At Kengeleni in the North Coast stands a significant feature that goes unnoticed.
The bell hanging from a concrete tower evokes memories of slave trade in Mombasa.
The statue is at the junction near Kongowea Market on Nyali Road just after the bridge. Residents simply know the place as Kengeleni — Kiswahili word for bell — but few know the history behind the name.
The original bell was stolen but the National Museums of Kenya replaced it and fenced the area. Although most of the land around it has been allocated to private developers, the historic bell still stands out.
Next to it on the busy Mombasa-Malindi highway opposite the Anglican Church of Kenya is the Kengeleni Church. It was built in 1886. Freed slaves are said to have built the Church whose majority attendees are their descendants. They say the church has sentimental value to them due to the history associated with its construction.
The bell symbolises the bells that were rung to warn people when Arab slave ships were spotted. There was not much slave raiding along the Kenyan Coast but it was a vital transit point for slaves who were captured further inland due to its proximity to the main market in Zanzibar.
The bell’s position made it possible for its sound to be heard far and wide around the Coast. Depending on how it was rung, it sent a number of messages, including a looming arrest in the town.
In a bid to conserve the site, the National Museums of Kenya has put up posters reminding Kenyans that the plot on which the bell stands is protected property. The conservation body has seconded its staff to the site to maintain it daily. A guide is at hand to explain the rich history behind it.
Already, several permanent earth seats have been erected to encourage more visitors to the site. However, due to the biting unemployment in Mombasa, most of the seats are usually occupied by young people who failed to secure casual jobs at the nearby Kongowea Market.
