Bukusu people
Encyclopedia
Bantu languages
The Bantu languages constitute a traditional sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages. There are about 250 Bantu languages by the criterion of mutual intelligibility, though the distinction between language and dialect is often unclear, and Ethnologue counts 535 languages...
people of East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. Calling themselves BaBukusu, they are the largest tribe of the Luhya nation, making up about 17% of the Luhya population. They speak Bukusu dialect.
Origins
The Bukusu myths of origin state that the first man, Mwambu (The discoverer or inventor), was made from mud by Wele Khakaba at a place called Mumbo (which translates to 'WestWest
West is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
'). God then created a wife for Mwambu, a woman called Sela. Mwambu and his descendants moved out of Mumbo and settled on the foothills of Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale.- Physical features :It is the oldest and largest solitary volcano in East Africa, covering an area of around 3500 km²....
, known to them as ((Masaba)) from where their descendants grew to form the current Bukusu population. Other traditional stories relate of a place of origin called Misri, from Mizraim (Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
for Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
)
Anthropologists
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
believe that the Bukusu did not become a distinct grouping apart from the rest of the Luhya population until, at the very earliest, the late 18th Century. They moved into Central Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
as part of a much larger group of people, many forming the eastern extension of the great Bantu migration
Bantu expansion
The Bantu expansion or the Bantu Migration was a millennia-long series of migrations of speakers of the original proto-Bantu language group...
out of central Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. (See Origins of the Luhya.)
Settlement
Together with other Luyia sub nations, the Bukusu are thought to have first settled north of Lake TurkanaLake Turkana
Lake Turkana , formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, with its far northern end crossing into Ethiopia. It is the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake...
at a place called Enabutuku. From here they settled in Cherangani Hills
Cherangani Hills
Cherangani Hills, gently rolling slopes in the western highlands of Kenya, are one of Kenya's five main forests. The highlands, the large central plateau, is divided by the Mau Escarpment rising from the border with Tanzania up to the Cherangani Hills, fencing the plateau that rises to the slopes...
at place called Embayi later to be known as Sirikwa
Sirikwa
The Sirikwa were an ethnic group in the Western Highlands of Kenya, being most prominent from 12th to 15th century.The area inhabited by Sirikwa expanded to today's Sotik, Nakuru, Cherangani Hills, Mount Elgon and Eldoret...
. After the evil and bad omen befall them they dispersed taking six routes; five going around mount Elgon and one via the eastern side of Mount Elgon. Those who went via the western side of Mount Elgon included Basilikwa, Banabayi, Baneala, Bakikayi and Bamalaba. Mwalie cluster took the eastern side route and settled at Mwalie hills. This area was already inhabited by some Kalenjin sub nationalities like the Laku, Sabiny, Bongomek, Sebei etc. These groups were hostile to their new neighbors. To check and protect themselves against these wild tribes the Bukusu built fortified villages. The art of fortified villages was as ancient as the tribe right from their origin in Misri.
The Bukusu trace their origin from Muntu we Entebe who lived in Tabasya of Misri. Muntu was a great warrior who was later deified by the people of Misri. His son Mwambu married Sera the daughter of Wasiela the son of Samba Ambarani who is believed to be Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
the Hebrew. Mwambu founded the cities of Kush, Nabibia (Nubia, Namelu (Meroe), Rwa (Alwa) and others including Soba and Balana.
Mwambu became the father of Mwaabini the inventor cum discoverer. Mwaabini was the father of Kongolo and Saba.
Kongolo became the father of all bantu tribes west of River Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
while Saba became the father of all the Bantu East of the River Nile. Saba moved to the East and founded the kingdom of Saba (Sheba. His great grand daughter called Nakuti of Saba (Queen of Sheba) traveled abroad and married a prince from the house of Samba Ambarani and had a son with him. The name of the son was Maina wa Nakuti okhwa Silimani of the East. It is believed it is this Maina whom the Arabs called Ibn Malik and Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
ns referred to as Menelik. But the people of East Africa refer to him as Maina. Maina ruled Saba for a long period before his kingdom was invaded by hostile Arabs forcing some of his people South West under the leadership of great descendant called Muntu Mkhulu. Muntu Mkhulu became the father of SabaII. It was Saba II who led people to Tabasya north of Lake Turkana.
