Mokuria: The Legendary Progenitor of Abakuria

Long ago, there lived a man called Mokuria. He was the first of his name and the fore father of the Abakuria community. Mokuria lived in a place called Misiri and had two wives who sired the two Abakuria families: Abasai – the family that came from the elder wife, and Abachuma – the family from the younger. His sons formed the major Abakuria sub-tribes such as Abanyabasi, Abatimbaru, Abanyamongo, Abakira, Abairegi, Abakenye, and the Abanchaari.  

Mokuria and his family left Misiri to find a new place to settle. They journeyed south over a number of years, then wandered on the western side of the major lake body today known as Lake Victoria. Eventually, they settled in a place between the Kenya-Tanzania border and named it Bukuria. 

Mokuria had a lot of influence among his people. He was a revered seer and medicine man, and the Abakuria abided by the laws he decreed. One of the customs he set in place was called Nyumba Ntobu, “house of women”, which allowed Abakuria women to marry but with no romantic ties. Under Nyumba Ntobu, widowed women who were either barren or yet to have children of their own married single mothers who had sons. This custom also applied to older widows who did not have any sons as well. The sons born or raised in these kinds of unions inherited the widow’s land as well as her deceased husband’s name, thus ensuring that his lineage continued.  

Circumcision is an important rite of passage for Abakuria men, and in the past it applied to women as well. This rite marks the transition from childhood to adulthood, and its practice was mandated by Mokuria himself. Circumcision was a communal event that brought the Abakuria people together to celebrate the next stage of a young adult’s life.  

Song and dance were integral parts of celebrations, and no event was complete without music. Mokuria’s love of music wove itself into his community’s culture. Two musical instruments that were played on every occasion were the zeze and the ritungu. The zeze is a stringed instrument also known by the names tzetze and dzendze, and has one or two strings made of steel wire. The ritungu on the other hand, is also called litungu and has seven strings. 

Mokuria influenced generations of Abakuria culture and he is remembered to this day for his leadership. 

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