu?

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Kenya Railways

[Mapu/Zithunzi patsamba 27]

(Onani m’magazini yeniyeni kuti mumvetse izi)

KENYA

Nyanja ya Victoria

Kisumu

NAIROBI

Tsavo

Mombasa

NYANJA YA MCHERE YA INDIA

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Dziko: Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1997 Digital Wisdom, Inc.

Mapu a Afirika padziko: The Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration/J. G. Heck

Kudu wammuna ndi wamkazi. Lydekker

Trains: Kenya Railways

Mkango waukazi. Century Magazine