Mwauzi Tumbe Story from Mkwiro village
The Vumba tribe were still located at the other end of the island, near the western tip. They were a very jealous people, and became jealous of the Shirazi tribe because of their beautiful cork and dug out tree trunk drums, which the Shirazi had made and which they could not make for themselves. They were also jealous of the magical rhythms and beats that the Shirazi made on their drums.
Because of this jealousy the Vumba decided to attack the Shirazi, aiming to take over their drums. But the Vumba were cunning people, they decided to pretend to make peace with the Shirazi first, so that they could learn the Shirazi’s methods of warfare and have an easy battle. They decided an inter-marriage would be the best way to do this, and so one of them proposed to marry Mwauzi Tumbe, a girl from the Shirazi people.
Mwauzi Tumbe married her Vumbe husband, and for awhile their was peace. Then he told her of his tribe’s plans and their intentions, and asked her to help them. She agreed to help the Vumbe, but asked to be left with her own village.
The Vumba made their plans for attack. Mwauzi Tumbe’s house was located just outside the new village of Mirari Sita. They asked her to cry war for three days, with a week interval in between, and pretend that the Vumbe were attacking.
Mwauzi Tumbe did this, and shouted “War! War!” on the first day. The villagers came down to her house ready for a battle but found no one. A week went by, before Mwauzi Tumbe shouted again “War! War!”, and the villagers came to her house ready for a battle but found no one. Another week went by, and Mwauzi Tumbe shouted “War! War!”, but this time the villagers ignored her and did not come down ready for a battle. This was the day the Vumbe attacked, and they invaded the village and took all the drums they wanted.
Mwauzi Tumbe also went with the Vumbe back to their end of the island, as she had betrayed her own people. Now the Vumbe thought, if she can betray her own people, then maybe she will also betray us. They asked her, and she answered simply “yes”.
The Vumbe decided to kill Mwauzi Tumbe, so they packed her a little food and took her out on a boat to Kisite Island where they left her. She did not have enough to survive on the island, and before long succumbed to the elements and died.
A long time later, problems started to occur on the island. There were no rains, the fishing was poor, and the health of the people suffered. The villagers from both sides of the island decided to consult a Mganga, or witch doctor as to why things were so bad. The outcome was that they had lost an important person in a disrespectful way, and so they should make amends.
Both sides of the island agreed to this, and the villages of the Kifundi/Shirazi and the Vumba set out to get the remains of Mwauzi Tumbe’s body, and bury them with honor. They took the bones to Bogoa, and buried them with utmost respect.
The problems stopped occurring, but if more arose the people would pat her grave and pray at her burial spot. Ladies from both villages cleared the grave site, and put a mark (Coral Stone) over her body. Here the villagers came to pray for rain or whatever they may need, and usually it would be granted.
All of this happened a long time ago, and the village has since moved from the area of Bogoa where the village of the six palms was, to Mkwiro. Reasons for the move relate back to epidemics which swept through the village and made them move locations for safety.
Mkwiro means ‘the stick that beats the drums’, after the Shirazi people from which the Mkwiro villagers are descended, and their beautiful drums and beats which were stolen by the Vumbe. People in Mkwiro Village aged 80-90years old can still remember the ladies clearing the grave and praying there. These days the educated people of Mkwiro adhere to a Muslim way of life, and look to God, science and technology to help solve their problems. However, there are still a small number who practise the old ways, and still go to the site of Mwauzi Tumbe’s grave to remember and pray. You too can go there and see the Coral Stone that marks her body.