Kisii people
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Distinguish Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox ethnic group Template:Infobox Bantu name Template:Culture of Kenya
The Abagusii (also known as Kisii (Mkisii/Wakisii) in Swahili, or Gusii in Ekegusii) are a Bantu speaking ethnic group indigenous to Kisii and Nyamira counties of former Nyanza, as well as parts of Kericho and Bomet counties of the former Rift Valley province of Kenya. They speak the Ekegusii language, which is classified with the Great Lakes Bantu languages.
Etymology
The term Kisii is Swahili and originates from the colonial British administration, who used it in colonial Kenya to refer to the Abagusii people, as it was much easier to pronounce.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii">Template:Harvnb</ref><ref name="EastAfricanProtectorate" /> The term Kisii, however, has no meaning in the Ekegusii language.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/> In the Swahili language, the singular form is Mkisii and the plural form is Wakisii; the Swahili name for the Ekegusii language is Kikisii. The term is now popularly used in Kenya to refer to Abagusii people.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/>
Among the Abagusii, the name Kisii does not refer to the people, but to a town—Kisii, also called Bosongo or Getembe<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> by the locals, is the major native urban centre of the Abagusii people. The name Bosongo is believed to have originated from Abasongo, which means "the whites" or "the place where white people settle(d))", referring to settlers living in the town during the colonial era.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The other names used by the British in reference to Abagusii were Kosova/Kossowa<ref name="Hakansson Gusii" /><ref name="EastAfricanProtectorate" /> which is derivative of the Ekegusii expression "Inka Sobo", meaning their home. Another possible origin of this is the Kipsigis referring to the Abagusii as "Gosobe". The endonym is Abagusii (plural), and Omogusii (singular); the language spoken by the people is Ekegusii. The term "Gusii" supposedly comes from Mogusii, the founder of the community. The term "Abagusii means people of "Mogusii"<ref name="TheGusiiofKenya" />
History
Origins
The Abagusii speak Ekegusii, a Great Lakes Bantu language, and are classified among northeast Bantu-speaking populations.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> Their linguistic heritage traces back to proto-Bantu, regarded as having originated originated in the region encompassing southern Nigeria and western Cameroon, with subsequent migrations contributing to the distribution of Bantu languages.<ref name="Coutros et al 2025:3">Template:Harvnb</ref>
Proto-BantuTemplate:Dubious speaking populations migrated to the Congo Basin, diversifying into eight major sub-groups, including the Proto-Eastern (Mashariki) Bantu, relevant to the Abagusii.<ref name="TheGusiiofKenya">Template:Harvnb</ref>Template:Bcn From there, northeast Bantu speakers—particularly the Great Lakes Bantu—settled in the Great Lakes region, evolving into sub-groups such as the Greater Luhya and Eastern Nyanza Bantu.<ref name="TheGusiiofKenya">Template:Harvnb</ref>Template:Bcn
These groups migrated eastward via the north of Lake Victoria to the Mt. Elgon region, eventually dispersing into their present-day territories.<ref name="TheGusiiofKenya" />Template:Bcn The Abagusii later settled in Gusiiland, with related tribes such as the Kuria and Zanaki settling in Migori county and northern Tanzania, respectively.<ref name="TheGusiiofKenya" />Template:BcnTemplate:Page needed
Archaeological, anthropological, and linguistic research indicates that pre-Bantu settlers in present-day Kenya included Neolithic hunter-gatherers akin to the Ogiek and Khoisan, and agropastoralists related to Southern Cushitic and Nilotic groups.<ref name="Ehret1980" /><ref name="Ambrose1982" /><ref name="Ambrose1986" /><ref name="Ehret2002" />Template:Bcn Their interaction with Bantu-speaking migrants contributed to the emergence and diversity of the Abagusii.<ref name="TheGusiiofKenya" />
Abagusii oral tradition recounts an alternative legendary migration from a location referred to as Misiri, situated north of Mt Elgon,<ref name="Misri Legends"/><ref name="TheGusiiofKenya" /> that some identify with present-day Egypt and Sudan. These earlier ancestors are credited as the founders of the six principal Gusii clans: the Abagetutu, Abanyaribari, Abagirango, Abanchari, Abamachoge, and Ababasi, and closely related tribes.<ref name="TheGusiiofKenya" />
Settlement in Gusiiland
