ABUMWO CLAN HISTORY ORIGIN/PEDIGREE The ABAUMWO clan belongs to the larger Abaynala sub-tribe of the Luhyia tribe. They originated from Uganda along with other Bantu tribes and migrated to the present Navakholo sub-county of Kakamega county-Kenya. They came from Busia and settled briefly at Lucheko (Mumias) then Butieri Hills, and moved to Maero Forest currently referred to as Bunyala Forest. The current lineage of Abaumwo is traced back to Mukachi and Wakhanu. Mukachi settled in Namirama-Bunyala East while Wakhanu settled in Sirigoi-Bunyala Central. 1. Mukachi Mukachi had the following sons; Wesechere, Sikenyi, Osakulo, and Mukafwa. Wesechere settled in Buheri and had the following sons; Odongo, Mutacho, Wanjala, Ngeresa, and Mukachi. Odongo gave birth to the following children; marula Soita, Khaoya Sorofina, Sofia Naliaka, Phelistus Namulanda, Agnes Namarome, John Wawire, and Paulina Nakalikha. The following passed on at an early age (Lichuma, Khakasa, Munyoroli, Chininga, and Mutacho). Mutacho gave birth to the following; Peter Mwichanyi, and Paulina Misanya. Mutacho passed on and the widow remarried his young brother Wanjala Wesechere and gave birth to the following children; Josephine Nekesa, Veronica Namisoho, Beatrice Namulanda, Dismas Wanjala Nyongesa, Joash Siminyu, Melisa Nafula, Pius Okumu, Stephen Wesechere, Namenge, and Hellen Asunga. Ngeresa died at an early age due to complications during circumcision and did not leave behind any offspring. Mukachi who hails in Vinyanya Lugari sub-county-Kakamega county gave birth to the following children; Vincent Makokha, Wafuka Khokho, Nyongesa Mukachi, Patrick Kirareti (Gerald), Gladys Khalayi, Khakula Mukachi, Wesechere Mukachi. Mukafwa had the following children; Mukhwana John, Sipenji……………………. Osakulo gave birth to Wasidia who gave birth to Wamalwa who had the following children Amulid Osakulo, Nyongesa, Wasidia, and Alima. Sikenyi gave birth to the following children; Jera, and Masika, he passed on to the widow who remarried Wesechere, and gave birth to; Namuma, Daudi, and Posta. 2. Wakhanu Wakhanu settled in the present-day Sirigoi and gave birth to the following children; Wekesa Simeone, NAlinyonyo, Matayo Makokha, Musiameno Wanyama, Wamocha, William Wawire, Akoth, Awinja, Rakamba, Utumbi, and Lukeni. Wekesa Simeone gave birth to the following children; Elijah Wekesa, Richard Ambundo, Peter Wekesa, … and Munyaundo Wekesa. Matayo Kesea gave birth to the following children; Robert Makokha, and Erima Makokha. Wafula Musiameno gave birth to the following children Wafula Munyaundo, ... Misanya, and Naumwo. William Waire gave birth to the following children Peter Wawire, Clement Wawire, Mary Wawire, and Josephine. Utumbi gave birth to the following children wandera, Machengo, Wechuli, Uchunju, Wanheyula, …, and Wawire. Rakamba had the following children Lunguyi, Sipindi, Kichwa, and Waswa Rakamba, Waswa Rakamba has the following children Sivala, Rakamba, Moses Waswa, Peter Waswa, Rama, and Anita. Lukeni had the following children Muoka, Wakhanu Lukeni, Muoka, Opicha Lukeni, and Matina. Wakhanu Lukeni had the following children Francis Juma, Joseph Wanjala, Muoka, Sophia Nakalio, Pamela Liaka, Sifuna Wakhanu, and Ann Vakhoya. Opicha Lukeni has the following children Pius Wakhanu, Jacob Mukoye, Anthony Mukachi, Patrick Sikenyi, and Timothy Wanjala. Wamocha gave birth to Reuben who gave birth to the following children Kassimu, Chilison Wakhanu, Malick, Hamisi Mukuva, Wamocha, and Mark Okwemba. Nalinyonyo had the following children Muchuma, Okumu, Baruti Okumu, and Ndombi Okumu. Muchuma Okumu had the following children Sale Muchuma, Mohammed Muchuma, and Sichiefuma. EARLIER EVENTS THE DEFINED THEIR CURRENT SITUATION Mukachi settled in Buheri-Namirama-Bunyala East in Navakholo Sub-County while Wakahnu settled in Sirigoi-Nambacha- Bunyala East in Navakholo Sub-County the resolution on where to settle was more ideological or rather aesthetical. Sirigoi was a forest at the time exclusively with its proximity to Bunyala Forest this shunned Mukachi who was not fond of the forest environment. The advent of the Quaker church in Namirama between 1942-1945 unwrapped a slippery slope to many events that shaped the life and decisions of the Abaumwo whose bearing is still vivid to the current generation. Specifically, the question of land ownership and settlement of those who initially embraced the Quaker doctrine caused controversial settlements and human shifting in the area particularly among those who did not