Following repeated attacks from the Balana call them Borana or Galla
Oromo people
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census...
and unfavourable weather conditions, and it was resolved to migrate south and east, to unsettled lands. Masaba the father of Bukusu and Kisu led the people to Embayi which was later to become Sirikwa or the fallen kingdom. It fell after the people disobeyed their God Khakaba and so he send a giant boulder from the sky which hit the land of Mbayi causing an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
followed by swarms of stinging insects spread allover. Then came epidemics and other calamities forcing the subjects of Sirikwa to scatter into different directiond. They dispersed and settled among the Kipsigis, the Nandi
Nandi people
The Nandi people are a number of Kenyan tribes living in the highland areas of the Nandi Hills in Rift Valley Province who speak the Nandi languages. They are a sub-group of the Kalenjin people....
, the Samburu, the Marakwet
Marakwet
Marakwet is a corruption of Markweta. It is a tribe of the Kalenjin people, with an estimated population of 200 000. It is made of the clans Almoo, Cherangany , Endoow, Markweta , Sombirir and Kiptaani who presently predominantly live in Marakwet District in the North Rift Valley Province of Kenya...
, the Borana and even beyond. The main body is what headed south East and West under the banners of Basirikwa, Banabayi, Bakikayi, Baneala, Bamalaba and Bamwalie.
Currently, the Bukusu mainly inhabit Bungoma
Bungoma District
Bungoma District is a district in the Western Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Bungoma. It has a population of 876,491 and an area of 2,069 km².The economy of Bungoma district is mainly agricultural, centering on the sugar cane and maize industries...
, Trans Nzoia
Trans-Nzoia District
Trans-Nzoia District is an administrative district of Rift Valley Province, Kenya.It is located between the Nzoia River and Mount Elgon and its centre is the town of Kitale.Historically the area has been inhabited by the Kalenjin people...
, Uasin Gishu
Uasin Gishu District
Uasin Gishu District is one of the seventy-one districts of Kenya, located in the Rift Valley Province. The city of Eldoret is its capital, administrative center and commercial center....
, Kakamega
Kakamega District
Kakamega District is a district in the Western Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Kakamega. It has a population of 603,422 and an area of 1,395 km² .The district has four constituencies:*Malava Constituency*Lurambi Constituency...
and Lugari
Lugari District
Lugari District is one of the seventy-one districts of Kenya, located in that country's Western Province. Its capital is Lugari.- Lugari District :Lugari District has a population of 215,920 and an area of 670 km² ....
districts of Western Province
Western Province (Kenya)
The Western Province of Kenya, bordering Uganda, is one of Kenya's seven administrative provinces outside Nairobi. It is west of the Eastern Rift Valley and is inhabited mainly by the Luhya people. Quakerism is widely practised here. Kenya's second highest mountain, Mount Elgon is located in...
of Kenya. The Bamasaba
Bamasaba
The Masaba people, or Bamasaaba, are a Bantu people inhabiting the Eastern Ugandan districts of Sironko, Manafwa, Bududa,Mbale and Bulambuli. They are Closely related to the Bukusu and Luhya of Western Kenya, they are a mainly agricultural people, farming millet, bananas and sorghum on...
of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
are very closely related to the Babukusu, with many shared customs and closely related dialect. Previously, the Bukusu were referred to as the 'Kitosh' by the colonialists; this was a word derived from the Nandi and Kwavi who used the word derogatively describe the Babukusu. Kitosh means the terrible ones. they called them the terrible ones because the Bukusu warriors were ruthless and decisive in battlefields. Following vigorous campaigns by community their defenders, the name Kitosh was eventually substituted with Bukusu in the mid 1950s.
Traditional life
The Bukusu lived in fortified villages, and did not have a structure of central authority. The highest authority was the village headman, called Omukasa, who was usually elected by the men of the village. There were also healers and prophets who acquired great status because of their knowledge of tribal tradition, medicines, and religion. Elijah MasindeElijah Masinde
Elijah Masinde was a traditional leader of the Bukusu people of western Kenya.-Early life:...
