Butere
| Butere | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
  Butere | |
| Coordinates: KE 00°13′N 34°30′E / 0.217°N 34.500°ECoordinates: KE 00°13′N 34°30′E / 0.217°N 34.500°E | |
| Country | Kenya |
| County | Kakamega County |
| Population (2009) | |
| • Total | 4,725 |
Butere is a town in Kakamega County of the former Western Province of Kenya. It has an urban population of 4725 (2009 census). Until 2010, the town was the capital of the former Butere/Mumias District.
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.[1]
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. Abatere were the inhabitants of Butere before the whites made the town its administration station.
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 sorghum, 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.
Inhabitants
The district is inhabited 17 subtribes, amongst them Abamarama/Abamukhula, 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.
Prominent residents
- Moody Awori former vice president, born in Butere.
- Martin Shikuku politician.
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 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, Businessman Justus Anyanga Wanekeya and Arch. Mohammed Munyanya. The March 2013 elections will see clan rivalries emerge again.
The formation of United Democratic Forum Party (UDFP) arising from the systematic breakaway of the Pentagon in a rival party wil have a major impact in the forthcoming elections on 4 March 2013. At recent by elections, UDF managed to show its national strength by emerging second in Kangema Constituency.
In Bukura civic ward in Butere, the hitherto dominance of coalition partner ODM was shown to have given in to emerging UDF forces as UDF gannerd close to half the votes showing a similar drop in the incumbent coalition partner.
Butere electorate comprises highly educated individuals and have vowed to consider the individuals performance and character. The usual political wave appears to be blowing in favour of the new UDF party whose Presidential candidate is the Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi. He was recently received by a huge crowd at Sabatia trading Centre which shares a name with his Constituency.
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.
Academic Institutions
The district has one National and one Provincial secondary school(s):- Butere Girls' High School, which is the National school, and Butere Boys' High School, which is the Provincial 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,Shikunga and Bumamu Secondary School.
The introduction of the Constituency Development Fund saw Buchenya Girls' School being chosen as a centre of academic excellence due to its central location. Shibembe Secondary, Mukoye girls and Mabole Boys have also been recently established.
There are several primary schools in the district with Butere Primary School and Buchenya Primary being more famous.