Suba People (Kenya)

Suba People (Kenya)

The Suba (Abasuba) are a people in Kenya who speak the Suba language. Their population is estimated at under 30,000, making them one of the country's smallest tribes. They migrated to Kenya from Uganda and settled on the two Lake Victoria islands of Rusinga and Mfangano, and are believed to be the last tribe to have settled in Kenya. Linguistically, the Suba are highly influenced by the neighbouring Luo, to the point of a language shift having taken place among large portions of the mainland Suba. As a result, their own language has been classified as endangered. Despite this language shift, the Suba have kept a distinct ethnic identity.

There are also people in Tanzania (Tarime District, Mara Region) who call themselves Suba, but it is unclear as to whether or not they are part of the same ethnic group. Their language is very similar.

The Suba people originally migrated from Uganda across Lake Victoria and settled in the islands of Rusinga and Mfangano. Other subgroups migrated and settled on the shores of Lake Victoria in the early 18th Century. The Suba people who settled in the islands of Mfangano and Rusinga include a sub clam called the 'Chula'- meaning the people of the islands. Other people are called the Fangano. The Suba people who settled across the shore settled in islands called Uregi, Gwassi and Kaksingri. The Kaksingri live in a small fishing village called Sindo, and they are closed related with Uregi who live in the Uregi Hills. Another suba sub clan is the Gwasii people who live in the Gwasii Highlands. Gwasii are the biggest group of the Suba people living close to lake. Today many people in the islands and the highlands subsequent to the Victoria still retain the suba dialect that is closely related to the Ganda language although it is heavily influenced by the bigger Luo Language.

Other suba speakers are found in the Southern shores of the Lake in Muhuru Bay. They are generally called Muhuhuru People and they also speak the Suba Language. Some pockets of Uregi, Gwassi, and Kaksingri are also found in Muhuru Bay.

Even though the greater Suna people usually identify themselves as Suba. They are not originally Suba. In real sense, the term Suba refers to a group of people who migrated form Uganda escaping the expansion of the Buganda Kingdom. They settled in Kenya as refugees and they had a well formed and a very organized language, political system and economic activities. The Suba in Suna Kenya refers to a mix of Bantu and Nilotes especially the Luos, and Kuria who settled in Kenya. A clear evidence of this is a town named Suba Kuria in Migori Kenya. The Suna- Suba include the Wasweta, Kadika, Wiga people, Kakrao, Wagire and Kamng'ongo people.

There language include a combination of Luo and Kuria language and many of the communities interact freely with the Tanzanian Suba and Kuria people.