Agricultural history of the Abakuria of Kenya from the end of the nineteenth century to the mid 1970’s Babere Kerata Chacha To cite this version: Babere Kerata Chacha. Agricultural history of the Abakuria of Kenya from the end of the nineteenth century to the mid 1970’s . History. 1999. dumas-01277386 HAL Id: dumas-01277386 https://dumas.ccsd.cnrs.fr/dumas-01277386 Submitted on 22 Feb 2016 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. EGERTON UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES HISTORY DEPARTMENT AGRICULTURAL HISTORY OF THE ABAKURIA OF KENYA FROM THE END OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY TO THE MID 1970S BY CHACHA BABERE KERATA A25/0119/95 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS (HISTORY) OF EGERTON UNIVERSITY AUGUST, 1999 DECLARATION This is my original work and has not been submitted for a degree in any other University BABERE KERATA CHACHA 0 Sign Date / 00 cf64(71.7 ctsrl' O.f..7 0 . / st-A 3 0 3 5 This thesis has been submitted for examination with my knowledge as University Supervisor DR. K. MOSONIK arap KORIR Sign Date 0 DEDICATION To my grandfather, Joel Chacha Kerata 11 CONTENTS Declaration (i) Dedication (ii) -7> Contents (iii) Glossary of Terms (iv) Abbreviations (v) - 'Acknowledgements (vi) List of Tables (viii) Abstract (xii) INTRODUCTION I. Context of the Problem 1 Literature Review 3 In Statement of the Problem 8 Objectives of the Study 9 Research Premises 10 Justification of Study 11 Theoretical Framework 11 Methodology 14 CHAPTER I KURIA SOCIETY AND AGRICULTURE ON THE EVE OF COLONIAL RULE I. Social, Political and Religious Organisation 16 H. Hunting and Gathering 21 Land Tenure 25 Animal Husbandry 27 Fishing 30 111 VI. Crop Production 30 Family and Labour Organisation 37 VIII Local and Regional Trade 41 Drought, Famine, Diseases and Ecology Control 48 Conclusion 52 CHAPTER II AGRICULTURAL CHANGES OF THE EARLY COLONIAL PERIOD, c. 19054920 I. Establishment of Colonial Rule in Bulcuria 54 Taxation 58 DI. Changes in Animal Husbandry 62 Changes in Crop Production and Technology 66 Changes in Land Tenure 72 Trade and Exchange '13 VIE. Changes in Labour Patterns 76 The First World War and its Impact on Kuria Agriculture .79 Conclusion 82 CHAPTER III KURIA AGRICULTURE FROM THE END OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR TO THE END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR A. AGRICULTURAL CHANGES OF THE INTER-WAR YEARS, c. 1919 - 1939 General Introduction 84 Changes in Crop and agricultural Technology 85 ILI. Kuria Agriculture During the Period of the Great Depression 90 W. Animal Husbandry .96 V. Structural Changes in the Labour Force 102 iv Discovery of Gold mining at Kehancha 107 Trade and Marketing 111 B. KURIA AGRICULTURE DURING THE YEARS OF 1 Hie, SECOND WORLD WAR Introduction 116 Crop Production 118 Animal Husbandry 121 XI Trade and Marketing 123 XII. Conclusion 124 CHAPTER IV AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS FROM THE END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR TO INDEPENDENCE General Introduction 126 Crop Production, 1946-1963 127 Land Tenure and Land Consolidation, 1946-1963 134 Animal Husbandry, 1946-1963 139 Labour and Population Movements, 1946-1963 144 Trade and Marketing, 1946-1963 147 Conclusion 150 CHAPTER V AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATIONS At l'ER INDEPENDENCE, c. 1963-1975 Introduction 152 Crop Production, 1963-1969 153 DI Trade and Marketing 158 Co-operative Movement 162 Land Adjudication, Consolidation and Registration, 1963-1969 165 Animal Husbandry and Marketing 170 Tobacco Production, 1969-1975 181 Conclusion 189 CONCLUSION 190 APPENDICES 194 BIBLIOGRAPHY 205 LIST OF INFORMANTS 218 LIST OF TABLES 1. Kuria Agricultural Calendar 32 2. Labour recruitment in South Nyanza, 1914-1917 82 3. Seed Issue in Nyanza Province, 1928-1938 87 4. Prices of Cattle in South Nyanza, 1931-1934 102 5. Labour Recruitment in South Nyanza, 1919-1929 .105 6. Native Population in South Nyanza, 1924 105 7. Wages Earned in Nyanza Province, 1935-1939 109 8. Native Population, Nyanza District, 1944 118 9. Produce Buying Figures for South Nyanza, 1942-1946 119 10. Veterinary Vaccination and Inoculation in South Nyanza, 1943-1945 122 11. Cases of Selling Cattle to Meet Different Types of Expenditure 160 12. Kuria Bride Price, 1913-1971 171 13. Kehancha Division Livestock Census, 1967 174 14. Farmers' Expenditure of Bukihenche Village, 1970 176 15. Meat Production in Bukuria, 1975 179 16. Hides and Skins Sold in 1975 .180 MAP Position of Bukuria .xii vii GLOSSARY Abakuria - The people of Bukuria. Bukuria - The land of the Abakuria. Emao - Drought or hunger in the Kuria language. Ibiaro - Name for clans in Kuria society. Kuria - Word used by the colonialist to refer to Bukuria or Abakuria. It is also used in the text as an adjective. Uiregi - Bwiregi as it was known during the colonial period. Ukiria - Bukuria as it was known during the colonial period. Utende - Bugumbe as it was known during the colonial period. -Translations of Kuria names for vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, shrubs, trees, animals and diseases are provided in the text. ABBREVIATIONS E.A.P.H. East African Publishing House. E.A.E.P. East African Educational Publishers. E.A.L.B. East Africa Literature Bureau. E.R.A.P. Educational Research and Publications. K.N.A. Kenya National Archives. D.C. District Commissioner. P.C. Provincial Commissioner. KSI Kisii. H.B. Homa Bay. NZA Nyanza. L.N.C. Local Native Council. A.D.C. African District Council. viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, my debt - both intellectual and personal - goes to Dr. K. Mosonik arap Korir, Chairman of the History Department, and Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Egerton University, who has supervised my work with great care. His knowledge and enthusiasm for agricultural history have been an inspiration; his encouragement and patient criticism of my work have shown me how history ought to be written - although I am acutely aware how far I have fallen short of his expectations. I am equally indebted to Professors H.S.K. Mwaniki, A.M. Pegushev, Mwangi Wa-Githumo (University of Eastern Africa, Baraton), Chacha Nyaigotti- Chacha (Secretary, Higher Education Loans Board), and the entire staff of the History Department of Egerton University whose suggestions, criticisms, technical assistance and ideas helped to give shape to my thesis. My special thanks go to the staff of the Kenya National Archives, Nairobi, especially Richard Ambani and L. Ocholla, both of whom had an amazing ability to find files. I also thank the Herbarium staff of the Kenya National Museums, Nairobi for their help in identifying some indigenous Kuria vegetables and plants. I am deeply grateful to Hon. Simeon Nyachae, E.G.H., M.P., then Minister for Agriculture, Livestock Development and Marketing, for quickly responding in October 1996 to the request of the Chairman of the Department to assist us - the first M.A. intake of the Department - financially. I thank all my informants for granting me time to interview them despite their busy schedules. I am grateful to Piethon Werema Mwita, my faithful research assistant, with whom I shared time travelling through rugged terrain to meet informants in various places in Bukuria. I thank the staff of the District Administration of Tarime, Tanzania, for allowing me to peruse their colonial records. More specifically, I thank the District Commissioner, Mr. Chayeka and the District Agricultural Officer, Mr. Majula, for granting me permission to interview informants in Tanzania. I owe thanks to my fellow M.A. (History) students - Messrs. Evans Nyamwaka, Zedson Ogembo and T.K. Ronoh - for their support and ix encouragement. When I was down, they always said to me "We shall be all right"; together we were determined to beat the odds. I am also immensely grateful to Mrs. Carolyn Miyunga not only for her proficiency as a typist, but also for her ability to decipher illegible scribbling. She typed and corrected my work and stoically put up with my terrible handwriting. Much of the stress and the very little joy of writing this thesis is shared by my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kerata, who were my sponsors, they paid all my fees, and provided research money and incidental expenses. I would like to thank them specifically for enduring protracted periods of my absence from home and when my attention was obviously elsewhere. I am sure they take the completion of this work as my best gift to them. Last but not least, my special thanks go to my wife Naomi who sustained me with encouragement throughout this lengthy exercise. She has contributed more to my work than she realises. From time to time, she was the unpaid research assistant for an impecunious graduate student. ABSTRACT Agricultural history is a significant aspect of the study of the African past. The theme, inter alia, compels the historian to pay attention to African physical geography. This in turn, should be welcome in view of the profound influence that geographical factors have had on African history. Growing populations are severely taxing food resources and, to provide enough food for each citizen, most nations must increase agricultural output year after year. And with agriculture at the heart of more than two-thirds of the world's national economies, promoting agricultural growth has become a subject of the highest priority.