When bulldozers meet gods: The rituals of calming stubborn spirits on Coast project sites

 

As bulldozers clear land for multibillion-shilling highways, ports and industrial parks, some communities insist that progress must first secure the blessing of the unseen forces. [Joackim Bwana, Standard]

From blood-soaked offerings at bridges to whispered prayers beneath ancient trees, the Coast’s march towards modernity has often taken an unexpected detour into the world of ancestral spirits, sacred shrines and age-old rituals.

As bulldozers clear land for multibillion-shilling highways, ports and industrial parks, some communities insist that progress must first secure the blessing of the unseen forces believed to inhabit the land, forests and sea.

But the practice is increasingly stirring controversy, pitting the so-called traditional practitioners or “witchdoctors” against Kaya elders who warn that sacred customs are being misrepresented, commercialised and turned into public spectacles.

The latest flashpoint is Dongo Kundu, where Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) allegedly spent Sh1 million relocating four shrines from a 3,000-acre site earmarked for the multibillion-shilling Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone (EPZ).

The four shrines are among 46 sites reportedly earmarked for relocation following complaints about alleged unexplained incidents and frequent accidents on the land. The site is designated for a Sh74.1 billion industrial project expected to boost regional trade, manufacturing and logistics.

The exercise, intended to address complaints raised by traditional practitioners over alleged unexplained incidents at the site, has reopened a deeper debate: who holds the authority to move ancestral shrines, what price must be paid, and what happens when modern development collides with sacred traditions?

What was presented as a cultural exercise has sparked controversy, with Kaya elders distancing themselves from the public ritual and warning that relocating ancestral spirits without observing the proper traditions could invite misfortune.

The elders insist that appeasing or relocating spirits, known locally as mizimu, is a serious undertaking governed by strict customs, not a spectacle to be staged before the public.

Kaya Elder Coordinator Tsuma Nzai warned that mishandling the rituals could have dire consequences, drawing parallels with the 1994 Mtongwe ferry disaster, in which more than 200 people died.

According to Nzai, relocating spirits from a shrine requires elaborate rituals and sacrifices, which he claims can involve the loss of four or five human lives.

He also linked the alleged disturbance of spirits at the Likoni Ferry crossing during the construction of the Liwatoni Floating Bridge to an incident in which two vehicles plunged into the water, killing several people, including a woman and her daughter.

“If the spirits (mizimu) have to be moved, there is a sacrifice that must be offered, and four or five people must die. That is how the tradition is, and if they thought it was just an exercise they did and touched a place where these spirits live, you will hear there will be a very bad accident,” said Nzai.

His remarks have brought renewed attention to the traditional rituals that have accompanied major infrastructure projects at the Coast, where some communities believe ancestral spirits and supernatural forces inhabit sacred forests, coral formations and the sea.

From bridges and highways to ports and dams, some government agencies and private contractors have reportedly consulted traditional practitioners before embarking on construction, seeking to appease ancestral spirits (mizimu) or supernatural beings commonly referred to as majini.

Blood offerings at bridges and ports

In Mtwapa, a goat was reportedly slaughtered during preparations for the construction of a multibillion-dollar dual-carriage bridge intended to improve the connection between Mombasa and Malindi.

As bulldozers clear land for multibillion-shilling highways, ports and industrial parks, some communities insist that progress must first secure the blessing of the unseen forces. [Joackim Bwana, Standard]

A video circulating from the site showed a goat being slaughtered, with blood apparently poured into the bridge’s supporting pillars as part of a ritual sacrifice.

Despite the use of modern engineering techniques and heavy machinery, the ritual was reportedly considered necessary by those involved to appease spiritual guardians believed to preside over the water body.

Similar practices have reportedly been observed at the Kilindini harbour and Port of Mombasa, where dredging, underwater blasting and berth construction have been accompanied by consultations with traditional mediums and elders.

In accounts shared by local practitioners, a powerful water spirit known as Kabula is believed to inhabit the deep sea and must be appeased before major activities disturb its domain.

During such ceremonies, black goats are slaughtered, while rosewater, incense, locally known as ubani, and perfumes are cast into the ocean. The offerings are described as a form of spiritual negotiation intended to secure safe passage and avert misfortune after underwater machinery disturbs the seabed.

At the Likoni Channel, notorious for strong currents and fatal accidents, rituals have also reportedly been conducted before major infrastructure projects, including the Dongo Kundu Bypass.

Elders are said to have held prayers along the shoreline, casting palm wine (mnazi), tobacco snuff and white cloth into the ocean while reciting Swahili and Mijikenda ancestral prayers.

Residents who subscribe to these beliefs say the ceremonies are intended to calm the waters and protect construction workers and future commuters from the wrath of the spirits.

The same beliefs extend to road expansion projects, where the felling of ancient baobab trees and the demolition of coral structures regarded as shrines can trigger demands for rituals before construction proceeds.

Seventy-eight-year-old Karisa Mzee, a Likoni resident, said elders traditionally seek permission from the spirits believed to inhabit such sites before disturbing them.

As bulldozers clear land for multibillion-shilling highways, ports and industrial parks, some communities insist that progress must first secure the blessing of the unseen forces. [Joackim Bwana, Standard]

According to Mzee, the base of a sacred tree may be wrapped in red, black or white ceremonial cloth, followed by the slaughter of a chicken or sheep. The animal’s blood is then offered at the base of the tree.

The ceremony, he explained, is intended to ask the spirits to vacate the site temporarily or move peacefully before heavy machinery uproots the tree.

Nzai also recalled that the now-decommissioned Liwatoni Floating Bridge underwent rituals before construction began.

