‘Kit Mikaya’ (First Wife Rock), A Stone Monument and its Legend

I once visited the famous kit Mikaya in Nyanza region mid 2020. After finishing some field work in the region, my colleagues and I sought out tourist attraction areas, and kit Mikaya piqued our interest.

Kit Mikayi lies in western Kenya about 29 km west of Kisumu town. It is also a km away from the Kisumu-Bondo road. With a well tarmacked road. We were received by the residents around the area who gave us the history of the rock and one volunteered to take us for a tour.

Before touring the rock, we were warned to stick to our tour guide and not wander around. The rock has a few caves and water spring. We had to follow the steps of the tour guide as it had rained the previous night and the paths were slippery.

We also witnessed people from different denominations, especially from the Luo tribe who had come to fast and pray. Legend has it that Kit Mikayi rock is associated with the good fortunes of the Seme people and other Luo ethnic communities who live around the rock. They access the rock to pray, take oaths and even during droughts, the Luo elders would conduct prayers inside the caves and rain would fall. 

According to history, kit Mikaya in the dialect of “Luo”, the indigenous ethnicity, means “First Wife Rocks”. The legend of Kit Mikayi tells that many centuries ago there was an old man named Ngeso who was in great harmony with the stones. Every day, when he woke up in the morning, he used to enter the cave inside the stone and stay there all day, forcing his wife to bring him breakfast and lunch. The old man fell passionately in love with this stone to the point that people often asked his wife where he was, and she replied disconsolately that he had gone to his first wife (Mikayi), hence the name “first wife stone” (Kit Mikayi).

A further explanation of the formation of this rock is that according to its characteristics and components, the structure represents the polygamous family of the Luo tradition that had the house of the first wife (Mikayi) built later on the right side was the house of the second wife (Nyachira), while the house of the third wife (Reru) was built on the left side of the house. 

Climbing the rock to the top is a task but adventurous and the view bellow the 70-80 feet tall rock is breath taking. The greatest view of the Lake Victoria and the plush vegetation beyond.You connect to nature.

After the visit, we joined women in the community in dancing to the tune of Luo traditional folktale songs. I was also impressed that the community has taken the initiative to preserve and manage the tourist attraction area.

Kit Mikaya has been visited by famous people including the famous International Kenyan-Mexican actress, Lupita Nyong’o.