Decades ago, when communities were migrating into the lands that would become synonymous to them, the Abasuba community found their home in Kenya. They were the last Bantu group to settle inland and occupied the Rusinga and Mfangano Islands around the Lake Victoria basin. With time, the community interacted, traded and eventually intermarried with other communities such as the Abaluo and through these unions, the Dholuo language came to be. Although the language was a mix of Suba and Luo, it was more Luo than it was Suba and eventually, the Suba language was diluted to the point of endangerment. Today the Suba language is listed in the UNESCO’s Red Book of Endangered Languages from 2003.
This back story might make one ask whether a community can cease to exist? Or, whether they be erased from the present and forgotten in years to come? Sadly, the answer to both these questions is yes. And the Abasuba are a good example of this occurrence.
But every cloud does indeed have a silver lining, and for a team of cultural enthusiasts, this devastating revelation was seen as a chance to understand the Suba culture, and educate interested Kenyans and Africans. This became the backbone of The Rusinga Festival – an annual event that offers two days of a surfeit of events, including conversations that take people back in time.
Traditional dances. Traditional attire. Food, music, films, art – you name it. All roads, and a ferry, lead to the serene Rusinga Island in Homabay County. In 2011, The Rusinga Festival opened its doors to all with the aim of bridging the gap between cultures to create room for peace and stability (true followers of Kenya’s National Anthem). Presently, the festival is something more than a big deal, and Kenyans take advantage of its placement during the holiday season to drive west for unlimited cultural festivities.
What we at Paukwa especially liked in 2019’s theme, which was dubbed “The Island Remembers”. 2019 marked 50 years since the assassination of beloved Kenyan politician Thomas J. O. Mboya. Rusinga Islanders remember him as the island’s greatest son, and deemed it important to celebrate his life in 2019.
Beyond this, the team behind the festival hopes that this festival will give a chance for tourists to explore Rusinga Island and celebrate with various forms of art beyond the traditional.
