ABAKHONE AND ABANYALA WERE DIFFERENT ENTITIES

BUNAMBO KINGDOM

Bunambo Kingdom was located largely in today's Southern and Western Bunyala. The immediate neighbour of Bunambo the East was Buongo. To the South was Yimbo location. To the West was Lake Victoria and to the North was Samia.

Part of Bunyala south is drained by four major rivers, namely, Nzoia, Ndekwe, Namukhongo and Obaro. Rivers Nzoia and Yala formed swamps which are extensively irrigated agricultural areas with rice as the most ideal cash crop. Other important physical features in Bunambo are hills, valleys and plains. The most significant hills are Mwita Fubu, Singwe, Nanjuku, Nzalagobe hill, Wanga, Munjogo and Namenya hill. Bunambo also has a number of Islands namel Sumba, Sigulu (today it is in Uganda), Nabuduma and Khanete.

The Abanyala are Bantu-speaking people of northern Bantu group/cluster commonly referred to as the Luhya. The term Luhya has been claimed to mean 'fellow clansman'. Osogo (1966:7) in the entitled The History of Buluhya, explains that the word Luhya is derived from the verb oluyia (to burn). He further asserts that the Abaluhya used to hold campfires to establish their presence in a particular area. Whenever a stranger came through their camp, he would be asked to which oluhya he belonged, and in that way they would identify fellow tribesmen from strangers. Thus the word Abaluyia literally means "those of the (same) fires"-a specific place in a field where clan members would gather to deal with official matters.

Osogo further gives 1940 as the date when the word Abaluyia was formulated. He says, although the Abaluyia had a common language and a common culture to an extent they did not have a name embracing the whole tribe. So, in 1940, the Abaluyia Welfare Association was formed. The name Abaluyia quickly gained popularity because luhyas wanted to be as united as Kikuyus and Luos to strengthen their bargaining power in colonial kenya polittics. This was strengthened when Luhya language committee was established and formulated an orthography.

The Abaluyia clans (tribes) have it in their traditions that they came from Egypt (Misri). A few state that they came from Western Africa. The Abaluyia occupy the districts of Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma and large parts of Trans Nzoia counties.

The name Abanyala is applied to three sub-tribes of the Luhya community. These are the Abanyala ba Mayero (kakalewa,  also called Abanyala ba Ndombi), Abanyala Abakabalas and Abanyala be buongo. The first two groups are in Kakamega district, while the Abanyala be buongo live in Busia district. The Abanyala Abaongo are the current group under which everybody found in Budalang including Abakhone is lumped under.

But traditionally, the area known as Bunyala has traditionally had two distinct groups: Abanyala Abaongo on one hand and Abakhone on the other. All these groups considered Abakhoone to be the earliest inhabitants of this region.

Below is a map of Bunambo  Kingdon demarcated by a yellow line within modern day Busia county

[MAP TO BE INSERTED HERE]

 

ORIGIN OF THE NAME ABANYALA

The name Abanyala did not originate from the name of a person as in the case of most other sub-tribes in Buluyia. The word, originates fromthe term Okhunyala which means to manage. The Abanyala are those who managed. In this case, they managed Abakhone a very powerful clan in Bunyala which used to terrorize other clans. The Abakhone had a common name, Abanambo. After the Abaongo had defeated the Abakhone during the war of Esiadikho or sometimes called Ifunikho in 1800, they adopted the name Abanyala. Those who had been driven out of their land by the Abakhone later on came back to stay in Bunyala as Abanyala.

In Bunyala, there were two main settlements in what is now Busia South. There were Burambo and Buongo. Both Bunambo and Buongo lay between rivers Nzoia and Yala. In Bunambo lived the big and fierce clans of the Abakhone and in Buongo were a number of clans namely the Abamatseke, Abangoma, Ababboro and Abamakhya.

Below is the map of Bunambo Kingdom as it used to be those days as demarcated by a yellow line.

 [MAP TO BE INSERTED HERE]

After the arrival of the Abaongo and Abakhone, other clans arrived. These were the Abamaba and the Abanyekera. The Abasinyama and Abamulembo later arrived between 1650-1700. Until recently the Abamulembo used to be considered largest clan in Bunyala although the Abakhone have steadily multiplied and could be equaling the number of the Abamulembo today.

The Abakhone always terrorised the other clans. Their army of unmarried men was brave and daring. Moreso, they believed that not even the combination of all the clans of Buongo could manage their military. Their military as described by Shadrack Bulimo (2009) was mighty and legendary. They hated abaongo with passion. Anybody from Buongo who was caught crossing in Bunambo had one of his ribs taken out and left to die a slow and painful death.

 For their survival these clans of Buongo became allies against their common enemy, and called themselves collectively as Abaongo. Some clans were invited by the Abaongo from Kadenge and Igoye to strengthen their population so as to be able to fight the Abakhone. These included Abanyineki, Ababuri, Abanyifwa, Abamalunga and Abapunyi. These clans were mainly of Luhya origin which had settled together with the Luo's in Kadenge and Igoye. Other clans included the Abanyekera, Abalwani, Abakholo, Abamuli and Abasakami.

The fierce Abakhone were attacked in a surprise move by Abaongo in 1800 in the war famously called Esiadikho, because it led to major changes in the socio-politcal organization of many communities, especially with the dispersion of the large and might abakhone clan.

In this war, after almost 400 years of domination, Abakhone were finally defeated by the allied Abaongo clans. Having managed their enemies, the victors started calling themselves Abanyala Abaongo meaning the Abaongo who managed the invincible Abakhone. The Abakhone were later on expelled from Western Bunyala. Some were called back to Bunyala between 1840-1850 when famine of Lumala struck Abaongo and diviners told the leader of Abaongo that the famine was a punishment from God for expelling Abakhone. Coincidentally, during the famine of Lumala, the Samia too attacked Abaongo seeking to reclaim the area called Esamia, north of River Nzoia that Abakhoone. With Abaongo weakened by famine and the big war of Esiadikho, the Abaongo were desperate for allies. The sent a ward to re-mobilise abakhone to return. Since Abakhone were so hated by the clans of Buongo, the king had to use the divine explanation of the gods being unhappy to return the abakhone to fight for him against Abasamia.

During the periods of wars between the Abakhone and the Abaongo, some of the clans could not withstand war and were forced to cross Sio river into what is now eastern province of Uganda. Some of the clans who moved out of port-Victoria area are the Abadecho, Abadebani, Abalanda, and the Abauma. These clans are today among the largest one's in Bunyala of Kakamega district. They are refereed to as Abanyala ba Mayero or Abanyala ba Ndombi.  

Some clans such as Abalemesi, Abakhala and Abakokho settled in the present Samia-Bugwe area of Eastern Uganda. The area where they settled was called Burebe in the area of Buyengo in Uganda overlooking Mayenje ward of Busia -Kenya. They appear to have extended their settlements to the present Tororo area of Uganda.

The Abamarere and Abafofoyo  who appear to be the smallest in number in Bunyala, are believed to have settled in Bunyala after the Abakhone wars. They originated from Marachi where the majority of the clan are believed to be at present. These clans were brought in to support Abaongo in the genocidal war of Esiadikho against Abakhone. The plan of Abaongo and other Luhyas who hated Abakhone was wiped from the earth anything called omukhone. The abaongo spared nothing they came across: the killed children, babies, women and even the sick and the elderly as long as it had the Khone blood.