Kisii

The Kisii, also called Gusii, live primarily in the western area of Kenya, in Nyanza, the most populated area of Kenya (this is where Kisumu, Kenya's third largest city is located). This section along Lake Victoria is still called the Kisii District. At 6.41% of the population, the Kisii are the 6th largest community in Kenya, and one of the fastest growing populations in the world. This is mostly rooted in their cultural beliefs of having many children for security in old age.

The Kisii have historically held more economic and financial power than most ethnic groups because of their location in the wet highlands--the most fertile in Kenya--allow them prolific crops of tea and coffee. Because of the high density of population and financial standing, the Kisii tend to be marginally more educated, wear western-style clothing, are spread out, or "modern" than a lot of tribes. However, their situation is still far from ideal. A steady increase in population has allowed for the majority to be below the poverty line, with a wide income gap from other members. Their hilly land--subdivided by families, thus growing smaller all the time--is affected by erosion from over-farming, and their lack of infrastructure such as telephones, electricity and good roads allows for their resources to be easily exploited.

The Kisii have always been agriculturists, and are a part of the Bantu speaking people (today they speak Kisii, or Ekegusii). Since migration, their culture has been shaped by frequent battles again the Luo, Nandi and Maasai; even today they are often viewed as "strong and aggressive people." Today there are still frequent land issues with Maasai, Kalengin and Kipsigis. Grazing land disputes result in cattle theft.

The Kisii practice male and female circumcision for the purpose of initiation into adulthood. At the age of 7 or 8 for girls and a few years later for boys, the practice is to train children on the rules of shame (chinsoni) and respect (ogosika). Female circumcision is more common among the Kisii than any other tribe. The Kisii are patriarchal and polygamists, but it is not common for a man to have multiple wives. Community is traditionally valued, as families live close together.


More than 75% are Christian, the rest are monotheistic, worshipping their God Engoro.
The Kisii are known to believe in the power of witchcraft more than any other tribe in Kenya. Two years ago 11 people that were believed to have been witches were killed in a Kisii farming community. Kisii are generally afraid of witchcraft, but often accuse people of it to settle unrelated, petty arguments. Part of the ceremony of funerals is to dissect bodies before burial to determine if they were killed by witchcraft.

This is a blog response from a Kisii after more witch killings in 2009, "Witchcraft and Witch Burnings MUST Stop":
"The killings in question are not the first of their kind in the area. ... This incident puts our entire country to shame among the community of nations; it further embarrasses those of who come from the region in a case that cannot be defended anywhere in contemporary times. Law enforcement must move in quickly and apply the full force of the law. Every effort must be made to bring perpetrators of this open-day murder to book and ensure that they pay for their heartless crime. ...The poverty rate in Gusii, as in many parts of the country, is unprecedented. Land sizes have shrunk to a degree where holdings cannot support the population based on traditional land use techniques. The fact is that even if one worked the land to the degree one could, there is NOT enough land to support the current and future population without creativity of some sort." (http://kisii.com/portal/index.php?/Witchcraft-Witch-Burning-MUST-Stop.html)

Unfortunately, alcohol has added to negative social circumstance as well. Violence, especially towards women has increased over the last century; the Gusii region has high murder rates compared to the rest of the Kenya. Traditionally, and still followed in rural areas, women cannot inherit land, cattle or other resources. They are under the complete authority of their husbands until they have sons.