Whose Heritage Counts in Mombasa?
On any given day in Old Town, tourists gather around and inside Fort Jesus World Heritage Site, phone cameras lifted toward coral-stone walls that have withstood centuries of imperial contestation. Guides narrate Portuguese arrival, Omani rule, British administration and sometimes about the locals. The architecture of the Fort is presented as a monumental, globally-legible archive.
Them Mushrooms
Them Mushrooms: An artistic heritage Them Mushrooms have for years been synonymous with catchy and unforgettable beats. According to their website, they are not merely a band but rather “a cultural institituion”. This has in so many ways been cemented by their global fame with their compositions appearing in films. Jambo Bwana, their 1982 hit […]
The Mijikenda
Introduction and Identity The Mijikenda (which translates to The Nine towns/tribes) are a cluster of nine distinct but related Bantu ethnic groups inhabiting the coastal region of Kenya, from the border with Somalia in the north to Tanzania in the south. They are one of the key cultural and political pillars of the Kenyan coast. Their […]
The Pokomo People
Introduction and Identity. The Pokomo are a Bantu ethnic group native to Kenya, exclusively residing in the Tana River County along the lower and middle basins of the Tana River, Kenya’s longest river. They are a riverine people whose entire culture, economy, and social structure are intrinsically linked to the seasonal rhythms of the Tana. […]
Muhammad Said Abdulla (1918- 1991)
His Life Born in 1918 in Makunduchi, Eastern Zanzibar, Muhammad Said Abdulla is a writer often credited as the pioneer of Swahili popular literature. He was more successful in blending Eastern African lore with Western influences which he came into contact with while receiving his eduaction in a missionary school. He completed his secondary education […]
Prof Rocha Chimera
His Life The author is a Professor of Kiswahili who for a long time taught at Egerton University Njoro, before relocating to Rwanda. He was a visiting professor at Kyabongo university, Uganda and current Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Pwani University, Kilifi Kenya. Chimera holds a B.Ed. and M.A. from Kenyatta University, […]