Kenyan Traditional States
Note: This record deals with the two major
coastal polities (Pate island, with its successor Witu,
and Mombasa) and three major polities of the interior
(Masai, Nandi, Wanga). Other known
polities are very minor and the information is very
incomplete.
Under the British "indirect" rule the states and
chiefdoms were recognized by the British as the Native
Authorities with legal authority of local administration
(from 1912) and taxation (from 1926). In most cases the
status of Native Authority was exercised by councils of
federated rulers and chiefs (Kikuyu and Kavirondo [present
Luo]), the largest and the fourth largest ethnic groups in
Kenya, were not organized in proper states). As of 1947
there were 26 Native Authorities in present Kenya and all
of them were councils.
Pate
1203
Pate sultanate independent from Kilwa Kisiwani.
1821
Under Omani suzerainty.
1858
Former ruler founds Witu sultanate on mainland after
several abortive moves.
1870
Pate state extinguished.
Sultans (styled mfalume in Kiswahili)
1565 -
1594
Muhammad
1594 -
1602
Bwana Bakari
1602 -
1651
Abu Bakr Bwana Gogo
1651 -
1689
Bwana Mkuu
1689 -
1692
Bwana Bakari
1699 -
1739
Abu Bakr Bwana Tamu Mkuu
1739 -
1747
Ahmad
1747 -
1763
Abu Bakr Bwana Tamu Mtoto
1763 -
1773
Mwana Khadija
1773 -
1777
Bwana Mkuu
1777 -
1809
Fumo Madi ibn Abi Bakr
1809 - 1815
Ahmad ibn Shaykh
1815 - 1821
Fumo Luti "Kipunga" ibn Fumo Madi
1821
Fumo Luti ibn Ahmad
1821 - 1824
Bwana Shaykh ibn Fumo Madi (1st time)
1824 - 1826
Bwana Waziri ibn Bwana Tamu (1st time)
1826 - 1831
Bwana Shaykh ibn Fumo Madi (2nd time)
1831 - 1835
Bwana Waziri ibn Bwana Tamu (2nd time)
1835 - 1846
Fumo Bakari ibn Shaykh
1846 - 1857
Ahmad ibn Fumo Bakari
1857 - 1870
Ahmad Simba Balla ibn Fumo Luti
Witu
-
- 27 May 1885 - 1 Jul
1890
|
1858
Former ruler of Pate founds Witu sultanate on mainland
after several abortive moves.
8 Apr
1885
25 sq. mile area purchased from the Sultan by German
Denhardt
brothers.
27 May 1885 - 1 Jul 1890 German
protectorate declared (Wituland).
18 Jun
1890
British protectorate declared (see under Mombasa).
Sultans (styled mfalume in Kiswahili)
1858 -
1888
Ahmad ibn Fumo Bakari
1888 -
1890
Fumo Bakari ibn Ahmad
1890 -
1891
Bwana Shaykh ibn Ahmad
1891 -
1893
Fumo `Umar ibn Ahmad (1st time)
1893 - 7 Jul 1895
Vacant
7 Jul 1895 - ....
Fumo `Umar ibn Ahmad (2nd time)
German Residents
8 Apr 1885 - 1 Jul 1890 Gustav
Denhardt
(b. 1856 - d. 1917)
+ Clemens Andreas
Denhardt
(b. 1852 - d. 1928)
Mombasa
-
- 31 Jul 1893 - 22 Jul 1920
|
1502
Mvita (Kiswahili) or Manbasa (Arabic) sultanate
independent from Kilwa Kisiwani.
1585 - 16 Mar 1588
Under Ottoman Empire suzerainty.
11 Apr
1593
Portuguese Fortaleza de Jesus de Mombaça founded.
16 Aug 1631 - 1632
Swahili occupation.
5 Aug 1632
Portuguese occupation.
5 Aug 1632 - 13 Dec
1698 Portuguese colony (subordinated to Goa).
13 Dec
1698
Under Omani
sovereignty.
12 Mar 1728 - 26 Nov 1729
Portuguese rule restored.
26 Nov
1729
Under Omani sovereignty.
1746
Independent (disputed by Oman).
8 Feb 1824 - 25 Jul 1826
British provisional protectorate declared.
25 Jul
1826
Omani rule restored.
24 Jun
1837
Annexed by Zanzibar.
24 May
1887
Administration relinquished to the British East Africa
Association (see under Kenya).
1 Jul
1895
Kenya protectorate (i.e., the coastal strip nominally
under
Zanzibari sovereignty).
12 Dec
1963
Incorporated into independent Kenya.
Sultans of Mombasa
1593 - 1609
Muhammad
1609 - 1614
Hasan
1626 - 5 Aug 1632
Yusuf
Captains-major
1593 -
1596
Mateus Mendes de Vasconcellos
1596 -
1598
António Godinho de Andrade
1598 - 1606
Rui Soares de Melo
1606 - 1609
Gaspar Pereira
1609 - 1610
Pedro Gomes de Abreu
1610 -
1614
Manuel de Melo Pereira
1614 -
1620
Simão de Melo Pereira
1620 -
1625
Francisco de Sousa Pereira
1625 -
1629
Marçal de Macedo
1629 - 13 Aug
1631
Pedro Leitao de Gamboa
(d. 1631)
13 Aug 1631 - May? 1632 Yusuf bin Hasan -Sultan
(d. 1638?)
