HISTORICAL STUDY OF BORDER INTERACTIONS AND MILITARISM BETWEEN THE ABAGUSII OF SOUTHWESTERN KENYA AND THEIR NEIGHBOURING COMMUNITIES, 1850-2007 By NYAGOSIA SHARON BICHAINE Bachelor of Arts (HISTORY/CRE) - Egerton University A Thesis Submitted to the School of Post Graduate in partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Arts in History of the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, Department of Humanities, Kisii University. 2017 DECLARATION Declaration by the student This Thesis is my original work and has not been presented for a degree in this or any other University. ………………………….. ……………………… Signature Date Sharon Bichaine Nyagosia. MAS11/60057/14 Declaration by the supervisors This proposal has been submitted with our approval as university supervisors ……………………………. ……………………… Signature Date Dr. Evans Nyamwaka, PhD Department of Humanities, Kisii University, Kenya. ………………………. ……………………… Signature Date Dr. Evans Mecha, PhD Department of Languages and Literature, Kisii University, Kenya. ii PLAGIARISM DECLARATION DECLARATION BY STUDENT i. I declare I have read and understood Kisii University Postgraduate Examination Rules and Regulations, and other documents concerning academic dishonesty. ii. I do understand that ignorance of these rules and regulations is not an excuse for a violation of the said rules. iii. If I have any questions or doubts, I realize that it is my responsibility to keep seeking an answer until I understand. iv. I understand I must do my own work. v. I also understand that if I commit any act of academic dishonesty like plagiarism, my thesis/project can be assigned a fail grade (“F”) vi. I further understand I may be suspended or expelled from the University for Academic Dishonesty. Name__________________________ Signature_____________________ Reg. No____________________________ Date_________________________ DECLARATION BY SUPERVISOR (S) i. I/we declare that this thesis/project has been submitted to plagiarism detection service. ii. The thesis/project contains less than 20% of plagiarized work. iii. I/we hereby give consent for marking. 1. Name__________________________ Signature_____________________ Affiliation ________________________ Date_________________________ 2. Name__________________________ Signature_____________________ Affiliation ___________________________ Date_________________________ 3. Name_____________________________ Signature_____________________ Affiliation ____________________________ Date__________________ iii DECLARATION OF NUMBER OF WORDS Name of Candidate: …………… ADM NO…………………………………. Faculty……………………………… Department………………………………… Thesis Title: ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. I confirm that the word length of: 1) the thesis, including footnotes, is …………… 2) the bibliography is …………………. and, if applicable, 3) the appendices are ………………………………………………… I also declare the electronic version is identical to the final, hard bound copy of the thesis and corresponds with those on which the examiners based their recommendation for the award of the degree. Signed: …………………………………… Date:…………………… (Candidate) I confirm that the thesis submitted by the above-named candidate complies with the relevant word length specified in the School of Postgraduate and Commission of University Education regulations for the Masters and PhD Degrees. Signed: .......................... Email…………..… Tel………………….. Date:…………… … (Supervisor 1) Signed: .......................... Email…………….. Tel………………….. Date:…………… …. (Supervisor 2) iv COPYRIGHT No part of this research may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval form or transmitted in any form; electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the author. © 2017, SHARON B. NYAGOSIA v DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my family members, friends and colleagues. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am thankful to God for having brought me to this world where I have encountered several intricacies which have shaped me into what I am today. Thanks to Kisii University administration for offering me a place to undertake my post-graduate studies. Most important is my able supervisors Dr. Evans Nyamwaka and Dr.Evans Mecha who guided and offered me every bit of constructive criticism to enable this work see the dawn of light. The role played by my research assistants, Christine Kemuma, Philip Mkutu among others cannot pass without acknowledgement. To Wycliffe Mogeni thank you for offering to edit my work. To my friends Dina Ndege and many others, I salute them for their input during the preparation and production of this work. To my parents, Dad Patrick Nyagosia mum Margaret Onyambu, and my siblings Poly, Kate, Jillian and Bill, I thank them sincerely for the invaluable support they accorded me during the period I was undertaking this academic endevour .For those who helped me in one way or another and are not mentioned in this acknowledgement, may the hand of the Lord bless them abundantly. vii ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to establish the nature context of border interactions and militarism between Abagusii and their neighbouring communities during the pre-colonial period, colonial and post-colonial period. An exploratory research design was used to establish the various ways in which the Abagusii interacted with their neighbouring communities. The objectives of study were; to;establish the historical evolution of the Abagusii in the pre-colonial period,find out the ways in which the Abagusii interacted with the neighboring communities between 1850 and 1895,examine the nature of the interaction and militarism between the Abagusii and their neghbouring communities during the early colonial period, 1895 and 1914,war and post war period to 1963 and to establish the dynamism of interaction between the Abagusii and their neighbouring communities in the post-independence period ,1963-2007.The study was carried out in the larger Gusiiland which presently is occupied by two counties,that is Kisii and Nyamira counties.The target population of this study was the elderly members of the Gusii Community and those thought to br the custodian of the Gusii oral history. A sample size of 90 respondents was randomly selected for study using purposive and snowball techniques. Data was generated using Questionnaire schedules, oral interviews, observation and document Analysis guide .the results indicated a positive interaction between the various communities, although there was significant negative interactions as evidenced by wars and raids among selected communities of the Kipsigis and the luo communities who were also pastoralists during the colonial times. It was recommended that The government and the Ministry of culture should put more emphasis on the teaching on historical events and culture in preparatory, primary schools and higher institutions of learning. Steps should also be taken to ensure that the things and information inherited from the past are preserved and promoted.. Scholars should also consider studying other ethnic communities which were not covered by the researcher to enhance national integration viii Table of Contents DECLARATION ........................................................................................................................... ii PLAGIARISM DECLARATION ................................................................................................. iii DECLARATION OF NUMBER OF WORDS ............................................................................ iv COPYRIGHT .................................................................................................................................. v DEDICATION .............................................................................................................................. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................... vii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................ viii Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ..................................................................... xii DEFINITION OF TERMS ......................................................................................................... xiii LIST OF MAPS .......................................................................................................................... xiv CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background of the study .......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem ......................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Objectives of the Study ............................................................................................................ 3 1.4 Research Premises ................................................................................................................... 4 1.5 Scope and Limitations of the Study ......................................................................................... 4 1.6 Assumptions of the Study ........................................................................................................ 5 1.7