Stateless Waata tribe demand for recognition

Kilifi Senator, Stewart Madzayo shakes hands with Kaya Fungu elder, Edward Kazungu during Coast region leaders meeting. June 22, 2024. [Omondi Onyango, Standard]

Senate Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo led elders and professionals from the stateless Waata tribe to call for recognition of the community as the country's newest tribe.

The Waata, former hunter-gatherer group found in Kilifi, Taita Taveta, Kwale, Mombasa, Tana River and Lamu who are believed to have immigrated from Yemen through Ethiopia.

Yesterday, Madzayo said he will table a motion in the Senate to demand that the Waata tribe get their tribe code to enable them to secure IDs, jobs and employment opportunities.

He said the Waata tribe and most residents of Magarini were living as squatters on the swathes of land whose ownership is claimed by the  Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC).

Speaking during the burial of Waata elder Emmanuel Kiribai, 98, at Marafa ward, Magarini said it was a shame that even Senate Speaker Amason Kingi was affected by the land dispute. 

“I will take it upon myself to ensure that I table a statement in the Senate so that the Waata community can get their tribe code and also ensure that the residents of Magarini, including our Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, get title deeds,” he said.

Kiribai had four wives, 31 children, 105 grandchildren and 62 great-grandchildren and was a community defender, especially on matters of land that ADC had laid claim on, at Chamari, Adu, Kamale, Kasikini, and Bungale, and was a founding member of the Kasikini Community Conservancy and started the Waata Cultural Centre Kasikini.

According to the Waata community council of elders’ chairman Jacob Kokani, of 35,000 members, their population is estimated to be 35,000 members.

“It is very painful that we are still not recognised as a tribe. We demand that we be gazetted as an independent tribe. At the moment, we only have a census code,” he said.

Despite numerous challenges and near assimilation into larger communities, the Waata have managed to preserve their cultural and traditional practices, including a distinct language.

Mr Philip Wario, the Kilifi County Chief Officer for Livestock Development, who hails from the community, said that the lack of a code had disadvantaged the community, especially when it came to sharing national resources such as employment.

“Our elder Kiribai was instrumental in fighting for our rights, and it is disappointing that he has died without seeing the fruits of his struggles to emancipate our community,” he said.

Geoffrey Tenai, who is the Director of Minority Affairs at State House in William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration, assured the community that the land matter between them and ADC was being resolved, and they should be patient.

“On the gazettement matter, I will follow up until it is done, but on ADC, we shall move slowly because we must be very fair to all parties. Even if the president came here and gave timelines, the government process usually takes long, but I am very confident the matter will be resolved,” said Tenai.

He also promised the community that their tribe code was in progress and it would be gazetted in the near future.