"Everybody eventually gets forgotten" were Allidina Visram's words to His Highness Daudi Chwa, the Kabaka of Buganda. On the day Allidina was buried in 1916, shopkeepers across East Africa closed their businesses as a sign of respect to the man. Thread on Allidina Visram... Allidina Visram’s legacy is now existent to most by virtue of a prominent school named after him and a bust gracing Treasury Square in Mombasa. His greater legacy is largely forgotten. In his prime, Allidina Visram was accustomed to meeting and dining with the high and mighty.

Ibn Battuta (24th Feb. 1304 - 1368/1369), Muslim Moroccan scholar/explorer. By acclamation the greatest traveller in pre-modern history covering over 72,000 miles. Ahead of Zheng He (30,000 miles) & Marco Polo (15,000 miles). Notably, he spent a night in Mombasa in 1331. Thread. A Moroccan of Berber descent, born in Tangier to a family of Islamic legal scholars, he followed in the same path until 1324 at the age of 21 when he set off to perform the Hajj in Mecca. Behind the decision, a growing love for adventure. He would be away from home for 24 years.

At the salt evaporation ponds in Gongoni, Kilifi County. Water (mostly seawater) is directed into the ponds by the use of pumps. Natural evaporation is then left to take place and salt is subsequently harvested. The ponds also provide resting grounds for waterbirds. #BlueEconomy The salt production sector has large-scale players who have monopolized the table salt market and special salt suitable for baking. The small-scale players like the one whose ponds I've pictured focus on other markets like animal feed makers.

Ever used the word 'kibarua' or phrase 'niko kibaruani'? Well, the word 'kibarua' gained prominence on the Kenyan Coast in the 19th century to mean a system of day labour for slaves at the docks. They in turn paid their 'masters' half their daily earnings. A thread... We must first understand the slavery/utumwa set-up as it was at the Coast. Utumwa was in contrast to what was considered 'uungwana' (civilised/freeborn). Some of the qualities of uungwana were being 'cultured', 'graceful', 'fashionable'. Utumwa would later morph into 'utumishi'.

There is nothing new under the sun, a short thread of data & correspondence at the Coast during the Spanish influenza outbreak (1918-1920) that mirrors the Corona pandemic. Vanga represents Kwale, Nyika represents Kilifi. Data from Tana River & Lamu wasn't readily available then. The data above is for the period of Sept. 1918-March 1919. The outbreak globally was in waves, those that experienced a first wave (March 1918-August 1918) built up immunity & had a less severe second wave than countries that had first interaction with the flu in the second wave.

Late 1940s Kaloleni, Kilifi County. A time when the white man was passing the responsibility of running schools to educated Africans. Pictured here is Japhet B. Mumba, Principal - Kaloleni School, together with his family. His deputy at the time was Ronald Ngala. Short thread... Educated at Alliance High School and Makerere, Japhet B. Mumba was deemed ready for the Principal role. The English-style house in the background was handed to him for occupancy. The previous occupant was a CMS Missionary, Miss E. Bodger.