Historic Towns in Kwale
Vanga: A Rough and Tempestuous Streak
18 km south of Lunga Lunga lies Vanga, a modest fishing village of mostly mud and thatch houses being gradually superseded by brick builds with iron sheet roofing, set along a series of north-south streets. It sits at the water’s edge with access to the Indian Ocean through a wide channel that’s flanked by mangroves. Of a recent development, the reconstruction and extension of its seawall was done in 2016.
Vanga is by no means a popular circuit, its isolation a reason, of course, in spite of its rich history. It is very interesting, but maybe not unusual, that historical writing on Kenya’s coast tends to follow the same trajectory, of early European traders, confined to the major hubs like Mombasa and Malindi, leaving us with a narrow view of the history and its people. Important contributions, such as in Vanga and Vumba Kuu, are summarily neglected. Contrary to expectation, Vanga is a trove of ancient ruins. Small tombs are scattered throughout, one of these having a pillar about 2 ms high, with the base of a 19th century European ceramic mug on top.
As the southern gateway to the Sultan of Zanzibar’s “ten mile strip”, with Lamu at the opposite end, Vanga was a center of interest as far back as 1821 when Sheikh Diwan moved there from Wasini. Other intricate ruins include those left over from the British era. The British influence can be seen in different places along Kenya’s coast; remains of key builds are still seen at Vanga; as a testimony of the nexus between different peoples of vast backgrounds and, at the moment, represent a heritage in danger that ought to be preserved and be granted a new lease of life.
Vanga was first settled by the Vumba from Wasini in the early 19th century, as a seasonal farming village. Low lying land near the mouth of Umba River made the area particularly suitable for irrigation, farming rice from 1825. In a trice Vanga began trading, at first with the Digo, then later, with their association with the Segeju, on caravans that were travelling inland by 1825 where supplies of ivory were known to be plenty. Unsurprisingly, it attracted a cosmopolitan mixture of temporary and permanent immigrants, among them their next door kinsfolk: the Shirazi, the Segeju and the Digo. Vanga’s progress continued with the capture of Kenya’s coast by Busaidi Arabs in 1837, encouraging Muslim immigration, and in the years leading up to 1865 promoted islamization. The new towns of Takaungu and Gazi had also begun to engender Mijikenda settlers and Muslim immigrants.
In concomitance, Vanga grew to be the largest town on the South Coast, and by 1865 had become a thriving Muslim centre second in importance to Mombasa. In the second half of the 19th century, three different Muslim factions inhabited the region, under three influences: The Digo between Diani and Msambweni came under the influence of the Mazrui at Gazi; the Digo of Kikoneni and Chwaka under the influence of the Vumba at Wasini and of the Shirazi; and the Digo along the Umba River under the influence of the Muslims of Vanga. The main centres of Islam, the towns of Vanga, Wasini and Gazi, differed from each other in origin and character. Vanga town, the most progressive, was favoured over Wasini and Gazi.
At the last, the presence of the three spheres of Muslim influence would prove to be an impediment to progress, especially after 1865 when Shaykh Mbaruk bin Rashid of Gazi rose to power. The only people on consistently friendly terms with the Mazrui of Gazi after 1865 were the Digo of Kaya Kinondo, and the Duruma and Digo of Mwele, a busy village founded by Shaykh Mbaruk as an inland stronghold to which he could retreat when Gazi was under threat. By the late 1860s, flagging relations between Sheikh Mbaruk and the Sultan Majid of Zanzibar had brought tension to Gazi. In turn, the Digo, and other tribes, were drawn into the conflict.
In general, the Vumba, the Digo of Kikoneni, the Shirazi and the Segeju opposed Sheikh Mbaruk; the Digo and the Duruma to the north of Gazi supported him. In 1873, Sheikh Mbaruk attacked Vanga. This led the Sultan of Zanzibar to retaliate, and marked the start of an Omani presence at Vanga, which the Sultan’s forces made their headquarters. Further fighting in 1882 led to a permanent Zanzibar Omani presence at Vanga; a small garrison of troops was stationed there, then a Governor was appointed, and the Omani community got about acquiring land.
