Kamba Cua: Meet the Kenyan Akamba tribe that has been living in South America for 200 years

Kamba Cua is a group among the two subtribes of the Kenyan Akamba people living in Paraguay today. The little-known tribes have called South America home for almost 200 years now. The other subtribe is the Kamba Kokue.

Their Kenyan tribesmen live today in the areas from Nairobi to Tsavo. They speak Kikamba, Swahili and English language. In the mid-18th century, some of the Akamba tribesmen migrated to various parts of the country.

The migration is said by Business Daily Africa that, it was a result of "extensive drought and lack of pasture for their cattle". Today, various groups of the Akamba can also be found on the Kenyan coast - Kwale, Mombasa going as far as Tanzania. They were originally long-distance traders. They are also good wood carvers, baskets and pottery makers.

A lady and man of the Kamba Cua tribe

How did the Kamba Cua find their way into Paraguay?

The Kamba Cua tribe found their way into Paraguay in 1820 with General Jose Gervasio Artigas when he was exiled from Uruguay. The Akamba people were known for their military prowess, they were skilled in using arrows, bows and spears that would probably make Gen. Artigas use them. 

Records show that Gen. Artigas brought with him over 400 free Akamba men, women and children. According to Argentine historian José Ignazio Telesca, by 1811, 50 percent of the population of Paraguay comprised people of African descent, whether enslaved or free.

Upon arrival, Gen. Artigas was given 100 hectares of land in Campamento Loma, a suburb of the capital city, Asuncion where the Akamba were settled. The area would later come to be known as Kamba Cua. The Kamba Cua people engaged in farming and kept dairy cattle.

In the local language, Guarani, the word  “Kamba Cua” translates to “black people’s cave.” The other group of the Akamba was named “Kamba Kokue” meaning the farm of blacks in Guarani.

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The Kamba Cua people lived and practiced their African cultures in Paraguay freely until General Higinio Morinigi came to power in 1940. His regime sought to whitewash and disfranchise the Afropopulation of Paraguay. The Kamba Cua were stripped of their land and a new policy was adopted that highly encouraged interracial marriages.

Reports on the current population of Kamba Cuas are contradicting. Some estimate that there are about 300 Kamba Cua families (between 1,200 and 2,500 people). Other reports suggest that there are only 422 Kamba people in Paraguay.

Kamba Cua dancers.

The Kamba Cua have preserved their African culture amidst all the challenges and a lengthy time of 200 years, something to applaud them for. They are using dances and some other cultural practices to sensitize the world to their plight. They are advocating for equal economic and social rights as they preserve their African identity. 

The Kamba Cua also uses the dances, one known as “candombe” to pass their history from generation to generation. They are predominantly Catholics and observe the celebration of Saint Balthasar on January 6th every year where oral traditions, culinary artistry, and drumming make the day. 

The Akamba people of Kenya.

The dances and drums that the Kamba Cua use to perform are similar to the Kenyan Akamba tribe. The dancers also wear yellow costumes. The dances resemble Ndelekeni, Mbenio, Ngulumange, and Kilumi. At the forefront of the cultural movement are the Ballet Kamba Cua dance group led by Lazaro Medina.

To conclude, there are other groups of Africans (black) all over the world. History has it that the first human beings on earth were black. For example in Australia, we have the Australian Aboriginals who are among the indigenous people of that land. They left Africa approximately 72, 000 years ago. Black history has a lot to do to set the record straight.