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. […]
Ramadhan Seif Kajembe (3 June 1944 – 7 August 2020)
Ramadhan Seif Kajembe was a Kenyan politician. He was a member of the Orange Democratic Movement and was elected to represent the Changamwe Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya from 1997 to 2013, first as a KANU member under whose ticket he beat Kennedy Kiliku, then in (2002) as a NARC-Kenya member, and later […]
Mahmoud Abbas “Kenya One”
Born in Old Town Mombasa in 1957, Abbas became a legendary goalkeeper on club and international level, earning him the title, Kenya 1. He hails from a family with a history of respected Maalims and footballers. His father, Maalim Ahmed Abbas Said was a well-known sheikh and the secretary General of Mombasa District Football federation […]
Ahmed Shahame Mwidani (1940–2021)
Ahmed Shahame Mwidani was a prominent Kenyan politician and the longest-serving mayor of Mombasa, holding office from 1983 to 1997. Prior to this, he was the councilor of Port Ritz Ward. He left office voluntarily in 1997 and paved way for then nominated councilor Najib Balala who went ahead to serve for only a year, […]
The Church Missionary Society
The Church Missionary Society (CMS), a British Anglican mission society founded in 1799, played a crucial role in the introduction of Christian missionary activity in Mombasa and its spread to the broader Kenyan coast. The CMS still have presence in Mombasa located between the road that leads to the Port and the other that leads […]
Mwalimu Masudi Mwahima (1 November 1949 – 25 August 2020)
Mwalimu Masudi Mwahima was a Mombasa-based Kenyan politician. He belonged to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and was elected to represent the Likoni Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya since the 2007 Kenyan parliamentary election. Mwahima began his political life in 1987 when he was elected as a councilor in Kenya’s port city of […]
Shariff Nassir Bin Taib (1932–2005)
Shariff Nassir was a prominent Kenyan politician from Mombasa who played a significant role in the country’s political landscape during President Daniel arap Moi’s regime. He is the father to the current Governor of Mombasa County, His Excellency Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir (born). Known for his loyalty to the ruling party KANU and his fiery rhetoric, […]
Leonard Mambo Mbotela (29 May 1940 – 7 February 2025)
Leonard Mambo Mbotela (29 May 1940 – 7 February 2025) In the 80s and throughout the 90s before television became a common thing in Kenyan households, radio was king, and in such a kingdom, the man with “The Voice” and maybe “The Juice” is king. As a result of his everyday animated “juice” while in […]
Msanifu Kombo, first Mayor of Mombasa City
Msanifu Kombo Msanifu Kombo was elected Mayor of Mombasa during the KANU-KADU coalition government (1962–1964). His victory coincided with KADU’s dominance in Mombasa, where local leaders like Abdillahi Nassir and Anantprasad Pandya opposed KANU’s centralization. Kombo’s rise likely aligned with Oginga Odinga’s faction of KANU (which later became Kenya People’s Union, KPU), which emphasized regional […]