| dc.description.abstract | This study focuses on the historical trajectory of socio-economic and politic,11 transformation of Yimbo communities in Siaya County. Kenya: 1800- 2010. Initially Yimbo was inhabited by small Bantu ethnic groups before the arrival of the Banyala(Jo mwalo),•
descendants of Ramogi 11. These ethnic groups included the Wa I'"' anga. the \\':m•_j,•.
the Banyala (Jo mwalo). the Walowa, and the Wachipi. among others. Thi, ",,i.il
matrix created a complex political and social arrangement with some ethnic grnup, i11
Yimbo being marginalized due to their social identity by the dominant group. Such inconsistencies were not critically examined by pioneer scholars on the subject or
migration and settlement history of the study area, hence the need to critically examine the gaps in order to reconstruct the historical trajectory vis-a-vis the details
that had been presented by pioneer scholars on this subject matter. The objectives "r
the study were: to investigate the origin. migration. settlement and transform.uion "1•
communities in Yimbo up to 1895; to assess the impact of colonialism 011 vocio•
economic and political transformation of communities in Yimbo from 189� t<' I %3:
and to examine the transformation and state of inter-ethnic relations in Yimbo ,i11,•c
independence ( 1963-20 I 0). The study was carried out in Yirnbo, Sia ya Count, covering the period from 1800 to 20 I 0. The study employed the Cycle of lbce• Relations Theory by Robert Ezra Park, which asserts that when di ttcrent ra,• i.i I , u• ethnic groups interact, a particular series of events are sparked. namcl. c,1111cic1. competition, accomodation and eventually assimilation. lhe stud, adopted hisi,11•1c•.il research design, involving purposive and snowball sampling technique, tll ,eb•t respondents.Primary data was collected through oral interviews, focus group discussions and use of archival sources. Snowball sampling was employed to reach the respondents from the initially deliberately selected informant. Twenty-two (22) oral interviews, forty-two ( 42) key informant interviews and five (5) FG Os of ten (IO I members each were conducted. In total, 114 informants participated in the research. Secondary data sources were collected from books, book chapters. nev, spupcr-; magazines, reports, theses, and journal articles to corroborate primary data. I he• gathered data was analyzed qualitatively through thematic and content data anal, ,i,.
The study revealed that Yimbo region has witnessed a series of inter-mingling or
different ethnic groups from the period of migration upto the post-colonial era marked
by either population displacements through forceful means or co-existence enabled b, trade, inter-marriage and sharing of resources like Lake Victoria. The ,tud, tunhcr established that against the background of ethnic and clan diversities. Yimho lcci1111nl in national politics in Kenya. Colonialism perpetuated the emergence "1• l'"l1t1e.il consciousness that was expressed largely in terms of inter-ethnic compeution. the• formation of ethnic pressure groups and the religious movements through to I 'ictl, and 1930s. Colonialism brought a change in Yirnbos administration by appointing their own chiefs, representation in the legislative council and democratic elections. The study concluded that after the pre-colonial and colonial rule in Yimbo, the change of administrative setup contributed to the colonial and post-colonial historiography of Yirnbo region. The study recommended that people should rely on cultural tradition: sensitize the people on the importance of peaceful co-existence between diflcrcru ethnic groups, and recognize the role of universities as forum for promoting reconciliation, justice and peace, and to tight against ethnic divisions. Areas Ior further research included examination of socio-cultural transformation of emerging ethnic groups like Somali, Kikuyu and Indians in Yimbo being that it is a multi-ethnic territory; a study of biographies on some personalities in Yimbo am! their contributions to the socio-economic and political history of Kenya. | en_US |