, a resistance leader and traditional medicine man
Medicine man
"Medicine man" or "Medicine woman" are English terms used to describe traditional healers and spiritual leaders among Native American and other indigenous or aboriginal peoples...
, was revered as a healer in the early 1980s.
Family
Bukusu family structure was traditionally modelled on the Luhya structure, it was and still is modelled on Bukusus culture itself. Families were usually polygamous, with the first wife accorded a special status among her co-wives. Society was entirely patrilineal: women were not present only as child-bearers but also as an indication of status. In addition, being polygamous meant more hands to work the fields, which was an advantage in a society founded on agriculture.Children inherited the clan of their father, and were not allowed to marry spouses from either their own clan, or their mother's clan. The first son of the first wife was usually the main heir to his father, and he had a special name denoting this status: Simakulu.
At birth, children were usually named after grandparents or famous people, or after the weather. Male and female names were different: male names frequently began with 'W', while female names usually began with 'N'. Thus, for example, a boy born during a famine would be named 'Wanjala', while a girl would be named 'Nanjala'. Both names share the same root word, 'njala', from 'eNjala', the Bukusu word for hunger.
Initiation
The Bukusu practised (and still practise) male circumcision. It is thought that they adopted the practice from contact with the Kalenjin at Mount ElgonMount Elgon
Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale.- Physical features :It is the oldest and largest solitary volcano in East Africa, covering an area of around 3500 km²....
. Others argue, however, that the presence of the practice in the other Luhya tribes indicates an earlier adoption, before the Bukusu settled at Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale.- Physical features :It is the oldest and largest solitary volcano in East Africa, covering an area of around 3500 km²....
.
In ceremonies that were spaced about two years apart, young boys of a particular age (usually about 15 years of age) would, on getting the go-ahead from their parents, invite relatives and friends to their initiation.
The initiation was a public event, witnessed by all. Going through the operation without showing any sign of pain was (and still is) thought to be an indicator of bravery. Once circumcised, an initiate became a member of an age-group.
There are eight age-groups (Bakolongolo, Bakikwameti, Bakananachi, Bakinyikewi, Banyange, Bamaina, Bachuma, Basawa), forming a cyclical system, with each age-group lasting for 10 years apart from Bachuma which lasted for 14 years from 1872 - 1886. The reason for this was the tradition that there was an old man of the age group of Basawa from the previous cycle who was still alive and he was not meant to live and see the next Basawa Eventually the old man died in 1884 and the Basawa ensued the next initiation period in 1888. It was then agreed to avoid such delays, that any man who lives long enough to appear reaching the second cycle would be killed. This has been the tradition since then. Once the last age-group has been reached, the first is restarted, and so on. For example, the Bachuma age-group lasted from 1872 to 1886: every Bukusu circumcised within this period (that is, in 1872 through to 1886) belongs to that age-group. In 1888, the Basawa age group began, and lasted until 1898. Each age group is represented once every century.
Female circumcision (clitoridectomy) is not a Bukusu practice. However, some clans are said to have practiced it. This is especially the case around Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale.- Physical features :It is the oldest and largest solitary volcano in East Africa, covering an area of around 3500 km²....
, where the neghbouring Kalenjin tribes also practice a form of female circumcision.
Although circumcision was universal among the Bukusu, the form of the ceremony varied according to the clan. In particular, the festivities and ceremonies accompanying the final stage of initiation, when the now-healed initiates came out of seclusion to rejoin their families as 'men', were specific to clans, and have been handed down largely intact to the present day.
Marriage
Young men got married at about the age of 18-20, while girls got married at about the age of 16. There were two types of first-time marriage: arranged marriages and enforced eloping.If a young man came from a well-to-do family, he would ask his sisters to find a girl for him to marry. The ability of a potential wife to cook well, bear children and work in the fields were the main attractions in a girl. Once a girl was identified, an emissary was sent to her parents to ask for her hand. The girl had no say whatsoever in the whole matter: bride price would be discussed, and then once it was paid she would be sent off to live with her new husband. This form of marriage is still common in traditional households today.
