MEET THE OTHER NABONGOS IN THE MUMIA KINGDOM

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         Wanga King Nabongo Shiundu MUMIA. 


CULTURE TALK COLUMN

By Musa Ekaya  (Guest Contributor) 


Nabongo Wabala, Nabongo Murono and Nabongo Musui. 

After the death of Wanga, there was a dispute between his sons over succession. Wabala, Wanga’s appointed successor quarreled with his elder brother, Murono over succession rights. Wabala was assassinated in Bukhayo, allegedly at Murono’s instigation. Murono was briefly Nabongo before Wabala’s son, Musui defeated him in battle. Following his defeat, Murono crossed Nzoia River and established a separate centre near present day Matungu around 1679-1706.

 Nabongo Netya

Nabongo Netya reigned over the Wanga Kingdom c.1760-1787. During this time there were several clans in the Wanga kingdom. They included Murono’s clan on the right bank of River Nzoia, Abamuima’s clan at Imanga (Between modern day Mumias and Butere) another at Matungu and Netya’s in Elureko (modern day Mumias). Netya attempted to bring all these centers under his control with varying degrees of success.

During the reign of Nabongo Netya, land disputes lead to conflict between the Wanga and their neighbors like the Teso, Bukusu, Jougenya. Nabongo Netya is said to have struck an accord with the Uasin Gishu trading cattle and grazing land in exchange for Maasai military assistance. The death of Netya, c.1787 ushered in a period of increased external conflicts with the Maasai.

 Nabongo Osundwa

Nabongo Osundwa made peace with the Massai and consolidated power in Mumias making it the administrative centre of Wanga while Matungu became the Nabongo’s primary residence. Following the death of Nabongo Osundwa, a succession dispute arose between Osundwa’s sons, Kweyu and Wamukoya, around 1814.

 Nabongo Wamukoya

It is claimed that Osundwa’s choice of Kweyu as a successor was actively contested by elders because they did not like him. They therefore enthroned Wamukoya in Kweyu’s absence, a decision which Kweyu rejected and seceded to Eshimuli with his followers. Here, Kweyu established another center for his new Wanga Mukulu confederacy (upper Wanga).

 Nabongo Shiundu

Nabongo Shiundu inherited leadership from his father Nabongo Wamukoya in the 1850s and these are the years in which the Arab-Swahili traders arrived in Buluyia land At the same, the situation was no better at Eshimuli where Kweyu had paved way for his son, Nabongo Sakwa to rule. Here, Nabongo Sakwa’s main enemies included the Abanyala, and Ababukusu with whom the Wanga occasionally clashed over grazing land. Earlier during the reign of Kweyu, Wanga Mukulu had been repulsed from extending her authority over Abanyala and their Abatsotso allies. Thus, Sakwa fled to seek refuge in Kabras from where he was to be bailed by the Abarama.
To be continued......... 

Comments

  1. Unknown5 October 2021 at 17:12

    Good history.Also highlight on the roles played by other clans in the stabilization of the Wanga. A Kingdom is a nation.Lets see how other clans come in ,for example Abakolwe, with their sub units.
    Which clans were naturalized into Wanga or how were they incorporated.

    ReplyDelete

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