embrace the doctrine. To be specific the Abaumwo who were the original settlers in this region were displaced to pave way for the settlement and subsequent instituting of the church and the elders who took up leadership roles in the church. Wesechere belonged to Chief Ndombis’ elders. The Abanyala of Kakamega is commonly referred to as the Abanyala ba Ndombi. He was so powerful that the entire Abanyala sub-tribe was named after him and it is easy to differentiate or rather the only way to differentiate between Abanyala of Navakholo and those of Budalangi is the fact that that the former are named after their chief Ndombi hence the abanyala ba ndombi. Ndombi the Chief wanted to Marry Namuma the daughter of Wesechere, according to the Banyala custom it was taboo to marry the daughter of your age set that is a person you were circumcised with the same year also known as vakoki. This proposal to ask for a hand in marriage by Chief Ndombi for Namuma the daughter of Wesechere did not go down well with Wesechere who deemed that Chief Ndombi had overstepped his mandate and had also disrespected communal norms, as a result, he rejected the marriage proposal. Chief Ndombi insisted that he could not back down from the decision despite the obvious reasons and the objections from his elder as well as Vakoki. As fate will have it Ndombi sent his Askaris to take Namuma by force without the consent of Wesechere. Wesechere and his sons, and the Abaumwo objected and refused to release Namuma. A fight ensued where several Askaris and the sons of Wesechere got hurt. When the news of the resistance and the beating that the chiefs Askaris received at the hands of Abaumwo reached the chief, he sent for reinforcement from Kakamega which is the police force. The brutal force of the police and the fact that they had caused havoc and disobedience to the most powerful colonial chief the Abaumwo in Namirama were left with only one option that is to flee the area. They migrated to the present-day Lukhokho in the Malava constituency where they settled. Wesechere being a gentleman got the daughter of Ukokhe and took her to chief Ndombi in place of Namuma who later married Otemi the son of Wakwova. Despite the good gesture, the Abaumwo could not return to their ancestral land. The fear of retribution and targeted mistreatment from the chief kept them away from their land for a very long period. Their absence from their land in Namirama opened up a vacuum or rather their land was seen as idle and without due process the Quaker elders settled in their land. It is imperative to take cognizance of the fact that the people who settled in this land in Namirama came from different places in Navakholo but because they had links and deep roots with the church they settled in the land. They included Ayub Wasike who migrated from Kharanda, James Wekondi Were from mahanga, Yohana Okwisia Wakwova from Siyombe, Joel Ngolobe from Weremba, and Mapesa Ochoya from Chebuyusi. Abaumwo were forced to settle in diverse parts of Malava and Lugari sub-counties some working as part of the White settler’s workforce while others engaged in peasant and sustenance husbandry. Samuel Odongo also known as Kijana got a job with Kenya Railways and was stationed at Turbo station. He later married Veronica Kwamateba the daughter of Chief Navuimba Soita. He constructed his house in Maturu and settled there with his family. The rest of the Abaumwo settled in Lukhokho including Daudi, Posta, Mairo, and Pinika among others. Social, and cultural activities were common at the time and one of these social activities included a person brewing the traditional beer called Busaa and he will invite friends and kinsmen to enjoy the brew with some food. This practice was common in the region as people could invite guests in turns. Keep in mind that this only happened among married men if a person was not married then he was not invited to such functions and if by chance he is invited he was expected to drink the busaa while kneeling like the boy that he is. Busaa was prepared using natural ingredients that included corn/maize flour, natural yeast, and water. When the brew was ready it was put into a pot and men could sit around it sipping through straws commonly referred to as Olusekhe while the wife of the house could keep the brew warm by adding hot water from time to time. Daudi one of the Abaumwo clan who settled in Lukhokho brewed his busaa and called friends, neighbors, and kinsmen to celebrate. The party went on smoothly over