Present-day Gusiiland, along with Kenya and East Africa at large, has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. As a result, its settlers have diverse origins. The first settlers were likely hunter/gathers similar to the Khoisan and Ogiek, which were followed by the Nyanza/Rift Cushites who replaced these hunters-gatherers, assimilating them, and settled during the Savanna Pastoral Neolithic period (c. 3200–1300 BC).<ref name="Ehret1980">Ehret, C. The Historical Reconstruction of Southern Cushitic Phonology and Vocabulary. Kölner Beiträge zur Afrikanistik, vol. 5, Reimer, 1980.</ref><ref name="Ambrose1982">Ambrose, S.H. "Archaeological and Linguistic Reconstructions of History in East Africa." In Ehret, C. and Posnansky, M. (eds.), The Archaeological and Linguistic Reconstruction of African History, University of California Press, 1982.</ref><ref name="Ambrose1986">Template:Harvnb</ref><ref name="Ehret2002">Ehret, C. The Civilizations of Africa: A History to 1800. University Press of Virginia, 2002.</ref>The next group of settlers were Nilotic pastoralists from present-day South Sudan that settled in the area circa 500 BC.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The last group to settle in the area are Bantu speakers, whose migration to the area began in 1 AD.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Several southern Nilotics and southern Cushitics were assimilated into the Abagusii, whom are likely responsible for the Gusii practice of circumcision and other practices due to cultural diffusion.<ref name="Niane1998">Template:Cite book</ref>
Colonial era
The Abagusii were seen as warlike and fierce fighters by other ethnic groups, along with the Ameru, Abakuria and Maasai.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/><ref name="EastAfricanProtectorate">Template:Harvnb</ref> This perception is evident in excerpts from the East African Protectorate Commissioner Sir Charles Eliot in early 1900s expeditions of Gusiiland and surrounding areas: Template:Blockquote
Their warlike nature was deemed a threat to British rule, particularly the cattle camps ("Ebisarate") frequented by warriors, prompting punitive expeditions that raided cattle and suppressed warrior activity.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> This gradually ended the pastoral and war-based lifestyle of most Abagusii.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/><ref name="EastAfricanProtectorate" />
In the 1930s, the British introduced new immigrants to Kisii County and other regions of Kenya to serve as interpreters, soldiers, porters, and farmers. These included the Baganda,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Maragoli, the Nubi,<ref name="Multilingualism"/> and the Olusuba-speaking Suba people (Kenya) from Rusinga Island, Mfangano Island, and parts of Homa Bay County. The Nubians were settled in present-day Kisii town and served as soldiers, while the Bantu-speaking Maragoli and Baganda worked as porters and labourers on white-owned farms and tea plantations. The Suba served as interpreters for the British administration. Some of these groups have been assimilated into Gusii society, while others, notably the Nubi, have retained distinct cultural identities and continue to reside in their original settlements in Kisii town.<ref name="Multilingualism">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Post-colonial
In the post-colonial age, the Abagusii have expanded out of their traditional range, settling in the major towns of the Luo-Nyanza counties, like Homa Bay, Migori, Kisumu and Siaya as well as other Kenyan towns and cities. There is also a significant diaspora population in the United States (particularly Minnesota), the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Relationship with other peoples
Relationship with Nilotic speakers and East African Bantu speakers
During the pre-colonial period, the Abagusii primarily interacted with neighbouring Nilotic-speaking communities, including the Maasai, Nandi, Kipsigis, and Luo.<ref name=Omwoyo/><ref name="TheGusiiofKenya" /> These interactions contributed to limited contact with other Bantu-speaking populations, a factor reflected in the cultural influences and linguistic characteristics of Ekegusii.<ref name="TheGusiiofKenya" />
Despite this, the Abagusii maintained contact with some closely related Bantu-speaking groups before colonisation, including the Kuria, Zanaki, Ikoma, Rangi, Mbugwe, Ngurimi, Simbiti, certain Suba clans, and the Maragoli.<ref name="Omwoyo" /><ref name="TheGusiiofKenya" /> In the post-colonial era, interaction with other Bantu-speaking communities increased significantly, influenced by British population resettlement policies and improvements in transportation infrastructure.