In some cases, however, the young man would be from a poor family and could not afford to pay the likely bride-price. Traditional society allowed such young men to abduct the girls they intended to marry. (The girl had to present an opportunity to be 'abducted', so her cooperation was essential!) The couple would then leave their home to live with a far-off relative for a while, until the young man acquired enough wealth to pay the original bride price, as well as a fine, to the parents of the girl. This practice has since died out.
The Bukusu highly approve of intermarriages between themselves and BaMasaaba. This is because they have quite a number of similarities in their codes of conduct, marriage customs, circumcision
Circumcision
Male circumcision is the surgical removal of some or all of the foreskin from the penis. The word "circumcision" comes from Latin and ....
traditions and even folklore. Among the most famous of Bukusu marriage customs is the immense respect accorded one's in-laws. A lady, for example, treats her father-in-law with a lot of deference and respect, and they are not allowed to make physical contact in any way. The same is true of a man and his mother-in-law.
In a marriage, duties were strictly segregated. Housework and agricultural duties were done by the women and the children. The older boys looked after cattle. Young, newly married men formed the community's warriors, while middle-aged men did nothing, mainly. Older men formed the village's council of elders, and resolved disputes. Punishment for crimes was usually on an-eye-for-an-eye basis, while petty crimes like theft were punished by the perperators being expelled from the village, and their property confiscated and redistributed to the wronged party.
Cattle were very important: they were the main means of exchange, alongside cowrie shells (chisimbi). Most values, from the beauty of a girl to the price of a field of land, were expressed in terms of head of cattle. Possessing cattle wealth and prosperous agriculture, the Bukusu were sometimes not only admired but also envied by neighboring communities. Occasionally intermarriages used to take place between them and the other communities. It was common practice for Kalenjin neighbors to give Bukusu their sons to look after their herds of cattle. In times of famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
, which are said to have been frequent amongst their Kalenjin neighbors, the latter used to even sell their children to Bukusu. Bukusu also used to send their own young boys to grow up with Kalenjin or Maasai families, in some cases for espionage purposes.
Death
Being sedentary pastoralistsPastoralism
Pastoralism or pastoral farming is the branch of agriculture concerned with the raising of livestock. It is animal husbandry: the care, tending and use of animals such as camels, goats, cattle, yaks, llamas, and sheep. It may have a mobile aspect, moving the herds in search of fresh pasture and...
, they had time to care for their sick and bury their dead. A sick person was looked after until he recuperated or died. When a person died, he was buried in a grave with a warrior's weapons if he was an elder. Several functions were performed during and after the funeral ceremony. Ordinarily, burial pits ranged from 3–4 feet in depth, much shallower than today's. With people buried facing East, the direction in which the sun rises. There are 2 known clans amongst the Bukusu who bury their people in sitting position to this very day!
Sometimes wild animals like hyena
Hyena
Hyenas or Hyaenas are the animals of the family Hyaenidae of suborder feliforms of the Carnivora. It is the fourth smallest biological family in the Carnivora , and one of the smallest in the mammalia...
s exhumed corpses from graves and ate them. Should such an incident occur, people looked for the presumed skull of the desecrated body, and when they found it, they hung it in a leafy tree. When the family of the deceased migrated, they brewed beer (kamalwa ke khuukhalanga) for the ceremony of transferring the skull with them to the new home or settlement. An old woman was entrusted with the responsibility of conveying the skull to the new site. Burial of the dead was thus, to say the least, ingrained in the Bukusu traditions.
