Mekatilili Wa Menza

**Mnyazi wa Menza**, dem sanso know as **Mekatilili Wa Menza** anaa **Mekatilili** (1860s-1924), na he be a Kenyan independence activist who lead de Giriama people against de colonial administration of Kenya between 1912 den 1915.

## Early life
Na dem born Mekatilili for 1860s for Mutsara wa Tsatsu for Bamba, wey dey Kilifi County now. She be de only girl for ein family wey get five kiddies. One of ein brothers, Mwarandu, dem carry am go, slave traders from Arab catch am, wey na nobody no see am again. One time for ein life, Mekatilili marry Dyeka for Lango Baya.

## Rebellion
Mekatilili dey fight because of money matter and how people dey live. She no wan make any Giriama workers go work for colonial bosses, make dem dey for Giriama land and help their own people. She dey worry say the wahala of Western influence dey rise for Kenya, and e dey scatter Giriama culture.

For 13 August 1913, de colonial big man for de area, Arthur Champion, gather people for public meeting wey he go show dem wetin e want. Mekatilili no gree make Champion run hin mata without wahala, she talk sey she no go fit work with de colonial people.

Mekatilili dey vex for wetin she see as traditional Giriama culture dey fade away. Giriama people na patrilineal community, so women no dey hold leadership positions often. But Mekatilili be widow o. For Giriama society, women get some small privilege, like to dey talk for elder front. She gather people to support her fight against colonial authorities because of the position wey she don achieve as strong believer of their traditional religion.Ifor dis, she get help from the traditional medicine man, Wanje wa Mwadori Kola. She carry plenty people follow her sekof she dey do Kifudu dance well well. Normally, the dance dey for funeral waka, but Mekatilili sabi do am anytime, anywhere, and plenty pipo dey follow am wherever she go.

Mekatilili plus Mwadori gather plenty people for Kaya Fungo wey dem take do mukushekushe oath for de women plus Fisi for de men wey promise say dem go no fit work with colonial power anyhow. De colonial people come reply dem by taking plenty Giriama land, burning their houses plus destroy Kaya Fungo. This one cause de Giriama Uprising wey dem dey call kondo ya chembe but e no work.

Mekatilili dem arrest am by kolonial big men on 17 October 1913, and dem send am go Kisii for Nyanza Province. According to wetin dem write for kolonial record, five years later, she come back come her own area wey she no go stop fight against all di kolonial wahala and rules. Mekatilili talk say na Arthur Champion dey responsible for all di kolonial policies wey dem dey force on Giriama, wey she dey talk dey spoil di traditional culture of Kenya. But some stories dey talk say Mekatilili don run from prison for Kisii and waka como 1,000 kilometers back her home for Giriama. Dem later catch her again and send her go prison for Kismayu, Somalia wey she still manage escape come back home again.

## Death, Legacy plus tribute
She die for 1924, and dem bury am for Bungale, for Malindi District, for Coast Province of de Colony plus Protectorate of Kenya. For Kenya's 1980 feminist movement, de activists sabi Mekatilili as de symbol for di movement, as she be de first recorded Kenyan woman wey join fight for social change. On August 9, 2020, Google celebrate am with Google Doodle.

## Read further

* A Modern-day photography depiction of Mekatilili wa Menza by Rich Allela.
* Elizabeth Mugi-Ndua: *Mekatilili Wa Menza : Woman Warrior* (Sasa Sema Publications, 2000) 
* Elizabeth Orchardson-Mazrui: *The adventures of Mekatilili* (East African Educational Publ., 1999) 
* "A Socio-historical Perspective of the Art and Material Culture of de Mijikenda of Kenya", PhD Thesis, School of oriental plus African Studies, University of London, London,U.K.
* 2012 Max Dashu, 2012. Mekatilili: prophetess of de 1913 Giriama revolt.
* 2020: A digital comic book by the Nairobi-based multi-disciplinary arts collective, De Nest Collective, titled "Mekatilili wa Menza: Freedom Fighter and Revolutionary."
* 2024: A well researched book about Mekatilili's life and heroism, written by Neema G.W., titled "Empress of Revolt - Mekatilili's fight for the motherland's soul"

## References


## External links

* Kenyan Heroes
* Sasa Sema Publications
* www.mekatilili.com
* www.mekatilili-wa-menza.com