time, and as it is common in every party there are gate crushers or rather party crushers one of these party crushers was a man called Machengo wa Namusasi. Since the rules were very strict about who enters such parties he was denied entry but his persistence yielded fruit, the merry-goers out of pity invited him in to sip his brew while kneeling like any other boy in the village could be ordered to respect the rule. Keep in mind that this was not a boy per se but rather his status in society was equated to a boy and therefore, he was told to kneel. Initially, Daudi the host had objected to Machengo being invited to the party he was hosting in his house. But, as a rule of democracy, he was finally allowed because the majority voices advocated for him since he was deemed to persist in what they call Luhyia as Okhusiena. Daudi was married to Kantari. Kantari had an illicit affair with Machengo wa Namusasi over a long period. As the men continued sipping busaa through seek some became tipsy including Machengo wa Namusasi and as music was playing some were dancing to the lyrics especially the liturgy a traditional harp instrument played among the Luhyia community. Kantari came in adding warm water to Busaa. The music was playing and everyone was in a merry mood. Machengo stood up from where he was kneeling and started to force Kantari into the dance before the guests and the husband. Out of anger and dismay, Daudi grabbed Machengo and dragged him out of the house while other partygoers' escorted him with kicks and blows. On reaching outside he picked up a piece of wood and hit him severally on the head and left him lying on the ground. They returned to the house and the party continued. They accused him of being a nuisance and a disturbance to public order. During those days a homestead used to have a traditional granary where grains were stored after a harvest and it was also in the same place where people used to split firewood. Here is where Machengo was left to rest under the shade of the granary for him to sober up and go home. One person went around the granary to respond to a call of nature only to discover Machengo still in the same position he has left a few hours ago the only difference was that some ants were circling his position. It was then that they realized that Machengo had succumbed. This situation was precarious since it could have called for immediate retaliation from the family of Machengo. So Daudi and other Abaumwo who had settled in Lukhokho had to flee that night leaving everything they owned behind. In a hurry and afraid the Abumwo left Lukhokho and arrived in Navakholo at night some settled in Mukangu while others moved to Sirigoi in 1947. Odongo Wesechere aka Kijana who settled in Maturu was not part of this happenings and no one gave him a heads up maybe because of the challenges associated with communication by then and also as a result of the urgency they had to leave Lukhokho. He was going on with his normal activities that included farming and working at the railways' station in Turbo. His continued stay in Maturu was short-lived since his life and that of his family were in danger. The family of Machengo was looking for his son Soita to kill to avenge the death of their kin at the hands of Abaumwo in Lukhokho. The spirit of retaliation and revenge was lurking in the air and therefore, it was imperative that Odongo takes precautions for his safety and that of his family. While ploughing the land with his son Soita he received news that Soita was the target of retaliation. Given that his father-in-law was an influential man in society he advised him to leave immediately and return to Namirama. He left his bumper harvest for the season, his livestock, and every other thing that he owned. He left Lwandeti in 1948 and came back to Namirama the only possession he had was his life with his wife and children. This was the hardest decision for him to make because all his life sweat was left behind and he came back to a fresh start in a place with a myriad of challenges and hostilities from the chief, administration, and the Quaker church. Odongo’s arrival in Namirama was not received well by the Quaker elders who had occupied his land in 1948. It came as a rude shock to him when he realized that his land was occupied by Ainea Fita also known as Omunasolo. He had to settle on the remaining small piece of land where his descendants live now. Odongo passed on in 1992 still trying to find solutions to the Abaumwo land puzzle in Namirama.