Slum Warriors

Kenya’s Nubians, once rewarded by the British for their loyalty, have no place in modern Africa.

SEVEN-NINE-YEAR-OLD ramadhan, a resident of the Kibera district of Nairobi, sets his coffee down and with a finger searches through an empty-looking pack of cigarettes. There is one left. He takes out a lighter, pauses to think, then spares the cigarette, saving it for later.
“We were settled here in 1878 by the British,” he says sternly. “We did not grab anyone’s land. They [Kenyans] tell us to go back to Sudan. Even today, they call us foreigners. My father was born here. He died here. I was born here. My son was born here and we will die and be buried here as well.”
Ramadhan is a Nubian. The Nubians are believed to be the first human civilization on earth. Rich with gold, ebony, ivory and copper, their kingdom stretched more than one 1,600km along the Nile before it was annexed by Egypt in 1520 BC. Egyptian pharaohs and kings hired the Nubian warriors to serve in their armies. So did the British in the 19th century – and therein lies a modern tragedy akin to that of the Gurkhas and Hmong.
In the 1850s, British imperialists discovered the fighting prowess of the Nubians in current-day Sudan and conscripted a group to fight in their campaign to open up East Africa. The Nubians fought alongside Winston Churchill at the famous Battle of Omdurman in 1898. In 1902, they were formed into a military unit called the King’s African Rifles, fighting for the British during World War One and World War Two. When not in battle, the Nubians were instrumental in building the Uganda Railway and in developing Kenya and what would become the city of Nairobi.
To prevent the Nubians from returning to their ancestral homeland, the British gave them over 1,600 hectares of land to settle on. The Nubians called the track of land Kibra or “Land of Forest.” For demobilized soldiers of the Kings African Rifles, Kibra was their retirement policy. This was the new Nubian homeland, their future.
“The British would give you a plot number and would say, ‘That’s your place. This is your identity,’” Ramadhan says. “But now, all I can do is say to myself, ‘Where did this land go?’”
Things changed drastically after Kenyan independence in 1964. Thousands of people moved from rural villages to Nairobi for economic and political reasons and Kibra was the place they were encouraged to settle in. In 1955 the total population of the Nubian village was 3,000. By 1980 there were some 250,000 people (mostly of Kikuyu, Luo and Luhya tribes). Nubian claims of land ownership and title deed went unrecognized. Trees disappeared. Sewage and trash turned the streams into small veins of toxic black liquid. The name Kibra was changed to Kibera. Once the majority, the Nubians became a voiceless minority.Now, living beyond the walls of Ramadhan’s home in Kibera are one million people from a dozen different tribes crammed into a 4sq km piece of land outside Nairobi. It is the largest and one of the most notorious slums in Africa. All one million are considered squatters, including Ramadhan and 60,000 other Nubians who are descendents of the original soldiers and the original inhabitants of the land.
On Kenya’s census, Nubians are thrown into the vague category of “Other Africans,” a stew of unknowns who don’t receive even the smallest piece of Kenya’s national cake. Nubian youth must go through a process called “vetting,” which forces them to prove their connection to Kenya once they turn 18. As a result, they face great challenges in obtaining National ID cards.
“Most of us have a high school education but it is worthless. Half of Nubian youth here are denied ID cards,” says 27-year-old Adam. It is a Saturday and he and a group of Nubian youth are collecting garbage in Kibera to make money. None of them can find jobs. “Without an ID card you can’t do anything in Kenya,” Adam says. “If you are from any other tribe, you get an ID in a few days, no questions asked. If you are a Nubian, you have to stand in front of a bunch of men who don’t know you or your family. They ask you for all sorts of documents that are next to impossible for us to provide, like the birth certificate of our great-grandparents.”
An ID card is essential for everything in Kenya, from securing even the lowest paying daily labor job to opening a bank account, getting a driver’s license to operating a cab. An ID is even necessary to walk in the front door of most office buildings. Employment, freedom to travel, obtaining higher education, working for the government or the military, are all elements of modern-day society that are denied the Nubians.
Abu, 30, approaches the group. Abu’s been denied an ID on several occasions and like many Nubians has given up hope. “Whatever I do, I’ll never get it,” he says. “I’ve got two children. Because I don’t have an ID, they won’t get an ID. If Kenya doesn’t want me, then Kenya won’t want them either.”This year is a crucial one for the Nubians. Kenya will hold its 10-year census. Having the Nubian community recognized with other tribes on the census would abolish a huge hurdle in their recognition as Kenyan citizens, and it would set a precedent that would bring the Nubians to more equal terms with the other tribes.
Also, in 2009, Kenya will start to issue its new, third generation National ID card. Old generation ID cards will need to be replaced. Nubians feel this will either subject them to more discrimination or, if addressed, will provide them with more opportunities.
Lastly, the Kenyan constitution is supposed to be re-evaluated in 2009. Currently small interest groups are not permitted to hold seats in parliament. Minority rights groups are trying to add a provision that designates a small number of seats in parliament to minority groups. Without being formally recognized as a unique tribe in Kenya, the Nubians would be excluded from such provisions and continue to have no political representation.
While many Nubians, especially the younger generation, feel success in any one of these would have a significant impact on their future, some like Ramadhan feel it is too late to change the course that history and modern-day Africa has set for the Nubians.
Ramadhan lights his last cigarette. The mid-day sun is at its strongest. A pigeon swoops down from a tree to perch itself underneath the corrugated metal eve above the doorway. Its wings flap and hit against the metal as it adjusts and balances itself to the cramped space.
“We are being ruled in our own homeland and there is nothing we can do about it,” Ramadhan says. “We are being squeezed into extinction.”

http://www.powerthemagazine.com/features/slum_warriors/index.html

Foreigners in Their Homeland

NAIROBI, Nov 14 (IPS) - Resistance to a government scheme to upgrade housing in Nairobi's Kibera slum is enmeshed in economics, history and identity.Apart from being university-educated, a rarity amongst his Nubi ethnic group, Adam Hussein says his story could be the story of most Nubians. "It is a story characterised by the need to survive through challenges that are never explained to you. It is a story characterised by limited interactions with state officials who always remind you it is your privilege to be served by them. It is a story characterised by assuming false identities in order to belong,"

A matter of identity

At 18, every Kenyan is expected to apply for a national identity card which they are expected to carry on them at all times; ID cards are a basic necessity in Kenya, required for such things as opening a bank account, applying for work, signing a contract or obtaining a passport. Acquiring a card should be straightforward - present a birth certificate and copies of your parents ID cards. But members of the Nubian community are routinely subjected to additional vetting of their applications, treated with suspicion of having come into Kenya from Uganda and Sudan. Nubians are often asked to bring in their grandparents' documentation as well as a statement from their local council of elders to prove they are Kenyans. Many never get ID cards at all, despite presenting these documents. And without an ID card, a passport is out of the question. Adam Hussein, of the citizenship and stateless project at the Open Society Institute in Nairobi, had to forgo excellent job opportunities over seas for this reason. Kenyan Somalis face similar problems obtaining Kenyan ID cards. But Nubians point out that they are not a border community, and while government agrees there is no rationale for such vetting, the reality facing young people applying for the cards remains difficult.Hussein is a programme officer in charge of the citizenship and stateless project at the Open Society Institute in Nairobi. He says he had long accused most of his Nubian peers of being lazy. However, after leaving university and struggling to find formal employment for ten fruitless years, he nearly joined the many Nubians in Kenya who have given up hope of productive careers because they are denied national identity cards. He has come to understand that Kenyan Nubians simply do not belong, he says. "My great-grandfather worked in the service of the British in Somalia around the First World War and later resettled in Meru, in central Kenya. His father before him worked for the Turko-Egyptian army in the Sudan. I, like my parents, was born in western Kenya, however, our citizenship - like that of all Kenyan Nubians - has always been subject to vetting," he recounts. At 18, every Kenyan is expected to apply for a national identity card which they are expected to carry on them at all times; ID cards are a basic necessity in Kenya, required for such things as opening a bank account, applying for work, signing a contract or obtaining a passport. Acquiring a card should be straightforward - present a birth certificate and copies of your parents ID cards. But members of the Nubian community are routinely subjected to additional vetting of their applications, treated with suspicion of having come into Kenya from Uganda and Sudan. Nubians are often asked to bring in their grandparents' documentation as well as a statement from their local council of elders to prove they are Kenyans. Many never get ID cards at all, despite presenting these documents. And without an ID card, a passport is out of the question. Adam Hussein, of the citizenship and stateless project at the Open Society Institute in Nairobi, had to forgo excellent job opportunities over seas for this reason. Kenyan Somalis face similar problems obtaining Kenyan ID cards. But Nubians point out that they are not a border community, and while government agrees there is no rationale for such vetting, the reality facing young people applying for the cards remains difficult.


