The Kabras, or Kabarasi, are a subtribe of the
Luhya Luhya or Abaluyia may refer to:
* Luhya people
* Luhya language
{{disambig
Language and nationality disambiguation pages ...
people of
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
. They reside in
Malava
Malwa () is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic upland north of the Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also sy ...
in the Kabras Division of
Kakamega District
Kakamega District was a districts of Kenya, district in the Western Province, Kenya, Western Province of Kenya. Its capital town was Kakamega. It had a population of 603,422 people and an area of 1,395 km². Kakamega was created in 1963 by the ...
, which is neighboured by the
Isukha, Banyala,
Tsotso
The Tsotso or ''Abatsotso'' are a tribe of the Luhya nation in Kenya. They occupy three locations in Lurambi division of Kakamega District. The three locations are Bukura, north Butsotso and south Butsotso.
See also
* Luhya people
* Luhya langua ...
, and the
Tachoni. The exact origin of the Luhya people is currently disputed, but there are historians who believe that the group came from Bethlehem and migrated to their present-day location by way of the so-called
Great Bantu Migration.
The Kabras dialect called
Lukabaras is similar to
Tachoni. However, the Kabras have spread to other regions as a result of intermarriages and movements to seek greener pastures in formal employment. These people are described as adaptable, easily absorbing other cultural values and beliefs.
This can be demonstrated in the way many Kabras practice the Christian and Muslim faiths.
Notable cultural practices include circumcision ceremonies and bride-price required for marriage.
History
Kabrasi clans were named after the heads of the families. They include Abanzasi (Bakamulamba) Abasira, Avatali, Abawande, Abamutama, Basonje, Abashibika, Abakhusia, Bamachina, Abashu, Abamutsembi, Abasumira, Baluu, Batobo, Bachetsi, and Bamakangala. Along with 17 other Luhya subtribes, the Kabras constitute 14 percent of the Kenyan population, making the ethnic group the second largest in the country, next to the
Kikuyu
Kikuyu or Gikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) mostly refers to an ethnic group in Kenya or its associated language.
It may also refer to:
*Kikuyu people, a majority ethnic group in Kenya
* Kikuyu language, the language of Kikuyu people
*Kikuyu, Kenya, a town in Cen ...
.
Before the colonial era, the Kabaras were under the rulership of Nabongo Mumia, the king of the
Wanga
The Wanga kingdom is a traditional Realm, kingdom within Kenya, consisting of the Wanga (Abawanga) tribe of the Luhya people (Abaluyia). At its peak the kingdom covered an expansive area from Jinja, Uganda, Jinja in west to Naivasha in the East ...
. They were represented by an elder in his Council of Elders. The last known elder in the king's council was Soita Libukana Samaramarami. The Kabaras are said to have originally been Banyala.
When Quaker missionaries came to Kenya in the early part of the twentieth century, they spread out to Kabaras from
Kaimosi in
Tiriki
Tiriki Clan
The Tiriki is a tribe consisting of 16 clans and dialects of the Abaluyia people of Western Kenya. The word ''Tiriki'' is also used to refer to their geographical location of Hamisi subcounty, Vihiga County, in the Western region of ...
. During the British colonization, the Kabras - along with the Wanga tribe - collaborated with the colonialists.
These tribes, especially the
Bukusu
The Bukusu people ( Bukusu: ''Babukusu'') are one of the 17 Kenyan tribes of the Luhya Bantu people of East Africa residing mainly in the counties of Bungoma and Trans Nzoia. They are the largest tribe of the Luhya nation, with 1,188,963 id ...
, which waged strong resistance to the invaders, avoided the fate of most of the Luhya people, who lost their fertile lands to the British colonial rule.
Politics
In politics, one of the famous Kabras politician is
Dr. Noah Mahalang'ang'a Wekesa, the former Kwanza MP and who also served as Wildlife and Forestry minister under President
Mwai Kibaki
Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki (15 November 1931 – 21 April 2022) was a Kenyan politician who served as the third President of Kenya from December 2002 until April 2013.
He served in various leadership positions in Kenya's government including ...
. Another notable Kabras politician was the late
Soita Shitanda
Soita Shitanda (9 November 1958 – 24 May 2016) was a Kenyan politician. He belonged to New Ford Kenya and was elected to represent the Malava Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya. Soita represented Malava constituency from 1997, ...
, who represented Malava Constituency in parliament and served as a Housing Minister in President Mwai Kibaki's cabinet. He was instrumental in the revival of the sugarcane industry in Western Kenya, spearheading the establishment of West Kenya Sugar factory in Malava. Former Chief Justice, the Late
Zacchaeus Chesoni, who hailed from the Kabras sub tribe Bamachina clan close to Chimoi area near Webuye. Others are Omurembe Iyadi, former director of Agricultural Finance Cooperation (AFC) and the late Peter Jonah Mmula of the ministry of lands and settlement (during
Mzee Jomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyatta (22 August 1978) was a Kenyan Anticolonial, anti-colonial activist and politician who governed Kenya as its Prime Minister of Kenya, Prime Minister from 1963 to 1964 and then as its first President of Kenya, President from 1964 t ...
's presidency) who was a close ally and key player in the late
Masinde Muliro
Henry Pius Masinde Muliro (June 30, 1922 – August 14, 1992) was a Kenyan politician from the Bukusu sub-tribe of the larger Abaluhya people of western Kenya. He was one of the central figures in the shaping of the political landscape in K ...
's political and business prowess. Dr. Noah Wekesa and the late Peter Mmula are first cousins, their mothers being sisters.
Economic activities
Kabras people are farmers, practicing livestock rearing and crop farming. The main cash crop is sugarcane, which is harvested and taken to West Kenya Sugar Company, Butali Sugar as well as Mumias Sugar Company. With the decreasing demand for sugarcane due to shutting down of local companies, the Kabras have resorted to other crop farming and livestock rearing.
See also
*
Luhya languages
The Great Lakes Bantu languages, also known as Lacustrine Bantu and Bantu zone J, are a group of Bantu languages of East Africa. They were recognized as a group by the ''Tervuren'' team, who posited them as an additional zone (zone J) to Guthrie ...
References
{{reflist
External links
*http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/fullMaps_Af.nsf/luFullMap/14A6905F99640EF98525766A0065CCB6/$File/map.pdf?OpenElement
*http://web.sndden.org/kenya/sjpdc/bkg.htm
*https://img.ucweb.com/s/uae/g/6l/shareback-link/1cfb0a686fc59929b06086f7e63a89aa.html The Kabras Clans - Nyongesa Sande
Luhya