What’s in a name? Mabanga in Bungoma, Kenya. Meet the market town named blood thanks to a notorious section of the Kenya-Uganda highway
Coming from Webuye, heading to Bungoma Town along the Northern Corridor, some 17kms from Bungoma’s CBD, one rides on a long straight stretch of the highway that cuts through acres of swamp land. Then, with little warning, one drives into a boomerang shaped bend of the tarmac. Save for a smattering of shops of Indian architecture to your left – the type locals fondly refer to as mukongo kwe embwa; and, to your right, a row of a single story white buildings of the Mabanga Farmers Training Center that are partly obscured by planted row of eucalyptus trees, it is easy to miss Mabanga, Bungoma, Kenya – the market center named blood.
What’s in a name? Exploring the Origin of the Name Mabanga
Mabanga is a word common across most Luhya dialects that means blood. In the local dialect, Lubukusu, kamafuki is it’s synonym.
Bukusu language or Lubukusu is the tongue of Babukusu, the largest of the 18 houses of mulembe. Learn how to speak Bukusu language through our free lessons in Bukusu language; our stories on Bukusu culture that harness the richness of Lubukusu in their narrative; our continuous search for the meaning of different Bukusu proverbs and sayings; and if your Lubukusu is already good enough, sharpen and challenge yourself with our new blog sibukusu that covers everything Bukusu in the purest Lubukusu.
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Mabanga in Bungoma and Kenya’s History
During the Bukusu resistance war of the late 1890’s the fall of the Fort of Lumboka was a seminal moment. After victory for our resistance fighters led by shujaa Wakoli Khwa Mukisu, at the battle of Mukhweya, the colonizers regrouped, rearmed and re-strategized. The end result was the fall of Lumboka which marked a swing of power in their favor.
As the defeated but not vanquished Bukusu fled the scorched earth wrath of colonizers under the leadership of Charles Hobley, one of the areas they sought refuge at was Mabanga, Bungoma of modern day Kenya. It used to follow that Hobley and his rifles would soon catch up with them. The dance of death would start again as our forefathers had to flee again lest they faced annihilation.
Hobley’s army of mercenaries would kill and burn to the ground any village that gave refuge to the feeling Bukusu warriors. Their path circled all the way to places like Bokoli, but only Mabaga got remembered as such. Maybe the bloodshed at Mabanga was particularly grave thus the name?
In modern times, Mabanga, Bungoma in Kenya is synonymous with fatal road accidents as a notorious blackspot. The road design – a clear straight stretch ending in a “Z” bend on the road – cutting through a densely populated area is part to blame.
In a bid to tame the toll of road carnage on lives, the area around Mabanga all the way to Ndengelwa, Sikata and the Kanduyi junction is a favorite camp for traffic police. Officers from Bungoma Traffic mount speed guns in the bushes along this stretch to trap speedsters.
Mabanga Peace Accord
Peace accord signed on 21st October 2011 at Mabaga Farmer’s Training center, by elders of communities residing on the Kenyan side of Mt. Elgon. This followed protracted hostilities between 2006 and 2008 — The Mount Elgon clashes ended by intervention of the Kenya Defence Forces.
The document marked a pivotal point within the local transitional justice (TJ) process. In particular it set up a plan of inter-community cooperation to be commenced in its aftermath, hence providing a framework for post-conflict management addressing issues of inter-community reconciliation within the context of prolonged land dispute.
Wasinski, Marek Jan, The Mabanga Peace Accord – A Grassroot and Indigenous Approach to Reconciliation and Conflict Resolution in the Mt Elgon District, Kenya (December 28, 2017). T.O. Hansen (ed.), Victims and Post-Conflict Justice Mechanisms in Africa, Kenya Human Rights Commission-Law Africa 2017 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3093831
Administrative and Political Divisions
Mbanga is in Bungoma County in Western Kenya, a county that borders Uganda. It falls just outside of the larger metropolitan area of Bungoma Town, whose boundary cuts through Ndengelwa a market town 4 kilometers north of Mabanga.
| Administrative/Political Unit | Where is Mabanga? |
|---|---|
| Constituency | Kanduyi Constituency |
| Sub-county | Kanduyi Sub-county |
Economic Activity
Several economic activities take place at Mabanga in Bungoma of Kenya. Principally, they include:
- Trading
- Agriculture
- Meetings and conferencing
- Education
Trading
Consists largely of very small enterprises such as kiosks selling fast-moving-consumer-goods and serving as agents of popular fintech and mobile money services in Kenya.
Agriculture
Both subsistence and commercial farming of sugarcane, maize, vegetables, sugarcane and agroforestry takes place in the farms surrounding Mabanga trading center.
Meeting and conferencing
The historic Mabanga Farmer’s Training grounds and complex are a popular spot for meetings and conferences by politicians, government and its agencies, and private interests. The expansive grounds, peace from the bustle of town and proximity to urban facilities make Mabanga Farmer’s Training Center and ideal spot for MICE activities.
Education
From tertiary institutions to lower educational facilities, Mbanga alongside Kibabii and Sang’alo forms an important cluster for education and Its related economic activities. Some of the educational institutions at Mabanga include:
| School | Type |
|---|---|
| Mabanga Farmers Training Center | Tertiary |
| St. Augustine Senior Seminary Mabanga also known as Mabanga Catholic Seminary | Tertiary/Secondary |
| Mabanga S.S Secondary School | Secondary |
Similar Named Towns and Market Centers in Africa
- Mabanga in The Democratic Republic of Congo: A town near Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- In Cameroon, Mabanga is a town and commune located near Dibombari.
- Mabanga in Uganda: Mabanga is a parish in Uganda in Rukungiri district in Kebisoni subcounty.
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