Butere
Butere is a town in the Western Province of Kenya. It has an urban population of 8636 (1999 census) [1] The town is the capital of Butere District formerly Butere/Mumias District.
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[edit] Transportation Links
Butere is linked by road to Mumias (in north) and Kisumu (SE). A branch railway line from Kisumu ends at Butere. Passenger service on the branch line was resumed in January 2007 after lengthy suspension [2].
The name Butere comes from one of the main clans in the division the aBatere subclan who reside in areas such as Muyundi, Masaba and around the township.
[edit] Economy
Butere's: Economic Mainstay is subsistence maize production though the division is an important supplier of raw sugar cane to Mumias sugar company. Residents of this division are also small scale cattle and bee keepers as well as fish keepers.
The people of Butere have traditionally been small scale farmers planting soghum, millet and vegetables which they traded with their neighbours from south Nyanza with fish from Lake Victoria.
The introduction of maize saw a change of stable food from ugali made from soghum to maize meal.
[edit] Inhabitants
The district is inhabited predominantly by the Marama (Abamukhula) Sub-tribe of the larger Luhya tribe with a significant element of Luo immigrants from the neighbouring Siaya District. Other subtribes in butere include Abatere, Abashirotsa Abashisa, Aberecheya and Abachenya. The Marama's most popular dance is the lipala dance and eshiremba (a funeral ceremony dance performed by abashibanga clan) which seems to be vanishing with modernity. The marama have been very close to the Wanga and the wanga king Nabongo Mumia was a son to a marama woman
[edit] Prominent Personalities
Former Kenyan vice president Moody Awori was born in Butere. Other notable figures who hail from Butere include politician Martin Shikuku, Prof. George Eshiwani, Prof. Oniang'o, Communications expert and video producer Abwao Peter, musician Sukuma bin Ongaro, Prof Ruth Oniango, former nominated MP, Arch. Mohammed Munyanya former chairman Architectural Association of Kenya and Mr linani [3] Omucheni who is a senior technologist at the university of Nairobi.
Also from Butere are Mutakha Kangu, a Lawyer and lecturer, Moi University, Achero Mzalendo Mufuayia, a young lawyer<www.lsk.co.ke>, David Bwakali, a writer and environmentalist, Patrick Sakwa,an aviation safety expert,currently working with Kenya Airways having worked for Kenya Civil Aviation Authority before and Absalom Omusula, currently a senior manager at Mumias sugar company.
[edit] Politics
The politics of Butere have been dominated by clan rivalries. Martin Shikuku the area MP since independence represented the constituency with short breaks until he was ousted by the late Jesse Eshikhati Opembe in 1988 who served briefly until his death. Then former University of Nairobi Lecturer, Dr. Amukowa Anangwe in the 1997 general elections. Anangwe was however in 2002 ousted by flamboyant Wycliffe Oparanya whose popularity was boosted by his youth soccer programme in the division.
The 2007 elections were won by Wyclif Oparanya as the constituency seemed to abandon Musikari Kombo's Ford Kenya in favour of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) now led by Prime Minister and Langata MP Raila Odinga. This was evidenced by an apparent rush by most politicians to troop to the party among them former Minister Dr. Amukowa Anangwe, and Arch. Mohammed Munyanya. The 2012 elections will see clan rivalries emerge again. The anti-Marama forces are organising against the incumbent Oparanya.
[edit] Religion
The division is predominantly Anglican though other denominations claim a significant percentage of followers. The outgoing Bishop of Butere ACK diocese, Horace Etemesi successfully used the ACK influence to plant Dr. Anangwe as area MP in 1997 over Martin Shikuku a catholic but his influence was insignificant in the wake of the 2002 NARC wave.
[edit] Academic Institutions
The district has two Provincial secondary schools:- Butere Girls' High School, and Butere Boys' High School. The district also has numerous day secondary schools with Lunza Secondary School being the largest in terms of student population and perennial good performance. Others are Bukolwe,Shiatsala andShikunga.
The introduction of Constituency Development Fund saw Buchenya Girls' School being chosen as a centre of academic excellence due to its central location.
There are several primary schools in the district with Butere Primary School and Buchenya Primary being more famous.
