HOW ABAKHOONE SAVED BUKUSULAND FROM INVADERS
Namachanja the father of Chief Sudi was the son of Khisa s/o Ekobi s/o Bule s/o Kayoyo s/o Wekesa s/o Membwe s/o Sirwa s/o Kaya s/o Ngusa s/o Khoone s/o Khoobi s/o Gonja s/o Bwibo s/o Namada. Of the ancestors of Namachanja, Bule going back to Khoobi died in Bunambo (modern day Budalang'i). Gonja, Bwibo and Namada died in Igoye near Lumia hills (in modern day Yimbo location in Siaya). I had presented much of this history in "The genealogy of Chief Sudi Namachanja" on this blogg.
In this post, I want to document the history of the wars Namachanja the son of Khisa fought to defend Bukusuland from invaders.
Namachanja is descended from the Abakhoone. This is powerful clan whose origins can still be traced to the Bunambo kingdom in the modern day Budalang'i in Kenya.
Namachanja is remembered as a very powerful figure in the history of the Bukusu. Two of his wives were daughters of Sakwa who was Mumia Nabongo's brother. His other wife, Wabilika the mother of Chief Sudi Namachanja, was a war captive from Samia.
During his reign, Kabula is said to have supplied large quantities of millet, meat, sorghum, peas and groundnuts for the caravans and garisons of Mumia Nabongo in Mumias. Ivory caravans supplying Busolo, the chief of Balonja, Makhaso and Masaba in the North used to pass Kabula and so they used to pay tributes to Chief Namachanja.
As omukasa of Kabula, Namachanja maintained a mixed group of warriors with guns at each headman's boma. Tribute in livestock was occasionally collected from these villages by the army and sent to Kabula or some other Bomas of Namachanja. In fact large scale trade in guns was first witnessed during Namachanja's reign. he acquired a substantial amount of weaponry to maintain his power.
Warfare and rebellion was common in all the border areas of Namachanja's domain. the earliest large scale war is said to have occurred in Sirisia against Barwa (Masai) of Musoba when their leader Chepteke from Elgon prevented the Bukusu from traveling to Masaaba. A series of wars followed with Tesos over grazing rights and cattle theft in Mwiyala area. Namachanja defeated Tesos and forced a number of Teso village headmen under his domain. He even married two teso wives. This is the war that halted the attempted Teso expansion into Bukusuland
Namachanja fought the Marachi at Mumbako near Ejinja beyond Namulungu market at place called Ndubi. This how the territory near Namulungu was captured by the Abakhoone.
Later on Namachanja got involved in a dispute involving land and cattle with Wamukoya and his brother Shiundu the father of Mumia Nabongo. The battle took place at Musimule located near the present Sugar case of the Mumias Sugar factory. This is the war that halted the attempted Wanga expansion into Bukusuland
By this time, the Nandi people had settled a short distance north of Kabras which at this time was actually considered Bukusu territory. Namachanja dispatched his warriors who drove the Nandis east and followed them onto the Nandi Escarpment. He later went to battle with Barwa-Narok as the Bukusu expanded into Embayi.
At its greatest, Namachanja's sphere of influence may have extended from the Nzoia River to Mbale in the north. His main concentration of strength was in the areas where Kabula warriors, who were mainly of Abakhoone clan, were garrisoned or where marriage exchange was established between loyal headmen and members of Namachanja's family. Bomas existed in Kimilili, Chwele, Chebukwa, Mayanja, Malakisi, Nakalila, Butula, Bukhayo and several places in Eastern Teso and Massaba.
The following were the names of clan headmen who were under Namachanja's sphere of influence. The names of the clans they headed are in brackets:
Busolo (Balonja)
Maelo (Balunda) at Musamba,
Kukali (Bakhwani) at Emilo
Sifuma (Bayumbu) at Wachetambe
Makheti (Bakwanga) at Esiwuna in Kimilili
Matere (Bakangala) at Kamukuywa
Kiliu (Bakitwika) at Waipuroni in Chwele
Mukholi (bamasaba) at Emasaaba
Wanyela (Bamasaaba) at Emasaaba
Mubima (Bamasaaba) at Emasaaba
Mukhaso (Bakiyabi) at Malakisi
Okema (Balunda) in Busia
Otungusi (Teso)
Ikatakalia (Teso)
Seme (Teso)
Namasaka (Balonja) at Mayanja
Sitati (Bakimweyi) at Saboti
Okhwa Maina (Bakitwika) at Nalondo
Wayongo (Bauala) at Chebukwa
Okwara (Abaguuri-Bakatia) at Bukhayo
Otunga a.k.a. Odunga (Abaguuri) at Bukhayo
Oduya (Marachi) at Butula
Ndubi (Marachi) at Butula
Umba (Bamuyonga) at Nyangali.
