This archive report was first published on 29 August 2019.
Located in Mihuru Bay, Migori County, near the shores of Lake Victoria, are two sites worth visiting: the Nyumba ya Mungu and Mugabo caves.
The Mugabo caves, in particular, are not well known and therefore not frequented by tourists, despite being located less than three kilometres apart from the Nyumba ya Mungu caves.
However, the caves offer a perfect place to spend time alone, whether it is just to enjoy some peace and quiet, to meditate or to pray.
On top of the caves are big flat stones that offer a panoramic view of Lake Victoria, including a glimpse of the famous Migingo Island in the distance.
According to the people of Mihuru Bay, the custodians of the caves, Suba artefacts were preserved in the caverns until the early 1990s, but they gradually disappeared for lack of care at the time.
"Our grandfathers preserved the artefacts of our community, but visitors would come and steal them, until there was nothing left," said Mr Eliakim Ajenjo, an elder from the community.
Mr Ajenjo further revealed that before and after the colonial era, they would hide in the caves from their enemies, with an unwritten rule that no warrior from the invading party would pursue their fighters once they entered the caves.
Today, the caves are frequently used by those seeking a quiet place to pray, with some people believing that their gods hear them better from there.
"People believe that their gods hear them better from there. Some people believe that the spirits of their ancestors hover around Lake Victoria, and given that the caves are adjacent to one of Africa's largest water bodies, they are bound to hear them," offered Mr Ajenjo, 70.
Mr Joshua Wakirongo, also a community elder, said the prehistoric caves were used for surveillance during wars, with a warrior climbing the rock on top of the caves to survey the situation.
Mugabo Beach Management Unit chairman Tobias Moragiri suggested that the Migori County government should fence off the caves to make it easier to preserve them, which would enable the county to earn money from the dozens of tourists who visit the site.
However, Migori County Director of Trade and Tourism Daudi Obado said the local administration has teamed up with the Kenya National Museums to improve tourist sites in the region, including the caves.
He added that they have taken an inventory of all the sites and are planning to build a tourist resort in Mihuru Bay and improve the roads leading to all the mapped sites.
