Archived Articles

 
The 1990s were difficult for Lamu. First the economy, already teetering in the doldrums, was hit by a drop in tourism caused by the Gulf War. A few years later, Lamu was again hit. This time by El Niño, which saw parts of the island submerged under water for months. Both occurrences had a severe impact on Lamu’s economy as well as its community spirit. 

Concerned at the crisis facing Lamu, a few local entrepreneurs put their heads together, seeking ways to turn the situation around. 
 They came up with the idea of a festival. Once the idea was agreed on, they began to think about a theme. Initially they chose 100 years of maritime trade in the Lamu archipelago … until they realized that a centennial event occurred only every hundred years. And that was not what they had in mind. Ultimately they settled on celebrating the arts and culture of the region—and the Lamu Cultural Festival was born.


The year was 2001. Nine years on, the three-day festival is a major cultural event in the region, drawing local and international visitors. Each year the event has grown larger, involving bigger crowds, more exhibits, and larger numbers of contestants. The grass-root efforts of the festival have helped to rejuvenate the community and instil in it a sense of pride.
The festival program includes many events: dhow and donkey races, calligraphy and henna competitions, cultural dances and evening concerts of taraab music, plus craft exhibits, a staged bridal ceremony, a food bazaar, and a theatrical performance. Also, Lamu Festival showcases special exhibits, for instance the life of Mohammed Abubakar Kijuma (1855–1945), whose colourful life as a poet, mystic, carpenter, musician and scribe has been meticulously documented by scholars from Bayreuth University in Germany, where the exhibit originates. During one festival, the exhibit was contributed to the Lamu Museum for its permanent collection.


Founding members of the Festival committee include Ghalib Alwy, chairperson; Abdulswamad Basheikh, secretary and Ali Hilal, treasurer; as well as executive members Ali Bunu, Abdulrehman Mahrus, Abdulrehman Lordy and Mohamed Salim.
We salute you all.


                                                                                                                               



(1855-1945)
In Praise of Muhamadi Kijuma

Clarissa Dittemer, PhD
Translation Kevin Odhaimbo and Hadija Ernst


A museum exhibition documenting the life of the legendary local character Muhamadi Kijuma officially opened during the 2006 Lamu Cultural Festival.  Originating in Germany, the exhibit travelled to Lamu and was presented to the Lamu Museum for its permanent collection. The organizers, Professor Gudrun Miehe and Clarissa Dittemer, Swahili linguists from Bayreuth University, travelled to Lamu to open the exhibit locally.

The origins of the exhibit are tied to the friendship that developed between Muhamadi Kijuma and Ernst Damman, a German scholar researching Swahili in Lamu in the 1930s. Their relationship developed as Kijuma assisted Damman to translate old Swahili texts written in Arabic script. When Damman left to return to Germany, Kijuma, presented him with gifts including his musical instrument, a kibangala and his writing case or buweta. Later, after Ernst Damman died these articles were given to Professor Miehe along with photographs and letters written by Kijuma to Damman. The personal items became the basis of further research into Kijuma’s life which culminated in the current exhibition at Lamu Museum



Muhammad bin Abubakr bin Omar al-Bakarii (aka Muhamadi Kijuma) was one of the leading artists on Lamu Island where he was born and died (1855-1945).  He was gifted in many areas as a songwriter and poet, a scribe who wrote in Arabic script, a craftsman who designed and carved elaborate doors, and a musician who played the kibangala. Even up to the present day his work is recognized locally as well as places further a field.

Kijuma began his career by writing letters for the local community as well as works of his own. Later, he was employed as a scribe by the Sultan of Witu. During this period, Kijuma became a close associate of German colonials who were in the area trading as well as attempting to introduce Christianity in the area.  

Kijuma became a close ally of the German officials including those working with the Neukirchner Mission, which began its mission work in Lamu in 1889. They contracted Kijuma’s talents as a writer and scribe. Besides his work with the missionaries, Kijuma visited Mecca four times before the beginning of the 20th century. His experiences among people of different persuasions engaged Kijuma intellectually. In the same way, Kijuma also began reading the Bible and learning Christian teachings while attending Sunday services of the missionaries.

