Bullfighting is a Luhya tradition with no analogue in the rest of Kenya. On Saturday mornings, in villages across Western Province, owners bring their prize bulls — large Friesian-cross animals with horns adapted to pushing rather than goring — to dusty arenas where they are matched in pairs to fight for dominance. The losing bull breaks off and runs; the winning bull is paraded through the village to the accompaniment of a brass band. There are no human matadors, no killing, and (usually) no serious injuries.
The most reliable place to see a fight is in Khayega or Malinya, both reachable by matatu from Kakamega town. Local touts will know which villages are holding fights on a given Saturday — ask at your hotel or guesthouse on Friday afternoon. The atmosphere is intense, the crowds are large and boisterous, and the brass band plays a peculiar mixture of hymns and high-energy Luhya music throughout. This is not a tourist set-piece; it is a working part of Luhya rural life.