Prior to colonisation, the Abagusii engaged in barter trade with neighbouring groups, notably the Luo, and occasionally formed alliances to counter threats such as cattle raiding.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/><ref name="Omwoyo" /> Relations with Nilotic communities were generally peaceful, with occasional conflicts over cattle and grazing land.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/><ref name="Omwoyo" /> Gusii oral traditions and some scholarly sources indicate historical ties with Nilotic-speaking groups, particularly the Kipsigis, including shared clan affiliations.<ref name="Omwoyo" />
Etymology of Bantu and relevance to Abagusii
The modern usage of the term "Bantu" was only developed in the 19th century with the advent of European colonisation;<ref name="Bleek">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Greenberg Niger-Congo">Template:Cite journal</ref> prior to colonisation, no such division existed in Africa. This categorisation of Africa's people into distinct, internally homogeneous groups is seen as generalizing and, in some cases, inaccurate. In the context of the Abagusii together with Kuria, Zanaki, Ikoma, Rangi, Mbugwe, Ngurimi, and Simbiti, some linguistic and cultural<ref name="TheGusiiofKenya" /> evidence indicate that they may be more influenced by Nilotic and Cushitic communities than other Bantu groups.<ref name="Niane1998" />
Economic activities
Agriculture and herding
During the pre-colonial era, the Abagusii cultivated finger millet, sorgum, barley, pumpkin, and other native crops; ox-drawn plows and iron hoes were used for cultivating crops. However, the Abagusii were mainly pastoralists and hunter-gatherers who primarily relied on their cattle, goats, sheep, and to a lesser extent, poultry for food.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii" /><ref name="Hakansson Grain">Template:Cite journal</ref> In the 19th century, Europeans introduced tea, coffee, bananas/plantains, and most importantly, maize. By the 1920s, maize quickly replaced finger millet and sorghum as a staple and cash crop. By the 1930s, tea and coffee had become major cash crops.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii" /><ref name="Hakansson Grain" />
Today, the Abagusii still continue to keep livestock and poultry alongside farming, along with old agricultural practices; some crops they cultivate today include: cassava, potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, beans, onions, tropical fruits, and peas among others. Farming remains a dominant activity in Gusiiland due to high population density.
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Gusii women grinding millet while other natives watch c. 1916–1938
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Gusii women thrashing corn with children watching c. 1916–1938.
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Gusii women grinding millet c. 1916–1938
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Industrial activities
During the pre-colonial period, Abagusii produced iron tools, weapons, decorations, wooden implements, pottery, and baskets.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/><ref name="Hakansson Grain"/> The Abagusii also imported pottery from the neighbouring Luo community.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/><ref name="Hakansson Grain"/> Blacksmiths and other occupations that worked with iron and iron ore were highly respected and influential members of Abagusii society, despite not forming a distinct societal caste; smithing was largely carried out by men.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/><ref name="Hakansson Grain"/>
Trade
The primary form of trade carried out in pre-colonial times was barter, and mostly took place within homesteads, as well as with neighbouring communities, especially the Luo; tools, weapons, crafts, livestock, and agricultural products were commonly exchanged.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii" /><ref name="Hakansson Grain" /> Cattle were an important form of currency, and goats served a lower valued currency.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/><ref name="Hakansson Grain"/> Barter trade between the Abagusii and the Luo took place at border markets and Abagusii farms, and was mainly carried out by women.
