Mbale: The ‘engoko’ and tea town

Situated on the Kisumu-Kakamega road between Majengo and Chavakali is Mbale Town, commonly known as Maragoli after the a sub-tribe of the Luhya.

Mbale, the headquarters of Vihiga County, is one of the most densely populated towns in the country.

The town buzzes with a lot of businesses including shops, tailoring, bread distribution, cyber cafes, clinics, real estate, hotels and others. Poultry and dairy farming are also vibrant economic activities.

It has been said in social circles that the Maragoli and tea are two sides of the same coin.

Take a walk around Mbale and you will come to terms with this reality. Milk sellers are everywhere.

The presence of banks, saccos and other financial institutions attest to Mbale’s economic potential.

With the two big hospitals – Vihiga District Hospital and Mbale Rural Provincial Health and Training Centre – Vihiga county residents are assured of good medical care.

Unfortunately, the hospitals are overstretched due to the high population. Locals have petitioned county authorities to build more hospitals.

Mbale is popularly known for its annual Maragoli Cultural Festival held on December 26.

The fete serves as a melting pot of the diverse Maragoli cultural and artistic talents. Politicians have taken advantage of it to make major pronouncements.

When I was growing up, our parents were always on the look-out to make sure we didn’t sneak from home to the ‘Utamaduni’ Festival.

At no time did they succeed.

With the proposed Vihiga Cultural Centre, Mbale will definitely continue to shine.

It will comprise a 3,000 seater amphitheatre, a gymnasium, hostels, pubs and cultural villages for the Maragoli, Abanyore and Tiriki.

The town is also home town to renowned academics and political heavy weights.

Former Deputy PM Musalia Mudavadi always shops here when visits his Mululu home.

His father’s name Moses Mudavadi is synonymous with Mbale.

The home of the Kenya’s greatest playwright, Francis Imbuga is a few kilometres from the town.

HOME OF PROFESSORS

Professors Egara Kabaji, Henry Chakava, Kichamu Akivaga, Abhoghast Akidiva, Kavetsa Adagala to mention just a few are Mbale’s sons and daughters.

Mbale High School and St Claire’s Maragoli Girls’ are renowned for their academic prowess.

Governor Moses Akaranga is a former student of Mbale High School.

However, residents have never understood why Mbale does not have a university.

While in the town one can visit tourist sites around including Maragoli hills and the scary Mungoma caves — believed to be the home of the father of the Maragoli, Omulogoli.

Tourists will find five-star comfort in restaurants around like Sossa cottages and Travelling Luck.

A unique thing about residents is their penchant for chicken delicacy know commonly as engoko.

If you have a hotel, the surest way to lose clients is to fail to serve this dish. This explains why poultry business booms.

Then there is mgombero. This root is believed to be a health supplement and an aphrodisiac.

That is why you will see young men animatedly chewing on it. The joke around is that mgombero is our version of miraa (khat).

Vivere is a freelance writer from Vohovole in Sabatia sub-county. [email protected]

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