Sheikh Ahmed Ramadhan is another young Nubi with a similar story. The imposing 30-year-old is coordinator of the Nubian Rights Forum, a human rights organisation working to promote the rights of the Nubian community in Kenya. Ramadhan contends the lack of recognition of Kenyan Nubians has persisted for too long and it is time they speak up and demand their rights. "Our youth are put through rigorous vetting procedures when seeking identification documents despite the fact that they are Kenyans. And while we struggle to be acknowledged as citizens, the land that our fore-fathers were given in the early 1900s is slowly being snatched away from us. And with that aggression, our rich history and culture is being wiped out bit by bit," he says. When the six-foot Ramadhan says his community will stand up for their rights and demand what is theirs, you believe him. "Kibera was one of the lands allocated to our fore-fathers to settle and here five to six generations of Nubians reside in tight-knit family setups, in accordance with our culture. When there is war in Kibera and people die, the others are transported elsewhere while Nubians are buried in Kibera. We have our cemetery here. Our history in this country is deeply rooted here. This is our ancestral land," Ramadhan says, his voice shaking.


What is stirring up passions is a slum upgrading project in Kibera. For some residents, the project is a source of hope on par with the great exodus of the Israelites to the land of Canaan. For the Nubian community, the project has awakened feelings of statelessness and discrimination. A collaboration between the Kenyan government and UN-HABITAT, the slum upgrading project in Kibera - Kenya’s largest slum and Africa's second largest informal settlement - is aimed at resettling the estimated one million people living in mud-walled shacks in modern high-rise apartments. The plan involves moving residents into other accommodation, and razing the vacated shacks to build new apartments in their place. Once completed, those who were forced to move during the clearance will be allocated space in the new two-bedroomed apartments, for which they'll pay rent to the government. Each apartment is expected to house two families. For the Nubian community, this project seems to have brought back memories of similar ventures which went awry in the past. Instead of being among the beneficiaries, they were pushed to the sidelines while others took advantage. "This is not the first slum-upgrading project in this country. Others have been tried in the past through the National Housing Corporation and the reality then was that the families that were supposed to benefit never got a chance to move into the modern houses," says a sceptical Yusuf Diab, secretary general of the Nubian Council of Elders. "The only successful project was that of Karanja Estate in 1962, where, upon completion, 80 percent of those who got the houses were of the Nubian community. However, subsequent projects have ended up in the hands of foreigners and not residents of Kibera." The Nubian community has resisted moving into the new apartments and instead vowed to stay put in the informal structures until government gives them adequate compensation; the community is the most well-established in Kibera, with many families renting accommodation to other residents. The Nubian community says they have never been consulted about the upgrade. Diab argues that the government and donors came into their community with a "know-it-all" approach and assumed all residents of Kibera live on less than a dollar a day and will eternally depend on handouts. "We may live in this informal structures but that does not mean we do not have finances. We as a community stick to our culture of generations living together in one house. But this does not mean we are poor. If you come into our homes we have all the facilities that affluent people have and despite being informal we have enough room to accommodate our large families," he says. He wonders how a household of up to five generations is expected to reside in one room sharing the toilet, bathroom and kitchen area with another family. "This plan would turn us into government tenants for the rest of our lives. Here in Kibera we are landlords and apart from our houses we own rooms that we rent out. How do you then expect us to sit back and allow someone to take away our source of livelihood and turn us from home-owners into tenants?" he pauses. According to Diab, the Nubian community would have preferred a plan that would ensure they end up as home-owners. Even better, he says, would be to allocate land to the community and leaving them to develop it themselves would be ideal. "Instead of the government building apartments for us, all we asked for was about 400 acres of Kibera land be allocated to the Nubian community. Then we would develop it at our own cost," he says. Hussein argues the fact that Kenyan Nubians remain effectively stateless is the reason they cannot own land and thus remain huddled in informal settlements such as Kibera as squatters on government land. "The issue here is, Nubians are considered foreigners and indeed, when proposals are forwarded about allocating several acres to the community, politicians have clearly stated that no one will be allowed to own land in Kibera, and especially not a foreigner," Hussein says. Located only five kilometres from Nairobi's central business district, Kibera is prime property. Diab argues most of the proposals and counter-proposals surrounding questions of in Kibera have arisen out of greed, with many eyeing an opportunity to pounce and grab land in that area. The entire project is expected to re-house all two million slum residents in the city over the course of nine years at a cost of 1.2 billion dollars. While it enjoys the backing of the United Nations and Prime Minister Raila Odinga - the member of parliament who represents Kibera - whether it will be carried out successfully remains in question. The project has come under fire from urban planners who say that it risks repeating the mistakes of previous schemes – where some of the low-income beneficiaries sublet their allocated flats to wealthier families and move back to slums themselves, or families share the two-roomed apartments with one or even two other families in order to be able to afford the rent. The first batch of 1,500 people to leave the slum were moved to 300 new apartments in September. They will pay approximately $10 a month in rent. Most residents of Kibera earn less than $2 per day and pundits argue they may not be able to pay rent as well as new charges for electricity and water. The slow pace of the project has also been questioned: if it continues as it has begun, it and it is feared at the current pace it will take 1,178 years to complete. The potential for further delay is high. The Nubian community is vowing not to back down, and Kibera landlords drawn from various other ethnic backgrounds have joined a legal challenge to the upgrade process through a suit filed at the Kenyan High Court.

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49268

Ethnic Nubians fight for land

Click on the link below to watch:


http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=111797&rpc=60


Thousands of Nubians living in Nairobi's Kibera slum campaign for land which they claim belongs to them, and better living conditions.
An Africa Journal report.

You can read more with Mzee Issa Abdul Faraj-vice chair-Kenyan Nubian Elders;


Nubians
TRAILER
Scattered around Kenya, especially in the slum of Kibera, lives the illegal and discriminated against community originating from Sudan, with no identity and an uncertain future.
RUNTIME: 02:29
COUNTRY: KENYA
FILMING LOCATION: KIBERA
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH, SWAHILI
SOURCE: A24MEDIA
SCRIPT
The Nubians in Kenya, otherwise thought of as ‘fifth generation foreigners’ have lived in Kenya for many years, however, they are not considered to be legal citizens. They are stateless. The Nubians are originally from Sudan; many of them have lived in Kenya for decades due to the service of Sudanese soldiers in the British army. They were a part of the Kings African Rifles (KAR) during World War I.

The Kenyan government has refused to give citizenship to the Nubians most of whom live in the Kibera slum. They were settled in Kibera by the colonial government. The case that the Kenyan government holds is that Nubians are foreigners living in Kenya who have not renounced their Sudanese citizenship and are therefore not entitled to Kenyan citizenship. In 1939 the Sudanese government did not accept requests from Nubians (who were Sudanese soldiers at that time) to be repatriated to Sudan, hence leaving them with no choice but to stay in Kenya.
Their fight for survival under harsh circumstances has been of a commendable nature. They live in fear of being persecuted by other Kenyans. Many attempts have been made to move them out of Kibera, a place they dominated decades ago; however the government has failed to get rid of them.


Under chapter six of the Kenyan constitution Section 87(I), for citizenship in Kenya, it is it stated that a member of the Nubian community was eligible for automatic citizenship if they met three conditions;
They were born in Kenya
They were on 11th December 1963 citizens of the United Kingdom and colonies or British protected persons
At least one of their parents was born in Kenya

Due to the above conditions many new generations of Nubians born in Kenya have been given citizenship. Those who cannot prove that their grandparents or parents were born in Nairobi face a lot of difficulties in terms of getting citizenship and ID cards.
Another important point to be noted is that Nubians do not fall under any of the tribal communities in Kenya although they would like to be recognized as one. Currently they are referred to as the ‘others’, outsiders. They face high rates of discrimination and are forced to keep to themselves and only speak to people from other tribes if they have no choice. They want to be issued title deeds stating that the land that was given to them in Kibera by the British is Nubian land.

