Wabajuni | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Kenya | 91,422 [1] |
 Somalia | 7,028 [2] |
| Languages | |
| Kibajuni, Swahili, Somali | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Swahili, Benadiri and Comorians | |
The Bajuni people (Swahili : Wabajuni) are a Bantu ethnic group who live primarily in the city of Mombasa in Kenya. Many relocated from southern Somalia to Kenya due to war with the Oromo clan Orma, who drove them out from their ancestral territory. [3]
The Bajuni people group principally inhabit the Bajuni Islands in the Somali Sea. Many also traditionally reside in Kenya, mainly in Mombasa and other towns in that country's Coast Province. [4] [5]
The population's members trace their origins to diverse groups; primarily coastal Bantu peoples along the Swahili coast and Somalis from the mainland. They additionally trace their ancestry from later arrivals such as Arabs, Persians, and Somalis who have migrated there from other regions of Somalia. [4] Some also have Malay and Indonesian ancestry. [6] Bajuni clan names are of two kinds, one of Bantu origin while the others are southern Somali in origin, and one clan is even called the Garre. [7] The Katwa clan are also of Garre origin. [8]
The Bajuni follow the laws of Islam to conduct their affairs. Being Shafite Muslims, their lives revolve around the mosque and daily prayers. In the course of saying five prayers a day, they also wash at least five times. Every Muslim parent insists on giving his child the basic Islamic education. A Muslim judge, or kadhi, handles the criminal and civil disputes of the community.
When a child is born, it is held up by the father, a friend, or a teacher, who recites the traditional call of prayer into its ear. From the moment of birth, the child is instructed in the basic teachings of Islam. Men are the working breadwinners. A woman's place among the Bajuni is usually within the home. She customarily leaves the house only to visit or to go to the market. Her visiting is done late in the afternoon when the housework is finished and the children are playing. The husbands like to gather at a men's meeting place or the mosque. [9]
The Bajuni are traditionally fishermen and sailors. Some also pursue other trades such as metalwork. [5]
As a result, several Bajuni made their way into the Lamu Archipelago on their own. Bajuni traditions confirm recorded accounts from Lamu and Pate that by the sixteenth century, Lamu, Pate, Shela, and other Swahili towns were flourishing. According to a Bajuni legend, the Bajuni and Portuguese came on this stretch of the coast at the same time, in the sixteenth century, however they disagree on who arrived first. Many settled around the northern Kenya coast and offshore islands, where they discovered Lamu Archipelago residents living in cities with coral-built houses. This continued until the 1960s, allowing for a steady ebb and flow of people. [10]
The period from the 16th century to the 1960s appears to have been pretty steady. Bajuni communities extended from Mogadishu to the Tana River in the south. It is possible that there were Bajuni villages further south, but if so, they were washed away by the Orma invasion of the sixteenth century, and modern archaeology can not distinguish Bajuni from other Swahili ruins. Along the whole coastline, Bajuni culture and language were and still are relatively consistent, thanks to continual mobility of people between communities and a common way of life centered on the twin poles of fishing and cultivation. Bajuni, like all other Swahili, sailed far and wide, reaching the entire Swahili territory from Somalia to Kenya and Tanzania, and even beyond. [10]
By 1960, Somalia (then Italian Somaliland) gained its freedom from colonial governance. [11] Kenya gained its independence in December 1963. [12]
The Orma encroachments of the 16th century, like the Somali attacks of the 1960s, marked a major watershed in Bajuni fortunes: Bajuni resentment of both the Orma and the Somali is strong, and some elders speak with equal venom about the Orma and the Somali, as if the events of the sixteenth century were only yesterday. Prior to the arrival of the Orma, the Bajuni were forced to move south from Somalia to Kenya, or to the Somali offshore islands, or were slaughtered. The Orma are known as mwingi kama ntanga wa ifi (as many as grains of earth). Prior to the Orma invasion, the main Bajuni homeland and the majority of the inhabitants were in southern Somalia; after that, it relocated south to Kenya. [10]
Despite the fact that additional Swahili settlers arrived from the north and Bajuni fishermen had traditionally used the Kenyan coast as a seasonal fishing ground, Watamu was a small, minor community until the 1960s. Many Bajuni resettled in Watamu after being forced to abandon mainland settlements by criminals operating near the Somali border. [13]
Since the Somali incursions of the 1960s, most Kenyan Bajuni, except those who have gone upcountry or elsewhere along the coast – to Malindi, Mombasa, or Tanzania – have lived on the northern off shore islands, particularly Pate Island, where Bajuni settlements such as Kidhingichini thrive. The 1978 Bajuni population on the northern shore was around 15,000, with prior estimates inflated by an official decision requiring everyone living on the northern coast to register as Bajuni. [10]
Prior to the 1960s, the bulk of Bajuni lived on the mainland coast. Somali attacks led many people to migrate to the outlying islands, a migratory trend that appears to have been a characteristic of Bajuni life for several centuries. Although very few people were killed, the continuous razing of dwellings, robbery of animals, burning of crops, and general terror campaign discouraged mainland Bajuni to the point where they evacuated en masse, either to the islands or further away. Self-defense was difficult because, despite the Bajuni's developed competence with rifles for hunting, the post-independence authorities confiscated their weapons. Prior to the shifta conflicts, there were roughly a dozen villages between Mkokotoni and Kiunga, with several hundred inhabitants on average; as of 1978, just four villages exist, with a total population of 1,000. [10]
Initially, Bajuni was given positions in the nascent hotel industry in Watumu. Wage labor, on the other hand, is a source of income that many Swahili equate with slavery, and most immediately quit or were fired. Few Bajuni now work at the five major international tourist hotels in or near Watamu. As tourism grew in popularity, the Bajuni fishermen's maritime industry was put under strain. The establishment of a Marine National Park restricted fishing rights in specific locations. [13]
The Kenya National Assembly Official Record (Hansard) contains several records of land ownership and rights discussions. One official record, dated Jun 24 – Jul 30 1971 documents a discussion of traditionally Bajuni lands (Lamu, Kenya) and dissenting opinions as to ownership. In the official record of May 28 – Jul 4 1974, [14] there were questions regarding what government actually had jurisdiction over the Bajuni tribal lands.
