Nambale is a small growing town. It is situated in Busia County previously Western Province, in the republic of Kenya. Nambale is approximately 256 miles (410 km) by road, west of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital and largest city. This location is immediately East of Busia, a town bordering Uganda to the East. Nambale is a humble roadside town 20 kilometres to the East of Busia town alongside Busia-Mumias road, a somewhat, sleepy town but with huge potential.
The predominant group that lives at Nambale is the Bakhayo people. Abakhayo are one of the four Luhya sub tribes living in Busia County. The people are referred to as Abakhayo; their geographical location, Ebukhayo and their language, olukhayo. They share linguistic, cultural and historical value systems with Abamarachi, Abasaamia and Abanyala neighbours. (Abeingo.org). Nambale is a peaceful town and vicinity hosting people from all over the country.
The name Nambale derives form Luhya (also written Luyia) language word which means a place with many stones or pebbles covering the ground. The Teso people who are also resident in the area apparently derived this name from the word akaabale which in Teso language means a place rich of mushroom.
As is the case with many Kenyan towns and to some extent towns across the African continent, little is known of the origin of Nambale town, the architecture of some of the oldest buildings remains a mystery to be explored, many speculate that it resulted due to the booming business in the early 20th century. This town started developing as early as 1900 CE. It was started by a local resident remembered as Africa (not real name). Initially Nambale was a centre for sporting competitions such as: wrestling, rope pulling, bull-fighting among others. Nambale became a business hub for exchange of goods a system that was popularly referred to as barter trade. It is believed that buying and selling goods began prior to the Dawn of European explorers. It is suggested that the explorer Grant spend some time at Nambale on his way from Kenya to Uganda. Historians need to verify if this assertion is consistent with the Scottish explorer James Augustus Grant (1827 —1892).
By circa 1920 many Indian merchants came and opened up shops at Nambale town. They built shops and stocked them with a variety of goods. The names of some of the very first Indian merchants include: Patel Bachu, Gulansen Maudhi, Alubai, Cassin Ramdhi, and John-nicknamed Okaka. They were known for their hardworking ethic and effectively managed their shops. They tapped into both wholesale and retail ventures. As opportunities developed they diversified their businesses and offered transportation services for both people and goods.
In the 1920’s Arab merchants came to Nambale close to the time of the Indians’ arrival. The Arab merchants were headed by a man called Ahmed Ali Olocho. Kolombo is another Arab merchant whose name survives today. During the harvest season, Ahmed Ali bought all types of cereals from the Nambale local residents, stored the cereals and sold these cereals later when cereals were scarce in order to multiply profits. He also did public transportation businesses. Just in the same manner as the Indian merchants had done, the Arabs built shops and operated various businesses.
In 1922 CE Fox a British investor built a cotton ginnery at the heart of Nambale town. Nambale residents began growing cotton and selling at the ginnery to be milled. The income from cotton improved trade and cash flow among locals, locals began growing different crops and keeping livestock to sell at Nambale market. When I was growing up at Nambale in the 1980’s and early 90’s cotton growing was still visible but was rapidly dying. There have been efforts to revive this ginnery, but none has been serious enough to enable it to work Later in the 20th century local people began building their own shops and operating their own businesses. Between 1963 and 1965 the Indians left this small growing town for better opportunities in the major towns. They sold their shops to local people who could afford them.
Agriculture
editGenerally Nambale has good fertile land for growing many tropical crops including: maize, beans, sorghum cassava, groundnuts and fruits and vegetables. Previously the residents grew coffee, cotton, and sugarcane but these cash crops have not survived because of various reasons including the collapse of Nambale Cotton Ginnery. Sugarcane farming was one time very booming in the area but farmers were disillusioned with the meager returns and unaccounted losses, a lot of farmers stopped planting sugarcane altogether but now this seems to be picking up slowly in some areas.
Politics
editNambale constituency have ever been a key ground of wooing voters in many general elections. It is currently represented in the national assembly by Hon. John Sakwa Bunyasi. He came to political limelight in 2007 after his unsuccessful attempt to oust Hon. Chrysanthus Barnabas Okemo from parliament.Nambale constituency for a long time included the larger Butula District and Matayos. Ever since it has partitioned into Nambale, Butula and Matayos constituencies. For a long time, Okemo had been regarded as a defacto kingpin of the region before the entry of Senator Amos Wako.
Lack of Development Agenda
editNambale should be one of the success stories in Western part of Kenya, however this rich history does not match the socio-economic development. Various challenges remain rife and rampart extreme poverty is far too common. Nambale is home to various graduates, professionals, clergy, farmers, scholars, business men and women, politicians and key civil servants in Kenya but there is limited collective effort to improve the living standards and thousands are caught up in the vicious circle of poverty
Highlights of Nambale
edit(a) Nambale has numerous schools both Primary and Secondary and a trend of contemporary private schools is rising with schools such as St. James Model Academy, Nambale Township Preparatory and Magnet Schools. (b) Nambale is the founding home town of Border To Border Christian Fellowship charity which began in 2007 in a Nambale village. BBCF international is a vision put forward by Zabde and Nicole Ayienga of Nambale and Canada. ‘BBCF sponsors several community life skills programs. It does so by partnering with village families, the children and the surrounding schools’ (bbcfinternational.org). (c) The town contains one of the Kenya’s oldest youth polytechnics; Nambale Youth Polytechnic was established in 1968 by the National Christian Council of Kenya (NCCK) and has a capacity of 240 students. However most of the youths in the area have preferred to do casual jobs rather than follow courses at the Polytechnic. In 2008 Nambale Youth Polytechnic manager said he had only 46 registered students from Teso and Mumias districts. (d) Nambale is a long standing administrative centre hosting Nambale District Officer and now District Commissioner offices and residence. (e) A branch of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) has recently been started at Nambale and is now offering a degree in Education to the founding students. I imagine this developing to a full-fledged university in 2030. (f) Nambale also boasts of hosting a Bible College by Worldcast Ministries an interdenominational Christian ministry headquartered in Yakima USA. (g) Bukhayo Cultural Association in the past has showcased cultural events including: food extravaganza, dance, music, talent, bicycle racing, football among other sporting activities. (h) Canon Jeremiah Awori (c. 1886 -1971) one of the most influential figures of the early Anglican Church ministered at Nambale; Canon Awori was a clergyman of the Anglican Church of Kenya who grew up around Funyula, in Samia, Western Kenya. Canon Jeremiah Awori was the first Luyia Anglican clergyman and was ordained deacon in 1925 and was one of the earliest Kenyans to have the status of canon which was conferred upon him, in 1945. He initially worked at Butere before moving to Nambale (For more see, www.dacb.org). (i) Nambale area is largely rural population, the traditional thatched round huts and houses are still common place but Nambale is slowly getting urbanised and there is an emerging trend of newly built modern houses and even in some cases very improved permanent and semi-permanent houses.
References
editThe Unnamed elders of Nambale village who have thrilled me with their recollection of the history of Nambale.
- http://www.bbcfinternational.org/about_us.html
- http://abeingo.org/HTML_files/bakhayo.html
- http://www.dacb.org/stories/kenya/awori_jeremiah.html see article by Rev. Prof. Watson Omulokoli, on Canon Jeremiah Awori.