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History

                                                     


It is widely believed that the Luhya migrated from either Sudan or Ethiopia. They had a ruler called Mumia who gained recognition as their chief. The Luhya were at war with their Nilotic neighbors the Teso, Nandi, Maasai, and Luo when they first settled in their homeland. Not surprisingly, many Luhya still chose not to intermarry with these neighbors. The Gusii and the Luhya, both agricultural tribes of Bantu origin, occupied the land between the Western slopes of Central Highlands and the Lake Victoria basin. The Nilotic Luo inhabited the lake basin and lived on fishing and subsistence farming.




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Clothing

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Lifestyle and Cultural Practices

Luhyas practiced polygamy, and a man got more respect depending on the number of wives he had. This is because only a wealthy man could afford to pay dowry for several wives. Dowry was paid in form of cattle, sheep or goats. Today, polygamy is no longer practiced, but dowry payment is still revered in some luhya communities. Instead of giving cattle, sheep or goats as bride price, one may pay dowry inform of money. Bull fighting is a cultural practice by the luhya community in Western Kenya. Bull fighting is considered as a form of sport by the luhya and is usually performed to honor visitors considered as being important or during special occasions. The number of bulls generally varies depending on importance of the ceremony. These ceremonies attract thousands of people and are characterized by beating of the isukuti drums, intense dancing by the crowd and taunting of the bulls so as to give them morale.
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Crafts, Hobbies and Economic Activities

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