Meet Mutisya wa Munge, the Man Whose Cultural Innovation Earns Kenya Shs 200 million

His single-handed efforts now feed millions of Kenyans, bring in more than Shs 200 million annually in foreign exchange. And the industry he started is one of the few growth industries in Kenya.

Mutisya Munge was his name. But he is fondly remembered by the people of his small town of Wamunyu simply as Munge. The town itself has a fame far much greater than it deserves, with visitors from far and wide. In fact, the fame and wealth of the town, which lies atop a hill some 120kilometres east of Nairobi, derive wholly from the work of Mutisya Munge.

It was in Wamunyu (the name, I learned, derives from the Wamunyu River overlooking the hill and which has vast reservoirs of salt), then an even tinier village that Mutisya Munge was born in the 1840s. It was also here that he returned to found one of Kenya’s most significant foreign exchange earner and tourist attractions — carvings. By the time he died in about 1927, he had bequeathed his skills to his children and relatives who in turn trained their neighbors and friends.

Today, more than a half of the townships population of more than 40,000 are wood-carvers. And all the schools in the area teach wood-carving as an important handicraft lesson. A prominent Kenya High Court judge from the area fondly remembers his primary school days, “We all had to learn carving. It was quite exciting. Even today I do carving when I am free”.

Unfortunately the story of this great son of Kenya has been buried in the miasma of history. According to folklore, however, Munge acquired his carving skills from the Makonde of Tanganyika (now Tanzania) where he went to work as a soldier during the World War 1.

Makonde Artists influence

It is said Munge settled among the Makonde after the war — a tribe that spreads from northern Mozambique to southern Tanzania and who are known for their artistic talents. After a few years however, Munge decided to return home in about 1918. Within the time he had lived among the Makonde, however, he had learned a lot about carvings. He was anxious to introduce the skill to his people of Wamunyu. It was not easy for Munge to sell the cultural innovation to his people, the Akamba of South Eastern Kenya. Many thought carving was an absurd activity fit only for idlers.

Discouraged, Munge constructed a raised structure from which he carried on carvings without the interference of the villagers. After carving, he would load his carvings in a bag and take them off to Nairobi where Europeans “who appreciated beauty” would buy them. From the Europeans, he would also get further orders.

Akamba Carvings Spread

Over the years, Munge was able to attract trainees who included his own three sons, his brother, and a neighbor. The carvers soon established themselves as masters of the art. Spurred more by the thrill of chiseling various images out of wood, villagers, especially men, begun flooding Munge’s compound. And soon, carvings were a crowd puller.

Today, there is hardly any corner of the world which isn’t touched by the Akamba carvers. The Wamunyu workshop, owned by the Wamunyu Handicrafts Cooperative Society, houses nearly a half of the town’s population. In Kenya, wood carving has spread to all the areas to became a stable commodity at any establishment.

Carvers from around the country operate under the umbrella Kenya Crafts Cooperative Union which coordinates the marketing of finished products. In addition to marketing carving on behalf of its members, the cooperative, in conjunction with the relevant Kenya Government departments, undertakes promotional activities in overseas markets.

Tourists and Businessmen

The cooperative itself traces its history back to the early 50s when carvers from Wamunyu, Nairobi and Mombasa organized themselves under the Akamba Handicrafts Society to take advantage of the rising demand for their products.

In the local market, demand for carvings was increasing among the colonial administrators, the Asian merchants and among missionaries. Within a few short years, carving had developed into a viable commercial venture. In deed, it is said that the early Wamunyu carvings bought by missionaries and colonial administrators now grace the walls of reputable museums around the world having made a fortune for the original buyers.

And Wamunyu itself, has become a must destination for tourists wanting to visit the studios of the wood carvers to see for themselves how the products are made. This has created yet another source of income for the small town. And it is all due to the determination, persistence, creativity and foresight of only one illiterate man, Mutisya wa Munge.