On the whole, the missionaries were blocked by the Lamu community from teaching Christianity in Lamu. However, they were well received by the Pokomo community, who abandoned their custom and culture to become Christians. Kijuma was among the few local people who came to visit the missionaries on Sundays. The missionaries had high hopes that one day they would convert Kijuma.

Kijuma acted as if he was interested in Christianity, and for a long time he moved between Islam and Christianity. Under these uncertain circumstances, Kijuma was baptized in 1932 but his position remained ambiguous until his death: he left a will requesting to be buried according to Moslem law.

His writings clearly show his pragmatism about religion, customs and culture and he tended to write without preference for one side or another.  For example in his 1937 piece “Utendi wa Nasara wa Arab” he compared different religions without favouring one over another. He also studied foreign cultures which helped him to understand and value his own Swahili origins.

His efforts to preserve traditional Swahili culture are evident in a poem he wrote about Moslem wedding ceremonies. His work included interviewing elders who could remember how marriages were conducted in earlier days. Besides his research work, Kijuma collected classical pieces of Swahili verse in order to preserve them, including the famous writing “Al-Inkishafi,” better known as “Utendi wa Mwana Kupona,” which he scripted in Arabic script.

Since Kijuma was an expert of Swahili literature and culture, many foreign researchers sought his services. They came to learn Kiswahili, especially the Kiamu dialect which was used in old Swahili writings.

Kiswahili has been a written language for a long time before the European colonial period. Verses were written in Swahili using Arabic script on locally made paper, with pens and ink locally produced. These old writings drew European researchers who studied the language and culture of the Swahili. University researchers like Ernst Damman, Alice Werner, William Hichens and H.E. Lambert were among Kijuma’s students.

These researchers lived in Lamu for a period working with Kijuma, but even after they returned to Europe, they continued to communicate by letter with him. Because of his European contacts, many of his writings were published in Europe between 1920 and 1960.  Publication preserved much of his writings, but unfortunately his music compositions created for performances during music competitions has been lost.

Besides being a drummer, Kijuma played a traditional instrument called kibangala, which is similar to the udi [a stringed instrument originating from the Middle East]. By the time he met the Sultan of Zanzibar at the beginning of the twentieth century, Kijuma was already a renowned musician.  When the Sultan heard Kijuma’s playing, he was invited to play for the Sultan in Zanzibar. There, Kijuma continued to enlarge his repertoire of music before returning to Lamu in 1908.

During his whole life Kijuma enjoyed teaching himself new things. He enjoyed honing his intellectual skills as well as skills using his hands, for instance playing music, drawing and wood carving. Sometimes his skills overlapped, a good example is his kibangala which demonstrates his fine craftsmanship, and when performing he demonstrated his musical ability.  Another example is his drawings which resemble the carving designs in doors.

Besides his writings, music, writing case and his work to preserve older Swahili writings, Kijuma carved traditional Swahili doors.  A fine example of his ability as a carver can be found in the traditional door of the German Post Office Museum in Lamu. Kijuma also had a woodworking shop where parts of doors, windows and dhows among other things were carved. His son, Helewa, followed in his father’s footsteps: he was also a woodcarver.  A good example of his work is the majestic doors that grace Kenya’s parliament building in Nairobi.

Kijuma was a very informed person, but the opinions of many people who knew him are that Kijuma was also a very difficult and argumentative individual. He enjoyed arguing with the others and he was unafraid of religious leaders, community leaders or senior government officials.

Kijuma was a unique character locally and he is still remembered by senior members of the community who were children when Kijuma had reached old age. In the exhibition of Muhamadi Kijuma, we have tried to show a portion of his life and work. Although he is remembered as a cantankerous fellow, Kijuma’s work helped to preserve Swahili literature and culture.

Note: There are variations of the transliteration of the subject’s name including Muhamadi or Mohammed and Kijuma or Kijumwa. This discrepancy points to the historical and cultural context of the written word.