Mwangeka Wa Malowa

A hero, powerful soldier and chief of Taita people, whose exact date of birth is not yet known, though believed to have been born in 1842 at Mwanda Kwa Weni Ngasu. He was a married person, married to three wives. The first wife was Mrs. Zighe Mshote from Mrughuwa,Msudu village. Second wife was from Bura, Mrs. Mfwa Mwaghowa, from Kashinyi village and the third wife, Mrs. Mfwa Ndaghina from Mwanda Njawuli. From the three wives, Mwangeka had four sons and two daughters. One of his surviving granddaughters Mrs. Maurine Ari Chorongo, was born in 1945. This is the fifth daughter to Mwaumba. Mwaumba died at the age of 91 years.




He was one of Kenya heroes who led their communities in fighting the colonial Rule in the 19th century. He is remembered as a power maintainer amongst the Taita Taveta Community. He attained the greatest respect as a hero and Commander of Taita Military Troops. The armed troops under his command commandeered all security threatened areas and the Business road from MacKinnon road, (Taru) Maungu, Voi, Mwatate, Taveta to Kilimanjaro from Mombasa. While in central Business route from MacKinnon road (Taru), Maungu, Taveta (Tuweta), up to Kilimanjaro the coastal Businessmen, the Sultan family was forced to pay the taxes before they could get permission to pass through either from Mombasa to Kilimanjaro or from the Kilimanjaro to Mombasa. Some of the Businessmen agreed to sign treaties (Agreement or Mtero) with Mwangeka Wa Malowa which would assure their safety or security while crossing from Kilimanjaro to Mombasa or from Mombasa to Kilimanjaro. The Taita Military command under the command of Mwengeka Wa Malowa did annoy so much the coastal businessmen and lowered the respect of the leadership of the Sultan.


While Mwangeka Wa Malowa Military command, in control of Taita Taveta security was shining, the British colony was planning on how to invade Kenya under the Imperial British East Africa Company. The plan of invading Taita Taveta by the colonies was given military support by coastal businessmen and the Sultan. In 1892, Captain Welson took command of the British soldiers and those of the Sultan to invade and destabilize Mwangeka’s leadership and military strength, with a purpose of raising the British flag and install colonial rule.
The military invasion to Taita land by the British soldiers was handled with a lot of inhuman torture, burnt houses, destroyed other properties and killed innocent unarmed people. The British colonial Army came in combat with the Mwangeka soldiers at Mwashoti, Mlughi village near Mrughua, where heavy military power exchange broke.


It took one month resistance on British soldier’s efforts to penetrate to Taita Hills or upper villages. This strong resistance by the Mwangeka troops forced Captain Nelson of the British command to order for a tactical military withdrawal (retreat) for the purpose of more technical and tactical planning.
While on their withdrawal, they sent their military intelligent corps and scouts to villages where they managed to come across Mr. Mbogholi wa Samaghembe from Bura location whom they bribed and accepted to release Mwangeka wa Malowa’s fighting tactics. Mr. Mbogholi we Samaghembe being a Taita person and resident of Bura, the most insecurity affected part of the Taita due to Arab caravans passage route , when he aapproached Mwangeka wa Malowa for advice on how to combat the invading enemies (Mwangeka) he gave him all the fighting tactics in good faith. After gathering all intelligent report from Mbogholi wa Samaghembe, through their intelligence corps, Captain Nelson, armed with full confidence commanded troops , advancing through Mlughi village, burning houses , destroyed properties and killing innocent unarmed citizens. Mr. Isanga Iwishi, a man from Mrugua sent a word to Mwanda that things have gone wrong. Wananchi at Bura and Mwashoti area were being terrorized. On receipt of the word, logistic team urgently met for reorganization: Fortune tellers (walaghui) team revealed that there was total danger. They saw Mwangeka wa Malowa’s death.


Mwangeka was therefore advised not to join the troops. But considering the situation on how the word came, the innocent persons were perishing and the enemies were advancing to Mrughua where his in-laws resided, he could not manage to remain behind. He and his friend Mr. Mnjala wa Ruma took command of the fight troops and advanced towards the battle field at Mwashoti. At Mwashoti and Mlughi village Mwengeka soldiers met very strong resistance from the British soldiers. Mwangeka ordered for withdrawal to organize for reinforcement. An urgent demand for more soldiers was made to Werugha, Wumingu and Mbale. It was unfortunate that they did not come in good time.


Since the British soldiers were advancing up the hills in full force, Mwangeka and his troops could not keep waiting for more reinforcement. He advanced to the front line and got in combat with a strong British force at Mrughua. His troops advanced down the hill through arrows to counter attack the British force but unfortunately a British soldier’s bullet managed its way to Mwangeka’s body. Mwangeka’s troops could not believe their eyes.


Mbogholi wa Samaghembe had sold Mwangeka by releasing vital information on how Mwangeka wa Malowa played his magic military tactics. So many of Mwangeka soldiers were killed and others wounded. This forced Mnjala wa Ruma to give a withdrawal military order. As they were retreating, other soldiers ran to Mwanda and all the people were ordered to move out of their houses and go for a hide at Vuria cave which was easy to guard. While at Vuria cave, Mr. Mnjala Ruma announced to the community members that Mwangeka wa Malowa was no longer alive. The white people had killed him and gone with his body, and they could not recover his head. The message was received with a lot of sorrow and the way the situation was, nobody was allowed to cry, though they all hived and Vuria cave released a thunderous sound “Woo… woo… woo………woo”


The British soldiers came to Mwanda, burnt houses and destroyed a lot of properties while Mwanda people were at the cave. The French missionaries were planning on peace reconciliation between Taita people and the British colonial Representatives. Therefore, the arrangement for ending the war between the Taita people and the British colonial and the installation of the British rule was administered and witnessed by French missionaries at Bura mission centre. After the installation of the British colonial rule, the coastal businessmen (Arabs) started demanding to get slaves from Taita for compensation of their properties that were being confiscated by the Mwangeka soldiers while on their route either from Mombasa to Kilimanjaro or from Kilimanjaro to Mombasa.


