Nabongo Mumia: The Noble (Wanga Kingdom) (2019) by Shujaa StoriesNational Museums of Kenya
Nabongo Mumia of the Abawanga People
Mumia was a prince born into the royal family of Nabongo Shiundu and one of his wives Wamanya.
Five of Mumia’s elder siblings had passed away when they were still very young. Believing that the deaths were due to evil spirits, little Mumia was placed by the roadside as rubbish (makokha) according to customs so that the evil spirits would not harm him.
He was picked up by someone called Abamia (a.k.a mumia in singular or omumia) and returned to his parents. From then on, he became known as Makokha Mumia.
Mumia grew up an ordinary child, looking after cattle, wrestling and exchanging stories and proverbs. He hunted animals, and even killed a lion and a leopard when he was a little over eighteen years old.
He was a handsome, slender, tall young man with a deep voice but he was also shy and timid among strangers leading his father to decide that the boy was too weak and feminine to be groomed to become king.
But little did Shiundu know that by means of a crafty plan by Mumia’s mother, the young man would succeed him as king. By tradition, Luta, his elder brother, was the heir to the throne.
However, Wamanya tricked her husband into believing that Luta wanted to overthrow him. Shiundu disowned Luta and denied him any rights to the throne and royal property.
Mumia was appointed successor upon his father’s death. He was crowned as Nabongo and dressed in the royal regalia. He became the 17th Nabongo of the Wanga kingdom automatically becoming the custodian of the Wanga customs and traditions, safeguarding the royal regalia consisting of the copper bracelets, sacred spears (likutusi and lishimbishira).
According to legend, the copper bracelets held magical powers and could cause the death of a person if the Nabongo hit the bracelets together while calling the person’s name.
Furthermore, the sacred spears which were described as being of ancient origin could cause conflict if a man took them outside and pointed them in different directions. These royal regalia were closely guarded and only a few selected members of the royal family could hold them.
Nabongo Mumia was considered a very popular living legend and a great king by his subjects because his style of ruling was different from that of those who had gone before him. As King, while in his thirties, he was very responsible and efficient, even listening to the common people which had never been done before. He was generous, pleasant, very jovial and fair in all his dealings.
During the colonial administration, the colonial administrators were in awe of his power and influence. Mumia collaborated with them in whatever he felt was useful to his people and the colonial administrators recognised him as a paramount chief. This however, was the beginning of the decline of Nabongo Mumia’s influence in later years until his death. In time the British felt threatened by his kingship.
They stripped him of his powers by manipulating him and then forcefully and unknown to Mumia, retiring him. They even went as far as replacing Mumia’s successor, his son, with his nephew Osundwa who was easy to control.
This greatly reduced Abawanga's power. Even the capital was moved from Mumias to what is today known as Kakamega. Nabongo Mumia died on April 24th, 1949 and was buried in a large ceremony attended by people from far and wide.
Nabongo's legacy lives on
Mumias town is named after Nabongo Mumia. Not far from Mumias is the Kakamega Forest, Kenya’s only tropical rainforest. The forest is the last remnant in Kenya of the great Congo basin rainforest that stretches across Africa.
Many of the birds, plants and butterflies in the forest are not found elsewhere in Kenya. Kakamega Forest – a key biodiversity area – is a precious treasure for the people of western Kenya, the nation and the world.
Credits: Story
Research field work was undertaken in Samburu and Marsabit (for Gabbra, Samburu, Rendille, Saakuye, Dasanach, Elmolo, Waayu a.k.a Waata, and Burji superheroes/heroines), Embu and Tharaka (for Aembu, Tharaka, Ameru and Mbeere superheroes/heroines), Mombasa ( for Boni, Swahili, Pokomo, Segeju and Bajuni superheroes/heroines)and Taita-Taveta/Voi (for Taveta superheroes/heroines) capturing all information about the heroes from the 30 selected ethnic groups/communities by Museum’s research team.
National Museums of Kenya - Contributors
Mzalendo Kibunjia (PhD) - Director General
Purity Kiura (PhD) - Director Antiquities, Sites & Monuments
Julias Juma Ogega - Senior Curator/Research Scientist
Njuguna Gichere - Research Scientist
Lydia Gatundu - Art Curator
Emmanuel Kariuki - Exhibit Designer
Philemon Nyamanga - Curator/Research Scientist
Mercy Gakii - Curator/Research Scientist
Imelda Muoti - Curator/Archivist
Innocent Nyaga - Marketing Officer
Suzanne Wanjaria - Exhibits Designer
Ray Balongo Khaemba - Senior Collection Manager
Raphael Igombo - Education Officer
Nature Kenya - Other Contributors
The East Africa Natural History Society (EANHS)
Editing
Daisy Okoti - Shujaa Stories Ltd
Shani Mutarura - Shujaa Stories Ltd
Jeff Muchina- Shujaa Stories Ltd
Brian Kiraga - Shujaa Stories Ltd
Illustrations
Masidza Sande Galavu - Shujaa Stories Ltd
Martha Shavuya Galavu - Shujaa Stories Ltd
Photography
Eddy Ochieng - National Museums of Kenya
Linda Tambo - Shujaa Stories Ltd
Juelz Laval - Shujaa Stories Ltd
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