Chiefs as Agents of Change in Kenya: An Examination of Roles of Pioneer Colonial Chiefs in Gem Location, Siaya County, Kenya (1890-1963)

Abstract

The positions and responsibilities of District officers (Dos), District Commissioners (DCs), and Provincial Commissioners (PCs) have been widely recognized as integral components of the administrative apparatus aimed at establishing colonial rule in various colonies. However, there has been an expectation for African colonial chiefs to exhibit distinct behavior, deviating from the norm. African Chiefs should have fully endorsed the aspirations of their relatives and community members, particularly in their pursuit of political autonomy and socioeconomic advancement. Due to their failure to adhere to this practice, some chiefs have been stigmatized as vociferous accomplices of the European colonial powers, as well as despots, opportunists, traditionalists, fraudsters, and oppressors of their own populace. However, it is important to note that chiefs had a more extensive role and impact than what has been mentioned thus far. During that period, it is evident that they played significant roles in shaping the political and socio-economic development of their own societies. The focus of this study pertains to the involvement and significance of chiefs within the context of colonial local government administration in Gem locality, Siaya County, Kenya, during the period spanning from 1900 to 1962. Insufficient research has been conducted on the role of local government chiefs in colonial local government administration within the context of Gem history. Consequently, there is a pressing need for rigorous scholarly investigation in this particular area. The Chiefs in the Gem location played a significant role in the establishment and expansion of colonial rule in central Nyanza. However, this study aimed to investigate the process of identifying and recruiting these chiefs, the nature of their responsibilities, the challenges they encountered, and the overall impact of their activities on the Luo community in Gem. The research employed a qualitative methodology for both data gathering and analysis. The research methodology employed a range of instruments, namely library resources, archive materials, and oral interviews. These instruments were selected with careful consideration of factors such as reliability, validity, and ethical considerations. The primary theoretical framework employed in this study was Lugard's theory of indirect rule, as proposed in 1922. The function of chiefs in Gem within the context of colonial local administration has been widely recognized as crucial. These leaders enjoyed considerable privileges and protection, although their authority was greatly limited because to the conflicting and ambiguous positions they held. Moreover, through engaging in collaborative endeavors, chiefs play a pivotal role in driving the systematic progress within central Nyanza and among the clans in Gem. This work holds significance as it adds to the current body of knowledge and expands the understanding of the history of central Nyanza, with a specific focus on the Gem community.