(Jeromino Chingulia)
1632 - 1635
Pedro Rodriuges Botelho
1635 -
1639
Francisco de Seixas Cabreira
(1st time)
1639 - 1642
Martim Afonso Manuel
1643 -
1646
Manuel de Sousa Coutinho
1646 - 1648
Diogo de Barros da Silva
1648 -
1651
António da Silva de Meneses
1651 -
1653
Francisco de Seixas Cabreira
(2nd time)
1653 -
1658
....
1658 -
1663
José Botelho da Silva
1663 -
1667
Manuel de Campos
1667 -
1670
João Santos? Cota
1671 -
1673
João Homem da Costa
1673 -
1676
Manuel de Campos Mergulhão
1676 -
1679
Francisco Morais de Faria
1679 -
168.
Manuel Teixeira Franco
168. - 1682
Pedro Taveira Henriques
1682 - 1686
Leandro da
Costa
1686 - 1688
João Antunes Portugal
1688 - 1693
Duarte Figueiredo de Melo
1693 -
1694
Pascoal de Abreu Sarmento
1694 -
1696
João Rodrigues Leão
1696 -
1697
Antonio Mogo de Melo
1697 - Jan
1698
Dau, príncipe de Faza
Dec 1697 - Jan 1698 José
Pereira de Brito
(did not
take office)
1698 - 13 Dec
1698
Leandro Barbosa Souto-maior
(d. 1698)
Rulers/Governors (Wali [Liwali
in Kiswahili])
13 Dec 1698 - Dec 1698 Imam
Sa`if ibn Sultan
Dec 1698 -
1728
Nasr ibn Abdallah al-Mazru`i
1728 - 12 Mar
1728
Shaykh Rumba
Captain-major
12 Mar 1728 - 26 Nov 1729 Álvaro
Caetano de Castro e Melo
Rulers/Governors (Wali [Liwali
in Kiswahili])
26 Nov 1729 - 1734
Muhammad ibn
Said al-Ma'amri
1735 -
1739
Salih ibn Uthman al-Hadermi
1739 -
1745
Muhammad ibn Uthman al-Mazru`i
1746
`Ali ibn Uthman al-Mazru`i
Sultans
1746 -
1755
`Ali ibn Uthman al-Mazru`i
1755 -
1773
Masud ibn Naisr al-Mazru`i
1773 -
1782
Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Mazru`i
1782 -
1811
Ahmad ibn Muhammad
al-Mazru`i (b. 17.. - d.
1814)
1812 -
1823
`Abd Allah ibn Ahmad al-Mazru`i (d.
1823)
1823 -
1826
Sulayman ibn `Ali al-Mazru`i
1826 - Mar
1835
Salim ibn Ahmad
al-Mazru`i
(d. 1835)
Mar 1835 -
1836
Nasur ibn Ahmad al-Mazru`i
1836 -
1837
Rashid ibn Salim
al-Mazru`i (d.
1839)
1837 - 24 Jun
1837
Khamis ibn Rashid
al-Mazru`i (d.
af.1861)
Rulers/Governors (Wali [Liwali in
Kiswahili])
1837 -
1860
Abdallah ibn Hamish al-Mazru`i
1860 -
1873
Mubarrak ibn Rashid al-Mazru`i
1873 - 1 Jul
1895
Rashid ibn Hamish al-Mazru`i
British governors
7 Feb 1824 - 13 Feb 1824 William Fitz
William Owen (b.
1774 - d. 1857)
13 Feb 1824 - 29 May 1824 John James Reitz
(b. 1801 - d. 1824)
29 May 1824 - 28 Aug 1824 George Phillips
(actin) (d.
1825)
28 Aug 1824 - 25 Jul 1826 James Barker Emery
(acting) (b. 1791 - d. 1889)
Masai
187.
Masai clans united.
1888
Included in British East Africa.
1918
Chiefdom abolished by the British authorities.
Laibons¹ (after 1904 paramount chiefs)
187. -
1890
Mbatian
(b. c.1820 - d. 1890)
1890 -
1911
Lenana
1911 -
1918
Segi
¹Both the Laibon and the Orkoiyoi
were in origin only chief ritual leaders. Later they
also became political and military leaders.
Nandi
184.
Nandi clans united.
1888
Included in British East Africa (final submission in
1905).
1922
Chiefdom abolished
by the British authorities.
Orkoiyois¹
.... - ....
Kipsegun
.... - ....
arap Kipsegun (to ....)
+ Kopokoii
.... - ....
Torokut
1885 - c.1890
Kimnyole
(d. c.1890)
c.1890 - 19 Oct 1905
Koitalel arap Samoei
(b. 1860 - d. 1905)
1905 - 1919
Kipeles (or Tamasun)
1919 - 1922
Barsirian arap Manyei
(b. 1882 - d. 19..)
¹Both the Laibon and the Orkoiyoi
were in origin only chief ritual leaders. Later they
also became political and military leaders.
Wanga
15..
Kingdom of Wanga founded.
1888
Included in British East Africa.
Kings (title Nabongo)
.... - ....
Chitechi II
.... - ....
Osundwa
.... - ....
Wamukoya
c.1850 - c.1882
Shiundu
(d. c.1882)
1888 - 1949
Mumia I
(b. c.1850 - d.
1949)
1949 - 1971
Shitawa
(d. 1971)
1974
-
Peter Mumia
II
(b. 1952)
© Ben Cahoon
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