Mwamsimburi: The Fiery Leader (Segeju community)

Shujaa Stories2020

National Museums of Kenya

National Museums of Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya

In the 16th century, the Wasegeju people inhabited an area north of the Tana River known as Shingwaya. It was around that period that a vicious band of marauders known as Wazimba marched north from the Zambezi, plundering and pillaging up the East African Coast. Wazimba threatened the town of Mombasa and were met by an army of 3000 Segeju warriors led by Mwamsimburi.

Picture this scene. The warriors stand in position. Their muscles aching in anticipation but they held their ground, waiting for Mwamsimburi’s signal and soon enough they heard it. They leapt forward as their war cries rent the air. The 3000 Segeju warriors attacked the Wazimba marauders and a few days later, the ground was soaking up the blood of the Wazimba. The Wasegeju had won. The year was 1580.

Oral tradition states that using his skills and experience from defeating the Wazimba, Mwamsimburi later led the Wasegeju westward up to a place near Voi. escaping the treacherous plains of Tsavo and protecting them from the marauding lions. They built shelters using branches of trees and grass to shield them from the rain and from the sun it was too hot. They hunted animals for food and ate wild fruits along the way, enjoying the view of the open, vast land of Voi and the Taita hills on the beautiful blue horizon.

The Wasegeju then split into three different bands. One band travelled south to the Tanzania border and crossed the Umba River to their homeland in Tanzania. Mwamsimburi led another band that later came to settle in the foothills of the Usambara Mountains at a place called Bwiti. The last band of armed Wasegeju men marched along the coast, defeating and evicting the Digo and Bondei people who were living there. These men took Digo wives and settled along the coast in the present Vanga area.

The Wasegeju honour Mwasimburi and his story continues to be told through generations.

Bonus Information
The Taita Hills, sometimes also spelled as Teita Hills, are a mountain range located in Taita-Taveta, in south-eastern Kenya. The hills consist of three massifs: Dawida, Sagalla in the southern side of Voi township and Kasigau in the south near the border of Tanzania. The Dawida massif is the largest and tallest of the three, with an altitude of 2,228 metres (7,310 ft) above sea level at its highest peak, Vuria. Dabida has three other main peaks: Iyale, Wesu, and Susu.

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  • Title: Mwamsimburi: The Fiery Leader (Segeju community)
  • Creator: Shujaa Stories
  • Date Created: 2020
  • Location: Kenya
  • Rights: Shujaa Stories in collaboration with Nature Kenya and the National Museums of Kenya
  • Community: Segeju
  • About Shujaa Stories: This is a Kenyan superhero display of the country’s pre-independence legends who fought for their communities’ land, freedom and spiritual well-being; and are revered by their communities to date. Conceptualized in 2017, the idea was the brain-child of Masidza Sande Galavu (1993-2020) who was a Creative Director and co-founder at Shujaa Stories and Tatu Creatives in Nairobi. ‘Shujaa’ is a Swahili word that means brave or courageous. It also refers to someone who is a hero. Shujaa Stories made its public debut with an exhibition at the Nairobi National Museum in 2018. It shined light on 28 of Kenya’s greatest heroes and heroines. Each story was coupled with a bonus text on conservation related to the heritage sites surrounding where these legends once lived. In 2020, supported by National Museums of Kenya and Google Arts and Culture, Shujaa Stories Ltd completed over 30 new shujaas that cut across the major and marginalized Kenyan communities. Kenya is rich in history and culture. Some of this richness has been brought out in our books, museums and in theatre. But there is one major section of our history that has been left out, especially to the younger generation of Kenyans, which are our pre-independence legendary heroes. Some of these heroes are known well beyond their communities due to the respect they managed to garner across the region. Many of them have a well-developed and sophisticated folklore which embodies their history, traditions, morals, worldview and wisdom. The design language chosen for the entire exhibition is animated illustrations that seek to bring out the superhero character of each shujaa.
National Museums of Kenya

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