he county covers an area of 3050.3 Km2 (Kakamega CDP, 2013). The altitude of the county is between 1,240 metres and 2,000 metres above sea level.

Administrative and political units

Kakamega County has 12 constituencies, 12 sub-counties, 24 divisions, 72 locations and 233 sub locations as indicated in the table below

Administrative and political units

Source: Kakamega County Development Profile (2013)

Demographic characteristics

According to the 2009 Kenya Population and Housing and Census (KPHC) report, the total population in the  county is 1,660,651 consisting of 797,112 males and 863,539 females.

In 2012 this population was projected to be 1,789,989.  It is also expected to rise to 1,929,401 and 2,028,324 by 2015 and 2017 respectively. The labour force is projected to be 889,552 in 2012 representing 49.7% of the county population. This consists of 471,779 females and 417,773 males. In 2015, the labour force is projected to be 958,834 persons and projected to be 1,007,994 persons by 2017.

According to the Population and Housing Census of 2009, the unemployed population in the county was 196,938. This implies that majority of the people in the labour force are not gainfully employed. People employed by sector were: 756,711 in the agriculture sector, 34,052 in self-employment, and 2,554 in wage employment, while 54 were in urban self-employment.

Sectors which form a substantial number of self-employed persons include the Jua Kali, cottage industries and boda boda.  In agriculture, self-employed persons engaged mostly in land ploughing, weeding, bush clearing, planting, harvesting and post-harvest handling. Others are engaged in mining, forestry, brick making and building construction.

Land availability and use

The two main ecological zones in the county are the Upper Medium (UM) and the Lower Medium (LM). The UM covers the central and southern parts of the county wherel intensive farming of maize, bean and horticulture is carried out by small scale farmers with a section of the population practicing large scale farming.

The Lower Medium (LM) zone, covers a major portion of the northern part of the county where the main economic activity is sugarcane farming. The average land holding size in the county is 0.57ha. Generally Butere Mumias sub county, Kakamega East, North and South sub counties have lower average land holdings as compared to the upper parts of Lugari Sub County.  This land subdivision due to the high population in the sub counties, other than Lugari, is considered to be uneconomical.

It is estimated that in 2012 only 38.6% of the population had title deeds for the land they occupy. This may be attributed to the lengthy adjudication processes and the land tenure system. In the county cases of landlessness within the county are few since most people live on their ancestral land. There are a few cases of internally displaced people as a result of the 2007/2008 post-election violence.

The main crops grown in Kakamega County are sugarcane, maize, bean, cassava, finger millet and sorghum. Maize forms the staple food for the county. Cattle, is reared by 53.2% of the population while 22.2%, 11.2%, and 1.6% of the population rear sheep, goats and pigs respectively. Chicken rearing is pre-dominant with 92% of the households keeping them while 0.7% keep donkeys. About 19.15 million litres of milk are produced annually while 364,000 kg of beef is also produced per year.

The annual rainfall range is between 2214.1mm and 1280.1 mm per year. This rainfall is evenly distributed all year round, with March and July receiving heavy rains while December and February receives light rains. The temperatures range is between 180 C and 290C. The hottest months are November, December, January and February. Other months have relatively higher and similar temperatures. The county has an average humidity of 67%.

Kakamega County has a natural forest covering Shinyalu and Lurambi while other farm forests have been integrated with agriculture. It has one gazetted and one non-gazetted forest which occupy 188.7ha, and 26.5ha respectively. The gazetted natural forest covers an approximate area of 188.7 km2.  The non-gazetted forests cover an approximate area of 26.5 km2. Commercial forests are found in the northern parts of the county.

The county mines 592,941 tons of murram, 278,000 tons of sand, 51,968 tons of ballast, and 148,920 tons of hard-core every year. About 80,271 people in the county are engaged in mining and related activities. There is also a section of the community that is engaged in small scale gold mining.

These forests which are home to indigenous trees, large species of birds, butterflies, monkeys, snakes, baboons, hares, and rabbits also provide a tourism attraction in the region, and research sites for a number of institutions in the country. Other attractive activities include bull fighting and cock fighting. The crying stone in Elesi and the preserved ancient Wanga Kingdom in Mumias attract a number of people to the county.

