Chieftaincy among the Kpe (Bakweri)

Culled from Edwin Ardener. Coastal Bantu of the Cameroons (The Kpe-Mboko, Duala-Limba and Tanga-Yasa Groups of the British and French Trusteeship Territories of the Cameroons). London: International African Institute, 1956.

The political unit among the Kpe is the village, which has a chief (sang'a mboa, " father of the village ") descended from the founder of the village by the most senior branch in the patrilineal line, as far as the exigencies of the succession (q.v.) permit. Other patrilineages may also be descended from the founder in junior lines, or from those who accompanied the founder (even the descendants of the latter, however, often claiming descent from the founder).

The Kpe villages vary in size, some, like Gbea (Buea), with about 1,000 Kpe being relatively large, others like Wokoka, with 15, tiny. Nevertheless, each is a political unit and although some, like the group connected with Woana, retain a sense of close relationship and some like Upper, Middle, and Lower Wonjango (Bonjongo), are divided into sections retaining a common chief, villages are never combined into larger political units. At the time of the German conquest, as has been seen, Gbea had begun to exercise a primacy over its nearest neighbours but this had not reached the stage of unifying even part of the tribe. Within the bigger villages each quarter has its own head descended in the most senior paternal line from its own founder.

The Kpe village chief never had wide powers, but was in effect the leader of the body of elders of the village, the vambaki (singular = mombaki). In a village section, the quarter head was similarly head of the elders of that section. Despite his lack of autocratic powers, however, the chief has always been granted more respect than an elder, in virtue of his position as " father of the village," a phrase which confirms his descent from the founder.

At the present time younger men have obtained a bigger say in village affairs, provided that their education or social position warrants it. It may be noted that, in villages where the Kpe are greatly outnumbered by immigrants, the Kpe chief cannot hope to exercise authority over the latter, and a system has grown up whereby the major tribal or regional groupings within the stranger population each have their own headman, who confer with the Kpe elders in cases involving immigrants and Kpe. A village like Mondoni, on the Mungo River, with only 15 Kpe in a total population of 379, retains only traces of an indigenous political structure. The Kpe themselves form a small face to face group, with a headman, representing the indigenous sang’a mboa.

Succession
In theory , succession to the Chieftaincy falls to the eldest son of the deceased, but this is not automatic, the new chief being elected by the body of the vambaki, who take into account age and personal qualities, and in practice many Chiefs are brothers or younger sons of their predecessors. The succession of the Buea chieftaincy since Kuva illustrates this.

No person with disabling infirmities is likely to be elected. Thus, it was well known that the eldest son (d. 1954) of the present Wonjongo chief would not succeed him because of this. It is clearly stated that the succession cannot pass to a maternal relative. If a chief's succession should be reduced to young boys, a regent would be elected by the elders, and, if his branch died out, a member of a collateral branch of his patrilineage would be chosen. Thus, in Wonjongo, the present chief, Lucas Mokoso*, succeeded Ngomba, who died without eligible direct succession.

Author’s Footnote
Lucas Mokoso has since died (1955), and at this time of writing his successor has not been chosen. He has eligible sons who face leaving good clerical posts if they are elected. This is a common present-day succession problem.

Comments

[pedro mondoni]

encontre esta pagina buscando por mi apellido en internet, me interesaria saber sobre el village Mondoni(porque se llama mondoni) y otros datos.
escribo en español porque vivo en Argentina.
muchas gracias.
pedro mondoni

[Paul ekonde]

I came across mr Pedro Mondoni,s comment in the spannish language on this site,since september 21-2004 asking to know why the village Mondoni,since he is called Mondoni.Permit me continue in spannish since mr Mondoni does not speak english.Mondoni es un pueblo(village)al sud-oeste de Camerun en los pies del monte Camerun en el Departamento de Fako.En esa misma pagina-web encontraras mucha materia sobre esa zona.Yo soy de esa zona pero residente en España.CHAO.

[Molua Mo Efufa Becke]

Ecameroon liwondo lamba tate, molima mowotany mo lasiole.Misoli na maija mondo monye omeoli mo metote ne meonda.
Emboa yatate mono mosowene ne jongea etangi.
Monameiso iluwa na monyengi moaeoli na lango nejoke.Mboa luni na eyole yondi longe na monyengi na eluwe na moname monyengi nate o molike.

Many other song and things about the bakweri people.I am ready to tech the small that i know to Fako America and to all our children .
Mola Molua Mo Efufa becke

[Molua Mo Efufa Becke]

That was the Cameroon national anthem in bakweri.We need to learn this in fako America and tech our children.

[kenneth aigbegbele]

I love your website,i have been trying to have something like this. please do keep in touch. regards, ken

[George Esunge Fominyen]

Does anyone have the complete script of the Cameroon national anthem in Bakweri? Will be glad to have a copy?

Cheers,