22/06/2023
The Taita people, also known as the Watiaji or Watighter, are an ethnic group in Kenya's Taita-Taveta County.[2] They speak Kidawida or Kitaita, which belongs to the Bantu language family. The West-Bantu migrated to the Taita-Taveta County around 1000-1300.[3]
There is debate about whether the Taita people migrated to Kenya through Tanzania. They settled in Kenya in five groups, each occupying different areas in the present-day Taita-Taveta District. During their settlement, the Taita-speaking people interacted with other tribes such as the Taveta, Pare of Tanzania, and Maasai. However, evidence suggests that migration occurred interchangeably throughout the history of these groups, and the Taita people should be considered part of the larger population inhabiting the Kilimanjaro Corridor.
The Taita subgroup or subtribes include the Wadawida, who traditionally lived around Dawida; the Wasagalla, who lived around Saghalla; and the Wakasighau, who lived around the Kasighau massif of the Taita Hills. The Saghalla people speak Kisaghala, which is closely related to Kigiriama or Mijikenda, a language spoken by nine tribes. The Kasighau subgroup is closer to the Pare and Chagga of Tanzania but still speaks Taita.
Traditionally, the Taita tribe consisted of lineages or clans (vichuku, singular kichuku), each occupying a specific territorial area in the hills.[4] These lineages were independent political units, and before colonialism, there was no concept of a unified Taita tribe.[5]
While there were shared cultural traits among the Saghalla, Kasighau, and Dawida, such as "burials" of skulls in caves and rock shelters, there were slight variations. The Dawida only kept the skulls of elderly men above the age of seventy, whereas the Saghala kept skulls of women, children, and men. In some parts of Saghala, they also stored the skulls of members from other communities who died in their territory.
Another tradition among the Taita is the secret cult of the Wabasi. The origins of this tradition are not well-known, but it thrived among the Taita people. The Wabasi were a feared cult group in Taita and had sacred forests and meeting places. If someone joined the Wabasi cult, they could only be buried by another Abasi member.
Mwangeka, a legendary figure for the Taitas, resisted the British colonists from encroaching on the lands of the Wataita.
