Mumbi
Encyclopedia
Mũmbi is a mythological figure regarded as the mother of the Gĩkũyũ people. The word Mũmbi can be translated as "one who moulds." She was the wife of Gĩkũyũ , and ancestor to all the "Agĩkũyũ" people. The story of Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi has been recorded by various writers throughout the Gĩkũyũ history; notable among them are Jomo Kenyatta
, the first president of independent Kenya, Louis Leakey
and the prolific Gĩkũyũ writer Gakaara wa Wanjaũ
and another Gĩkũyũ writer known as Mathew Njoroge Kabetũ among many others.
God (Ngai
or Mũgai (The Divider)) created Gĩkũyũ the father of the Tribe and took him on top of Kĩrĩ-Nyaga (Mount Kenya
) and showed him all the land that he had given him: West from Mount Kenya to the Aberdares
, on to Ngong Hills
and Kilimambogo, then north to Garba Tula
. He then pointed to him a spot full of fig trees (Mũkũyũ) and he commanded him to descend and establish his homestead on the selected spot known as Mũkũrwe wa Gathanga (in present day Muranga District
). When Gĩkũyũ descended to the spot he found a beautiful wife waiting for him, Mũmbi. Together, Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi had 9 beautiful daughters: Wanjirũ, Wambũi, Wanjikũ, Wangũi aka Waithiegeni, Wangeci aka Waithĩra, Wanjeeri aka Waceera, Nyambura aka Wakĩũrũ, Wairimũ aka Gathiigia, Wangarĩ and Wamũyũ aka Warigia, which are also very popular names for Gikũyũ females today.
When the time came for the 9 eldest daughters to marry, the youngest Wamũyũ not yet being of age, Gĩkũyũ prayed to God under a holy fig tree, (Mũkũyũ, some say Mũgumo), as was his tradition, to send him sons-in-law. He offered a lamb as sacrifice and as the fire was consuming the lamb’s body, nine men appeared and walked out of the flames. Gĩkũyũ took them home and each daughter married the man who was the same height as she was, and together they gave rise to the nine of the full-nine clans to which all Gĩkũyũs belong. Wamũyũ or Warigia got a child out of wedlock. These clans are the Anjirũ, Agacikũ, Ambũi, Angũi aka Aithiegeni, Angechi aka Aithĩrandũ, Aacera, Ambura aka Aakĩũrũ aka Eethaga, Airimũ aka Agathiigia, Angarĩ aka Aithekahuno and Aicakamũyũ.
The Agĩkũyũ refer to each other as Andũ a Nyũmba ya Mũmbi or persons of the house or home of Mũmbi. Shortly before a state of emergency was declared by the imperialists in colonial Kenya on the night of October 20, 1952, the name of Mũmbi was invoked as a rallying call to unite the Agĩkũyũ in a fight for the independence of Kenya, under the banner of what came to be known as Mau Mau Uprising
. Gakaara wa Wanjaũ published the Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi creed, for which the colonial government put him in detention till 1960. Parallel to that several song books would be published under the name of Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi.
Mũmbi is also a female Gĩkũyũ name.
Jomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyattapron.] served as the first Prime Minister and President of Kenya. He is considered the founding father of the Kenyan nation....
, the first president of independent Kenya, Louis Leakey
Louis Leakey
Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey was a British archaeologist and naturalist whose work was important in establishing human evolutionary development in Africa. He also played a major role in creating organizations for future research in Africa and for protecting wildlife there...
and the prolific Gĩkũyũ writer Gakaara wa Wanjaũ
Gakaara wa Wanjau
Gakaara wa Wanjaũ was born in Nyeri District in 1921 and attended a local primary school in colonial Kenya. He never finished high school and never received tertiary education....
and another Gĩkũyũ writer known as Mathew Njoroge Kabetũ among many others.
Origin
The story of the origin of the Agĩkũyũ goes thus:God (Ngai
Ngai
Ngai is the supreme God in the religions of the Kamba, Kikuyu and Maasai nationalities of Kenya....
or Mũgai (The Divider)) created Gĩkũyũ the father of the Tribe and took him on top of Kĩrĩ-Nyaga (Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian , Nelion and Point Lenana . Mount Kenya is located in central Kenya, just south of the equator, around north-northeast of the capital Nairobi...
) and showed him all the land that he had given him: West from Mount Kenya to the Aberdares
Aberdare Range
The Aberdare Range is a 160 km long mountain range of upland, north of Kenya's capital Nairobi with an average elevation of . It is located in west central Kenya, northeast of Naivasha and Gilgil and just south of the Equator...
, on to Ngong Hills
Ngong Hills
The Ngong Hills are peaks in a ridge along the Great Rift Valley, located southwest near Nairobi, in southern Kenya. The word "Ngong" is a Maasai word meaning "knuckles"...
and Kilimambogo, then north to Garba Tula
Garba Tula
Garba Tula Garba Tula is a town in Northern Kenya. The town has an urban population of about 5,500 .In 2007 it was up-graded to a District status. Mr. Joseph Onyango became the first District Commissioner on 17th November, 2007. The district is already a fully fledged one.The town has been known...
. He then pointed to him a spot full of fig trees (Mũkũyũ) and he commanded him to descend and establish his homestead on the selected spot known as Mũkũrwe wa Gathanga (in present day Muranga District
Muranga District
Murang'a is one of the districts of Kenya's Central Province. Its capital town is also now named Murang'a but was called Fort Hall in colonial times . It is inhabited mainly by and is considered the home of the Kikuyu, the largest community in Kenya. The district has a population of 942,581...
). When Gĩkũyũ descended to the spot he found a beautiful wife waiting for him, Mũmbi. Together, Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi had 9 beautiful daughters: Wanjirũ, Wambũi, Wanjikũ, Wangũi aka Waithiegeni, Wangeci aka Waithĩra, Wanjeeri aka Waceera, Nyambura aka Wakĩũrũ, Wairimũ aka Gathiigia, Wangarĩ and Wamũyũ aka Warigia, which are also very popular names for Gikũyũ females today.
When the time came for the 9 eldest daughters to marry, the youngest Wamũyũ not yet being of age, Gĩkũyũ prayed to God under a holy fig tree, (Mũkũyũ, some say Mũgumo), as was his tradition, to send him sons-in-law. He offered a lamb as sacrifice and as the fire was consuming the lamb’s body, nine men appeared and walked out of the flames. Gĩkũyũ took them home and each daughter married the man who was the same height as she was, and together they gave rise to the nine of the full-nine clans to which all Gĩkũyũs belong. Wamũyũ or Warigia got a child out of wedlock. These clans are the Anjirũ, Agacikũ, Ambũi, Angũi aka Aithiegeni, Angechi aka Aithĩrandũ, Aacera, Ambura aka Aakĩũrũ aka Eethaga, Airimũ aka Agathiigia, Angarĩ aka Aithekahuno and Aicakamũyũ.
The Agĩkũyũ refer to each other as Andũ a Nyũmba ya Mũmbi or persons of the house or home of Mũmbi. Shortly before a state of emergency was declared by the imperialists in colonial Kenya on the night of October 20, 1952, the name of Mũmbi was invoked as a rallying call to unite the Agĩkũyũ in a fight for the independence of Kenya, under the banner of what came to be known as Mau Mau Uprising
Mau Mau Uprising
The Mau Mau Uprising was a military conflict that took place in Kenya between 1952 and 1960...
. Gakaara wa Wanjaũ published the Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi creed, for which the colonial government put him in detention till 1960. Parallel to that several song books would be published under the name of Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi.
Mũmbi is also a female Gĩkũyũ name.