Historic Sites Along the Coast
Vumba Kuu: The 14th Century Vumba Capital
The historic old site of Vumba Kuu is situated near the Kenya-Tanzania border, famously known as Lunga-Lunga, close to the Mchamalale (Mchongo) Stream. The site is densely overgrown, hidden in thick bush, much of the area around it under cultivation, making it difficult to find or identify, and is mostly disintegrated and only the footings of a few stone house ruins remain. An erosion channel and tidal flats divide the site into two parts: a western section, a small part of which is situated inside Tanzania, and a smaller eastern area where a mosque is located.
Vumba Kuu, which literally means the capital of Vumba, was a Swahili hub of the 14th and 15th Century, coinciding with the arrival of the Bani Nabhani from Pate and the rise of the Omani Arabs Rule, abandoned in the late 16th century by its population who moved to Vanga and Wasini Island. Seven sultans followed the foremost head enthroned at Vumba Kuu, supposedly in 1201+, before the reign of Kwana Chambi Ivoo, whose presence seems to be confirmed to 1630 and 1680s.
The exact dates of Ivoo’s reign are unknown, though he is generally agreed to have ruled in the first half of the 17th century when the Portuguese had held sway over much of the coast. He was the last of the Vumba rulers to be buried at Vumba Kuu, which was abandoned in subsequent conflict and to escape the Zimba terror (later Diwans ruled from Vanga and Wasini). Under Mwana Ivoo, Vumba Kuu engaged in a programme of aggressive expansion, forcing submission of all Shirazi communities between Gazi in the north and Tanga in the south.
As a result, it is cited widely as an epicenter of the spread of Islam along the South Coast. As it were, when the Vumba migrated to the area they were probably not Muslim. According to Vumba traditions, the first five rulers of Vumba Kuu were not Muslim. The beginning of Islam dates to the reign of its sixth ruler, Mwana Chambi Niomvi, in the late 15th century. This was a time of extinential angst caused by the a prolonged drought (based on other versions, there was sickness, or the ruler’s daughter was sick), and Mwana Chambi Niomvi invited Sharif Hasan of Zanzibar, infamous for his superpowers, to come to Vumba Kuu to pray for rain.
After successfully ending the drought, the Sharif stayed, married the daughter of Mwana Chambi Niomvi, and converted him and other members of the ruling clan to Islam. All that remains of an ancient mosque (date of use unknown) are the ruined walls of its southeastern area, including: a wall ruined to a low height; a cistern to the east of the musalla, although, no trace of an ante room can be seen; and a well south of the rear wall, with an adjacent cistern, smaller than the other.
There are dozens of well-studied and accessible historic sites along the Kenya’s Coast. Some of the historic sites located here are composed of the old settlement towns and outlying groups of tombs. North to South, the coast is awash with a collection of ruins, found mainly along the beach, many of them on private lands.
Index of Historic Sites Along the Coast of Kenya
Kwale County - Vumba Kuu, Vanga, Kagugu, Wasini Island Ruins, The Chambocha Cemetery, Pongwe, Hurumuzi (House of Hormuz), Shirazi, Munje Ruins, Gazi Ruins, Galu Ruins, Ukunda Diani Mosque, Kongo Mosque, Twiga Mosque, Mombasa County - Fort Jesus, Santo Antonio de Tanna, St. Joseph’s Fort, The Mbaraki Pillar, Kilifi County - Mtwapa Ruins, Jumba la Mtwana (The Slavemaster's House), Vipingo Masjid, Kinuni Ruins, Kitoka Ruins, Mnarani Ruins, Uyombo Ruins, Kirepwe Island Ruins, Kiburugeni, Mgangani, Gede Ruins, Portuguese Chapel, Vasco da Gama Cross, Kibirikani Ruins, Mambrui, Tana River County - Ungwana Bay Ruins, Shaka Ruins, Mwana Ruins, Lamu County - Kibirikani Ruins, Matondoni Ruins, Kipungani Ruins, Takwa Ruins, Nabahani Ruins, Siyu Fort, Shanga Ruins, Atu Ruins, Chundwa Ruins, Ashuwei Ruins, Ishakani I
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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Explore Destinations Nearby Vumba Kuu
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
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.
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.