Women who stood where men trembled

By Amos Kireithe

After Arab slave traders took his brother, Mekatilili was wary of foreigners and vowed to fight their infiltration into Giriama land a vow she kept to her grave

When Kenya exploded into open revolt against colonial oppression, the freedom fighters who confronted the Government were following a script crafted four decades earlier by a pioneer woman freedom fighter. The author of the script was a woman who had no formal military training but outwitted career soldiers for years.

Although the collective memories have faded, echoes of Mekatilili wa Menza’s heroics still resonate across generations.

The legendary freedom fighter was born at Mutara wa Tsatsu Ganze village in Kilifi County, and was named Minyazi wa Menza. Although there are no records of her date of birth, she is thought to have been born around 1840s.

She was born in a family of four brothers Nzai, Hare, Kithi, and Mwarandu, and one sister. As was tradition, she used to accompany her brothers to Mutsanganyiko, at the tributary of River Rare and the Indian Ocean at Kilifi.

Batter trade

One day Mekatilili accompanied her brothers to the trading centre also frequented by Arab-Swahili and Giriama traders, where they operated batter trade, exchanging Ivory and cereals for beads, ornaments, knives and other exotic goods. On the fateful day, a group of Arab slave traders pounced on Kithi and took him into captivity never to be traced. Kithi’s heartrending pleas for freedom galvanised Mekatilili, who fought off the slave masters’ attempts to no avail.

From that day, she was forever wary of foreigners especially after she internalised the prophesy of Mepoho, a Giriama diviner was unfolding.

Mepoho, who lived at Kaloleni near Kayafungo, had prophesied about the coming of the strangers with white hair like sisal fibres who would come in vessels flying in the air and floating in water and would lead to the destruction of the local traditions.

The predictions came true in 1890s when the employees of British East Africa Company started constructing the railway and initiating trade even as they hunted for ivory.

Prof Maina Kinyatti, in his book, History of Resistance, 1884 to 2002 explains that the IBEA employees aroused the locals’ suspicion when they started conscripting the Swahili and the Arab Immigrants of the coast into their invading forces.

This was after IBEA forces, backed by mercenaries from Sudan and India, subdued the resistance of Mombasa in 1896, allowing the company to establish its headquarters at the coastal town.

When IBEA agents ventured into Giriama land in search of porters and other labourers, they met stiff resistance from the locals, who were inspired by Mekatilili and Wanje wa Mwandorikola, who belonged to the Kavuta age set (rika), which was in power between 1870 and 1906. She established parallel system of government where Wanje acted as the leader.

Public rally

Although Mekatilili had already distinguished herself as a fearless defender of the rights of her people, her fame grew tremendously after she confronted a white colonial officer during a public rally.

The confrontation began when IBEA started eyeing land near Sabaki River where they were to establish cotton and rubber plantations. Besides trying to compel the locals to abandon their land, IBEA also forbade the tapping of palm wine, a delicacy in the region.

Further, IBEA imposed a new form of tax for everybody who had a hut and matters came to a head when the administration, which had taken over the company, tried to recruit Giriama youth as porters and carrier corps to fight the Germans in the impending First World War.

Mekatilili, a gifted mobiliser and an orator, used the Kifudu dance (performed during funeral ceremonies) to bring together the masses to resist the conscription. She administered oath to her followers binding them to fight for their community and never cooperate with the white man.

According to Kinyatti, the partakers of the oath swore never to pay taxes to the colonial government or offer forced labour. They also vowed to drive the white man out of their lands.

Inevitably, Mekatilili and the colonialists came face to face on August 13, 1913, during which a major showdown ensued in public. On that day, a British administrator, Arthur Champion held a meeting at Chakama kwa Hawe Wanje to persuade local youths to join the British Army.

Mekatilili too attended the rally, armed with a chicken and her chicks, which she used to demonstrate to Champion how he would be dealt with if he snatched any Giriama son.

She challenged Champion to snatch a chick from the angry mother hen which furiously pecked at him. Mekatilili is reported to have told Champion “if you dare take one of my sons I will react thus”.

Champion was thoroughly humiliated in public drew his pistol and shot the mother hen to which Mekatilili reacted by unleashing a stinging slap on the unsuspecting administrator.

The administrator’s bodyguards reacted by indiscriminately firing at a group of youths killing a number, a development which sparked the Nyere and the Giriama War.

In the ensuing scuffle, Mekatilili and Wanje were arrested and detained in Kisii where they were locked in prison without any charges being preferred against them.

But as it later emerged, no jail was strong enough to confine Mekatilili and Wanje or her quest for freedom.

After about six months, the couple escaped from their confinement on January 14, 1914 and somehow trekked for more than 700 kilometres from Kisii to Kilifi, without the knowledge of colonialists.

When the Government got wind of the jailbreak it desperately tried to re-arrest Mekatilili and Wanje but the duo were too smart for them.

The British troops retaliated by targeting the civilian population where they shot men and children and captured livestock as they burnt harvests stored in the granaries.

At Kaloleni, the battle intensified as known sympathisers were routed and some killed such as Fundo Wa Nyama while Ngonyo Mavua, Mkono Wa Gabwe, Ziro Wa Luganje, Tsuma Wa Iha and Baya Wwa Kadio fled to Rabai for protection.

Faced by the civil rebellion and the German troops, who were preparing to annihilate the British in the build up to the First World War of 1914, the colonial administrators tricked the locals into a bogus peace treaty.

On October 14, 1914, the British convened a meeting with representatives of the Giriama community at Jilore during which the administration dictated the terms of peace where the Giriama was supposed to pay for resisting British rule.

The Government demanded the Giriama fighters surrender their arms, pay a fine of 10,000 rupees, or 3,300 goats for opposing the British. Further the Giriama were supposed to evacuate from River Sabaki.

The colonialists further demanded the Giriama surrender their commanders who had led the resistance and all the local people were supposed to pay the hut tax.

When the Giriama rejected the terms of peace, the British retaliated by massacring 600 people, homes and granaries were burnt while Kaya Fungo, a sacred shrine was bombed and destroyed.

As the British administrators focused their mighty guns on the Giriama freedom fighters and the community, it used its propaganda machinery to portray Mekatilili as a witch and mad person.

But while addressing a meeting, Mekatilili responded: “I am not a mganga (witchdoctor) and I have no medicine. I am not afraid to speak the truth and to fight for my people. My powers come from Kaya, rooted in the spirits of our ancestors. Giriama is for Wagiriama and we shall not be moved.”

Despite the resistance, Mekatilili and Wanje were recaptured in August 4, 1914 and deported to Kismayu where they were locked up until 1919, when the First World War finally ended.

Following her arrest, a major offensive was launched on August 16, 1914 when some Giriama fighters ambushed a British convoy and killed some military officers during a battle that lasted two days.

As a result of the battle, Vitenyeni base was razed to the ground; Mt Mangoa was not spared just like the Magarini Syndicate, which was also targeted by the rag tag army.

Colonial sympathisers

As the battle raged, the fighters destroyed the Lamu Malindi Telegraph at Fundi Issa where 700 yards of wire were vandalised. Shops belonging to foreigners were also burnt as the chaos spread to Jilore where British administrators and their sympathisers were terrorised.

From Kismayu, Mekatilili would later escape and sneak back to her home but by this time the British were preoccupied with the World War and let her live in peace although she later died in 1920s of natural causes and was buried at Bungale Ulaya kwa Jele, where Mekatilili wa Menza cultural festival is held annually.