Stunned members of the Luhya community in New England listen as speaker after speaker rip the community for widespread disunity and religiosity during the recent Abaluhya day celebrations at the Rapture harvest Mission Int'l church in Wakefield, Mass. .Pic by H.Maina/Ajabu
By Harrison Maina , AjabuAfrica News View event photos here WAKEFIELD, Mass., APRIL 15_Members of the Luhya community in New England dropped their jaws in consternation last week when a visiting preacher blasted them for wasting opportunities despite being highly educated and talented.
The hard hitting revelation was said by Pastor Amos Wanzala during the recent Luhya day celebrations held last week at the Rapture Harvest Mission Int’l in Wakefield, Mass. Pr. Wanzala ministers in Nairobi, Kenya.
Dozens of Luhyas, never seen before in such a huge gathering, came from all over New England for the colorful event. They were joined by members of other Kenyan tribes, mainly Kikuyu’s and Luos who frequent this growing church.
During the key note address, Pastor Wanzala said that Luhyas are highly religious people, adding though that because one is religious does not mean they are serving the true God.
He also said that deliberate and calculated divisions among various sub tribes and widespread religiosity manifested in cults worship and witchcraft was hampering progress among the Luhyas.“Luhyaland is the home to many cults like ‘Ndini Ya Msambwa’ (Kiswahili for Msambwas religion)”.
Pastor Wanzala said that because of the widespread practice of Luhyas wanting to look religious but not worshipping the true God, many things in the community have gone way out of the line, causing infighting between families, clans, sub- tribes and hence unbelievable disunity in the entire community leading to underdevelopment.
Pastor Amos Wanzala called a spade a spade and asked Luhyas to reconsider their relations with God, with each other, and with other tribes
“The Luhya are so divided that a Luhya will fight his own brother or sister and will not support any one in the community who seems to be doing something positive. That is contrary to the word of God,” said the straight talking man of God.
He added that the Luhya community is so powerful with very intellectually endowed individuals, who would rather pass time by arguing over everything for the sake of arguing to prove they went to Harvard.
Wanzala wondered why many Luhya intellectual giants are spending too much time drinking illicit brews at Kawangware slums in Nairobi, rather than spend time building their community.
“Why did they go to school in the first place?” asked the pastor to hushed audience.
He said it was pathetic that even the educated Luhyas are still caught up in retrogressive cultural practices. “Clans fight each other and tell you that you can not marry form that clan,” he added.
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The pastor lamented that up to today, “Luhya’s still do the Bukusu thing. When it comes to circumcision, it is like the presidential elections in Luhyaland. A Luhya would risk being fired at work but travel many miles to the village to attend a circumcision ceremony.
“Intellectualism does not help you. Luhyas are very powerful people but the weakest”. In contrast, the pastor said, other tribes support each other.He singled out the Kikuyu community, who he said support and promote each other.
“I like the way the Kikuyu test strangers to see if they are Kikuyu by asking “Atiriri” (a Kikuyu word for drawing attention).
Once a stranger is confirmed a Kikuyu, the pastor said, he is immediately referred to as Mundu wa Nyumba (person of the house), and all the necessary support is provided.
Donning an AFC Leopards Football club T-shirt, Pastor Wanzala said that for Luhyas, they will not even form weekly fellowships to worship together as long as they hear someone is a Maragoli or a Mracho Mhio or from Kabras or Bungoma.
Left to right, members of the Luhya community listen carefully to proceedingd during the Abaluhya day last week
AFC Leopards is a Kenyan National league football club that was formed mainly by the members of the Luhya community.
During its heyday, AFC Leopards traded top positions with another predominantly Luo community soccer club, Gor Mahia, often inflaming passions in fans when the two clubs met.
“Luhyas won’t even invite a preacher like me to a weekly fellowship because there is none, yet the people are hiding in the holes even though we are very educated,” said the pastor. “No wonder we are called cooks and watchmen by other tribes,” he lamented.
However, Pastor Wanzala said that if different clans and people start coming together to serve the true God in the right way, things will change for the better.
