Legends and Heroes in Kwale
Mwaozi Tumbe’s Gravestone At Bogoa, Wasini
Findable with the help of locals and guides on Wasini Island, Mwaozi Tumbe’s gravestone is an anthropomorphic marker found at the small village Bogoa. Here, you can learn about the legend of Mwaozi Tumbe. Steeped in myth and cultural heritage, the tale of Mwaozi Tumbe is one of the most enduring oral traditions on the southern coast of Kenya. The daughter of a local ruler, She is central to local legends that ravel themes of betrayal, cultural heritage, and rain-making rituals.
As it tells, Mwaozi, or Mwana Ozi, Tumbe, betrayed her people to their enemies, and was in turn betrayed by the latter. Several versions of this fascinating tale of treachery, passed down through generations, serving as a moral lesson and a reflection of the community’s values, have been documented since the 1920s. The legend, hang between history and myth, takes place in the 17th century, as do the rites that used to take place in the village and at her grave for many a generations.
The earliest version of it was curated by Harold E. Lambert when he was working as Assistant District Commissioner at Shimoni in 1923-24. His version of Mwaozi Tumbe’s legend was published in 1953 under the title “The Taking of Tumbe Town”. Lambert describes the folklore of Mwaozi Tumbe as “the traditional account of a historical event”, namely the capture of the Chifundi’s capital Tumbe by the Vumba of Vumba Kuu under Mwana Kyambu Ivoo, an event he dates to about 1640 AD.
Presently, the Ivoo had conquered seven other Shirazi towns along the coast, but had struggled unsuccessfully for nine years to overcome the Chifundi under their ruler Guo Kuu Mwatumbe. Ivoo’s chance came when Mwatumbe died leaving no male heir. Mwatumbe’s daughter, Mwaozi, claimed the throne but was rejected because she was a woman. She responded by making a secret pact with Mwana Kyambu Ivoo to deliver Tumbe to the Vumba in return for her been made queen.
Paying no heed to the enduring power of traditions shaping the community, She deceived the people of Tumbe by luring them into a false sense of insecurity. On two separate occasions she came out of her house at night to warn that war was upon them, ranting and raving until morning. Assuming that rejection had made her mad, the townspeople took no notice when she did this a third night. This time however, she led the Vumba army in, and Tumbe was taken with relative ease.
Ivoo received the submission of the Chifundi, but because they had been the last of the Shirazi to sumbit to his rule he decreed that they should sit by the doorway and not in the main hall whenever the Vumba held feasts. Reminding him that she had delivered, as agreed upon, her half of the bargain, Mwaozi Tumbe then asked Ivoo for the throne that he had promised her. He told her to return home, and that he will call her back to be installed as the ruler of her people. But Ivoo wondered what Mwaozi Tumbe might do to him, given what she had done to her relatives.
In a plot to hoodwink Mwaozi, he wrote her a letter beckoning her audience, and when she arrived he arrested her and took her to the (uninhabited) islet of Kisite, where she died. However, around the same time the rains failed, and the ensuing drought saw the people reduced to dire straits. The elders interpreted this as a consequence of their disregarding an owner of the land. So they went to Kisite to gather her bones and bury them at Bogoa, whereupon it poured and poured with rain. As a heritage, the Vumba will always visit Mwaozi’s grave and pray to God.
Another version of events narrates that the islanders turned to divination for a solution to the drought and were told they must bring Mwaozi Tumbe’s remains back and bury them properly. “On their way back to Wasini, however, a storm casts them ashore to Bogoa, at the opposite end of the island. Here they solicit and importune the help of the villagers at Mkwiro, who provide a coffin, dig a grave, and place a small stone over it”. Still and all, Mwaozi Tumbe’s betrayal of the Chifundi is the final saga in the Vumba conquest of their Shirazi neighbours.
Alive in oral traditions for many generation since, Mwaozi Tumbe’s tale inspired creativity and curiosity, and in Mkwiro village, after the evening prayers, adults and children used to go through the village singing the following song at every door: “Mwaozi Tumbe give us our rain; If you’re going to send it – then send it; If you’re not, then take this rubbish!”. In response the owner of the house would throw water over them, soaking them through. This happened at every house till they had been round the village. It also accorded to women the rainmaking rites.
Mwaozi Tumbe’s gravestone can still be seen at Bogoa, south of Mkwiro and east of Nyumba Maji, at the southeastern corner of Wasini, close to the beach. There is no developed circuit to the site. It looks like a small hemispherical boulder, about 30 cm in diameter, with two deep round holes cut into it at one of the ends. These are said to represent Mwaozi’s eyes, and when rituals were performed women would rub this anthropomorphic stone with oils and daub kohl around the holes.