In the modern age, the Abagusii have established shopping centers, shops, and markets, further connecting them to the rest of Kenya, as opposed to their comparatively isolated pre-colonial economies.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii" /><ref name="Hakansson Grain" />
Division of labor
Traditionally, Abagusii society divided labor between men and women. Women were expected to cook, brew, clean, cultivate and process crops, and fetch water and firewood; men were expected to herd, build houses and fences, clear crop fields, among other duties.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/><ref name="Hakansson Contradiction">Template:Cite book</ref> Men were less involved in crop cultivation compared to women. Herding was primarily carried out by boys and unmarried men, and girls and unmarried women helped with crop cultivation.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/><ref name="Hakansson Contradiction"/> This division of labor has broken down over time, and women have gradually taken over many of the men's traditional duties.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/>
Culture
Coming-of-age rituals
Among the Abagusii, circumcising boys without anesthesia around 10 is an important rite of passage.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/> Traditionally, the Abagusii did not marry into tribes that did not practice circumcision, though this practice has declined in recent generations.<ref name="Hakansson Bridewealth">Template:Cite journal</ref> The ritual typically takes place every year in the months of November and December, followed by a period of seclusion where boys are led in different activities by older boys. During this period, only older circumcised boys are allowed to visit the initiates. It is considered taboo for anyone else to visit during this time. In this period of isolation, the male initiates are taught their roles as young men in the community, and the code of conduct of a circumcised man. Initiated boys were also taught the rules of shame ("chinsoni") and respect ("ogosika").<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/><ref name="Hakansson Bridewealth"/> This is a time of celebration for families and the community at large. Family, friends, and neighbours are invited days in advance by the candidates to join the family in celebration.
Music
The Abagusii traditionally play a large bass lyre called obokano, alongside drums and flutes. Some of the notable musicians from the Abagusii community include: Mwalimu Arisi O'sababu, Christopher Monyoncho, Sungusia, Sagero, Riakimai '91 Jazz, Bonyakoni Kirwanda junior band, Mr Ong'eng'o, Grandmaster Masese, and to new-age musicians like Deepac Braxx (The Heavyweight Mc), Nyashinski, Omae Lion, Rajiv Okemwa Raj, Ringtone, Jiggy, Mr. Bloom, Virusi, Babu Gee,Vickyoung Ensanako, Brax Rnb, Sabby Okengo, Machoge One Jazz,Dela among others.
Art
The Abagusii are also known for their world-famous soapstone sculptures, called "chigware", which are mostly concentrated in the southern parts of Kisii County, around Tabaka town.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/>
Religion
Prior to the introduction of Christianity and Islam to Africa, the Abagusii were monotheistic, believing in a supreme God called "Engoro"; this God is also popularly called "Nyasae", a loanword from the Dholuo language, among Abagusii. The Abagusii believe that Engoro created the Universe, and was the source of all life. The sun ("Risase") and stars are both important in the Abagusii religion. Death, disease, and destruction of crops and livestock were considered unnatural events brought on by evil spirits, bad luck, witchcraft, or the displeasure of ancestor spirits.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The Abagusii also revered medicine men and practiced ancestor worship, calling the ancestor spirits "Ebirecha."
Today, most Abagusii practice Christianity, with the four major denominations being Catholicism, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Swedish Lutheranism, and Pentecostal Assemblies of God. A minority of Abagusii still adhere to their traditional religion, and others observe a syncretic form of their traditional religion and Christianity. Many still go to visit a diviner ("omoragori") who can point out displeased spirits of the dead and prescribe solutions for placating them.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/>
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A Christian Gusii man accompanied with other Gusii tribesmen c. 1916–1938
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Gusii native students at the Adventist school c. 1916–1938
Marriage
Traditionally, marriage was arranged by the parents, who used intermediaries called "chisigani"; these intermediaries acted as referees for the future bride and groom. After the parents negotiated the dowry, the wedding would be organised. The wedding ceremony involved a mentor, called an "omoimari", who could provide continuing support to the newly married couple. Marriage between members of the same clan was traditionally forbidden. Marriage was officially established through the payment of dowry in the form of cattle to the wife's family.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii" /><ref name="Hakansson Bridewealth" /> Afterwards, the man and woman are officially considered husband and wife. Divorce is customarily not allowed among Abagusii, as marriage is considered a permanent union that is only disrupted by death.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii" /><ref name="Hakansson Bridewealth" /> Currently, civil and Christian marriages are recognised among the Abagusii.