In the early days because Kibera’s more dominant inhabitants were the Nubians many people faced difficulties but some were comfortable with the Nubians. For instance, in 1969 after the assassination of Tom Mboya, Kibera was a haven for his ethnic group and the Nubians were hospitable to these people who had faced persecution by their fellow Kenyans from different tribes in other areas.


The Nubians do not only live in Kibera though. They are scattered around Kenya in places like Kisumu, Kisii, Mombasa, Meru as well as many other places around the country.
In 1933 a report was written stating that Nubians had a right to equity. This report was drafted by Sir Morris Carter (a British colonial administrator) and is now referred to as the Carter report. It noted that:

"We consider that the government had a clear duty to these ex-askaris either to repatriate them (which they declined to do in 1939) or to find accommodation for them. They were told that they might make their homes in Kibira and in our judgement they ought not to be moved without receiving a suitable land elsewhere and compensation for disturbance, and we believe that similar obligations exist in respect of their widows, or sons who are already householders at Kibira." (1933:171) Centre for Minority Rights Development (2004).
Retrieved from: http://www.cemiride.info/repository2/webfiles/nubian_adv.pdf

Not all of the recommendations made in the Carter report were carried out. If they had been, the situation of Nubians in Kenya may have been a lot easier today, however, the circumstances have not made life for Nubians in Kenya hospitable.
About 90% of the Nubians in Kenya are landless, and therefore live in poverty. This impacts their daily life in terms of food and health security as well as education. They also face many difficulties as they can not find employment mainly due to being stereotyped or disrespected by other communities. It is unknown whether these ‘other’ people will ever be accepted to a place they call home or whether their struggle will go on for decades to come.



SHOTLIST
01:00 VOX POP, KENYAN MALE (SWAHILI)
"When they refuse to give you ID, what will you vote with, you’re told to go and get your great great parents certificates of birth"

01:17 01:00 VOX POP, KENYAN MALE (SWAHILI)
"Asking for you grandparents certificate, it’s as good as refusing him an ID"
01:23 ITV, ISA ABDUL FARAJ, VICE CHAIRMAN, KENYA NUBIAN COUNCIL OF ELDERS (ENGLISH)
"If you can’t get your ID obviously, you can’t get a passport , if you can’t get this documentation, you can’t get the pin number"
01:31 ITV, ANGELA KHAMINWA, PROJECT CONSULTANT, OPEN SOCIETY JUSTICE INITIATIVE (ENGLISH)
"You won’t be able to go to a clinic if you don’t have your ID, you might not be able to attend university, if you can’t prove that you’re Kenyan, you can’t open a bank account in Kenya if you don’t have an identification card"
01:44 ITV, ISA ABDUL FARAJ, VICE CHAIRM
AN, KENYA NUBIAN COUNCIL OF ELDERS (ENGLISH)
"Before independence all blacks were in the same basket, they were all treated as fourth class citizens or whatever"
01:55 ITV, ANGELA KHAMINWA, PROJECT CONSULTANT, OPEN SOCIETY JUSTICE INITIATIVE (ENGLISH)
"They were not included as citizens of Kenya when people were being granted citizenship"
02:02 ITV, ISA ABDUL FARAJ, VICE CHAIRMAN, KENYA NUBIAN COUNCIL OF ELDERS (ENGLISH)
"Kibera in Kinubi means forest, tropical forest type, where the sunlight, rays of the sun cannot reach the forest"
02:12 ITV, ANGELA KHAMINWA, PROJECT CONSULTANT, OPEN SOCIETY JUSTICE INITIATIVE (ENGLISH)
"The British government allocated the land in Kibera but didn’t actually give them title deed, any kind of paper work for that"
02:22 VOX POP, TWO NUBIANS (ENGLISH)
"The nubians in those days had cattle, had their own farms, they used to get their food from the farm, they used to have houses where they would rent to people and we used to get our money from there for education and everything but after independence the Kenya government decided to break all these houses, their idea was to strangulate people economically which was perfected by the Kenya government"
02:44 ITV, KORRIR SINGOEI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CEMIRIDE, CENTRE FOR MINORITY RIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENT (ENGLISH)
"They have been displaced like over ten times to just pave way to one development or the other and that displacement has been violent, it’s been without notice, it’s been without compensation"
03:02 ITV, ANGELA KHAMINWA, PROJECT CONSULTANT, OPEN SOCIETY JUSTICE INITIATIVE (ENGLISH)
"We need to deal with this issue as a country very openly"
03:06 ITV, KORRIR SINGOEI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CEMIRIDE, CENTRE FOR MINORITY RIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENT (ENGLISH)
"What they desire is that what they currently occupy within Kibera would at the very minimum, at the very minimum be granted to them"
03:17 ITV, MAINA KIAI, FORMER CHAIRMAN OF KENYA’S NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
"You know for me in fact you address them because they are sensitive, not because they are not"
03:21 CREDITS
END

Nubi-The Language

Here is a well documented book to read,a summary;

The Nubi language of Uganda: an Arabic Creole in Africa by Inneke Hilda Werner Wellens.

The Nubi language is spoken in Uganda and Kenya. Nubi is Arabic, since about 90% of its vocabulary is of an Arabic nature. It is often termed a creole, since many of its structural and developmental features resemble those of known creoles.The growth and development of the Nubi language must be situated near Lake Albert towards the end of the nineteenth century. This period is well documented and is described at length in the first part. This volume also provides a detailed description of the Nubi language of Uganda, and it deals with the development of the language and searches for the relevant Arabic source dialects.The book includes more than one thousand examples and several texts, recorded by the author during two extensive periods of field research.

Nubian Traditional Dressing

Nubian dressing is unique especially among the women-"Gurbaba" worn beneath the dress or "Kamis Toub" is to cover the shoulders and head, same as "Fidiga" which is shorter than "Toub".

Other items of dressing are"Mendil", head scaf, "Ndala" is sandal for women and "Nila" for men.
Women also wear "Bangil, Fidua, swar,suksuk"-assessorries-Bangels etc.

The Nubian men are normally dressed in "Kanzu" but that is more like borrowing from the Swahili-Kanzu is a Swahili word that means robe, tunic, or kaftan, it is a white or cream colored robe. Note- in Kenya-kanzu is also worn by Muslims of all tribes

Here are photos of Nubian women dressed in Nubian traditional dress.

Below,some Nubian men in Kanzu,

Nubian handicrafts

The Nubians have unique handicrafts made of reeds and river palm leaves. These are intricately woven with artistic patterns that fascinate any new comers to Nubian arts and crafts. These are often done in different colours and are very attractive and popular with foreign tourists as world-class items. These include- KUTA, TABAGA, BIRISH (colourful spread mat) and LASHIRA (field mat) etc. There are Afro trays, laundry baskets, tablemats etc. They also make embroidery for household decorations, which are often, unmatched anywhere.Kenya Nubians have a unique culture, rich in all aspects, colour and aesthetics.Material art and artefacts of the Nubian People

1. Tabaga
· How the dyes are produced
· Dyeing the reeds(diss)
· Weaving the tabaga
· Hanging the diss to dry
· Jaff
· Diss being harvested along the banks of a river
· A Nubian woman carrying the diss on her head
· Different designs of tabaga
2. Ndoo
3. Bread basket
4. Rijai
5. Murkaka
6. Fundu
7. Birish
8. Misile
TABAGA
If you have had a chance to visit the Maasai market held every Tuesday of the week along the globe cinema roundabout in town. no doubt you will attest to the act that Kenya is indeed rich in material culture of all kinds from all parts of Kenya.

From the kamba woodcarvings to the world famous kisii soapstone carvings, to colourful Maasai beads the colourful feast of ornaments, implement or most curio shops in town, no doubt you have come across

Tabaga is a functional as well as a decorative handicraft. it can be used as a wall hanging , as a decoration in homes and also to put /carry dry foods in it. Traditionally, that tabaga was and is still used as a tray for putting the traditional food called gurusa and kisra.

Tabaga is woven using reeds called diss. The scientific name of this reed is called.

These reeds are commonly found along the banks of rivers, lakes and any stagnant water body.

An awl called “mukrass” is used to makes small holes through which the prepared diss is passed through the process of weaving.


