Western Kenya sucession. PHOTO | FILE

Kenya has been in grappling for sucessions from all corners that think they were united with Kenya for a purpose. A group from Western Region has also gone back to Court to file a petition to secede from Kenya.

The group which has roots from Uganda as well called for a referendum in both countries as the Luhya community is in Uganda and Kenya.


Just comes after another petition filed at the Constitutional Division of the High Court by Mr Mathew Okwanda Mwilitsa and Mr Alex Misigo Matisa asking the court to let the people of what used to be Eastern Province of Uganda under the colonial rule to decide their political future in a referendum.

ABALUHYA KINGDOM.


“The petitioners are personally and on behalf of their community urging the honourable court to be pleased to grant the people occupying the territory formerly known as the Eastern Province of Uganda leave to hold a referendum so as to exercise their right to determine in terms of their rights to nationality, territorial integrity, economic, social and culture as a people,” the petition states.


They have sued the governments of Uganda, Kenya, and Britain for destabilizing the once united Abaluhya kingdom. Mr. Mwilitsa is from  Kakamega County while Mr. Matisa lives in Vihiga County.



NABONGO MUMIA.

“The inhabitants of the former Eastern Province of Uganda were between the years 1895 – 1962 a distinct, cohesive, homogeneous and a united community under the able leadership of their King Nabongo Mumia, whose territorial jurisdiction spread from Jinja in present-day Uganda to Kijabe with the boundary being at Susua in the then British East Africa Protectorate (now Kenya),” the petition further states.


According to the petitioners, the colonial government declined to heed to demands by the Abaluhya community to have their own kingdom during the Lancaster House Talks in the United Kingdom that led to Kenya’s Independence in 1963.

It is the petitioners’ case that the Luhya community was part of Uganda and their land was given to the then British East African Protectorate, now Kenya, against their wish.


“The official representatives of the dominant group occupying the Eastern Province of Uganda being the entire Abaluhya Community comprising the Wanga Kingdom voiced their concern in writing of their planned merger,” Mr. Mwilitsa states in an affidavit.



“The community has similarly been marginalized economically, socially, culturally and politically and in the end, the community has been given a derogatory tag as being ‘professional cooks and watchmen’”.

Peter Mumia II installed as King. PHOTO|FILE

Due to Marginalization, the community had a hard time in Kenya as they are regarded worthless by the current governments. Only a few individuals prosper. The ones with roots and mixed family background excel in the community.




The talks to secede from Kenya aroused fears from other regions as the method has been mentioned for long. The group also wants their fellow marginalized communities to look for an alternative as the current governments will not recognize them even in future.

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