Mumias

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Mumias
Municipality
Mumias is located in Kenya
Mumias
Mumias
Location of Mumias
Coordinates: 0°20′N 34°29′E / 0.333°N 34.483°E / 0.333; 34.483Coordinates: 0°20′N 34°29′E / 0.333°N 34.483°E / 0.333; 34.483
Country Kenya
CountyKakamega County
Population
 (2009)
 • Total116,358 [1]
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)

Mumias is a town in Kakamega County of Kenya. The town has an urban population of 116,358 (2009 census).[1] Mumias was the centre of the 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.

The collapsed Mumias Sugar Company was a major employer in the region. The company 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 Mission Hospital and a medical college called St. Mary's School of Clinical Medicine. They are run by the Catholic Diocese of Kakamega (Mumias parish) which also sponsors several private primary and secondary schools namely: St. Mary's Girls High School, St. Anne's Mumias Primary School, St. Peter's Mumias Boys Primary School and St. Peter's Secondary School.

History[]

The town is capital of the Luhya kingdom of Wanga. King Nabongo 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 with two sub counties Mumias East and Mumias West in the larger county of Kakamega, is home to various Evangelical, Pentecostal and traditional Christian denominations. The town was known as Lureko until it was renamed Mumias.[2]

The Nabongo Cultural Centre in Matungu showcasing the Wanga Kingdom was opened in the outskirts of Mumias in 2008, near the traditional homestead of Wanga kings (Nabongos).[2]

Mosque[]

The area of Lukoye has a mosque called "Sheikh Khalifa Mosque", which was built in 1991 with Kuwaiti assistance. Other mosques have since been set up such as the one in Ekero area. [3]

Sources[]

  • Rough Guide to Kenya, 7th ed, 2002, p361

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-07-29. Retrieved 2016-07-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Daily Nation website, December 29, 2008: King Mumia’s plan to reclaim past glory of Wanga Kingdom
  3. ^ Mwakimako, Hassan (2007). Mosques in Kenya: Muslim Opinions on Religion, Politics and Developmen. . ISBN 978-3-8799-7643-0.

See also[]

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