The tabaga is woven in various designs known as “fendezia” in Nubian dialect.
Water based dyes are used to dye the reeds into various brilliant colours such as red yellow, green black

These dyes are produced from….

Method:
After the powder form of the dye has been bought, the dried diss is placed in a large sufurai filled with water and usually placed over the traditional three stones fire. The dye is then added and allowed to boil for a few hours after which the diss is turned so that the other side of the diss is colour too until the desired colour on the reeds is obtained.

No doubt you have also come across colourful Nubian food covers trays, coasters, and woven baskets. The Nubian’s material culture is abundant in bright colours such as intense yellow, bright red, greens and blacks.

Have you ever wondered how these baskets and trays are made? Do you know how long it takes to make a breadbasket or food cover that retails at kshs, 100/- or 800/-?

Like everything manual the Nubian basket making production involves a laborious time-consuming task. This article is a ten part series into the different types of products produced by the Nubian community, the process of weaving these baskets, mats trays and finally the marketing of these products.

Distinct to the Nubian community are several objects whose techniques and methods of production are handed down from mother, grandmother to daughter or from aunt to nieces, etc.

How have these techniques been handed down from generation to generation with only minimal changes?

Change as always is inevitable but historical records of around reveal that the trays, food covers which were excavated from wee very similar in technique to those being currently produced by the Nubian women today.

Perhaps the use of basic implements could be a vital factor in this. The following photos show some of the products that are woven by the Nubian women in the whole region of eastern Africa.

Armed with a ‘mutwa’ or a or a simpler version of a Swiss army knife usually in groups of twos or threes or even fours, the Nubian women go to the riverside or any water body to harvest the reds.



The reeds are usually pulled off from their bases and bundled together. The bundles of reeds are the carried on the head back to the homesteads.
The reeds are split and plaited and dried on the ground or on the roof

After the colours have taken nicely, they are removed from the sufuria and hanged in a corner or on a line to dry. After the reeds are dry the excess are store d for future use.



Longuu
This is the strengthening reed that is sewn in conjunction with the diss in the weaving.

Marriage In The Nubian Community

The Bride.(photos)...

One of the outstanding characteristics of the genre in the 21st century is the eradication of tradition in all events and ceremonies undertaken. In Kenya, the most admirable thing about Maasai's and Nubian's is the steadfast adherence of their cultural traditions. Marriage is one rite of life, which many girls look forward to with such eagerness and excitement. In the days of yore, being a strictly Islamic community, a girl was chosen for the boy to marry. There was absolutely no socializing among the youth, thus the intended couple never saw or met each other until their wedding night. But now, with times changing drastically, we don't let our parents choose our spouses for us. Rather, we make our own choices. When the couple have decided they want to get married, the man writes a letter to the girls parents, to ask them for their daughters hand in marriage. The man's family will appoint a negotiator, who will undertake the task of meetings between the two families and taking decisions to the girl's side. In this case the negotiator is normally from the man's paternal side. The negotiator is referred to as Aja Witt. When the girl's parents receive the letter, they then contemplate the news. They then ask the girl whether she agrees to the man's proposal. If she agrees, the parents now decide upon the bride price, referred to as SELA. Sela consists of ;·-A jora 30 meters of material from which the parents will make their clothes, e.g. a Kanzu for the girls father and a dress for the girl's mother.·-Some money of which amount is decided upon by both families.·-Simsim seeds and simsim oil,·-Maize flour, baking flour and wheat flour.·-Sugar and rice·-Cooking oil and paraffin oil,·-Tomatoes, onions and various cooking spices (or instead an amount of money to buy these items after the marriage)·-Some money to hire a special old lady who is specialized in plaiting the brides hair; She is called a Masata.·-The brides wedding outfit - A large colourful traditional Nubian garment known as a Gurbaba (normally tied at the waist in gathers, which covers her leg up to her ankle, worn with a loose dress over it and then the lady ties a long sari-like cloth around her, thus this completes the Nubian outfit) , a white loose dress to be worn with the gurbaba, a long sari- like cloth and sandals. Normally all these items are brought in twos or threes so that the girls mother can take one of every item for herself.·-A blanket, lessos, birish and any other item for the girl's grandmother. After all this is decided upon and agreements reached, the man's family sends the negotiator to state which date they want the wedding to be held. Normally, weddings are held in three days ; Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

THURSDAY This is the day that the Sela is taken over to the girls place by the man's female relatives- his sisters, cousins and sisters-in-law. Both families prepare small Nubian delicacies called Mkati Kuta-also known as Mandazi or mhamri with lots of tea to entertain their various guests.Normally the sela is done during the afternoon, anytime after the Dhuhri prayers. The selected girls from the man';s side carry the sela luggage to the man's side. An old wives tale has it that the people carrying the sela are not supposed to look behind or put the things down until they reach the girl's homestead, as that will bring bad luck to the newly-weds. There is a place spread with Nubian carpets known as Birish where all the sela is put. The girl's grandmothers and her paternal aunties will go through the sela to make sure everything has been brought. If everything is in order, the sela is then given to the bride's sisters and sisters-in-law to arrange inside the house. The girl's grandmother normally gets a blanket, Birish, gurbaba and any other gift from the intended groom. The bride's sisters and female relatives then serve the man's family with the tea and delicacies. Later, after this celebration, the girls family go back to their homestead to prepare themselves to go back to the grooms home in the evening with a special decoration dye called Henna, to decorate the groom, the groomsmen and the grooms family. This is done in the evening, after the Maghrib prayers. During this time, when the girls; relatives arrive, they are asked to identify the intended groom, among all the groomsmen who are all covered with large clothes at that time. There is much jostling, happiness and playful teasing of both families. The Henna is applied to the groom and his groomsmen by an old lady designated for that task. During this time, the traditional Nubian songs are sung to the accompaniment of the drums; Doluka.

FRIDAY Friday is the day that the exchange of vows is normally done, due to the Islamic community. Early in the morning, after Fajr prayers, she will begin to be decorated. A special old lady, who is specialized in plaiting bride's hair, will begin plaiting her hair in the traditional bridal hairstyle known as Makaraka or Ki-arus. A small fringe is left at the front of her hair, in which a decoration called Weji and a small red thread called Thiki is put. She will have been decorated the previous day with hinna and a darker dye called Peacock, on her arm and hands, plus her feet and legs. After being plaited, She will be bathed in scented water, to ensure that she goes to her husband clean and pure. After her bath, she applies scented oils all over her body. Her face will be made up with make-up, to transform a plain girl into a truly astounding princess! She will then be donned with beaded on her neck, wrists, ankles and waist. She is then dressed in the full Nubian bridal outfit. What luxurious treatment fit for a queen!!! At the end, she truly looks like a fairy tale Nubian princess!! During the morning, food is prepared at the girls; home for the prayers and duas after the Nikkah at the mosque. At one p.m, the groom, his groomsmen, the man's male relatives and all the male relatives of the girl go to the Mosque for the Dhuhri prayer, after which the exchange of vows (Nikkah) will take place. According to Islamic teachings, the bride's brother is the one to hand her over to her intended husband. If he is not present or she does not have a brother, then a cousin from her fathers side will do that task. A Sheikh or Chief Khadhi performs the Nikkah. The brides brother holds the hand of the groom while the Nikkah is being performed. Both sides witness this. The Khadhi gives a lot of advice on how to conduct themselves as a Muslim married couple. The couple is advised to take care of each other in health and sickness, in good times and bad, for better or worse, to love and cherish each other. After this ceremony is over, food is brought to the mosque, where the men eat and celebrate the cementation of the two families. After eating, the groom and his groomsmen are escorted to the brides place with decorations, drumbeats and singing while being shaded with umbrellas held by the grooms female relatives. At the brides place, spices are ground and put at the back of the brides hair,its called Sumuk. When the groom arrives at the brides homestead, they are greeted with a lot of ululations and joy. The groom uncovers the bride to ascertain that she is indeed the love of his life, his life partner. The groom then cuts 7 reeds that have been twisted on the waist beads of the bride, to signify that her girlhood is now over and she has been initiated into womanhood. She then greets the groom and his groomsmen to acknowledge them. All this while, songs ululations and drumbeats are going on. After this, duas and prayers are offered to bless the couple, their union and their future life together. The groom then declares that the girl has now become his beloved wife and decides upon which time he wants her to be brought to her new home. Normally she is escorted in the evening under the cover of darkness so as to hide her from the prying eyes of the public. In the evening, when she is ready to be taken to the grooms home, she is donned with a long black bui-bui and completely covered with a black garment. Her paternal aunties and female relatives escort her. Her mother doesnt escort her. When they reach the door of the homestead, the aunties perform a ceremony known as Matambiko. They sprinkle water at the entrance of the home to ward of any evil spirits and to bless the home. The bride is then requested to step on an egg while saying some duas. The groomsmen then carry her into the couple's bedroom where the groom is seated on a mattress, which is beautifully decorated, ready to receive his bride. The groomsmen then lift the bride and put her on her grooms legs, then lift her again 7 times. After this event, the groom then washes her feet, welcoming her to her new home. Her paternal aunties then officially hand over the bride to her new husband. They are then left alone to enjoy their wedding night and get to know each other better. Meanwhile, celebrations are still going on. Nowadays, some people prefer to have Taarab dances on Friday, and the Doluka on Saturday.

