Marama tribe (Luhya)

History and Culture

They are a very calm people, welcoming and quite organized. Main activities include crop farming and small scale business. The current member of parliament (2014) for the area is Andrew Toboso, a Marama. The first Governor of Kakamega, His Excellency Opararanya, also hails from the community.

Marama people are said to have come to Kenya, through Uganda. After the collapse of the Chwezi Empire of Uganda, a man named Wamoyi migrated to Tiriki with his three sons (Wanga, Khabiakala and Eshifumbi). Wanga migrated to Emanga, Eshifumbi migrated to Emahondo (he is the ancestor of the Abamuyira and Abakakoya clans). Angulu (Wanga's nephew) migrated to Butere. His 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 are the Abashirotsa, Abatere, Abashieni, Abamanyulia, Abalukhoba.

The history of the Abamarama dates back to about two thousand years ago. Its origin is connected with Bukachi who lived at Ebubukachi (Kaugagi in Alego). Bukachi was the father of Wetsochi who was in turn Wamukhula’s father. Wamukhula left Ebubukachi and, following the River Lukose (Yala), eventually arrived in Marama at a place called Hebubi. It was here that he got a third son, Mutobera, the other two — one of whom was Bukachi Wesamba — having been born at Ebubukachi. After a brief sojourn at Hebubi, he came to Shihunya where he found the Abalukhambi.

He lived there for a short time and then moved on to Mwikobero which was inhabited by the Abashihongo. From there he moved on again to Mungusi where he found the Abakisiru (Abashisiru?). Once more, he moved on this time to Matsaka Shikanga where he lived for some time with his son Wesamba. Now, it so happened that while the migrants were still staying here, the local inhabitants called Abaseta plotted to assassinate Wesamba. They even invited his father Wamukhula to the meeting which was designed to make the necessary arrangements for the murder. Somehow, the news of the plot reached Wesamba through a certain woman; as a result, he ran away. When, therefore, his father came wailing (he presumed his son had actually been killed), Wesamba came forth and told him: “Do not kill anybody (revenge) for I am alive.”

As a result of all this, Wesamba separated from his father (at Matsaka) and came to Emuyundi where he lived among the Abamufumu Abamangoe. His father Wamukhula stayed behind with his (Wamukhula’s) uncle who became his elder. In the same way, Wesamba acknowledged the authority of the Abamufumu among whom he now lived.

Later, Wamukhula died at Ematsaka; he was survived by two sons, Bukachi Wesamba and Mutobera. The former was the elder and, therefore, his father’s successor (heir?). However, owing to the selfishness of Wesamba, and by contrast due to generosity of Mutobera’s mother, the young Mutobera was made the successor. Mutobera was in turn succeeded by his son Alakonya (Walakonya). Walakonya’s daring and strength, which were clearly demonstrated when he recovered stolen cattle from the Abasebe (Masai or Nandi?), won him a bride called Matuli from the Abatere clan. When Wetere (the bride’s father) saw that Walakonya had recovered the cattle from the Abasebe, he asked his father Mutobera for “the cow which had one teat and which yielded about three gallons (twice a day?)”. When Mutobera told him that he himself needed the cow for its milk, Wetere offered to give his daughter to Mutobera to marry if only the latter would give him the cow.

At one time Alakonya and Mukolwe fought with the Abamani and defeated them. A few days later, Litalusia, whose mother belonged to the Abamani clan, and Chibayi, the father of Shirwakha, and Wakhobe, the father of Muchingasia, went to the country of the Abamani to loot property. While they were thus engaged; a certain old woman told the local people (Abamani) that some of the enemy who had attacked them were in the village drinking beer. And so the Abamani came and killed Wakhobe and Chibayi but spared Litalusia because he was their “grand-child”, i.e. his mother belonged to their clan. However, when Litalusia killed his maternal cousin, the Abamani bluntly told him “We had spared your life because your mother belongs to our clan. Now, however, we have got to kill you.” And so they killed him and the number of the dead now became three. And this is the origin of the saying:

“Litalusia died in his mother’s clan.” In the fighting which took place at Khwikobero Ebutita in the country of the Abamanyulia, the Abakhobole, Abatsotso, Abamanyulie, and the Abamani united against the Abamarama. In this fighting, the Abamarama were defeated twice. The victors then nicknamed them Omukunda mubuse, i.e. meaning that they were as easy to defeat as it is easy to plant crops in a garden that has been previously dug.