Economic activities
Bukusu accounts indicate that both agricultural and pastoral economies have been practiced by the tribe for as long can be remembered. This is authenticated by the vast amount of knowledge they have about farming practices, rich pastoral vocabulary and the broad variety of legends connected with pastoral life. Today, they farm mainly maizeMaize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
for subsistence and sugar cane as a cash crop in the Bungoma
Bungoma
Bungoma is a town in Western Province of Kenya, bordered by Uganda in the west. Bungoma town was established as a trading centre in the early 20th century. The town is the headquarters of Kenya's Bungoma District and it hosts a municipal council...
area, as well as wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
in the Kitale
Kitale
Kitale is an agricultural town in western Kenya situated between Mount Elgon and the Cherengani Hills at an elevation of around . Its urban population was estimated at 220,000 in 2007....
area. Cattle and sheep are universally kept, cattle mainly for milk, and sheep for meat and ceremonial functions (when a sheep usually has to be offered to elders for sacrifice). Larger or polygamous families will usually have a team of oxen for ploughing and hauliage within the home. Chicken, a traditional delicacy, are nowadays reared on small to medium scales for commercial egg production.
Politics
The Bukusu currently form one of the main support bases of the governing coalition in Kenya, through the Ford-Kenya political partyFord-Kenya political party
FORD–Kenya is a Kenyan political party and was part of the ruling NARC coalition that ended forty years of KANU rule in Kenya...
. Previously, they were mainly associated with opposition to the Kalenjin-dominated reign of former President Daniel arap Moi
Daniel arap Moi
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi was the President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002.Daniel arap Moi is popularly known to Kenyans as 'Nyayo', a Swahili word for 'footsteps'...
.
Culture
The Bukusu play a traditional seven-stringed lyreLyre
The lyre is a stringed musical instrument known for its use in Greek classical antiquity and later. The word comes from the Greek "λύρα" and the earliest reference to the word is the Mycenaean Greek ru-ra-ta-e, meaning "lyrists", written in Linear B syllabic script...
called litungu
Litungu
The litungu is a traditional lyre played by the Luhya ethnic group of Kenya . It has seven strings. Other varieties of litungu are used by the Kuria and Kisii ethnic groups.-References:...
and the sihilili
Notable Personalities
Among the more notable Bukusu personalities past and present:- Elijah MasindeElijah MasindeElijah Masinde was a traditional leader of the Bukusu people of western Kenya.-Early life:...
, resistance and religious leader - Michael Kijana Wamalwa, former vice president of KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
- Masinde MuliroMasinde MuliroMasinde Muliro was a Kenyan politician, one of the central figures in the shaping of the political landscape in Kenya. A renowned freedom fighter, he campaigned for the restoration of multi-party democracy in Kenya in his later years....
, former minister and opposition leader - Musikari KomboMusikari KomboMusikari Nazi Kombo in Bungoma District is a Kenyan politician and currently serves as a nominated Member of Parliament. He joined Misikhu Primary School for his elementary education, then proceeded to Rakwaro Primary School, and finally moving to Mumias where he completed his primary education...
, current leader of Ford KenyaFord-Kenya political partyFORD–Kenya is a Kenyan political party and was part of the ruling NARC coalition that ended forty years of KANU rule in Kenya...
, - Wafula WabugeWafula WabugeWafula Wabuge was a politician from Kenya.Wabuge was a Member of Parliament for Kitale West Constituency .He was a close ally of influential politician Masinde Muliro....
, a first and only President of Western Kenya during the Majimbo system and a former Ambassador to the USA. - Sudi Namachanja, a bukusu king, who later became the father of the first African Cardinal Maurice Otunga
- Maurice Michael OtungaMaurice Michael OtungaMaurice Michael Otunga , Cardinal and Archbishop emeritus of Nairobi and Military Ordinary emeritus for Kenya, was born in Chebukwa, diocese of Kakamega, Kenya.-Early life and ordination:...
, Cardinal, Former head of the Catholic Church in Kenya - Eusebius Juma MukhwanaEusebius Juma MukhwanaDr. Eusebius Juma Mukhwana in Bungoma District, Kenya) is the past president of the African agricultural NGOs Network based in Ghana. He is also a recipient of the Kenyan head of state commendation for his role in assisting farmers to improve their food security and income. He has dedicated much...
, Omusakali, founder of the SACRED Training Institute - Nancy Barasa, Omutasama, the first Deputy Chief justice of Kenya
- Pascal Nabwana, Omuyemba, Post colonial chief
- Jonathan Barasa, Colonial chief from Sirisia