SATURDAY On Saturday morning, a special meal is cooked at the grooms place to welcome the brides family. This ceremony signifies the coming together of the two families.It is normally eaten at lunchtime. At about four o'clock, the bride's relatives take the Derira (a mixture of spices and oil) to the grooms place. At this time they are seated at the place where the traditional dance will be held. While the drums are being played, a special lady will apply the derira on the grooms head and also on his groomsmen's heads. This special lady is called Race. The wedding dance then starts. The guests wear different designs and colours of cloths to differentiate which side they represent the grooms or the brides. But in essence, they are now one big family. The dance goes on until morning.

Later, at the newlyweds home, the bride is now getting used to her new home. An old lady known as a Wuzir, is designated to help her cook and handle her domestic duties for a week. The lady will also teach her how to handle her new house and take good care of her husband. After 7 days a ceremony is held to signify that she is now ready to stand on her own in her new home. She is given a pan to mock cooking, a tool to mock cutting wood, a bucket to fetch water, a sweep to sweep the house, all to signify that she has learnt her domestic duties. Her sister-in-law supervises her to ensure she will be a good wife. Food is then cooked by the brides mother and taken to the grooms grandfather and uncles to establish a family bond. If the bride so wishes, the Wuzir can stay on for 40 days to continue helping her with the domestic duties. If the bride and groom so wish, they can now go on a honeymoon.

Kibra is our blood

"Kibra Is Our Blood": The Sudanese Military Legacy in Nairobi's Kibera Location, 1902-1968, by Timothy Parsons © 1997 Board of Trustees, Boston University

http://www.jstor.org/pss/221547

Proudly Nubian

Ugandan Sunday Vision, Sunday, 8th February, 2004
Nubian women at a cultural festival at Kibuli a few years ago
Esther Namugoji set out to discover who nubians are. She visited a nubian family and learnt about a people’s traditions, dreams and fears.
Questions about Nubians tumble out one after the other from their Ugandan countrymen who still have not quite comprehended what makes these people who they are. However, one thing you look at and ask no more questions about Nubians is the picture of their women.
The men appear ordinary, but if you want to detect a Nubian, look at the woman he is with. She drapes herself in metres and metres of fabric for daily dress, has lots of jewellery and carries handcrafted baskets and mats — everything in bright colours.
Nothing goes without loud shades of sunshine yellow, rose red and grass green. Colours that speak of vibrancy and of a certain love for life that will not give in to death or extinction without a spirited fight.
We are sitting in the living room of Nasur Abdallah, the former governor of Central Region during Idi Amin’s days. His wife shows us the things that make the Nubian woman, and we are informed that she is doing the unusual, coming to hang around the living room.
Ordinarily, women remain somewhere at the back of the house until they present excellently prepared meals and then retreat again to eat with the children — out of sight.
Matthias, the photographer, has a field day clicking away at the colourful fabric for making the long underskirt (kurbaba) that acts like kitambi or kikoy in other Ugandan cultures. He also steals shots of colourful crafts and clever hair plaiting.
We are then served a sample of lebere, a kind of flaked cassava delicacy which, when dissolved in water and sugar, tastes like lemonade. The dry flakes can be preserved in that state for even 10 years without going bad.
We learn that food in Nubian culture is a complex and rich affair.
Apart from the varieties of dishes that are possible from cassava, any other meal has to be prepared according to strict procedures. Samaga (fish) is the measuring tape from which a suitable wife can be gauged. One look at the saucepan used for cooking it can make a man reject a maiden’s meal — there should be no signs of soup slopped on the top or the sides.
Forget the gloom of the 1970s, when the late former president, Amin, let some of them terrorise Ugandans, or any other negative memories you may have about these quiet people. Nasur himself is a picture of serenity and hospitality.
Here are a deeply religious people whose ethnicity cannot be separated from their Koranic heritage. A people who hold firmly to what their mothers and fathers teach them, long enough to pass it on to their own offspring with such reverence only reserved for gods. The result is that Nubians are the only Ugandan tribe that seems to have maintained everything about their culture over many decades.
They stand out from their neighbours wherever they are; in language, food, dance and religion. But that has not shaken them into blending or shedding some of their totems easily.
To settle the question of whether all Nubians are necessarily Muslim, the answer is yes. In spite of things such as intermarriages when they have occurred, no Nubian will let a non-Muslim take his daughter’s hand in marriage.
Besides, no mother can allow a thing so abominable as a man wanting to change the basic nature of her daughter’s culture. Such a man will lose his wife if he dares try to change her.
It also follows that they are the only tribe that is open for anyone to join, as long as one changes one’s beliefs into Islam.
If you leave the faith, you lose the ethnic identity with it. Sounds very complex, but then, that is the survival thread that Nubians have clung to over the years.
The girls from an early age have their ears and nose pierced to accommodate a decorative jewel or ring. Their hair is plaited into cornrows with different variations of different names.
In their teenage, or even earlier, they have to learn to wear the traditional ankle length dress and to cover their heads. All of this has been taken from the Koranic rules that stipulate strict dress codes for women.
When it comes to marriage, they are even more peculiar. A Nubian couple does not have to go to the mosque to get married. The wedding consists of taking the bride home. Other ceremonies take place without her presence.
Originally from the area known as Nubia, in southern Egypt and northern Sudan, Nubians are believed to have been the first people on earth — definitely the first civilisation.
The word ‘Nubia’ comes from the Arabic word for gold, ‘Nab’ due to the rich gold mines that were in the region. Over the years, unfortunately, this glorious civilisation was lost to conquering foreigners. The construction of the artificial Lake Nasser and Aswan High Dam dealt the Nubians the greatest blow in the 1960s, when their land became flood-prone, driving them further and further away from home, some into Ethiopia, Somalia and elsewhere. Today Nubian communities can be found on every continent, still clinging to their basic culture.
Their first arrival in Uganda is credited to the British colonialists who used them as troops in war against the Sudan Mahdist Rebellion. Later Captain Frederick Lugard brought them with Emin Pasha to quell rebellion in Uganda, especially in Bunyoro. Between 1880 and 1887, Nubians were happily in the service of the Kabaka. For their good work, the Kabaka gave them land in Kyebando and Bwaise.
He also gave 80 beautiful women to the officers among them. The stream in Kyebando called Nsooba today was once named KorMwanga (River Mwanga) after the Kabaka who treated them well and even understood their language. Today Nubians still refer to the Bwaise-Kyebando area in their conversation as KorMwanga.
Later, they were placed in Bombo, near the military headquarters of the King’s African Rifles in Uganda. After World War II, Nubians returning from war settled in different locations in Uganda and East Africa.
There are several groups in Eldama Ravine, Kibera,near Nairobi, Tororo, Wanyange, near Jinja, Kayunga, Kitubulu, near Entebbe and parts of Tanzania. The majority settled at Bombo and these claim to be the most modern of the world’s Nubians.
Here in Uganda they have been lucky to be recognised as a citizen tribe unlike many others who are treated as foreigners in their countries of residence. Their Kenyan counterparts suffer discrimination and abuse from their neighbours and live mostly in slums.
The language of the East African Nubians is not the same as the original creole (mix) of Arabic and the local language of the Nubis of Aswa. It has evolved, as all languages do, to include a bit of Swahili and Luganda, especially among the youth.
The older Nubians insist on the original version, which sounds more Arabic than anything else. I am told that the Ringa of Yumbe District in West Nile are the closest in ethnicity to Nubians in Uganda Over the decades, Nubians had proved to be good combatants, and so it is not strange that they ended up in the service of the Kabakas, King’s African Rifles and easily found their place in Amin’s military ranks.
But after Amin’s overthrow in 1979, Nubians experienced a serious backlash of hostility from their neighbours. Since then, their livelihood has been turned to other things like farming, crafts and other businesses. They are well known for good cooking and their restaurants are doing well wherever they are.
They are also famous for the original kabalagala, a kind of small thick pancake made out of cassava flour and sweet bananas. Many imitations of kabalagala exist, but the real thing comes from the Nubians.
It is not the only thing other Ugandans have borrowed from Nubians. The multiple ear and nose piercing, the cornrows, popularly known as ‘biswayiri’ and use of henna for painting nails were learnt from Nubians.
For now, the older folk have a lot of concern about the younger generation of Nubians, who seem to be ashamed or reluctant to follow the ways of their ancestors. According to some elders, the culprits are those whose forefathers joined the Nubians voluntarily and now their descendants do not feel the real attachment to the group.
After the war that ousted Amin, many started pretending not to be Nubians. In addition, today, when some students go to school, they come back with watered down versions of their culture.
Non-Islamic schools, for instance, would not recognise the strict dress code that is required of the girls.
Meanwhile, some Nubians see the expansion of Bombo town and the military barracks as a threat to their culture and existence. In addition, globally, the Nubian community is generally feared to be on the verge of extinction.
It is these small things that bother the Nubians, although they are confident that their culture will go on being strong.
To curb the decay, a Nubian Cultural Association and Forum has been formed which is documenting oral material from old men. Stories about their history, their culture and anything that can be passed on to the younger generation are being preserved.
A dictionary of the Nubian language is also being compiled. The cultural preservation should not be difficult given their traditions that are guarded so jealously, especially the religious link. As long as Islam exists undisturbed, Nubian communities will survive.
In addition, the fact that all Nubians, no matter where they are, consider themselves brothers, coupled with a glorification of their once great civilisation can work miracles in the youth, making them love being Nubian.
My eyebrow climbs an inch when we see Nasur’s wife driving a minivan from the back of their huge house and parking it for the children to put jerry cans into it — going to fetch clean water, probably. Breaking the rules? No threat, she still holds fast to the basics and won’t let go or allow her children to. Just marching on with the times along with the strict Nubian standards.
Published on: Sunday, 8th February, 2004

