ALIENATION of ABASHITAHO's LAND RIGHTS, 1920-1963 ELIJAH
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ALIENATION OF ABASHITAHO’s LAND RIGHTS, 1920-1963 ELIJAH WASIKE C/50/CE/15718/2005 THIS THESIS IS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS OF KENYATTA UNIVERSITY. DECEMBER, 2018 i DECLARATION ii DEDICATION To my parents Joab Okwisia and Joyce Nangira whose love for education and hard work inspired me to go to school. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This thesis writing has helped to learn the qualities of patience, modesty, courage and consistency. Special thanks go to the staff of the Department of History, Archaeology and Political Studies for their stimulating lectures and to Dr. Pius K Wanyonyi and Dr. Washington Ndiiri for their patience, guidance and mentorship. Special thanks also go to Mr. Enock Litali Manga for introducing me to elders of Abashitaho and helping me to identify knowledgeable elders with information. I sincerely thank Chief Maurice Muchiti Mukhabali for arranging interview sessions and Abashitaho Elders for accepting to be interviewed. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION............................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION.................................................................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES ............................................................................... ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................... xiii OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF TERMS. ......................................................... xiv ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………..xv CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................1 1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................1 1.1 Background to the Study ............................................................................................1 1.2 Statement of the problem ...........................................................................................6 1.3 Research objectives ....................................................................................................7 1.4 Research questions .....................................................................................................7 1.5 Research premises ......................................................................................................8 1.6 Justification and significance of the study .................................................................8 1.7 Scope and limitations .................................................................................................9 1.8 Theoretical framework .............................................................................................10 1.9 Literature review ......................................................................................................15 1.10 Research methodology ...........................................................................................22 1.10.1. Research design ..............................................................................................22 1.10.2. Study area .......................................................................................................22 v 1.10.3. Study population .............................................................................................23 1.10.4. Sampling Design.............................................................................................23 1.10.5. Sample size .....................................................................................................23 1.10.6. Research Instruments ......................................................................................24 1.10.7. Data analysis and interpretation .....................................................................24 1.10.8. Ethical considerations. ....................................................................................25 1.11Summary .................................................................................................................25 CHAPTER TWO .............................................................................................................26 The pre-colonial History of Abashitaho (1800 AD) ......................................................26 2.0 Introduction ..............................................................................................................26 2.1 Origin of Abashitaho ................................................................................................26 2.2 Organization of Abashitaho in Pre Colonial period (by 1800 AD)..........................32 2.2.1 Social Organization ...........................................................................................32 2.2.2Economic Organization .....................................................................................34 2.2.3 Political Organization .......................................................................................35 2.3 Pre Colonial Land Rights .........................................................................................36 2.4 Summary ..................................................................................................................37 CHAPTER THREE .........................................................................................................38 Colonialism and the Abashitaho (1920 to 1963) ............................................................38 3.0 Introduction ...............................................................................................................38 3.1 Colonial Impact on Land Rights ..............................................................................38 3.2 Historical Context of Property Rights ......................................................................46 3.3 Early judicial treatment of native title ......................................................................55 3.4 Land Reform and African agriculture. .....................................................................59 vi 3.5 Theoretical context ...................................................................................................60 3.6 Modern native title development .............................................................................66 3.7 Emergence of Kakamega Town ...............................................................................69 3.8 Trade…………….....................................................................................................71 3.9 Christianity ...............................................................................................................72 3.10 Other Social Amenities ..........................................................................................79 3.11 Taxation ..................................................................................................................81 3.12 Paid employment and wage labour ........................................................................83 3.13 Cash crop farming ..................................................................................................89 3.14: Summary ...............................................................................................................92 CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................................93 Response to European interference of Land Rights .....................................................93 4.0 Introduction. .............................................................................................................93 4.1 Early contact with foreigners ..................................................................................93 4.2 Summary. .................................................................................................................97 CHAPTER FIVE .............................................................................................................98 The legacy of colonialism on Abashitaho land Rights by 1963 ....................................98 5.0 Introduction ..............................................................................................................98 5.1 Political.....................................................................................................................98 5.2 Economic ................................................................................................................101 5.3 Social…… ..............................................................................................................106 5.4 Summary. ................................................................................................................117 vii CHAPTER SIX ..............................................................................................................118 Conclusion and Recommendations ..............................................................................118 6.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................118 6.1. Summary and conclusion ......................................................................................118 6.2. Recommendations.