As it can be seen from the wars Namchanja fought during his reign, it can be clear that he secured the Bukusu teritory from the invasion of the Tesos, Nandis, Wangas and Marachis.
Reference:
R.T.K Scully (1970). Bukusu History: the Bakhone Clan Traditions. Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York
In this post, I want to document the history of the wars Namachanja the son of Khisa fought to defend Bukusuland from invaders.
Namachanja is descended from the Abakhoone. This is powerful clan whose origins can still be traced to the Bunambo kingdom in the modern day Budalang'i in Kenya.
Namachanja is remembered as a very powerful figure in the history of the Bukusu. Two of his wives were daughters of Sakwa who was Mumia Nabongo's brother. His other wife, Wabilika the mother of Chief Sudi Namachanja, was a war captive from Samia.
During his reign, Kabula is said to have supplied large quantities of millet, meat, sorghum, peas and groundnuts for the caravans and garisons of Mumia Nabongo in Mumias. Ivory caravans supplying Busolo, the chief of Balonja, Makhaso and Masaba in the North used to pass Kabula and so they used to pay tributes to Chief Namachanja.
As omukasa of Kabula, Namachanja maintained a mixed group of warriors with guns at each headman's boma. Tribute in livestock was occasionally collected from these villages by the army and sent to Kabula or some other Bomas of Namachanja. In fact large scale trade in guns was first witnessed during Namachanja's reign. he acquired a substantial amount of weaponry to maintain his power.
Warfare and rebellion was common in all the border areas of Namachanja's domain. the earliest large scale war is said to have occurred in Sirisia against Barwa (Masai) of Musoba when their leader Chepteke from Elgon prevented the Bukusu from traveling to Masaaba. A series of wars followed with Tesos over grazing rights and cattle theft in Mwiyala area. Namachanja defeated Tesos and forced a number of Teso village headmen under his domain. He even married two teso wives. This is the war that halted the attempted Teso expansion into Bukusuland
Namachanja fought the Marachi at Mumbako near Ejinja beyond Namulungu market at place called Ndubi. This how the territory near Namulungu was captured by the Abakhoone.
Later on Namachanja got involved in a dispute involving land and cattle with Wamukoya and his brother Shiundu the father of Mumia Nabongo. The battle took place at Musimule located near the present Sugar case of the Mumias Sugar factory. This is the war that halted the attempted Wanga expansion into Bukusuland
By this time, the Nandi people had settled a short distance north of Kabras which at this time was actually considered Bukusu territory. Namachanja dispatched his warriors who drove the Nandis east and followed them onto the Nandi Escarpment. He later went to battle with Barwa-Narok as the Bukusu expanded into Embayi.
At its greatest, Namachanja's sphere of influence may have extended from the Nzoia River to Mbale in the north. His main concentration of strength was in the areas where Kabula warriors, who were mainly of Abakhoone clan, were garrisoned or where marriage exchange was established between loyal headmen and members of Namachanja's family. Bomas existed in Kimilili, Chwele, Chebukwa, Mayanja, Malakisi, Nakalila, Butula, Bukhayo and several places in Eastern Teso and Massaba.
The following were the names of clan headmen who were under Namachanja's sphere of influence. The names of the clans they headed are in brackets:
Busolo (Balonja)
Maelo (Balunda) at Musamba,
Kukali (Bakhwani) at Emilo
Sifuma (Bayumbu) at Wachetambe
Makheti (Bakwanga) at Esiwuna in Kimilili
Matere (Bakangala) at Kamukuywa
Kiliu (Bakitwika) at Waipuroni in Chwele
Mukholi (bamasaba) at Emasaaba
Wanyela (Bamasaaba) at Emasaaba
Mubima (Bamasaaba) at Emasaaba
Mukhaso (Bakiyabi) at Malakisi
Okema (Balunda) in Busia
Otungusi (Teso)
Ikatakalia (Teso)
Seme (Teso)
Namasaka (Balonja) at Mayanja
Sitati (Bakimweyi) at Saboti
Okhwa Maina (Bakitwika) at Nalondo
Wayongo (Bauala) at Chebukwa
Okwara (Abaguuri-Bakatia) at Bukhayo
Otunga a.k.a. Odunga (Abaguuri) at Bukhayo
Oduya (Marachi) at Butula
Ndubi (Marachi) at Butula
Umba (Bamuyonga) at Nyangali.
As it can be seen from the wars Namchanja fought during his reign, it can be clear that he secured the Bukusu teritory from the invasion of the Tesos, Nandis, Wangas and Marachis.
Reference:
R.T.K Scully (1970). Bukusu History: the Bakhone Clan Traditions. Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York
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