THE STORY OF MAHMOUD ABSURA BAKHIT

THE STORY OF MAHMOUD ABSURA BAKHIT Mahmoud Absura Bakhit Came from Sudan. Absura had two other brothers. They were trained bythe British army to fight for them during WW1. As theywere on their way back from the war, they lost oneanother. The two brothers went and settled in Ugandaand Absura came through Kismayu and settled in Kenya.He had two wives. The first wife was called Amna andthe second one was called Fatna. Fatna was Amna’sniece. Absura and his family first went and settled ata place called Sarang’ombe. After the Nubians hadsettled in Kibra they had a chief called the ‘luwali’.The luwali had many duties to do. My grandfather and his two wives werebrewing “kuite”, something the Nubian community hadabolished. So the luwali called for a meeting to talkabout the behaviours of Absura and his two wives. Theluwali talked to Absura to stop brewing kuite, but herefused. So the luwali and the community chased himaway. Absura and his two wives went far away from theNubian people and settled in a place called Langata. He first went and settled opposite Nairobiorphanage before he was moved after the place wasallocated for a cemetery. He was given another placein the langata area by the then British governor. Hewas the first Nubian to stay on the other side ofKibra. ‘Kibra’ is a Nubian word which means forest. As my grandfather lost his brothers ontheir way he was alone here in Kenya. So he started anew family. He had ten children-three boys and sevengirls. He gave every man who married his daughter apiece of land to build a house. If that man divorcedhis daughter, he was chased and he remained with thedaughter and the children. That is how he becamefamous and had a big family. Now everywhere in Kibrayou will find his grandchildren and great, greatgrandchildren. Absura came to reunite with his brothers in his agingyears. They thought he had died during the WW1. Theywere surprised when one of there grandchildren wantedto marry a woman from Nairobi who happened to be Absura’s granddaughter. After demanding to know theclan of the girl and her family, they were shocked todeath to hear the name Absura. So one of thebrothers, Bilal, accompanied his grandchild to meetAbsura. He could not believe his eyes that he was seeing his previously believed to be dead brother.

The Kings African Rifles-The Nubian Soldiers

Unlike other migratory tribes settled in Kenya from the 15th Century onwards, The advent of the Nubians was more by default rather than by design. They were historical victims of Anglo- Egyptian imperialism, Arab slave trade, the European scramble for Africa, the first and second world wars. Nubian settlement in Kenya was reported in early 19th Century but precisely around 1897. Among the Nubians who settled at Kibera, are the group that formed the 3rd Battalion of the Kings African Rifles and the group that formed the 4th Battalion. The latter returned to Uganda and was settled there. By early 1900s, Kibera was known as a military reserve. It was surveyed in1917 and gazetted 1918, comprising of 4, 197.7 acres and situated south of Ngong Road, partially inside and partially outside the Nairobi municipal areas. During the Turkish rule of Egypt and Sudan between 1820-1881,the Nubian soldiers were the best servicemen in the field, employed in different parts of the empire, but mainly in Equatorial province, which extended from what are now Southern Sudan and the whole of what is now known as Northern Uganda up to Soroti and Batyaba. During their army service, the Nubians were thoroughly adapted to the equatorial environment. They developed intricate knowledge of the area and its people who were cut off from the Muslim north. They mingled freely with the Equatorians and developed marriage ties with them. They preserved their culture and way of life though intermarriages had a tremendous and lasting influence not only on the culture of their offspring, but also on the Nubianized Equatorian soldiers in the army. The same cultural influence is reflected on the Nubians in Southern Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and parts of Tanzania; for example, the ancient Nubians plaited their hair and danced the Doluka dance. For handicrafts, they made Kuta and birish(mats whose patterns are consistent with those made by contemporary Nubians in the diaspora). The ancient Nubians also ate Kisra and their marriage ceremonies are similar to those of today's Nubians.The following are the subtribes that were assimilated in the process of Nubianization process: Dinka, Shilluk, Nuba, Tagala, Fartit, Makari, Zande, For, Tukurur, Mundari, Baria, Fojulu, Muru, Abukaya, Mundu, Bakaa, Lotuka, Acholi, Lango Musoga, Alur, Lugwar, Madi, Kawa, Munyoro, Nyangwara, Nandi, Teso, Kuku, Jawama and Barna.Thirteen years after the collapse of the Turkish Empire and the 74 years since the Nubians were deployed in Equatorial Province, Captain Lugard employed the service of 8200 former Turkish soldiers in service of the IBEAC. This was easy because Amin Pasha, the governor of Equatorial Province in 1883 had abandoned the capital Gondokoro with a group of soldiers to return to Khartoum via Darussalam. He established a port at Butyaba where he left 10,000 men including wives and children and dependents. Salim Bey commanded this group till 1898. Captain Lugard's army was not religious in mission but to safeguard political and economic interests of the British (UK) in British East Africa which included Uganda, Kenya and Tanganyika.Captain Lugard's contingent soldiers were composed of the following; Dongolawi Nubians like Salim Bey and Fadhamulla Bey, their children, resulting in intermarriages in the Equatora and Nubianized Sudanese soldiers. It is this connection and combination rather than any factor plus acculturation and unilineal assimilation that qualifies us as their descendants.
FOGOTTEN HEROSFew of the soldiers who fought in the first and second world wars are still alive today. Though they served courageously under the British in these wars and thereafter, it is sad to note that they have been relegated to the dustbin of history. Their descendants continue to languish in abject poverty coupled with institutional discrimination from the government.Their land was systematically taken from them with no compensation at all and this has the greatest negative impact on their lives and the lives of their dependents. What remains of the initial 4, 187 acres left to them is a mere 300 acres which they are still fighting to be given titles to.

These are the names of the army officers who served with Captain Lugard in the Imperial British East Africa (IBEA) from 1892 in the 3rd Battalion of Kings African Rifles to 1919. The ranking of Officer was used till 1919, when it was changed to R.S.M. (Regimental Sergeant Major).

