The Cock Fighting In Western Kenya In Kakamega County

The Cock Fighting In Western Kenya In Kakamega County

Cock owners guide and offer skills to their cocks in a battle.  Culture especially in Western Kenya is not anything one can overlook. The area beyond rain blessing all year round western Kenya as well is very rich when it comes to Culture. Various communities as we speak in the entire western region always organize at a given time of the year a cultural week that always showcases the wealth in which the communities hold. Apart from bullfighting amongst the Isukha and Idakho sub-tribes of the Luhya community, cockfighting is also a crowd puller. Cock fighting an interesting sport seems to be fading away with time. Very few people in the region rear cocks specifically for fighting. In many house hold they are for reproduction and meat consumption. Ayub Alulu Masakhwe and his cock-  Elkana senior Allonde in a battle field in Bukura, from which he earns his living. Ayub Alulu Masakhwe was born in 1971 in Bukura. When he attained school age he was taken to Eshiandukusi Priamary School and completed his studies in the year 1988. Due to financial constraints in the family, Alulu could not advance with his secondary education. He joined his late father Henry Masakhwe Alulu who was a legend in ishiriri (fiddle) playing a highly rated entertainer in the village. His father died in accident in Nairobi where he had gone to perform. This could not stop Alulu’s thirst to know how to play Ishiriri and Isukuti. Nowadays, he plays Isukuti and ishiri at the same time he dances; he is a multipurpose entertainer one can say. Alulu is married with a wife and three children; he is the reigning cock fighter in the larger Kakamega. He has a cock named Elkana senior Allonde the one he takes to cock fighting every time he is reached for the sport. Alulu got involved in the events in the year 2001 where he attained a cock and begun training to fight. “I started this in 2001 to train my coke to fight and I have been doing the same up to date because this is my remaining income,” said Alulu. “I am never employed and this cock takes care of my family, I will rather train my cock that gives me income rather than working for someone who doesn’t appreciate my workforce,” he remarked. Alulu plays music to his cock as the cock seems to enjoys itself. It is interesting to hear about the behavior of the owner and the cock, the owner, Mr Alulu always dresses in a white dotted attires the colour of his coke, it’s even amazing to hear that the cock due to the thorough training it listens when Alulu speaks to it, like any other warrior Alulu says it has always been difficult for his cock to lose a battle. “The colour of the coke as you can see resembles my uniform, that means we are  together as a family, Allonde- the coke listens when I speak to it, my cock has never lost any battle it has gone to it is very brief and outgoing I can assure you,” said Alulu. When I met Alulu he was from a battle where his cock had emerged victorious, a battle against Mwala Ujuzi, another coke that lost the battle. “For many awards I have won with this coke, it’s because it listens, when I say hit on the head, it does so and when I tell it to hit with the leg it listened and does exactly the same thing,” said Alulu. He says this and asks the cock to confirm if he is lying and when I looked at the cock, it seemed to nod to my Surprise. Indeed when he commands the cock to crow the same happens immediately he finishes giving the instructions. The surprising thing to hear from Lulu is that the Cock cannot be slaughtered and will be left to grow old when it retires from the war fields. “Come what may, I cannot slaughter this cock or rather I will be expecting a curse from my ancestors, I have called all my great grandfathers names on this cock and slaughtering it is like going against my tradition,” said Alulu. There are only two fighting cocks in the whole of Bukura village. Alulu says he has been travelling within to take his cock for a battle but now wishes to break the boundaries. “We have been moving around with Allonde in various cultural weeks in various communities and many people have been surprised, you know maintaining a cock and making it listen to what you say is quite challenging,” he said. Alulu wishes the government would realize what cock fighting can do to this nation in terms of tourism by coming on board and amplifying the industry. “It is a sport that can earn more forex to this nation and I wish the government comes on board to show case this properly, you see the people from within have seen these and regards it as being useless but when foreigners and tourists witness this it can earn these nation lots of foreign exchange,” He remarked. Entertainment Alulu always plays music of encouragement and to his cock as he plays Ishiriri and sings music as his neighbor plays Isukuti. He says he feeds the cock in a special way. He breaks bread into small pieces and places it on the plate and takes it to the cock, he as well says he gives the cock clean water and other chicken feeds. “My cock does me so much and it cannot be fed like others at home it has to be fed in a special way, from the prize money I get from the battlefield. I should as well show the cock great respect and a treat for winning the battles,” said Alulu. As we speak Bull fighting in Ikolomani is picking up and if merged with cock fighting then the county of Kakamega or could start earning well from the same. “Let’s come on board and help each other prosper in our various fields, God has rewarded us different talents that can earn us different respects, we are ready to work with the government especially the county government to bring this to light, it is a resource we are sleeping onto,” Urged Alulu.