The Socio-Political and Economic Effects of the Making of African Chiefs among the Jo-Asembo in East Asembo, Rarieda Sub-County, Siaya County, Kenya, 1898 to 1963
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study examined the socio-political and economic effects of the making of African chiefs among the Jo-Asembo in East Asembo, Rarieda Sub-County, Siaya County, Kenya from 1898 to 1963. For the Jo-Asembo of East Asembo, Rarieda Sub-County, Siaya County, the introduction of colonial chieftainship from 1898 to 1963 represented a major departure from established indigenous governance, which has been insufficiently studied. The study employed a descriptive research design because it facilitated quantitative analysis. Data were obtained from oral, archival and secondary sources. The 30 respondents were purposively sampled using the snowballing technique. The study corroborated data from oral, archival, and secondary sources to ensure the study's reliability and validity. Marxist theory was used to analyse the socio-political and economic effects on the making of African chiefs in East Asembo location. The study found that the arrival of British colonial rule introduced a new administrative system that differed from the indigenous form of government that existed before colonisation. The study concludes that colonialism transformed chieftainship among the Jo-Asembo, reshaping indigenous governance structures, socio-political relationships, and economic activities to serve the colonial administration's interests. The study recommends further historical investigations into the experiences of other Luo communities to establish comparative perspectives on the establishment, operation, and legacies of colonial chieftainship in Kenya. The study contributes to localised Kenyan colonial historiography and to understanding the socio-economic effects of colonial rule in East Asembo.
DOI: 10.51317/45dtyz48
Institution: Chuka University
Language: English
Subfield: Anthropology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7225656845
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