Officer Surur Adam - Kisumu Officer Biru- Mumias Officer Seim Makayi- Machakos Officer Marus- Kisumu. Officer Rizik- Yontei Officer Dolbeit Ibrahim- Nairobi Officer Mursal- Yontei Officer Adam Abdutaib- Nairobi Officer Fadalla Ahmed-Nairobi Officer Shafi Ahmed- Nairobi Officer Juma Rehan-Nairobi Officer Mohamed Swaleh-Yontei Officer Rafayah Ajak- Nairobi Officer Adam Alhashim- Nairobi Officer Abdisharraf Ahmed-Yontei Officer Ali Suleiman- Yontei Officer Rizgallah- Kisumu Officer Salim - Goben Officer Ramadhan- Goben Officer Farah Rgi- Yontei Officer Mohammed Ajib-Goben Officer Abdallah Zena-Nairobi Officer Babala- Kapsabet Officer Seyd Abdul Rahman-Nairobi Below are the names of the Regimental Sergeant Majors (R.S.M.) who served in the 3RD Kings African Rifles (K.A.R.)RSM Ali Nabruk(rtd) RSM Juma Bagari(rtd) RSM Suleiman Hamid(rtd) RSM Ahmed Koor(rtd) RSM Ramadhan Marjan(rtd) RSM Juma Rakuba(rtd) RSM Hassan Aljab(rtd) RSM Abdallah Sharrif(rtd) RSM Ismail Somali(rtd) RSM Sebit Bekii RSM Warsama Mire Somali(39) RSM Juma Mohammed(39) RSM Saleh Frahan(39) RSM Khamis Juma(39) RSM Mohammed Marjan(39) RSM Juma Selim Arabi(39)

Testimonies3RD BATTALLION OF THE KINGS AFRICAN RIFLES. (PTY.NO.4215)

Translated autobiography OF MZEE JUMA RAKUBA ABDALLA"I was born in Fort Jesus, Ngomeni in Mombasa in 1898. I am 80 years old now. I started learning in the Islamic Madrassa in 1903 when I was about four years old.My father Mzee Rakuba Abdalla left working as an askari, the 3RD Battalion of the Kings African Rifles (KAR) in Kismayu in 1905, after which he traveled to Entebbe, Uganda where he built a house and made it his home.On 20th January 1914, I was employed in the Armed Forces in the 3rd Battalion of the Kings African Rifles in Nairobi. My number was PTY. 4215.In August 1914, the First World War broke out between the Germans and the British. The war took a period of four years from1914 till 1918.In 1915 war broke out between the British and Germans in Vanga, Tanzania. At that time, we were removing the British Ship which had gotten stuck on Lake Victoria. The ship was named SIBIL. The war spread to Longido and Namanga where I was shot in the leg by German bullets. The war spread further to Taveta, Korogwa, Ruvuma, and Port Mela in Portugal. We were commanded to return to Nairobi, Kenya. The war then ended in 1918.I served in the following countries during the First World War: Jasin, Majita, Longodo, Nyarangombe, Korogwa, Handeni, Lindi, Banda, Masasi, Ruvuma, Kilwa, Kivinje, Kilwa Kisiwani, Kipata, Daresaalam and Port Mela.We returned to Kenya when the war ended in 1918. I toured Marsabit, Moyale, Wajir, Isiolo, Barsiloi, Longlani, Kulal, Garbatulla, Gaduduma, and Meru after which I went to Britain to attend the coronation of King George the 6th in 1937. When I returned from Britain, I retired from the army."MZEE RAKUBA ABDALLAThe following is the translated account of Juma Rakuba (or Juma Rokuba to Nubians) as he narrates a brief account of his father, Rakuba Abdallah."His tribe was Muru and he was enlisted as an askari in Sudan in the Egyptian Army. In their headquarters in Magala District, in Southern Province. In 1892, General Salim Bey and Doctor Emin Pasha spent a period of 10 years on their way to Khartoum, because of the reeds of the ocean which blocked the route from Khartoum to Magalla. The Sultan of Misri (Egypt) did not also know where Salim Bey and Emin Pasha were. At that time, Queen Victoria had sent Mr. Lugard to Imperial British East Africa to meet with the Kabaka of Uganda. Mr. Lugard passed through Egypt and the Sultan informed him about his two askaris who had disappeared for more than ten years and he told Mr. Lugard that if he found those two soldiers who had disappeared, the Egyptian government would reimburse him his expenses incurred. There the Egyptian government gave him six soldiers who knew Mr. Selim Bey very well.

After a long and tiring journey Mr. Lugard found and met Mr. Salim Bey in Kabala in Uganda where Mr. Lugard gave Selim Bey a letter from The Sultan of Egypt. Whereupon, Salim Bey gave Mr. Lugard all the remainder of his things which remained from his journeys.In Kabala, the Baganda of King Mwanga and the Wanyoro of King Kabarega started fighting. Captain Lugard then decided to side with the Bagandas in that battle using Salim Bey's askaris.When they were returning the askaris of Selim Bey to Egypt, Lugard divided the askaris of Selim Bey into two groups; one to fight with the Bunyoros and the other half to go with Selim Bey to Egypt through Mombasa. On reaching Naivasha, Selim Bey fell sick and died there. To date, where he was buried there is a lot of water i.e. Lake Naivasha.His wife and askaris were taken to Mombasa and where they boarded a ship to journey to Egypt via the Suez Canal.This narration is from my father and some of the askaris of Mr. Selim Bey and Dr. Emin Pasha of Egyptian Troops. I, Juma Rakuba was born in Mombasa, Fort Jesus in 1894.The other half of the soldiers fought under the soldiers of Kabarega under Mr. Lugard under the flag of the Imperial British East Africa.Our fathers have no land and a place to inherit, but that is the will of God. My father was a soldier of the Egyptian army and Captain Lugard.When Queen Victoria died in 1901, the Imperial British East Africa was changed to Kings African Rifles COY. No. 588 PTE. Rakuba Abdalla, Kabila (Tribe) Muru Country Sudan, D.C. Amadi.My father retired in 1905 in the 3rd K.A.R., and we went with him to Entebbe in Uganda where he passed away in 1945.

AFTER THE BATTLE OF EL-MAHDI (FROM 1859-1860)Translated account of narration by Mzee Juma Rakuba.After the end of the battle of El Mahdi, The Sudanese were living in peace and conducting their business in Khartoum and concerning themselves with various religious duties. That is the time when King Fowad (Faud) of Egypt in conjunction with the British, planted their flag in the town of Khartoum, one to represent the king of Egypt and the other to represent the British rule. The two nations then signed an agreement to rule Sudan for the next 50 years. They also put two Consuls, one from Britain and the other from Egypt. They agreed to both conscript 200 soldiers to protect their interests and rule.This issue did not go down well with the town youth (the half-castes) Derwish who then decided to form their own army to take on the combined forces of Egyptian and British soldiers. Darwish returned to the villages to oppose this colonial rule.King Fowad of Egypt and the British put two Consuls in the town of Khartoum to take care and protect their business and interests. They wrote a letter about these half castes that had gone back to the villages some of whom were armed. They asked for military assistance so that they can tackle these renegades whose numbers were about five thousand soldiers who were spread out in the southern parts of Sudan and the northern part of Uganda.These two governments were able to get military assistance in the form of askaris and equipment so as to tackle the renegades.

As a result of this, war broke out from Khartoum till Arua, in Jebel Wetu, Arwa West Nile where the chotara army were defeated and vanquished.When the war ended the remaining soldiers intermarried with the tribes of Uganda, they started trading and conducting their businesses, building houses there. That place became their home till when Captain Lugard came from Egypt passing through Uganda. He then met the soldiers who were with Selim Bey there in Kabale in Uganda".

NUBIAN LAND QUESTIONT is following is a historical perspective of a long but sustainable struggle for settlement, which has over the years proved elusive. Today the original 4,197,acres of land occupied by Nubians have shrunk to a mere 550 acres to 300 acres designated for their occupation and is too small for comfort.The British Colonial government dumped the Nubian ex-soldiers in Kenya more than a century ago in the hope that in time they would not multiply, grow old, and eventually die off altogether.However the Nubians, with the resilience of spirit unmatched through vigorous intermarriages with local tribes, replicated and multiplied over the decades, not only in Kibera, but elsewhere in the countryside, where they had settlements to currently number close to 200, 000 people. Unfortunately, the land on which they settled especially in Kibera, has progressively shrunk presenting a daunting dilemma in the equation of realistic human settlement.

