Introduction of the Origins of The Pokomo tribe and other Bantu tribes

The Origins of the Pokomo and other  Bantu tribes

BANTU  MIGRATION IN  GENERAL
According to a study made by the University of Makerere (Elate Africa.org),

We learn that between 1000-1800 AD East Africa Experienced a wave of migrations from different parts of Africa. the Bantu from Congo, or Niger Delta Basin were the first to arrive,followed by the Luo from Bahr el Ghazel in Southern Sudan and the Ngoni from Southern Africa.

Who Were The Bantus?

major migration routes of the Bant

The word Bantu refers to a group of  people who speak a similar language with common word " NTU"

which means a Person.

The  Bantu speaking groups in East Africa include;

• Baganda,
• Banyoro
• Batoro in UGANDA
• Chagga
• Yao
• Segeju
• Zaramo in Tanzania
• Embu
• Taita
• Giryama
• Digo
• Pokomo in KENYA

There are two versions explaining about the migration of the Bantus.

The first version is that the Bantus came from West Africa around the Cameroon Highlands and The Baunchi Plateau of Nigeria,,therefore this points the Niger basin as the possible cradle land of the Bantus.

The second version says that  the Bantus came from the Katanga region in Southerneastern Congo.gradually they spread eastward north of the forest and southward to the forests edge near lower Congo or Zaire and lower Kasai. However the occupation of north western(Cameroon-Gabon) was fairly slow due to the difference in languages.While elsewhere especially in eastern and southern Africa beginning at the edge of the forest,the spread has been very fast due to relationship in languages.

The Pokomos are Bantus
According to the Mijikenda traditions  The Pokomo,Taita,Mijikenda, Segeju and other Bantu tribes originated from Shungwayas Bantu immigration .
They lived in the region between the Juba River and Shungwaya along the Somali coast together with the Galla.
However one day a Cushite  was murdered.The Mijikenda refused to pay compensation to the dead man"s kinsmen and the Cushite tribes took retribution on any Mijikenda,Pokomo,Taita, and other tribes. Unable to defend themselves they were forced to flee to the south.

The Mijikenda fled and settled at the Coast around Malindi and Mombasa meanwhile the Taita went and settled at the Taita Hills.

The Segeju  group fled to Lamu islands and nearby areas where they intermarried with the local Swahili to form the present BAJUN or TIKUU.

The Pokomo group  fled and settled to the lower part of the Tana river these are the ancestors of present day BUU Pokomo group,while others left the lower Tana and settled in the Upper part of the river Tana and are the present Pokomo group called Wantu Wa Dzuu

Bantu Migration and Settlement in East Africa