Uti-ie Development of Islam in Kendu-bay From 1912 to 1992

196 Pages·2016·8.13 MB·English

U -IE DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAM IN
ti
KENDU-BAY FROM 1912 TO 1992 0
uM/vEffsirv or N
airobi
BY
NAIGHA MILDREN ATIENO.ODERO
A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment for the requirements for the
Degree of Master of Arts of the University of Nairobi.
September 2002
aAjtt Am*****
DECLARATION
This thesis is my original work and has not been presented for a degree in any other
University.
NAIGHA IN1ILDREN ATIENO ODERO
This Thesis has been submitted for examination with my approval as University
supervisor
— -j —* i s%L*. (.
Dr. DAVID SPERLING
n
DECLARATION ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS in-v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT vi
DEDICATION
vii
ABSTRACT viii-ix
GLOSSARY xiii
CHAPTER ONE : INTRODUCTION
] I INTRODUCTION 1-2
12 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 2
1 3 OBJECTIVES 3
14 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY 3-4
15 LITERATURE REVIEW 4-16
1.6 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY 16
17 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 16-17
18 HYPOTHESES 17-18
19 METHODOLOGY 18-19
CHAPTER TWO THE LUO IN 1900
2 I INTRODUCTION 20
2.2 GEOGRAPHICAL AND PHYSICAL FEATURES 20-21
2.3 LUO MIGRATION TO THE SOUTH NYANZA REGION 1590-1850 21-22
2.4 LUO TRADITIONAL ECONOMY 22-25
2 5 LUO TRADITIONAL RELIGION 25-28
2.6 THE LUO INITIATION RITE 28-29
2.7 POLITICAL ORGANIZATION 29-30
2.8 THE LUO WOMAN 30-33
CHAPTER THREE: THE GROWTH OF ISLAM IN WESTERN KENYA
AND ITS INTRODUCTION IN KENDU BAY 1850-1920
3 1 INTRODUCTION 34
3.2 TRADE AND THE INTRODUCTION OF ISLAM IN
PRECOLONIAL WESTERN KENYA 35-37
3.3 COLONIALISM AND THE SPREAD OF ISLAM 37-39
3 4 THE RAILWAY AND THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN NYANZA 39-43
3.5 THE EARLY COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION IN NYANZA 43-44
3.6 THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN SOUTH NYANZA 44-46
3.7 THE ADVENT OF ISLAM IN KENDU-BAY AND THE FACTORS
TII AT LED TO CONVERSION 46-48
3 8 THE FACTORS AGAINST CONVERSION 51-52
3 9 SUMMARY 52-53
iii
CHAPTER FOUR: SOCIAL CHANCE AND THE CONSOEICATION
OF ISLAM IN KENDU HAN
-I I INTRODUCTION 54
-I 2 THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY IN KENDU-BAY BETWEEN THE
TWO WORLD WARS, 19)9-1939 55-58
4 2 I Mairungi 58
4 2 2 Initiation 58-60
4 2 5 Islamic Religious Prayer 60-6!
4 2 4 Muslim Women 61-63
4 2 5 Beni 63-65
4 3 EARLY POLITICAL AWARENESS AMONG AFRICAN MUSLIMS 65-69
44 MUSUM-CHRISTIAN RELATIONS 69-71
4.5 ECONOMIC LIFE 71-76
4 6 WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS 77-78
47 SUMMARY 78-80
CHAPTER FIVE: THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN THE GROWTH
AND DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAM IN KENDU 6 .V, 1946-1963
5 I INTRODUCTION 81
2 EDUCATION BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF CHRISTIAN AND
MUSLIM FORMS OF EDUCATION 82-83
3 THE BEGINNINGS OF ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
IN KENYA 83-84
V»4 THE CHRISTIAN MISSIONS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF
WESTERN EDUCATION IN KENYA 84-86
5 4.1 The Missions And Education In Nyanza 86-88
5 4 2 Mission Education In South Kavirondo With Particular Emphasis On
Gendia-Kendu Bay 88-90
5.5 MUSLIM EDUCATION IN (NYANZA) KAVIRONDO 90-92
5.5.1 Muslim Education In Kendu-Bay 92-95
5.6 SOCIAL CHANGE AS A RESULT OF EDUCATION 95
5.6.1 Literacy 96-97
5 6 2 Language 97
5.6 3 Muslim Relations With Non-Muslims 98-99
5.7 LUO MUSLIM WOMEN AND EDUCATION 99-100
5.8 EDUCATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LUO MUSLIM
ASSOCIATION IN KENDU-BAY FROM 1945 100-102
5 8 1 The Luo Muslim Association And The Development OfThe Nyanza Luo
Muslim Association 10.3-104
5 9 SUMMARY 104-105
i\
CHAPTER SIX: KENIHJ-BAY AND THE CONSOLIDATION OF ISLAM IN
PAR IS OF KARACIIHONYO 1963-1992 - SOCIAL LIFE
6 I INTRODUCTION 106
() 2 THE FIRST DECADE AFTER INDEPENDENCE 1963-1972 107-108
6 2 I The Economy 108-109
6 3 THE EMERGENCE OF THE KENDU YOUNG MUSLIM WELFARE
ASSOCIATION 109-113
6 3 1 The Building Of The Kosele Mosque 113-116
(> 3 2 The Building Of The Bongia Mosque In Kanynluo 116-117
63 3 The Building Of The Wagvve Mosque 117-118
6.3.4 The Building Of The Main Mosque, The Maguti Mosque And The
Students Mosques In Kendu Bay 118-120
6.4 THE KENDU YOUNG MUSLIM WELFARE ASSOCIATION AND
THE ADVANCEMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN KENDU-BAY 121-122
6.5 OTHER WELFARE ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY THE KENDU
YOUNG MUSLIM WELFARE ASSOCIATION 122-123
6.5 1 The Kendu Young Muslim Welfare Association And The Consolidation And
The Growth Oflslam In Othoro 123-125
6.6 THE KENDU YOUNG MUSLIM WELFARE ASSOCIATION AND
SOCIAL CHANGE IN KENDU-BAY 126-127
6 7 THE KENDU PEKE MUSLIM WOMEN GROUP 127-128
6 8 KENDU MUSLIM WOMEN AND THE GROWTH OF ISLAM
BEYOND KENDU IN THE PERIOD FROM 1990-1992 129-13!
6.9 ISLAM AND LUO CULTURE. THE CASE OF RECIPROCAL
INFLUENCE 131-135
6 10 SUMMARY 135-136