Yet, they have been in Kenya for a complete century without any land equity rights.A chronological examination of the Nubian settlement over the last eight decades reveals glaring contradictions and administrative insincerity over land equity that has left subsequent generations wondering if constructive human settlements is a policy matter in Kenya.Owing to lack of comprehensive land policy, Kibera, the backbone of Nubian's contention, has in time lost its exclusivity as a Nubian settlement and though urban expansion high population mobility, and the natural process of interaction and interdependence of tribes is accepted, this cannot be done at the expense of the cultural preservation and the degradation of the environment.The litany of our search for peaceful settlement begins at around 1895 when our forefathers moved between Mombasa Makueni (Machakos), Kibera, Eldama Rvine, KIbigori etcsoldiering and guarding the Kenya Uganda railway. They camped at the thick forest of Kibera (Kibra in Nubian Language meaning forest) enroute.

Records show that Kibera land was interlinked with the Maasai land, and was classified under an original agreement with the Maasai, recognized by the British government in 1904.At the time, assurance was given by the then army (KAR) and government in recognition of their war service, The Nubian veterans were not to go back to Sudan but could permanently be settled on this land. This was eventually accomplished and the land was fully granted in1912.Between 1912 and 1917, the Nubians firmly established themselves and the whole area of Kibera was gazetted by a government Notice declaring Kiberaland as a future permanent agricultural settlement for the ex soldiers an their descendants in 19176 as an alternative of being returned to Sudan.It was agreed that their services and that of their descendants would forever be required in East Africa were entitled to full rights a s citizens of Kenya. The ex-soldiers therefore established their permanent settlements in Kiberaand pursued their agricultural activities peacefully.However, Kibera was not only the settlement for the ex-soldiers in Kenya discharged from the army. Others were given the option to settle apart from Kibera, Edema Ravine, Libido kibosh, Kisumu,Kisii, Kericho,Mumias, and Kismayu.

In 925, the Kismayu settlement was disbanded when Italians invaded part of the Somali land and the ex soldiers were relocated in Meru, and Mazeras.Although then all settlements were recognized by the government as permanent and freehold settlements of the war veterans, and their descendants today over half a century, few if any have been given and accorded land equity rightsPlease note that Kenya was a British protectorate from the year 1890 and became a colony in of the British in 1920. The land of which the Nubians have established themselves at Kieran by 1917 was officially gazetted in the year 1918with an acreage of 4,197.9.However 10 years later in 1928 there was a sudden change of policy without explanation and the army discharge documents which recorded the ex soldiers settlements at Kieran were withdrawn by the then Kenyan Government and instead permits were issued T he land has since been de gazetted and declared a settlement reserve.The se permits merely stated that the holder had full rights to live in Kibera, build a house and cultivate as previously demarcated by the Army officers.As an afterthought in 1930, the administration called the Kibera veterans to a meeting also attended by the army officers requesting them to leave Kibera and settle in Marathi, 10 miles from Nairobi. This did not however materialize and the Soldiers continued to live in Kibera.At the outbreak of the second world war, many Nubians were enlisted in the army and fought gallantly to the end of he war in 1945, when they returned with honors to continue living in KIbera.They hand been granted pensions and gratuities then or now.After the war, the government began formulating new policies seeking to develop Kibera with a view of its proximity with Nairobi. These developments disturbed the community, which drafted many memoranda to the government about it in vainIn 1933, the government appointed the Carter Land Committee to study and report upon certain land problems in the colony of Kenya. As regards Kibera land, section 601 states thatThe legal position of the occupants of Kibera appears to be that, they are tenants at will of the crown, and the tenancy is liable to termination by the Commission of lands at any time. On the other hand, we cannot agree that they have no rights in equity.We consider the government has a clear obligation to its ex askaris either to repatriate them or find accommodation for them. They were told that, they might make their homes at Kibera and our judgement then ought not be move d without receiving a suitable land elsewhere and compensation for disturbance and we consider that similar obligation exists in respects of their widows or sons who are already householders of Kibera.’’The Carter Land Commission recommendation was accepted by the government and the decisions taken by the government on commissions was incorporated into government policy on Nubian settlement. This however did not solve the problem.

In January 1946, Nubians living in Kibera were served with notices that railway construction stuff would take over all the land laying between the new line and 100ft on either side and for that purpose, they had to vacate that area and demolish their houses. By January 1948, this was fulfilled, but they were not compensated.In 1950, the Nairobi city Council cut off a chunk off Kibera land for the construction of Woodley Estate, an Exclusive European residential area. This was followed by land for the Golf Course and that on which Kenya Science Teachers College stands today.Note that since 1948, the government started taking by stages pieces of land from the original4, 197.9 acres, in most cases from individuals, concentrating on the outskirts of or boundaries of Kibera. This process eventually took a big portion of. After Woodley Estate, The Caledonian Football Club. Over the years, the under listed organizations and institutions had their portions at the expense of the disregarded Nubian occupants.1- Harlequin Rugby and Football Club2-Italian Football Game3-Impala European club area4-Langata Prison Quarry5-Nairobi European Yatch Club6-The Royal Nairobi Golf Club7-THe Ministry of Works Housing Estate8-Other areas for private European lands.This slow process took a total of 3,046 acres without compensation. The remaining 1,150 acres was also progressively reduced also without compensation.The Nubian residents of Kibera have over the years sought tirelessly the legal position of the land at Kibera, the acreage involved and why the y was being deprived of portions of land without fair compensation or relocation. Here the Carter Commission's recommendations were being ignored. On 15th July 1960, the Minister of housing had a meeting with the delegation of Sudanese Association and the Kibera settlement-working committees. The Committee wanted to know the position of the land in Kibera and the acreage involved.

On October 1960, the Committee had a statement prepared which contain the following points;The government recognized that it had a moral obligation to the residents of long standing especially those ex- askaris of the Kings African Rifles, who were issued with permits to live there by the military authorities, and it has no intention desire to move them from Kibera. The present inhabited area is however usually satisfactory for a variety of reasons it lacks proper roads water supply, drainage the best being not made of it and owing to the scarcity of land within Nairobi city, it is essential to develop residential sites within easy reach of the city and many of the existing buildings at Kibera are below unacceptable standard. The Government therefore proposes to develop Kibera on lines compatible with its position on Nairobi's boundary. The ultimate creation of five neighborhood units is envisaged each capable of accommodating 3000 people thus providing a residential area of 15000 persons. The development would however be carried out in states, and in the first instance, it is proposed to construct two neighborhood units.It is intended in the first stage of development to accommodate the present residents who are mainly Sudanese ex- soldiers of the Kings African Rifles or their descendants.

THE NUBIAN COMMUNITY IN KENYA.

The Nubians are an ethnic minority group among the diverse ethnic groups in Kenya. Estimated to be more than forty-two. The historical background of the Nubians can be traced back to the early 1800's the community's special relationship with the colonial government. Majority were enlisted in the colonial army of the British Empire and helped to open up the interior of East Africa. Hundreds served in bath the 1st and 2nd World Wars gallantly. The soldiers made up the backbone of the King's African Rifles in Kenya when it was formed in 1902. Regiments of the King's African Rifles were later relocated to both Uganda and Tanzania. Some of these soldiers had their families but many married all within the local tribes. These soldiers, with their children, later scattered all over East Africa and continued to retain an outstanding record of service for the colonial British government. The colonial government identified and allocated various areas (land) to the ex-soldiers upon the understanding that, on discharge, the army or the retiring, would peacefully settle with their wives and children permanently and continue agricultural pursuits. This was based on the consideration that the soldiers and their descendants had no any link with where they originally came from. These soldiers were stationed and later settled in the following areas: Luba, Bondo, El-Dama Ravine,Kericho, Machakos, Mombasa, Kibigori, Kibos, Kendu Bay, Migori, Isiolo and Kisii. Other settlements included Mumias, Oyugis, Bungoma, Busia, Marsabit, Kamagambo, Meru and Kibera. Note-Kibera,kenya's largest slum got its name from the nubian word kibra,meaning forest,as the area was a large forest and is the first home base for the Nubians.