Mumias
Encyclopedia
Mumias is a town in the Western Province
of Kenya
. The town has an urban population of 32.965 (1999 census) http://www.ilri.cgiar.org/html/Urban%20Poverty%20all%20Kenya%20Province%20through%20Location%20Final.xls
Mumias is the center of the Mumias Division of the Butere/Mumias District
. The town is linked by road to Kakamega
(in east), Busia
(west), Bungoma
(north), Butere
(south). The village of Buchinga
is located between Mumias and Kakamega.
Mumias Sugar
Company is a major employer. It also owned the Mumias Sugar FC
, which was one of the top football teams in Kenya until it was disbanded in 2007.
Five minutes outside Mumias town, on the road to Kakamega
, there is a hospital called St. Mary's Hospital. It is run by the Catholic Church.
. King Mumia, who came to power in 1880, was the last sovereign king of Wanga
. He was succeeded by his son Shitawa who ruled after his death in 1949 till the late seventies. He then was succeeded by Mumia II who is currently in power. His role remains largely non executive, but the royal family draws taxes from the trade that goes on in the county council of Mumias, which is to date still regarded as the seat of power. This includes taxes from the Mumias Sugar Company. The family still owns the land in the county although bits and pieces have been sold off to private developers. The entire Royal Family is still very closely linked to the choices of political leaders in the region as well as to their royal ties of the Abashitsetse clan. Each family has its own meetings (families keep the family tree with major families arising from the last sovereign Wanga government, with the brothers of King Mumia forming the Patriarchal Heads of the family). One other very noticeable family is the Kadima family.
Mumias has a noticeable Muslim
community, unique in western Kenya. It derives from trade links between Wanga state and coastal Kenya.
The town was known as Lureko until it was renamed Mumias .
The Nabongo Cultural Centre showcasing the Wanga Kingdom was opened in the outskirts of Mumias in 2008, near the traditional homestead of Wanga kings (Nabongos).
Western Province (Kenya)
The Western Province of Kenya, bordering Uganda, is one of Kenya's seven administrative provinces outside Nairobi. It is west of the Eastern Rift Valley and is inhabited mainly by the Luhya people. Quakerism is widely practised here. Kenya's second highest mountain, Mount Elgon is located in...
of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. The town has an urban population of 32.965 (1999 census) http://www.ilri.cgiar.org/html/Urban%20Poverty%20all%20Kenya%20Province%20through%20Location%20Final.xls
Mumias is the center of the Mumias Division of the Butere/Mumias District
Butere/Mumias District
Butere/Mumias District is an administrative district in the Western Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Butere. The district has a population of 476,928 and an area of 939 km² .The district has four constituencies:*Butere Constituency...
. The town is linked by road to Kakamega
Kakamega
Kakamega is a town in western Kenya lying about 30 km north of the Equator. It is the headquarters of . The town has a population of 73,607 ....
(in east), Busia
Busia
Busia may refer to the following:Places*Busia District, Kenya*Busia District, Uganda*Busia, Uganda, the Ugandan town on the border with Kenya*Busia, Kenya, the Kenyan town on the border with UgandaPeople...
(west), Bungoma
Bungoma
Bungoma is a town in Western Province of Kenya, bordered by Uganda in the west. Bungoma town was established as a trading centre in the early 20th century. The town is the headquarters of Kenya's Bungoma District and it hosts a municipal council...
(north), Butere
Butere
Butere is a town in the Western Province of Kenya. It has an urban population of 8636 The town is the capital of Butere District formerly Butere/Mumias District.-Transportation Links:...
(south). The village of Buchinga
Buchinga
Buchinga is a small town in the Western Province of Kenya approximately 15 kilometers west of Kakamega and 20 kilometres east of Mumias. Buchinga was established near the intersection of the road to Kakamega and the road to Bukura. Its residents are primarily of the Olutstootso Luhya ethnic group....
is located between Mumias and Kakamega.
Mumias Sugar
Mumias Sugar
Mumias Sugar is a sugar company in Kenya. It has headquarters in Nairobi and operations in Mumias. Its name is abbreviated to MSC. Mumias is listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange....
Company is a major employer. It also owned the Mumias Sugar FC
Mumias Sugar FC
Mumias Sugar was a Kenyan football club formed in 1977 and based in Mumias. The home stadium was Mumias Sports Complex. It was a member of the top division in Kenyan football, but the club was disbanded midway of the 2007 season ....
, which was one of the top football teams in Kenya until it was disbanded in 2007.
Five minutes outside Mumias town, on the road to Kakamega
Kakamega
Kakamega is a town in western Kenya lying about 30 km north of the Equator. It is the headquarters of . The town has a population of 73,607 ....
, there is a hospital called St. Mary's Hospital. It is run by the Catholic Church.
History
The town is capital of the Luhya kingdom of WangaWanga
The ojeda are a tribe of the Luhya people of Kenya. They mainly occupy Butere-Mumias and Kakamega Districts, two of the 8 districts of Kenya's Western Province....
. King Mumia, who came to power in 1880, was the last sovereign king of Wanga
Rulers of Wanga
List of Rulers of Wanga...
. He was succeeded by his son Shitawa who ruled after his death in 1949 till the late seventies. He then was succeeded by Mumia II who is currently in power. His role remains largely non executive, but the royal family draws taxes from the trade that goes on in the county council of Mumias, which is to date still regarded as the seat of power. This includes taxes from the Mumias Sugar Company. The family still owns the land in the county although bits and pieces have been sold off to private developers. The entire Royal Family is still very closely linked to the choices of political leaders in the region as well as to their royal ties of the Abashitsetse clan. Each family has its own meetings (families keep the family tree with major families arising from the last sovereign Wanga government, with the brothers of King Mumia forming the Patriarchal Heads of the family). One other very noticeable family is the Kadima family.
Mumias has a noticeable Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community, unique in western Kenya. It derives from trade links between Wanga state and coastal Kenya.
The town was known as Lureko until it was renamed Mumias .
The Nabongo Cultural Centre showcasing the Wanga Kingdom was opened in the outskirts of Mumias in 2008, near the traditional homestead of Wanga kings (Nabongos).
See also
- Charles William HobleyCharles William HobleyCharles William Hobley, CMG — known as C. W. Hobley — was a pioneering British Colonial administrator in Kenya...