The Marama, also known as ''Abamarama'', are a

Luhya Luhya or Abaluyia may refer to: * Luhya people * Luhya language {{disambig Language and nationality disambiguation pages ...

tribe occupying Marama Location in

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 ...

of the western province 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. ...

. The town of

Butere Butere is a town in Kakamega County, which was formerly part of the Western Province of Kenya. According to the 2019 Kenya National Census, it has an Urban population of 154,100. Until 2010, Butere served as the capital of the former Butere/M ...

is located in west Marama and is a significant trading centre in

Kakamega Kakamega is a town in western Kenya lying about 30 km north of the Equator. It is the headquarters of Kakamega County that has a population of 1,867,579 (2019 census). The town has an urban population of 107,227 (2019 census). Kakamega ...

. They are said to have assimilated the Abashikunga sub tribe. There is this great history associated with the a marama people that on their way to Kenya from through Uganda they first settled at the current Luoland place called Kaugak. Actually the amarama believe that the name should be kwa Bukachi, one of their sons whom the left behind at this point. Luos being unable to pronounce the name kwa Bukachi just put it to Kaugak The main group then moved forward to the present Shiatsala area from where they spread their wings. At Shiatsala they found the Abatere people who had settled here earlier. They overpowered the Abatere and it's from their powers that they acquired their clan name abamukhula and/ or abamukoyia The origin of the name Marama came up at this point of settlement..Shiatsala and the father to that name was Muchelule Muchelule had two wives. The first wife gave birth to Abashianda while the other wife gave birth to abashiatsala, abashibembe, abamauko and abashishebu. Those are the current five houses of abamukhula which is the dominant subclan of abamarama. Abamukhula therefore can dress their origin from the man Muchelule.

History and culture

They are a calm people, welcoming and quite organized. Main activities include crop farming and small scale business. The current member of parliament (2018) for the area is Tindi Mwale, a Marama. The first Governor of

, His Excellency Opararanya, also hails from the community.

Migrations

Marama people are said to have come to Kenya through

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

. After the collapse of the Chwezi Empire of Uganda, a man named Wamoyi migrated to

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 ...

with his three sons (Wanga, Khabiakala and Eshifumbi). Wanga migrated to Emanga, Eshifumbi migrated to Emahondo (he is the

ancestor An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder, or a forebear, is a parent or ( recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from ...

of the Abamuyira and Abakakoya clans). Angulu (Wanga's nephew) migrated to Butere. His

offspring In biology, offspring are the young creation of living organisms, produced either by sexual reproduction, sexual or asexual reproduction. Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny. This can refer to a set of simultaneous offspring ...

founded the Abakhuli, Abashiambitsi, Abakhongo and Abaseta. Martin Shikuku was from Abarecheya. With over 40% of the population, Abamukhula is the dominant clan with several subclans and they are the “real” Abamarama. Other big

clans A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...

are the Abashirotsa, Abatere, Abashieni, Abamanyulia, Abalukhoba.

Sources

* Gideon S. Ware; ''Western Kenya Historical Texts'': Abaluyia, Teso and Elgon Kalenjin,

Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...

East African Literature Bureau The Kenya Literature Bureau (KLB) is a publishing house and state corporation in Kenya founded in 1947. It is located in South-C off Popo Road in Nairobi. History The Kenya Literature Bureau was initially established by the "East Africa governme ...

, 1967, 196p.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Luhya Kenyan Luhya people

History and culture

Migrations

See also

Sources

References