TAITA RULE AFTER MWANGEKA


On the same time the British colonists showed their interests on settling on Taita Hills where Mwangeka was born. They tried to settle at Mlamba but within the same night heavy rain and red aunts started biting them. This made them to shift Ngerenyi before dawn. While installing their administrative ruling, the British tried to force wananchi to have a chief from Mwangeka’s family or clan (Ngasu) but wananchi declined. After aggressive trials, they managed to get:


Mr. Mwazighe wa Lughongo (Ngasu clan) 1894-1900
Mr. Mwaikwasi wa Mwazighe (Ngasu clan) 1900-1906


Mr. Mengo wa Mwazighe (Ngasu clan) 1906-1914 In 1914 Mengo beat the Whiteman Mr. Verby who had come to preach Christian gospel at Mwanda. Chief Mengo got arrested, prosecuted, sentenced and prisoned at Lamu.





Mr. Mghendi wa Mwaria from Mghange took over but worked for only three months (1914)
Mr. Malusha wa Mwamoke (Ngoo clan) 1914-1929 Retired forceful after being suspected that he was practicing herbalists drugs business on accusation from his Askari Mr. George Mghanga.
Mr. George Mghanga 1929-1931 He died on poison treatment by former Chief Malusha wa Mwamoke.
Mr. John Mwangolo 1931-1952
Mr. David Thomas Mawora 1952-1982


While under colonial rule, the Mwanda people and the rest of Taita people remembered Mwangeka wa Malowa. It was hard to change the Taita culture and their mode of Governance. The Mwanda people still remember and respect Vuria Hill cave (THE MWANGEKA WAR VETERANS CAVE) since there were people who were born in that cave during the 1892 Mwangeka wa Malowa war with the British soldiers. It was sad that when the British soldiers killed Mwangheka wa Malowa, they carried his body and Taitas do not know whether the body was buried or burnt.

EFFECTS OF THE DOWNFALL OF MWANGEKA WA MALOWA’S RULE


After the death of Mwangeka wa Malowa and down fall of his leadership, the Taitas especially the Mwanda people were totally confused. They could not easily learn how to accept orders from the white man. This made them suffer because the White man had to dictate on all issues that were subjected to the community e.g. education, medical services, religion and security matters. They resisted in dismantling of their caves and shrines areas (security equipment) Their common enemies the Maasai people got an easy access to penetrate to Mwanda around Chetenyi, Marungu, Ndomokonyi and Mkamwasi areas where they did the animal grazing on the lower zone of Mwanda. This led to a very ruthless murder of Mzee Mrombo, who was killed by Maasai youth and all his cows were taken away. Mwanda people felt so dishearten because it had never happened before. Some members of the community became so disorderedly, law breakers, because they knew the white man could not easily see them. Those who started stealing within the villages suffered from Mizi ya Mbenge and fighi (shrines areas) capture, because they were still in place. An example of such misconduct activities is Mtula wa Mfwa Ngeti, unmarried man, rapists whom in 1956 terrorized the whole of Mwanda location on merciless, brutal killings. In just one day, he left several people killed and some wounded. He was shot dead by an administration police officer, Mr. Andreya Tumna from Bura. Mr. Mwaruta Mlolwa could have down this terrorist with an arrow before killing so many people, but Mr. Mwaruta was warned by his family members on fear of the British rule.


MDANGEGHO, KISHIKA CHA NDEGHE COURT AND KIVINGONYI EXECUTION CAVES.


The Mwanda Community Mdangegho, kishika cha Ndeghe court and the Kivingonyi Criminals Execution Rock got disbanded. This was the Supreme Court which had powers to prosecute and pass death sentence penalties. Those sentenced to death were executed at Kivingonyi Execution Rock. The last person to face such high charges was Mr. Mwanguta who knifed Mr. Mwaipong’o an askari. Mr. Mwaipong’o’s life was saved by receiving several stitches of animal muscles threads. Mwanguta was sentenced to death and when was thrown in Kivingonyi cave he managed to escape death and after some few days he was seen within villages. He got arrested again, got his legs broken and thrown into the rock’s crack or valley. This was in 1890. The Taita people’s land was grabbed and people were forced to go and live in the native reserves. Almost the whole of Taita Taveta district was taken by colonel Grogan. The same situation of land grabbing was places like Voi, Mwatate and Mwakinyambo where settlers planted sisal.


On the upper Hills of Taita District where there was clean air like Bura, Ngerenyi, Mbale and Wundanyi thousands of hectares were grabbed by the missionaries and some settlers. Some pieces of land were forcefully taken from the natives and got named as crown land and Game reserves which today occupy 67% of Taita Taveta District. However, the heart of Mwangeka’s love towards Taita land and his courageous activities encouraged the Taita Taveta surviving leaders to continue the struggle from generation to generation.
Also this led to the formation of the following groups: T.H.A (Taita Hills Association), T.T.U (Taita Taveta Union) and T.F.U (Taita Fighi Union)


Truly Mwangeka wa Malowa deserves a chance to be remembered in the Kenya citizenship History like the other heroes: Mekatilili wa Menza, Koitalel Arap Samoei, Waiyaki wa Higa, Dedan Kimathi, Makhani Singh, Mwindu wa Mbingu, Gama Pinto and other heroes.
Complied by Ephraim Kitimo Mwaruta; From Historical Records and Oral Traditions from Mwanda and Taita as a whole.