With the downfall of the Somali government in 1991, Bajuni people experienced abandonment by both the Somalia and Kenyan governments. The Bajuni refer to this period as "The Troubles". [15] This marginalization led Chairman of the Bajuni, Mohamed Ismail Barkale to petition Africa's Intergovernmental Authority on Development for the lawful rights of the Bajuni people in December 2003. [16] Barkale was made a delegate to the 2003 Somali peace talks.
The Bajuni people collectively refer to themselves and are known as Wabajuni. They speak Kibajuni, a dialect of the Bantu Swahili language. [5] Kibajuni is only spoken by the Bajuni people and is an important indicator of their ethnicity. This is essential because the ethnicity of the Bajuni defines their social standing in the Somali patrilineal clan structure. As the Bajuni are not considered 'real' (i.e. ethnically integrated) Somalis, they are the least empowered of the Somali clans, and are often disregarded or discriminated against by many members of other Somali clans. [17]
The term homa, which means fever or high temperature, is derived directly from Arabic. However, many Bajuni use the term baridi or cold to refer to both the homa of standard Swahili and any sickness. As a result, someone suffering with baridi is sick. [13]
The Bajuni have a treasure of songs and poetry. Aside from the well-known mashairi and t'endi from the rest of the Swahili coast, there are also vave and randa, farmer songs, and kimayi, a fisherfolk song. All of these, as well as lengthy oral traditions known to the majority of the community's elder male members, typically refer to events that occurred around and before the Orma advance. Because oral recollections of events before the sixteenth century, whether official or impromptu, accord in basic outline but differ in detail, what follows is a recap of the areas of agreement. [10]
The Watamu Bajuni call themselves waungwana, meaning freeborn. Any slave ancestry has largely been forgotten, and other communities accept Bajuni claims of freeborn status. Although the Bajuni retain ties to the villages from where they relocated to Watamu, movement allows for the re-definition of ethnicity and rank. "Slaves" (wachumwa) are now considered outsiders, and local Giriama are treated and behave as a servant class. Intermarriage between Bajuni and Giriama, on the other hand, undermines the master-servant relationship. Such encounters are typically facilitated by Giriama, refers to as "intermediary Swahili," or people who seek to become Swahili through the adoption of Islam and Swahili culture. [13]
Bajuni men wear kikoy, a Swahili blanket wrapped around the waist like a shirt, and rubber thongs on their feet. [3] Bajun ladies wear discrete black veils that reveal just their eyes to the outside world. A woman would traditionally wear a ring through the center of her nose, a gold disk through one pierced nostril, and numerous earrings through the tops of her ears. These are now considered outmoded. [3]
Swahili, also known by its local name Kiswahili, is a Bantu language originally spoken by the Swahili people, who are found primarily in Tanzania, Kenya, and Mozambique. Estimates of the number of Swahili speakers, including both native and second-language speakers, vary widely. They generally range from 60 million to 150 million; with most of its native speakers residing in Tanzania.
Malindi is a town on Malindi Bay at the mouth of the Sabaki River, lying on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It is 120 kilometres northeast of Mombasa. The population of Malindi was 119,859 as of the 2019 census. It is the largest urban centre in Kilifi County.
Mijikenda are a group of nine related Bantu ethnic groups inhabiting the coast of Kenya, between the Sabaki and the Umba rivers, in an area stretching from the border with Tanzania in the south to the border near Somalia in the north. Archaeologist Chapuruka Kusimba contends that the Mijikenda formerly resided in coastal cities, but later settled in Kenya's hinterlands to avoid submission to dominant Portuguese forces that were then in control. Historically, these Mijikenda ethnic groups have been called the Nyika or Nika by outsiders. It is a derogatory term meaning "bush people."
