Famous Kakamega estates named after its most revered sons

Samuel Amalemba and Benjamin Amalemba during interview with The Standard at Litambitsa village in Ikolomani on January 29, 2019. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

Kakamega Municipality has two famous estates namely Amalemba and Otiende.

Most tenants in the two estates are the County Government of Kakamega employees, lecturers of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (Mmust), doctors, teachers and business people.

“Otiende Estate was named after the first independence Minister of Education, Housing and Social Services Joseph Otiende. He built many houses in Nairobi and Kakamega while serving in government then. In his honour, we passed legislation at the Kakamega Municipal Council to name the estate after him,” said Sylvanus Otiende Malulu, a former Mayor of Kakamega Municipal Council.

He said Otiende, who died in 2017 aged 100, was much revered by the community for the good work he did while in government.

In Nairobi City County, an expansive estate in Langata has also been named after the freedom fighter and pioneer educationist.

Otiende is also credited with writing volumes of policy and sessional papers that shaped the education, health, housing and agriculture sectors. He was the first MP for Vihiga constituency, but quit active politics after losing the seat to Peter Kibisu in 1969.

The former mayor further said the famous Amalemba Estate was named after Musa Amalemba, who was the managing director of East African Airways at independence. During his tenure, he employed many Luhyas.

“Amalemba employed many Luhyas to the East African Airways when he was the MD and it’s for this reason the Kakamega Municipal Council named an estate after him,” said Malulu.

He went on: “The town planning committee came up with the name and after passing it, they brought the recommendations to the full council committee when I was the mayor and I appended my signature to their recommendations."

At one point, Amalemba served as the North Nyanza MP after the 1961 elections during the colonial rule under the Baluhya Political Union. The party received 3.3 per cent of the national vote and Amalemba was elected. He lost the seat in the 1963 election.

Malulu said Kefinco Estate, which is off the Kakamega-Webuye highway came into existence in the early 1980s.

“Kefinco was founded when the Finish government, through the Finnish International Development Assistance (FINNIDA), gave the Kenyan government a grant to improve water supply in Western Kenya. When the Kenya-Finland Water project was over, the name was naturally adopted by the locals,” said Malulu.

The ageing civic leader said it was not just estates in Kakamega town that were named after prominent personalities.

He says that even roads such as Canon Awori street in Kakamega Central Business District (CBD) was named after former Vice President Moody Awori.

“Canon Awori of the Anglican Church of England (now Anglican Church of Kenya) was revered for planting over 100 churches in Western Kenya. He died of a heart attack in 1971. He was aged 76,” said Malulu.

He left behind a legacy through his larger Awori family that has roots in Kenya and Uganda. He hailed from the Samia community.

Khasakhala Road was named after Emuhaya MP Eric Edward Khasakhala, who hailed from Ebwali village in Bunyore. Khasakhala, who died in 2000, aged 74, was a Pan Africanist, independence activist and politician.

Hassan Were and Shadrack Khalisia, former mayors as well as Muruli, a former senior chief from Shinyalu constituency, have roads named after them in Kakamega town.

"It was a special way of honouring our heroes and I believe the county governments will carry on the legacy of recognising individuals," concludes Malulu.