A Mijikenda Warrior who fought the British one of Kenya’s brave woman (Mekatilili Wa Menza)

Mekatilili Wa Menza was born around 1860 at Present day Mutsara wa Tsatsu in Kilifi county in Present day Kenya. She was a native Mijikenda and she belong to the Giriama which is the sub-group of Mijikenda ethnic grooppressingilili was the only daughter of five siblings one of her brother Mwarandu was captured by Arab Slave masters and It is claimed Mwarandu was captured to what is now Present day Pakistan from  Kenya  and others claimed he was captured from Present day Kenya to Present day India. Mekatilili was 53 years old when British colonization began in Kenya. The British was successful establishing a number of rubber plantations in the Giriama area. Metatili Wa Menza was very brave and brilliant woman who spoke harsh and threatened British Colonialism in 1913, She held a meeting and it was organized by her and Giriama people which they planned to rebel against British Colonial government , later she was described by British as a devil who made herself a Prophetess and She was never made herself a Prophetess and she was not a devil.  

British wanted to tarnished her image but British feared her so they spread Catholicism and their other religions in Violence. It is believed Mekatilili escaped and crossed the north to Somalian border then walked her entire way back to her home. She led Giriama resistance and moved towards open revolt with resources stretched thin due to the World War I, British ceased colonization efforts in the region. According to African Researcher  Kwabena  Selikem Okatakyie’s account, Mekatilili Wa Menza was considered to have the same bravery being compared to Jamaica’s Queen Nanny  and Ghana’s Yaa Asantewaa, She led her people which is Giriama in a rebellion against British colonial administration and policies actively in 1913- 1914. Giriama are part of the Mijikenda subgroup who Inhabited the Kenyan coast, they had a sacred dwelling places known as Kaya, located in a forested areas, one of which British Colonial administration destroyed by dynaming in 1914. According to Dr. Mussah Chekai account,  The destroying of dyanaming in 1914 was known as Kaya Fungo. Mekatilili the Mijikenda Warrior witnessed her brother being captured and enslaved by Arabs followed by British oppressing her people and white supremacy Violence. Mekatili fought tirelessly but was captured by British and was exiled to Mumias. Mekatili never gave up but provoked the British and escaped from exile then return back home again.  Mekatili Wa Menza finally declared a war and was engaged in a cultural dance known as Kifudu. She was one of the first Kenyan woman to rise up against British and She took oaths and gave offerings to her Ancestors to restore their sovereignty.  The Rebellion lasted from 1913 to 1914 between British and Giriama and It is believed some Mijikenda warriors died before she died around the age 70s in 1925.