Kibuuka: The Story of the Mystical Atharaka Leader

Kibuuka: The Mystical Leader of the Atharaka
In the oral tradition of the Atharaka, there lived a spiritual leader, medicine man, diviner and rain maker known as Kibuuka.

Before Kibuuka came into the world, Karikundi and Ciakinene, who were to become his parents, were devastated because they could not have a child. But they were determined to find a solution.

They visited a seer, for guidance. The seer confirmed that the couple would not conceive a child of their own. However, the seer reassured them that their desire would be assuaged in a different manner.

And, indeed, things were to turn out exactly as the seer had predicted: One day it rained heavily, with thunder and lightning. During the downpour, Karikundi and Ciakinene heard a child crying in their cattle shed amidst the rumbling of thunder.

The couple went out and took the miracle baby in, to bring up as their own son. The couple named him Kibuuka, which could be translated as ‘born of thunder.’

Kibuuka grew up to be a strong boy.

When it was time for Kibuuka to be part of Kumeria the period of initiation, he was nowhere to be seen. However, when he reappeared, after it was all over, he had surprisingly lost his foreskin.

Kibuuka became a great warrior and in wartime he administered charms to his fellow warriors for protection during combat. He led the Atharaka successfully against the Akamba, Mbeere, Igembe and others.

In time he got married and fathered many sons, the eldest of whom grew up to lead the Tharaka forces in every war. In more than one battle it was clear to all that Kibuuka’s son had been killed but he came back to life, resurrected through a charm from a rugoci or magic horn that his father, Kibuuka, had embossed in his abdomen.

This recurring stratagem was revealed to enemy spies by an Atharaka traitor. In the next battle Kibuuka’s son was killed yet again but this time for good, as the protective charm was gouged out of his abdomen by his enemies.

Kibuuka was furious about the murder of his son. He cursed the Atharaka for having been the source of his death by being the source of his betrayal, and he declared that never again would the Atharaka have a leader. He himself decided to leave.

The route Kibuuka followed as he left is said to have turned into a seasonal river, known today as the Kathambangiri in Tunyai. He passed by a place called Kaunguni, named after the cooking pot which he is meant to have left there. His footprints are also said to be visible to this day, on a rock at a place of Kijege.

From Kijege, Kibuuka is said to have disappeared into the Tana River. The Atharaka have built liri or shrines at many of the places that Kibuuka either lived in or stopped at on his final journey.

Kibuuka’s legendary adventures would take days to tell. But the telling of them still captivates both young and old and will continue to do so in the future.

Kibuuka's legacy lives on
To this day, people come into contact with his stories and visit sites associated with Kibuuka. These sites include the Kibuuka falls which supplies energy to High Grand Falls Hydroelectric Power Station across Tana River, Kibuuka the area and Kibuuka’s homestead. It elicits the same reverence that was accorded him many years ago.