The Coast Province was one of Kenya's eight provinces. It covered the entire country's coastline on the Indian Ocean. Its capital city was Mombasa. It was inhabited by the Mijikenda and Swahili peoples, among others. The province covered an area of 79,686.1 km2.
Lamu or Lamu Town is a small town on Lamu Island, which in turn is a part of the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya. Situated 341 kilometres (212 mi) by road northeast of Mombasa that ends at Mokowe Jetty, from where the sea channel has to be crossed to reach Lamu Island, it is the headquarter of Lamu County and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Pate (Paté) Island is located in the Indian Ocean close to the northern coast of Kenya, to which it belongs. It is the largest island in the Lamu Archipelago, which lie between the towns of Lamu and Kiunga in the former Coast Province. The island is almost completely surrounded by mangroves.
The Lamu Archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean close to the northern coast of Kenya, to which it belongs. The islands lie between the towns of Lamu and Kiunga, near the Coast Province. It is a part of Lamu District.
Watamu is a small town located approximately 105 km north of Mombasa and about 15 km south of Malindi on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It lies on a small headland, between the Blue Lagoon and Watamu Bay. Its main economic activities are tourism and fishing. The town had a population of around 30,000 in 2020 and it is part of Kilifi County.
The Giriama are one of the nine ethnic groups that make up the Mijikenda.
Kenya is a multilingual country. The two official languages of Kenya, Swahili and English, are widely spoken as lingua francas; however, including second-language speakers, Swahili is more widely spoken than English. Swahili is a Bantu language native to East Africa and English is inherited from British colonial rule.
The Garre are a prominent Somali clan that traces its lineage back to Samaale, who is believed to have originated from the Arabian Peninsula through Aqiil Abu Talib. The Garre clan is considered to be a sub-clan of the Digil-Rahanweyn clan family, which is part of the larger Rahanweyn clan. However, genealogically, they are descended from Gardheere Samaale. The Garre are also categorized as southern Hawiye as well.
Takaungu is a historic Swahili town located on the Kenyan Coast between Mombasa and Malindi, in Kilifi County.
The Pokomo people are a Bantu ethnic group of southeastern Kenya. Their population in Kenya was 112,075 in 2019. They are a distinct ethnic group with their own sub-clans/tribes. Despite their proximity, they are not of the nearby Mijikenda people. They are predominantly agriculturalists and both freshwater and ocean fishermen living along the Tana River in Tana River County. They speak the Pokomo language, which is similar to Swahili.
Lamu Island is a port, city, and island just off the shore of Kenya in the Indian Ocean approximately 150 miles from Mombasa. It is a part of the East African country of Kenya. Lamu was founded in the 12th century. Lamu is one of the longest-established and best-preserved remaining settlements of the Swahili tradition in east Africa that remains today. The island has continually been inhabited for over seven hundred years, and continues to be an important center in eastern Africa.
Kilifi County was formed in 2010 as a result of a merger of Kilifi District and Malindi District, Kenya. Its capital is Kilifi and its largest town is Malindi. Kilifi county is one of the five counties that make up the Kenyan Coast. The county had a population of 1,453,787 people following the 2019 census and covers an area of 12,245.90 km2 (4,728.17 sq mi).
The Segeju are a Bantu ethnolinguistic group mostly based in Tanzania's Tanga Region and Kenya's Kwale County. Most Segeju reside in the small coastal strip between the Tanzanian city of Tanga and the Kenyan-Tanzanian border. However, some Segeju have migrated to urban areas in other parts of Tanzania or Kenya, in hopes of better employment opportunities and quality of life. Segeju migration to urban areas often results in severance of community ties, leading to a lack of transmission of important cultural traditions and language.
Swahili architecture is a term used to designate a whole range of diverse building traditions practiced or once practiced along the eastern and southeastern coasts of Africa. Rather than simple derivatives of Islamic architecture from the Arabic world, Swahili stone architecture is a distinct local product as a result of evolving social and religious traditions, environmental changes, and urban development.
The Swahili coast is a coastal area of East Africa, bordered by the Indian Ocean and inhabited by the Swahili people. It includes Sofala ; Mombasa, Gede, Pate Island, Lamu, and Malindi ; and Dar es Salaam and Kilwa. In addition, several coastal islands are included in the Swahili coast, such as Zanzibar and Comoros.
The Sabaki languages are the Bantu languages of the Swahili Coast, named for the Sabaki River. In addition to Swahili, Sabaki languages include Ilwana (Malakote) and Pokomo on the Tana River in Kenya, Mijikenda, spoken on the Kenyan coast; Comorian, in the Comoro Islands; and Mwani, spoken in northern Mozambique. In Guthrie's geographic classification, Swahili is in Bantu zone G, whereas the other Sabaki languages are in zone E70, commonly under the name Nyika.
Ashuwei is a Bajuni sea settlement in Kenya's Lamu County.
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