The Luhya people

The Luhya tribe, also known as the Abaluhya, Baluhya, or Abaluyia, is a Bantu tribe living in Kenya's agriculturally fertile western region. They are neighbors to some of the Nilotic tribes, including the Luo, Kalenjin, Maasai and Teso (Iteso).

Luhyas are Kenya's second largest ethnic tribe following the Kikuyu, and they account for 14 percent of the Kenyan population.

Though considered one tribe, the Abaluhya consist of over 18 sub-tribes, each speaking a different dialect of the Luhya language. The Bukusu and Maragoli are the two largest Luhya sub-tribes. Others include the Banyala, Banyore, Batsotso, Gisu, Idakho, Isukha, Kabras, Khayo, Kisa, Marachi, Marama, Masaaba, Samia, Tachoni, Tiriki and Wanga.

History of the Luhyas

The true origin of the Abaluhya is disputable. According to their own oral literature, Luhyas migrated to their present day location from Egypt (north of Kenya). Some historians, however, believe that the Luhya came from Central and West Africa alongside other Bantus in what is known as the Great Bantu Migration.

The Luhya tribe, like many other Kenyan tribes, lost their most fertile land to the colonialists during the British colonial rule of Kenya. The Abaluhya, and especially the Bukusu, strongly resisted colonial rule and fought many unsuccessful battles to regain their land. The Wanga and Kabras sub-tribes, however, collaborated with the colonialists.

Luhya culture and lifestyle

Traditionally, the extended family and the clan were at the center of the Luhya culture. Luhyas practiced polygamy, and a man was given more respect depending on the number of wives he had. This is because only a very wealthy man could afford to pay the dowry (bride price) for several wives. The dowry was paid in the form of cattle, sheep, or goats. Today, polygamy is no longer widely practiced, but dowry payment is still revered in some Luhya communities. Instead of giving cattle, sheep, or goats as the bride price, one may pay a dowry in the form of money. However, marrying a person from one's own clan is considered taboo.

Traditional male circumcision is an important ritual in most Luhya sub-tribes. It marks the initiation from boyhood to manhood. The modern and educated Luhyas continue to choose to circumcise their sons in hospitals upon birth. However, among some factions of the Bukusu and Tachoni, traditional circumcision ceremonies still take place every August and December.

Luhyas and sports

Luhya people are great sports enthusiasts, especially when it comes to rugby and soccer. Many Luhyas show wide support for the AFC Leopards soccer club, which they consider to be their own. The club was formed in the early 1960s under the name Abaluhya Football Club, and has traditionally had a bitter rivalry with Gor Mahia FC, a club associated with the Luo. In Kenya's football history, AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia FC were, for a long time, the best soccer teams in the country. Luhyas produced most of the players on Kenya's national soccer team, the Harambee Stars.

Traditional bullfighting is still considered a sport among sections of the Luhya ethnic tribe. The annual bullfighting competition attracts many spectators, including Dr. Bonny Khalwale, the current member of Parliament (MP) for Ikolomani.

Faith and religion of the Abaluyias

Today, most people from the Luhya tribe are Christians; however, it is common to find some Luhyas mixing Christianity with aspects of African traditional religion. For example, Dini ya Msambwa, a religion whose adherents are mostly Luhyas, uses portions of the bible for its doctrine while practicing traditional witchcraft at the same time. God, in Luhya language, is Nyasaye, a name borrowed from their Nilotic Luo neighbors.

Luhya tribe's economic activities

Like other Kenyans, Luhyas are involved in almost every sector of Kenya's economy. For example, in most urban areas, there are as many Luhyas working as professionals as there are working as semi-skilled laborers. In their native Western Kenya region, Luhyas practice farming and agriculture, growing sugarcane and other cash crops specific to the region. Most of the sugar consumed in Kenya is produced in Mumias, a Luhya land. Other agricultural products grown by the Luhya include maize (corn) and wheat.

Abaluhya food

Ugali, known as obusuma in the Luhya language, is the traditional food of the Abaluhya. Ugali is made from either maize flour or cassava, or millet flour. It is usually served with chicken. While Luhyas eat many other foods, a meal is never complete without some ugali.