Household
The typical Gusii family unit is composed of a man, his wives, and their children, living on the same land. This was divided into two components: the homestead ("Omochie") and the cattle camps ("Ebisarate").<ref name="Hakansson Gusii" /><ref name="Hakansson Detachable">Template:Cite journal</ref> The married man, his wives, and their unmarried daughters and uncircumcised boys lived in the omochie. The ebisarate, situated in the grazing fields, was protected by the male warriors to defend against theft by cattle rustlers and raiders.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii" /><ref name="Hakansson Detachable" />
Architecture
A typical Gusii house has conical grass thatched roofs, and is typically round, though sometimes rectangular, in shape. Today, Gusii houses are still similar, though corrugated iron sheets and stone is sometimes used for the roofs and walls.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii" /><ref name="Hakansson Detachable" />
The traditional Gusii compound had elevated granaries for storing crops, such as millet and other crops. The Abagusii customarily built fortified walls and dug trenches around their homesteads and villages to protect against cattle rustling and raids by neighbouring communities. However, in 1913, the cattle camps were abolished by the British, forcing Abagusii to live in dispersed homesteads.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii" /><ref name="Hakansson Detachable" />
Cuisine
The original diet of Abagusii prior to colonisation consisted of meat, milk, and blood from livestock, cereals from millet and sorghum, as well as fruits, vegetables, birds, edible insects ("chintuga"), and wild meat obtained through hunting and gathering. The post-colonial diet of Abagusii and other African tribes has been transformed and influenced by interactions with the European colonists that introduced new crops and farming methods to Gusiiland and Africa.
The staple meal is obokima, which is a dish of millet flour or sorghum flour cooked with water to a hardened dough-like consistency. It is often served with rinagu, chinsaga, rikuneni, enderema, emboga, omotere, risosa, egesare, among other local green leaves consumed as vegetables. It's served with milk, particularly sour milk from livestock;<ref name="Hakansson Gusii" /><ref name="Hakansson Grain" /> it can also be served with any other stew. The Ekegusii word for "having a meal" ('ragera') usually connotes a meal involving obokima at the centre. By 1920s, maize was introduced to Gusiiland and had overtaken finger millet and sorghum as staple crops and cash crops.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii" /><ref name="Hakansson Grain" /> As a result, maize is now largely used to prepare obokima. Ritoke (plural: "amatoke"), a dish of cooked and flavoured bananas, is a popular snack, but is considered a supplemental food, and not a proper meal.
Social organisation
The social organisation of Abagusii is clan-based and decentralised in nature. The Abagusii society is less based on social/caste stratifications than other societies, and there was little hierarchical strata based on caste or social status.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/> For instance, certain professions like iron smiths ("oboturi") and warriors ("oborwani"/"chinkororo") were generally respected, but did not form a distinct caste.
