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One Bungoma Clan That Is found In 4 African Countries
The Balunda clan of Bungoma is not new to controversy in Kenya .When its tradition of burying the dead while seated upright in the grave was first captured by the Voice of America(VOA) eight years ago, it drew world attention and interest from many readers.
But that is not the only controversial issue about this Bungoma clan that also boasts of possessing rain making skills in western Kenya.
The origin and distribution of the Balunda people across Africa is more interesting. The Lunda or Balunda originated in what is now called the Democratic Republic of Congo, along the Kalanyi River and formed the Kingdom of Lunda in the 17th Century with capital at Musumba.
From there they spread widely through Katanga and into Eastern Angola and into the Luapala valley of Zambia. They number approximately 500,000 in Angola, 750,000 in the Congo and 200,000 in Zambia.
Although the direct connection with the Balunda of Bungoma is undocumented, there is general consensus that the Balunda of Bungoma, just like other Bantu groups migrated from the DRC Congo in the said region.
The Lunda people’s heartland was rich in the natural resources of rivers, lakes, forests and Savannah. Their traders came into contact with the Portuguese, Arab and Swahili traders along the East Coast of Kenya as they played a key role in the slave and ivory trade that moved goods and people from central Africa to the coast of East Africa.
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