Kenya has a rich tapestry of legends and heroes that reflect its diverse cultures and historical narratives. Among these is Mekatilili wa Menza, the lionized Giriama elder and prophetess who led here people on a resistance against British colonial rule in the early 20th century. These legends and heroes highlight the diversity of Kenya’s heritage and the resilience of her people in the face of challenges.
Index of Kenyan Legends & Heroes
Homa Bay County - Nyamgondho Wuod Ombare, Gor Mahia, Kajiado County - Laibon Mbatian, Kakamega County - Nabongo Mumia, Kilifi County - Mekatilili wa Menza, Kisumu County - Luanda Wa Magere, Kwale County - Mwaozi Tumbe, Lamu County - Gasara Winn, Mwana Kupona Binti Msham, Mwana Tau, Mwana Hadie Famau, Mwana Masura, Mombasa County - The Mazrui, Muranga County - Karuri Wa Gakure, Wangu Wa Makeri, Nandi County - Koitalel Arap Samoei, Nyamira County - Chief Otenyo Nyamaterere, Nyeri County - Mugo Wa Kibiro, Taita Taveta County - Mwangeka Wa Malowa, Tana River County - Fumo Liyongo, Turkana County - Nayeche the Jie Heroine
Located along the Kenyan coast, and a hub renowned for its pristine beaches, rich cultural heritage, and breathtaking landscapes, Kwale County uniquely combines two of Kenya’s unsurpassed offerings – beach and safari. Kwale County is also a melting pot of coastal traditions, modern development, farming and trade to boot.
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A Guide to Kwale County
A Summa Digest of Kwale
About Kwale Way Back When
85 Destinations in Kwale County, arranged as one would visit these - north, south, east then south - with aid of in-depth narratives, images, maps and distance chart:
Shelly Beach, Time Out Art Camp, Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary, Kutazama Lodge, Mandhari Lodge, Kimerimeta Safari Lodge, Baraza Park, Kwale Town, Shimba Hills National Reserve, Shimba Hills Lodge, Elephant Lookout, Sheldrick Falls, Shimba Hills Organic Farm, Nyalani Dam, WWF Nursery, Tiwi Beach, Diani-Chale Marine National Reserve, Kongo Mosque, Twiga Mosque, Diani Mosque, Diani Beach Art Gallery, Diani Bikes, Center Point Mall, Diani Beach, Almasi Art Agency, Diamond Leisure Beach & Golf Resort, Ali Barbour’s Cave Restaurant, Kenya Kite Masters, Kite Festival, Funguo Wreck, Swahili Beach Resort, Raydon Water Sports, Colobus Conservation Trust, Sails Beach Bar & Restaurant, H2O Extreme, Nomad Beach Bar & Restaurant, Baobab Beach Resort, Lantana Galu Beach, Galu Ruins, Bora Bora Wildlife Park, Skydive Diani, Kalista Bar & Restaurant, Kaya Kinondo (Forest), Kinondo Kwetu (Resort), Chale Island, Tulia Eco Garden, Gazi Beach, Gazi Mangrove Boardwalk, Gazi Ruins, Msambweni Beach, Munje Beach, Munje Beach Villas, Munje Ruins, Munje Octopus Closure, Funzi Island, Shirazi Ruins, Fikirini Caves, Hormuz, Pongwe, Shimoni Caves, Betty's Camp, Shimoni Ruins, KWS Shimoni Cottages, Wasini Island, Wasini Ruins, Wasini Boardwalk, Charlie Claw’s, Chambocha Cemetery, Wasini Dolphin Tours, Pilli Pipa Dhow, Blue Monkey Cottages, GVI Mkwiro, Mwaozi Tumbe's Gravestone, Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park, Sii Island, Mrima Hill, Maji Moto Springs, Vumba Kuu, Vanga, Vanga Ruins, Nyika Plateau
Know More About Kwale County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including strip maps, Airports, Climate & National Monuments
What’s The Air Like In Kwale?
Kwale has monsoon type of climate marked by hot and dry weather from January to May and cooler temperatures from June to August. Average annual temperatures ranges between 24oC and 30oC.
What’s The Lay of The Land In C.02?
Kwale is widely known for its 35 km long coast, where Diani Beach sits. Inland, the coastal uplands, commonly referred to as Shimba Hills, is a sharp elevation in altitude. The land then steeply falls again into the Nyika Plateau and Tsavo.