CONCLUSION 136-138
END NOTES CHAPTERS 1-6 139-152
BIBLIOGRAPHY 153-161
BOOKS 157-159
KENYA NATIONAL ARCHIVES FILES AND ORAL INFORMANTS 160-162
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This study lias been made possible by the concerted dibi ts of a large number of
people Foremost is my supervisor Dr DAVID STERLING whose assistance was
invaluable I would also like to acknowledge my respondents who took time to listen to
and answer my questions to the best of their abilities. Specifically, I would like to mention
Mr Awadh Obilla' Ramadhan who was my guide, Maalim Aziz Odindo whose knowledge
about Islam in Kendu-Day was of great help, and Mr. Ahmed Salim Said who went out of
Ins way to look for information for me particularly since his B.A dissertation on the
influence of Islam in Kendu-Bay had gone missing. I would also like to thank Saad
Khairallah for allowing me to see old correspondences between the Muslims of Kendu-
Bay as well as documents of the Kendu Young Muslim Welfare Association.
A lot of gratitude also goes to Elizabeth Joan Akinyi for typing the initial drafts of
this thesis and to Rosemary Akoth Odero for offering me a place to write the manuscript,
i would also like to thank Ruphine Opondo and Caroline Buluma for effecting the
corrections. 1 shall always be indebted to my husband John Victor 01 mh Nyadida and
children Stephanie Adhiambo Okoth, Cliff Ocbieng Okoth and Adam Rao Okotli for being
patient and encouraging. Last but not least, I would like to thank my parents, Joseph
Odero and Ruth Odero, for their encouragement.
To all these and others whom I have not mentioned, I am eternally grateful.
DEDICATION
To my children
abstract
This study traces the development of Islam in Kendu-Bay from the beginning of
the 20th century to [002 The study argues that the establishment of the colonial
administration and the building of the railway led to the growth of pockets of Muslim
population in various areas in the interior of Kenya, and finally made it possible for
Muslim traders to reach Kendu-Bay thus leading to the introduction of Islam in the region.
Conversion to (slam was not something orchestrated, it did not occur as a result of
active proselytization on the part of Muslims, but as a result of close contact between
Muslims and the Luo. The first Luo of Kendu-Bay to be converted to Islam were
employed by Muslims. Later on other factors, for instance, marriage and the general
Muslim way of life attracted people to Islam.
The establishment of an indigenous Luo Muslim community in Kendu-Bay led to
major social changes Indeed, some of these changes were like an invention of a tradition
which is practiced up to date. This social change led Luo Muslims to look upon
themselves with a sense ot separateness, and so, to identify themselves more with Islam
than with the clan into which they were born
In this study, it is argued that missionary education led to the growth of the Luo
Muslim Association , one of whose main aims was to build their own schools where their
children would be given a western form of education without risk of conversion to
Christianity It is this Association that was later to give way to Ihe Kendu Young Muslim
wii
Welfare Association, which, more than any other group, has been instrumental in
consolidating Islam, not only in Kendu-Bay, but also in other areas of Karachuonyo
(Radmouyo District)
GLOSSARY
God
Xyasayv
Moulder
Jtuhuvch
A The one found everywhere
yakaiaga
Protector
Jam
Sun
('liienfi'
Moon
Due
A person who posses powerful magic
Jahilo
Powerful magic
Bib
A person who offers sacrifices lo appease ancestors
Jit Job
A person who exorcises evil spirits
JaJil
To exorcise evil spirits
Dib
Witch doctor
A jtioga
Spirits(they can be good or bad)
Jitoffi
A person possesed by spirits
Ja-jitop
Non-Luo
Jit-mwa
Judge
Oguyi
Army or warrior chief
Osttmha minvayi
M/rtf/;(singular), plural) chief chiefs
RuoJlti{
Term used when cattle is taken to a prospective
Rif mho Jhok
father in law as bride wealth
Ritual cleansing of widows
('hoJo Koch'
\