Hamisi Constituency

Hamisi Constituency is within the area Vihiga County of the former Western Province in the Republic of Kenya. The name "Hamisi" comes from an old rural shopping centre situated about 15 kilometres from the main Kisumu-Kakamega Road. The first shopkeeper to settle here was a Mr. Hamisi, who traded here for many years, thus the place came to be known as Hamisi Trading Centre. This then became the constituency headquarters, and for sometime, the head of the former Hamisi District.

History

Originally, Hamisi Constituency was part of the larger Vihiga District. In the spirit of "bringing government services closer to the people", the President of the Republic of Kenya created this new district in the year 2007. The current Member of Parliament for Hamisi is Hon. George M. Khaniri, who inherited the seat from his late father, Nicodemus Khaniri. The late Hon. Nicodemus khaniri died of a heart attack in 1994 as he was opening the new residence of a constituent, Dr. Tom Mulusa.

Agriculture

Hamisi District is a hilly terrain straddling the Equator, from east to west. The majority of the inhabitants are poor peasant farmers who eke out a living from a harsh, rocky land. Although this region has adequate annual rainfall, the inhabitants lack skills and tools to harvest the rainwater. Thus, water shortage is a perennial problem here. The main cash crop is tea, which is grown at higher altitudes in the region. Other crops are maize, millet, bananas, avocado, papaya, sweet potatoes and cassava. The inhabitants also rear cattle, goats, sheep and chickens. This District is rated as one of the poorest in the country due to the high population growth and alcoholism amongst the youth.

Religion

Hamisi is headquarters to four main Christian Churches; the Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAG) at Nyang'ori, Friends' Church (Quackers) at Kaimosi,the African Divine Church at Boyani near Gamalenga and Israel (Nineve) Church at Jebrok. The prevalence of religious activities has not reduced undesirable delinquencies in this region. Literacy rates are above Kenyan Rural average; but a serious lack of educational tools to push this resource to the next level is the main challenge.

Demographics

Kaimosi, one of the notable towns in Hamisi, has been a major attraction to international visitors who come as students, Peace Corps volunteers, and missionaries. Some of the major schools in Hamisi are Kaimosi High Schools for boys and girls, Kaimosi Teachers College, Friends College Kaimosi, Kaimosi Special School, and Kaimosi Friends Primary School. Another attraction is the "Hill of Vision" or Javujiluachi in local dialect,Tiriki.

The Tiriki community,majority of the people who inhabit Hamisi District are cultural diehards who practice traditional circumcision rites of passage into manhood, where initiates spend a month in the bush being taught Tiriki community values.

Youth unemployment is rampant although many young people have resorted to motorcycle transport for income generation. HIV-AIDS is one of the leading causes of death in Hamisi District. The spread of HIV-AIDS has been attributed to the presence of institutions in the Kaimosi Complex and Market Centers such as Cheptulu, Serem, and Shamakhokho.