“Jirongo or Musalia will never bring unity among the Luhyas. Jirongo says he is the leader and Musalia says he is the leader, leading to total confusion,” said the furious pastor.
Cyrus Jirongo and Musalia Mudavadi are both powerful Luhya politicians in Kenya, known for fighting each other as they claim the leadership position of the 3rd largest tribe in Kenya.
Luhyas lead in praise and worship using traditional music instruments during the Abaluhya day celebrations
“I am sick and tired of the Luhya’s disunity. I don’t want to hear praise God here when we’re together but when you’re out of the door, you start talking negative”.
The pastor, who is married to a Kamba, said that Luhyas need to come out of their hypocrisy if they will reap the benefits that are due to them.
Wanzala’s sentiments were echoed by several other speakers who spoke at the Luhya cultural recognition day.
Among the other speakers were Abdi Lidode , the proprietor of the modern day designed Beverly schools of Kenya based in Nyandarua district in Kenya.
Lidode said that when he went to Kenya for the inauguration of the Beverly Schools project, he was met by a rude shock when fellow Luhyas demanded to know why he spent so much money to build such a great school in Nyandarua, which is Kikuyu land as opposed to Luhya land.
“My answer to them was, I am a Kenyan who just met a leader in Naivasha who invited me to his church in Nyandarua. From there, many things started happening and I ended up buying land there and building the school.”
Lidode asked Luhyas in America to join other tribes when there are community events happening rather than staying on the sidelines.
“We Luhya’s should not sit on the side. Let us be part of the game,” said Lidode. He added that the politics of Western Kenya has marginalized the community to their disadvantage.
“Kikuyu’s have pushed me to my limits. I have learnt a lot and I can’t say that Luhya’s should not stay on the sides,” said the aspiring entrepreneur.
During the fundraising held last year in Worcester for the Beverly school project, in which AjabuAfrica news attended, there was a scant presence of Luhyas in attendance, while dozens of Kikuyus and white Americans came out enthusiastically in support.
“The challenge is whether we’re going to see Luhyas come when there is another Kikuyu or Luo day. I can see more Kikuyu, Luos and Kambas here today,” posed Lidode.
The Pastor of the Rapture Harvest Mission International church, Bishop Joshua Wambua, who is married to a Luhya wife, Dorcas Wambua, decried the obvious disunity among Luhyas that limits an otherwise powerful community.
Bishop Joshua Wambua, who hosted the Luhya day
Patrick Inyagwa, one of the main organizers of the event
“As long as a Tiriki will not sit down with Maragoli etc, you will continue to suffer and waste opportunities. That is why the best you can do is a Vice president yet you have presidential materials,” said Wambua referring to the strange political twists in Kenya where Luhya’s have never rose to the top position in politics despite having a huge population and well qualified leaders.
The well attended event saw a group of Luhyas come out with traditional musical instruments like drums. Led by Jackie Odanga, a Luhya gospel artist from Worcester, Mass., the dancers entertained guests with a variety of Luhya cultural worship songs, although it was way low key than previously expected, missing usual rigorous dancing known for Luhyas.
Other Luhya leaders who spoke during the event included Rev.Wesonga from the IFOM church in Springfield, event organizer, Patrick Inyagwa from Dracut, Hellen Itemere of the Ambassadors’ group in Worcester, and Mary Alunda from Lawrence.
Moving a vote of thanks, Mary Alunda from Lawrence thanked the Rapture Harvest Mission International church for the idea of celebrating the Abaluhya day.
Luhya children who attended the Abaluhya day
“We are grateful this opportunity was extended to the Luhya community. We have enjoyed a delicious Luhya cuisine and great music, including the great advice given,” said Alunda.
The master of ceremony was Robert Odanga from Worcester who echoed Pastor Wanzala’s message.
“We have now heard the truth told openly. Let us now go out and start supporting one another and join other tribes when there are community activities,” said Odanga.
“Better a brother who rebukes you than a friend who kisses you,” Odanga repeated Wanzala’s hard hitting advice to a stunned Luhya community in New England.
