Nyanza, also known as Mkoa wa Nyanza in Kiswahili, is a region nestled in the Southwestern part of Kenya. The former province derives its name from a Bantu word meaning large body of water. This refers to the majestic Lake Victoria, whose Eastern edge snakes through the area. Like Nyanza, the towns in this list draw their names from the communities that populate them and languages they speak.
Homa Bay, one of the busiest towns in the region, also derives its name from a famous natural resource: Mount Homa. Both a town and a bay, it is located about 20 kilometres from the looming prehistoric mountain. Mount Homa is called Got Marahuma in Dholuo which means the famous mountain. The mountain earned its celebrity status because it is one of the few mountains in the world that releases cold, black lava during eruption. And, so, County 043 and Homa Bay Town were named in its honour.
Neighbouring Homa Bay is Migori Town, not to be confused with, Migori County. The town also goes by a lesser-known, longer name Suna-Migori. The story goes that when the first Luo settlers arrived in the town, it was swarmed with mosquitoes. Like anyone else being attacked by the blood-thirsty insects, the settlers would hit themselves to try and kill the mosquitoes, complaining, “Ka Suna mi’igori”, which translates to “Here, mosquitoes make you hit yourself.” Hence the name Suna-Migori.
To the right of Migori lies Kisii, the biggest town in the region, second only to Kisumu City. Originally called Getembe by the Abagusii, it later came to be known as Bosongo or Abosongo, which was a term that referred to the White colonisers who settled in the town during colonial times. The town is now known by its modern name, Kisii, which is a reference to those who first occupied it – the Wakisii.
On the opposite side of the river lies Bondo, another town which derives its name from its geographical features. Bondo is a valley that lies between Ahero and Kano towns, and as the Dholuo name for valley is bondo, it was only natural to call the town the same.
Mbita Point, also simply referred to as Mbita, lies on the edge of Lake Victoria, providing the perfect spot to gaze out at the waters. The town gets its name from the Dholuo phrase “mbi ta”, which means past the horizon in the water.
A Christian missionary called Reverend JJ Willis is credited with naming Maseno Town. In the early 1900s, under the direction of the Church Missionary Society (CMS), Willis and his team moved into the town to establish a school. They pitched their first tent under a hickory tree, and Willis decided to name the school, and indeed the town, Maseno. This was inspired by the Dholuo name for hickory tree – oseno – also known as omseno by the Luhya community.
Last, but not least, we have Yala. Situated in Siaya County, Yala Town gets its name from the economic activity the entire Nyanza region is famous for – fishing. Yala is inspired by the folk word yalor, which means fishing net. According to a folk tale, not only were the town’s residents fishermen, but the place upon which the town was founded was shaped like a fisher net!
We’d love to keep growing the list, so please tell us – what inspired the name of your town?
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