A Mazrui saying illustrates their mixed feelings about Gazi after 1865: “Takaungu ni biashara, Gazi ni vita”, translating as: “Takaungu is a place of commerce, Gazi a place of war”. The last Diwan of Vanga was Seyyid Ahmad bin Sultan Twahiri, who was elected in 1871 and died on August 8, 1897. After the death of Seyyid Ahmad no one was elected Diwan and a Liwali was appointed by the incumbent British.
The end of the 19th century also marked the decline of Vanga. With a population of 2,500 [compared to Tiwi’s 2,300 and Wasini’s 2,200] it was one of the large towns along the coast in this century. This all changed in 1865 when Mbaruk bin Rashid of Gazi acceded to power. More aggressive and ambitious than Abdallah bin Kharnis, the previous ruler of Gazi, Sheikh Mbaruk tried to grow his influence, and raided those who opposed him. For the next thirty years, until the end of the Rising of 1895, Gazi-Vanga region was the most turbulent and least secure part of Mijikenda country, due to continual strife between Sheikh Mbaruk and the other peoples of the region. Vanga was attacked several times by Sheikh Mbaruk bin Rashid, the most brutal attack being that of August 1895 when the town was all but razed; but later rebuilt. Uh! The winds of change were blowing against Vanga.
After the sinking of a well near Tiwi in 1904, its population increased. Together with the towns of Pungu, Kwale and Kinango, Tiwi was the site of a traditional weekly market that eventually, from 1913, came to have a daily market. In 1926, the colonial Government established a dispensary at Tiwi, and later begun a central administrative post. The decline was reflected, too, in the declining role Vanga played in spreading Islam. Between 1916 and 1933, the growth of Islam among the Digo was promoted by the new group of indigenous Digo Imams and teachers who were at school before the War. In order to assist the Liwali of Vanga and the District Commissioner at Shimoni, the British established Mudirs at Tiwi and at Gazi. With the administrative reorganization of Vanga District in 1922 the office of Mudir of Tiwi was abolished and litigants were advised to go to the Mudir of Gazi.
The years after 1915 were especially trying for the colonial administration on Kenya’s coast. The War in Europe spread to Africa, and Germany (German East Africa) invaded south eastern Kenya. The first record of military action in the East African campaign of the WWI was a report of German soldiers entering the town of Vanga on 25th of August, 1914. The main German advance into southeastern Kenya came in 1915, and by December 1915 two-thirds of Vanga District was in German hands. Wherefore, Vanga’s capital was moved from Shimoni to Gazi.
By September 1915, Germans were raiding north of the Ramisi River and camps had to be set up for several thousand Digo refugees who fled their villages. At the same time, the administration was coping with the aftermath of the Giriama Rising north of Mombasa. With the growth of Mombasa and the improvement in road communications after the War, the ports at Vanga and Gazi continued to decline in importance, and new colonial administrative centres such as Msambweni and Lunga Lunga grew. At the last, the ensuing years 1918-23 brought famine, floods and smallpox and influenza epidemics. The smallpox epidemic of 1920, causing 427 deaths in Vanga, was described as “one of the most serious epidemics within living memory”. It is estimated that 2,000 persons had died of smallpox in Vanga.
Historic towns around the world offer a glimpse into the past, preserving architecture, culture, and stories from different eras. In Kenya, some of the oldest towns are found along the coast, where medieval trade put on the map long before developments in the hinterland. Among these is Lamu town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its Swahili architecture and cultural traditions.
Index of Relic & Historic Towns Around Kenya
Baringo County - Tambach, Homa Bay County - Old Kendu Bay Town, Isiolo County - Isiolo Town, Garba Tula, Kilifi County - Old Town Takaungu, Mambrui, Kwale County - Old Town Vanga, Vumba Kuu, Kwale, Lamu County - Lamu Old Town, Witu, Shela, Faza, Manda, Mandera County - El Wak, Migori County - Awendo-Sori, Mombasa County - Old Town Mombasa, Nyandarua County - Njabini town, Samburu County - Archer's Post, Tana River County - Old Town Kipini, Wajir County - Old Town Wajir
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.