By Peter Ochieng
Nyanza comprises of 6 counties; that is Nyamira, Kisii, Migori, Homabay, Kisumu and Siaya.
The last four are famously known as Luo Nyanza counties, which are widely known for sharing a piece of Lake Victoria; the second largest freshwater Lake in the world after Lake Superior in the United States of America (USA) and Canada.
Besides the Lake, the four counties are endowed with breathtaking tourist attraction sites that anyone looking forward to touring Nyanza should include in the list of places to visit while in the region. Let us roll it!
1. Kisumu Museum
The museum is in Milimani, within the Kisumu City Central Business District (CBD). It is fairly old fashioned, but includes a lot of information. With a guide on standby to take you around, be sure to leave the place better informed on learning about western Kenya’s three principal linguistic groups; Luo, Bantu and Kalenjin.
The museum is inclusive of a Luo homestead, a place displaying creatures from the Lake and a reptile house holding examples of all the local snakes you don’t want to meet.
2. Impala Sanctuary
Locally known simply as Impala Park, it is situated in Milimani, on your way to the famous Dunga Beach. The sanctuary is home to a small impala herd and provides important grazing grounds for local hippos. Additionally, there are cages of other Kenyan antelopes and monkeys.
3. Kit Mikayi
It is located in Kisumu county’s Seme constituency, off the Kisumu – Bondo road. The site is symbolized by huge stones atop each other. Kit-Mikayi means ‘stones of the first wife’ or ‘first wife rocks’ in the local dialect, Dholuo.
The story behind Kit Mikayi goes, “Long time ago, there was an old man by the name Ngeso who was in great love with the stone. Every day when he woke up in the morning, he could walk into the cave inside the stone and stay there the whole day, and this could force his wife to bring him breakfast and lunch every day. The old man became passionately in love with this stone to the extent that when people asked his wife his whereabouts, she would answer that he had gone to his first wife (Mikayi) hence the stone of the first wife.”
The structure represents the Luo cultural polygamous family, which had the first wife’s house (Mikayi), built further in between on the right-hand side was the second wife’s house (Nyachira), while the third wife’s house (Reru) was built on the left-hand side of the homestead.
4. Simbi Nyaima
Simbi Nyaima in Homabay county means the village that sank. It is actually a crater Lake a few kilometers from the shores of Lake Victoria. The Luo attach great importance to the site because of one legendary story.
It is claimed that the people of Simbi were celebrating their success at the chief’s homestead, when an old woman appeared at the scene looking for shelter and food. But the chief threatened to beat her up if she stayed.
She was forced to leave, only for one lady to sympathize with her. She gave the strange woman food and a warm bath. She then advised the kind lady to leave the village with all her children and husband. No sooner had they left, than a heavy storm swept the whole village and it sank.
5. Got Ramogi Hill
Got Ramogi in Yimbo, Siaya county was the home of the great grandfather of the Luo community when the Luo first settled on the shore of Lake Victoria. While at Got Ramogi historical hills, one can be able to view the western Rift Valley, which includes Lake Kanyaboli and the Yala swamp.
6. Thim Lich Ohinga
It is perhaps the most known and intriguing of all the tourist attraction destinations in Migori county.
It is made up of stone walls ranging from a meter to about four and a half meters, with structures not only epitomizing the art of architecture in the olden days, but also has got a near perfect combination of the cat – beauty, strength and balance.
Thim Lich Ohinga is situated about an hour’s journey by road from Migori town, at Sori, towards the shores of Lake Victoria. Many area residents believe it is the county’s version of the great Fort Jesus, in Mombasa.