International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 11, Issue 9, September 2021 190 ISSN 2250-3153 This publication is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY. http://dx.doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.11.09.2021.p11725 www.ijsrp.org The Pre-Colonial Socio-Economic Practices of the Khayo Community of Busia County in Western Kenya Kaunda Kenneth K. Odulwa 1 Dr. Peter Wafula 2 Dr. Charles Choti 1 1 Department of Languages and Humanities, Mount Kenya University 2 Department of Humanities, Kenyatta University DOI: 10.29322/IJSRP.11.09.2021.p11725 http://dx.doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.11.09.2021.p11725 Abstract: The Khayo is one of the seventeen subtribes of the luhya community. “Abaluyia” is the preferred name for the people once called “Bantu Kavirondo”. It is a subtribe of the Luhya people of Kenya who reside in Busia County. Little is known about socio- economic transformation of this subtribe. Most of the available literature does not give an account of the Khayo during the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial periods. Thus, this study entailed unraveling the pre-colonial socio-economic practices of the Khayo Community of Busia County in Western Kenya. The study adopted ex post facto design. Using primary sources including key informant interviews. Secondary sources of information included journals, textbooks and note-taking. The sample population comprised various age groups obtained using purposive sampling and snowballing techniques. Data analysis was done by identifying common themes. The study findings show that various activities were associated with social and economic practices among the Khayos in the pre-colonial periods. The social aspects included each family staying together in a homestead, mostly in grass-thatched houses; men and sons were always considered superior to women and daughters; marriage was viewed as sacred where polygamy was allowed; the Khayo believed in ‘Were khakaba’ and ancestors. The economic activities included community land systems, peasant commodity production with specific areas being hunting, crop production, animal husbandry and barter trade. Key words: Pre-Colonial, Socio-Economic Practices, Khayo Community, Busia County, Western Kenya INTRODUCTION Historical studies of the colonial era in Kenya, as elsewhere in Africa, have gone through two major phases. Prior to the 1960s African history in general meant the study of Europeans, Arabs and Asians in the region. Consequently, studies of the colonial period paid most attention to the policies of the colonial governments or the activities of the immigrant communities. Africans were depicted largely as passive participants in the process of economic transformation (Abuso, 1980 & Bode, 1973). The early colonial administrators and anthropologists who carried out studies on Kenyan societies dealt with migration and settlement (Ajayi, 1968 & Ogot, 1976). Before the arrival of the Europeans education in Kenya informal education was an important factor through which the young ones came to know how to utilize the surroundings. Economically, division of labour was instilled in the young ones who came to know what was expected of them. Role models and values were inculcated and reinforced; ceremonies like circumcision and age set prepared the young ones for adult responsibility. Traditional education was both informal and formal and had direct link to perpetuation and elaboration of economic studies. Other social practices as religion played an important role in the day-to-day life of the western Bantu people and was organized as the pillar of the community and continuity of human life. The Khayo religion recognized ancestral worship with strong belief of life after death. The community belief in life after death rested in the premises that though man dies his spirit continues to live, he protects and his spirit cares for his family, relatives and even friends hence becoming the guardian angel of the living (Ogot, 1976). It is not possible to write the whole history of social economic transformation of Kenya during the colonial period without tracing the socio-economic transformation of tribes and subtribes, Khayo included. The Khayo was among the first Luhya groups to feel the impact of Christianity or missionary work when Catholics and Anglicans established mission stations at Kisoko and Nambale. However, they