Luo Cultural Roots – We will leave Kisumu at dawn for a long drive to Mbita for breakfast. We will then proceed through Magunga and Nyandiwa to have great views of the rich in fish curved away Kiwa Island in Lake Victoria.
The beauty of how bays and peninsular have been interspersed is so amazing that you will marvel at how nature’s creativity is supreme. We will then proceed to the mythological site of Nyamgondho to get the folklore from the native residents. We will also have time to visit the lonely tree that stands and signifies Nyamgondho.
Nyamgondho Wuod Ombare was a member of the Waturi tribe originally Bantus who migrated to Tanganyika, the modern Tanzania in the 18th century. The other Bantu tribes in Gwassi by then included the Wategi, Wagonjo, Wasio and Wagire. Most members of these Bantu tribes also migrated to Tanganyika, leaving only a few behind. The Luo who lived in Gwassi at the time also migrated and settled in the present day Kamagambo location.
Nyamgondho came from a very poor family of anglers and was himself a very poor but righteous angler. The anglers including Nyamgondho used to set fish traps in Luo a fish trap is called Mgondho. This would be set every evening and the catch would be harvested the next day early in the morning. One early morning when Nyamgondho went to check his traps he found a strange woman in one of his traps.
This frightened Nyamgondho but the woman told him not to be scared and asked him to take her to his home and light a fire for her to warm herself. When they were leaving for home the woman asked Nyamgondho to take a long her goat, which she had left in a nearby mass of floating vegetation on which she and her goat had drifted for a long time. The whole folklore is interesting to hear and it teaches lessons about humility.
From here, we will drive to Sori and then to Thim Lich Ohinga. This historical stone wall structures are scattered in Kadem and Kanyamwa Luo villages.
Thim Lich Ohinga, the unique architectural stone structure situated in Nyanza province 181 km South of Kisumu in Migori County. The site lies on a gentle slopping hill some 46 km North West of Migori town near Macalder’s mines. Thim Lich Ohinga is believed to be one of the most important archaeological discoveries in East Africa and only compared to Great Zimbabwe ruins and the modified Great Wall of China in terms of architectural structure.
A dry stone enclosure of zigzagging walls some 150m in diameter and scaling up to 4.2m in height built on lose stones and blocks without any dressing or mortar. Archaeological record of material found within the site dates back to 500 years. With the present inhabitants of the area arrived probably some 3 centuries ago, it seems most likely that Bantus who originally occupied this region prior to the arrival of Luo who are River Lake Nilotic group first built the stone structures.
Abundant rocks on the hilly areas provided them with building materials to meet their security requirement to drive away the wild animals that ever existed in the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem and protect them from the warring tribes around that area.
In dholuo which is the Luo language, Thim Lich Ohinga literally means “frightening dense forest or scary jungle”. After Bantu’s exit, the site was occupied by Kabwoch Kochieng clan who drove away the Bantus then followed by Kanyamkago clan whom also subsequently were driven away by Kadem who are the present occupants of the area around Thim Lich Ohinga and its environs.
However, the Kanyamwa clan came also to settle here but most of them decided to move to Lambwe valley around Kakaeta in Ndhiwa. The small number remained behind around Thim Lich Ohinga. We will have an informative guided tour by the curator. If time permits, we may also take a glimpse of a Luo homestead to learn a thing or two about Luo culture and traditions.
From Ruma, we will drive to the lakeside town of Homa Bay for hot lunch before driving back to Kisumu with a stop-over at the Ahero rice fields where if the timing and the season permits, we will learn more about rice farming and processing and also do some bird watching especially if the migrant bird species happen to be in the country. Our arrival in Kisumu will be in the evening to mark the end of our day trip to the Luo culture and roots.
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