The role of Toponyms in cultural heritage preservation: A case of Lubukusu Toponyms in Kimilili Sub County, Bungoma County.

Abstract

Names are an essential part of human existence since almost every real object, from man himself to the objects of nature, has its own name. Names of places in linguistics are known as toponyms. Toponyms play a multidimensional role in the society be it geographically, historically or sociocultural. Thus, toponyms have caught the attention of researchers since they offer a wide range of research from form to motivation. This paper analyses Lubukusu toponyms from a social cultural context. The paper aims at showing how toponyms are embedded in cultural and historical features of Bukusu people. The study applied Tent and Blair’s (2011, 2014) toponymic typology theoretical framework. The study employed a descriptive research design and more so ethnography. The place names analyzed were observed from various sources such streets which were later interpreted through interviews and focused group discussions. The findings of the study show that Lubukusu toponyms remain important cultural sources and spatial records of past generations. Therefore, toponyms play a significant role in preserving the identity of the local population and as such, they are also an important part of the cultural heritage.