BRIEF HISTORY OF ABAKHOONE

Abakhoone used to call themselves Abanambo because their Kingdom used to be called Bunambo. Abakhoone as a clan singlehandedly shaped the present socio-political structure of Luhya land. They arrived from Uganda and settled in between River Nzioa and River Yala at around 1350 AD. 

Their earliest ancestor to arrive here was known as Namada who was a descendant of King Wamara of the Kitara kingdom (presently called Busongora kingdom in Uganda). When he arrived here with his extended family, he found Abalanda and Abalusere clans living near Ndekwe. Namada did not want toile here mainly because he had come with a lot of cattle and was feeling constrained to coexist with Abalanda and abalusere who were not cattle keepers. So Namada migrated away to Igoye (lumia hills) ( today called Ramogi hills in Yimbo location of Siaya county).
Namada lived and died at Igoye. There his son Bwibo lived and died. Namada's grandson by the name Gonja also died in Igoye. It is Gonja's son by the name Khoobi who led abakhone back to Ndekwe River. At this time they were not even known as a abakhone. The name abakhone was adopted from the son of Khoobi called Khoone. 

Khoone was named as such because he liked signing songs in praise of himself. In Luhya language, "okhwekhoona" means to sing a song in one's own praise. So Khoone had this habit which is why he was named as such.  All the descendants of Namada therefore became known as abakhone. Meaning people of Khoone.

Once abakhone had settled here, a conflict arose with Abalanda over the control of Ndekwe. Abakhone fought and expelled Abalanda. Before the left, the bequeathed the Abalusere the Ndekwe river with the instruction that " take care of it until when we shall return". 

Abalanda left and settled just north of the banks of river Nzoia at the village called Budiera. Abakhone followed them there and expelled them. Within a short time, abakhone expelled Abalusere too. They remained here as the masters of Ndekwe river. From there on abakhone fought and expelled any clan that interfered with their grazing, fishing or trading rights. No one was safe with abakhone's presence here anymore. For centuries they fought and defeated and expelled tens of clans from western bunyala. Over this period abakhone became the most feared fighting force in Luhya land. Their Warriors were known far and wide for their strength and bravery at war.

The abakhone established a Kingdom of their own by the name Bunambo sometimes it was called Ikobo. It lay a straddle River Ndekwe. At the moment, all the area on the south of River Nzoia used to be called Bunambo. The area north of River Nzoia was called Esamia until around 1750 AD when Abakhoone crossed over captured villages of Bukaani (Port Victoria town), Bukoma, Mareenga, Singwe, all the way to Sisenye on the border with the present day Samia near Ganga town. Abakhoone were known far and wide for their bravery and fearlessness at war. In fact ever since 1350AD to 1810 when they were defeated in the war of Ifunikho, there is no clan or kingdom that had ever defeated abakhoone in war. Over this period they fought and expelled tens of clans from this area. They actually believed that their rule is a divine gift from God. Even though by clan name they are known as Abakhoone, politically all Abakhoone used to be called Abanambo by their neighbours.
The abakhone despised their neighbors. Any trespass in their territory was punished by a slow and painful death. At worst, suspected enemies or spies were punished by having a rib removed and then they were left to die as a lesson to anyone who dared them. Even by the time the Lous were arriving in Kenya they quickly learned about the abakhone terror and simply avoided crossing Bunambo. They preferred to cross through wangaland into their present locality. No one dared cross Bunambo during the reign of abakhone.