Life in the interior of Luo Nyanza is getting tougher by the day, to an extent that living in the village is no longer as interesting as it was.
Unlike previously when life there meant lots of food and fun, things have changed for the worst and here are some of the resins behind this.
1. Erosion of kindness
With the increase of lust and demand for money, which is different from initially where people simply helped each other out for future help, life has become a nightmare in Nyanza.
The worst hit have been the elderly, especially those without kin to feed or give them money, who unlike in the past, can no longer depend on the society for survival.
This treats Luos to scenes of old people, who should stay back and enjoy their final days in peace, toiling in the sun doing 'amali' (odd jobs) to out something on the table.
2. Growing population
Unlike initially where land was not an issue and people could peacefully and comfortably fend for themselves and their families by cultivating their farms, this is no longer the case.
With hundreds of men establishing their homesteads, otherwise known as 'dala' daily, cultivatable land has decreased, with some people selling off theirs to those needing it.
Consequently, its nolonger a rare scene meeting groups of youth gossiping at the village centers without anything to do, and then returning home to sleep on empty stomachs.
The growing population has also made it hard getting the few available jobs, owing to the competition.
3. Collapse of major industries
Majority of state owned factories which boosted economies of these villages have since collapsed, rendering locals jobless and unable to fend for their families.
In my Kamagaga village in Muhoroni for instance, people who initially depended on Miwani Sugar factory and the likes have been forced to improvise, after it collapsed.
Kicomi is also inna similar state, with the few working firms, like the Muhoroni Sugar, unable to fill the wide gaps left by the collapsed ones.