Political organisation
The Abagusii had a decentralised and clan-based form of government. Each clan had their own independent government and leader; the clan leader ("omorwoti/omogambi") was the highest leadership rank for all clans and was equivalent to a king/chief role.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/> It is common for the Abagusii men refer to their peers within the community as "erwoti" or "omogambi" when talking. There were also lower leadership ranks unique to individual clans. Warriors held an important role as the defenders of the community and their shared wealth in the form of cows.<ref name="Hakansson Gusii"/>
Notable gusii people
- Naftali Temu, Kenyan athlete and first Olympic gold medalistTemplate:Cn
- George Anyona, Member of Parliament for Kitutu East/MasabaTemplate:Cn
- David Kenani Maraga, former president of the Supreme Court of Kenya
- Fred Matiang'i, former Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Security
- Simeon Nyachae, former Cabinet Minister
- Joshua Oigara, Kenyan Banker and Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic Bank Kenya
- John Nyagarama, former governor of Nyamira County
- Sam Ongeri, former Senator for Kisii County
- James Ongwae, former governor of Kisii County
- Zachary Onyonka, Minister of Education, then of Foreign Affairs
- Ezekiel Machogu Ombaki, former Cabinet Secretary of Education
- Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley, Minnesota House of Representatives since 2025. The first Kenyan-American to win a state assembly seat in Minnesota.
- Hellen Obiri , long and middle distance runner. Two time olympic 500m silver medallist.
- Mary Moraa , Athlete who specialises on 800m. She has a gold medal at the 2023 world athletics championship.
- Warrior Otenyo, Anti-colonial warrior
- Linet Kwamboka, Kenyan Computer ScientistTemplate:Cn
References
Bibliography
- Template:Cite book
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- Akama, J. S., Araka, J. N., Kiriama, H. O. (2024). The Vanishing Indigenous Heritage of the Abagusii of Kenya. Portugal: Nsemia Incorporated.
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite journal
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Greenberg, J. (October 1963). "[Review] Contributions to the History of Bantu Linguistics: Papers Contributed 1935–1960". C. M. Doke, D. T. Cole. American Anthropologist (New Series), 65(5):1193–1194. Template:JSTOR.
- Template:Cite encyclopedia
- Hakansson, N. Thomas (1988). Bridewealth, Women, and Land: Social Change among the Gusii of Kenya. Uppsala Studies in Cultural Anthropology, no. 9. Stockholm: Almkvist & Wiksell International.
- Hakansson, N. Thomas (1994a). “Detachable Women: Gender and Kinship in Process of Socioeconomic Change among the Gusii of Kenya.” American Ethnologist 21:516-538.
- Hakansson, N. Thomas (1994b). “Grain, Cattle, and Power: The Social Processes of Intensive Cultivation and Exchange in Precolonial Western Kenya.” Journal of Anthropological Research 50:249-276.
- Hakansson, N. Thomas, and Robert A. LeVine (1995). “Contradiction and Change: Gender and Divergent Life-Course Strategies among the Gusii.” In African Families and the Crisis of Social Change, edited by Thomas Weisner, Candice Bradley, and Philip kilbride. New York: Greenwood Press. In press.
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- LeVine, Robert A. (1982). “Gusii Funerals: Meanings of Life and Death in an African Community.” Ethos 10:26-65.
- LeVine, Robert A. (December 1959). "Gusii Sex Offenses: A Study in Social Control". American Anthropologist 61(6):965–990. Template:JSTOR.
- LeVine, Robert A., and Barbara B. LeVine (1966). Nyansongo: A Gusii Community in Kenya. Six Cultures Series vol. 2. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Template:OCLC.
- LeVine, Sarah (1979). Mothers and Wives: Gusii Women of East Africa. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- LeVine, Sarah, and Robert A. LeVine (forthcoming). Stability and Stress: The Psychosocial History of an African Community.
- Template:Cite book
- Mayer, Philip (1950). "Gusii Bridewealth Law and Custom". The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers, no. 18. London: Oxford University Press.
- Mayer, Philip (1949). "The Lineage Principle in Gusii Society". International African Institute Memorandum no. 24. London: Oxford University Press.
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite journal
- Template:Cite book
- Ethnography of the Gusii of Western Kenya: A Vanishing Cultural Heritage. (2006). United Kingdom: Edwin Mellen Press.
External links
- The Gusii blog
- The Gusii at the Cambridge University Kenya Project
- Template:Usurped
- Gusii language dictionary