When fighting broke out for the third time, Lukoko son of Watsulu from Eshianda killed Eshimeshera of the Abamani and Toboso killed Omuyonga of the Abamanyulia. The Abamarama now subdued the enemy and made them their subjects. Further fighting between the Abamarama and the Abatamanyini and their allies, the Abakhobole, took place at Khwikhobero. In this war, Mande and Namayi killed Murikaye and Namayi son of Wangwe killed Ishieri son of Omwai of the Abamanyulia clan. Furthermore, Libuyu son of Shikangu killed an Omutamanyini (singular of Abatamanyini) clansman; Omuhaka son of Kutswa from Eshiatsala killed Wambunya the ruler of the Abatamanyini; and Muchelule Atundo killed Nasengo of the Abamalinya(Abamanyulia?) clan. Countless Abatamanyini people were killed in this war. As against this the Abamarama lost the following dead: Omutobe son of Shianda, Omukote son of Namwendwa (from Emauko) Shireku from Eshikangu, Wandachi from Shishebu, and Ocholi from Shishebu. After they had buried their dead, the Abamarama retreated from the lands they had wrested from the enemy as their people were too few to secure their occupation of the area. Later, however, Wambuluhi son of Mukungu of the Abang’onya clan of the batsotso came to the home of a person called Muroka by night. With him was a freshly made shield on which was tied a banana fibre to symbolise peace. On arriving at Muroka’s, he handed over the shield to him. Next day, the Abamarama conferred with one another as to what to do about the feelers for peace which had been sent out by “the Western Omwami (ruler)”. In the end they resolved to allo w the Abatsotso to return and settle at Ebutamanyini. In this way, peace was established.

In the course of time further fighting broke put between the Abatsotso and the Abamarama. The Abatsotso led the Abasebe to the home of Wambaisi, the father in-law of Toboso, to steal his cattle. When, therefore, the Abamarama heard that a lot of Wambaisi’s cattle had been stolen, they attacked the Abatsotso who lived at Imanga. In this fighting, the Abamarama lost Owechenya, Yinda, son of Shikutsi, and Indika son of Wandeshe of the Abamuyira clan, dead. Wangulu son of Shisa (of the Abashisa?) who lived among the Abamarama managed to kill one of the enemy. The next fighting with the Abatsotso took place at Hamanga where Toboso Waswani killed an Omutsotso (singular of Abatsoto) called Mangala and where Nzibule also killed a person called Wamakwa.

In the third fighting, Omulalu son of Washimala killed Omusindobole, the ruler of the Abatsotso who was known as “Omukuteloba s on of Elakola”. As against this, the Abatsotso killed Omuchenya (of the Abachenya clan?).Omushibanga (of the Abashibalanga) and Omuhaka of the Abashiatsala. However, we managed to drive them from Mumachifu. In the fourth fighting which broke out later, the Abatsotso killed Omukongolo from Shiatsala. Then when the Abamarama relatives of the deceased went to the home of his mother for the customary fulfilment of the funeral rites (okhuyira eshinini), two of their men called Wakhubula and Olukaka killed an Omutsotso man. The fifth fighting between the Abatsotso and the Abamarama was marked by the latter’s siege of the Ebumamu village of the Abatsotso. Many women and children were captured; one of these captives, called Shitandi, lives among the Abamani where she is married. From then on the Abatsotso were completely subdued. The Ugenya Luo had not yet arrived in the country at that time.

The origin of the Abamarama: Their ancestry originated in Ebubukachi. It is now upwards of two thousand years since the Abamarama settled in their present country of Marama. Bukachi was the leader of the migration from Ebubukachi; although, he trekked up the River Lukose until he arrived at Hebubi. He had six sons here -Mwichira, Omukhobero, Wangusi, Lisa, Walyuba and Wesamba. I can recall a few names of some of the Ababukachi (descendants of Bukachi) who were descended from Bukachi and who lived in the remote past. The following are their names; they include some of their ancestors in Egypt. Dola father of Shiusi, father of Tsingano, father of Nalukhoma, father of Khakono, father of Bukachi, father of Westsochi, father of Wamukhula Marama, father of Bukachi (named after Wamukhula’s grandfather) and Wesamba (named after the place?) and of Mutobera, being feeble”. Toboso was one of their great rulers and Toboso Kennedy Alaly currently at Egerton University is from that bloodline.

Adapted from: Gidoen S Were; Western Kenya, Historical Texts, EALB, 1967