“The local elders demanded that the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) halt the project to allow the slaughtering of a goat to appease undersea spirits, to ensure safe passage for millions of Likoni residents and prevent an infrastructure disaster,” said Nzai.

He recalled that the Sh20 billion Mwache Dam project necessitated the relocation of Mavyonini Shrine, regarded as a sacred site used by the Chigato community.

The relocation involved establishing a cultural heritage management framework to facilitate the required traditional ceremonies.

Bakari Chengo, a village elder from Kombani in Kwale County, said elders and traditional healers often conduct ceremonies known as kutawanya mizimu to relocate ancestral spirits.

He explained that the rituals involve persuading the spirits that the community is not destroying their home out of malice but is instead moving them to another location.

Chengo, who recently celebrated his 85th birthday, said the process may also include site cleansing, intended to purify the ground of perceived historical misfortune or curses that believers fear could cause structural failures or injuries.

In some instances, he said, communities perform blood sacrifices, or kutoa kafara, offering an animal to appease the spirits and prevent them from demanding human lives through accidents during construction.

Mgandi Kalinga, a spokesperson for traditional healers, said KPA initiated the Dongo Kundu relocation as part of its corporate social responsibility programme after verifying the shrines and the credentials of traditional practitioners who raised complaints.

Kalinga said KPA Managing Director William Rutto agreed to facilitate the relocation after being informed of alleged unusual incidents at the site.

“The MD is an open-minded person. He did his investigations and was  told peculiar incidents were happening at the Dongo Kundu site and agreed to have the shrines relocated to an alternative land,” said Kalinga.

He added that discussions about relocating the shrines had been ongoing since the tenure of the late Mombasa politician Mwalimu Masoud Mwahima, who filed a court petition seeking compensation for their relocation.

Kalinga said relocating a single ancestral spirit costs approximately Sh270,000, covering the sacrificial animals, preparations and the ritual process of moving the spirit.

“We did a computation and came to learn that relocating one ancestral spirit will cost Sh270,000. The cows, goats, chickens and the ceremony preparations and the uprooting and relocating them,” he said.

According to Kalinga, the four shrines relocated by KPA are among the smaller individual shrines used by families, villages and occupational prayer sites.

He stressed that these sites should not be confused with the principal, culturally protected Mijikenda Kaya Forests, some of which are recognised by Unesco as World Heritage sites, including Kaya Kinondo and Kaya Fungo.

Contradictions

Despite the relocation exercise, Kaya elders have strongly disputed the legitimacy of the ceremonies, saying they were neither consulted nor involved and would not have endorsed the exercise had the authorities approached them.

Nzai maintained that relocating ancestral spirits does not necessarily require large sums of money, arguing that recognised elders traditionally conduct the rituals privately and in accordance with established customs.

“We, as Kaya elders, are not consenting and supporting such rituals. We are saying those are just rituals being done by witchdoctors, and we are not part of them,” he said.

He insisted that spirits cannot simply be removed from their surroundings without the proper ceremonies being conducted by elders who understand the relevant customs.

According to Nzai, authentic rituals, known as matambiko, can take seven days, during which elders assemble the required materials and conduct ceremonies away from public scrutiny.

As bulldozers clear land for multibillion-shilling highways, ports and industrial parks, some communities insist that progress must first secure the blessing of the unseen forces. [Joackim Bwana, Standard]

He dismissed the public performances associated with some infrastructure projects as a departure from Mijikenda traditions, arguing that those conducting them often lack the cultural knowledge and authority required.

Nzai warned that such displays could scare members of the public while failing to fulfil the traditional requirements for appeasing the spirits.

“This performance of rituals will bring a serious problem to the community, including deaths and accidents that are not normal because they are playing with gods that they have no idea how they are worshipped, respected and appeased,” he said.

He advised those seeking guidance on traditional ceremonies to consult recognised Kaya elders at sacred sites, including Kaya Similani in Mombasa and Kaya Fungo in Kilifi.

According to Nzai, these sites are home to elders who understand the sacred laws and prohibitions (miiko) and can advise on the appropriate procedures.

He alleged that what KPA paid for to be relocated was not shrines but places where witchdoctors conduct their trade.

Nzai said genuine shrines were private spaces whose locations and customs were known only to authorised elders. Anyone seeking access, he added, had to observe the prescribed miiko.

He accused the government of failing to respect the distinct traditions of different communities, warning against treating sacred cultural practices as tourist attractions or public spectacles.

“Playing with the inner traditions and customs of the Mijikenda can bring disaster in our nation. We warn them not to perform such rituals that might bring deaths in the society,” he said.

Sacrifice and search for protection

The controversy also raises broader questions about the place of sacrifice and spiritual protection in societies where traditional beliefs coexist with Christianity and other faiths.

Anglican Church senior pastor Tom Dawa said appeasement rituals have historical roots in various ancient religious traditions and continue to serve psychological, spiritual and social functions in some communities.

He explained that people who offer sacrifices before embarking on major projects often believe the ceremonies will secure divine favour, protect their investments and guard against unforeseen setbacks.

“Historically, builders, rulers, and communities viewed their personal skills as insufficient to guarantee success and saw offering or performing a ritual before a project began as a way of gaining favour of the deities overseeing that specific domain to ensure smooth completion,” said Dawa.

From a psychological and spiritual perspective, he said, beginning a project with a ritual can shape participants’ attitudes by reinforcing their dependence on a higher power.

However, Dawa drew a distinction between traditional appeasement rituals and Christian practices of sacrifice, saying Christians may give financial offerings, fast or dedicate their time and efforts to God before embarking on an undertaking, but not to appease spirits.

“Believers view sacrifice as a way to show God that the project is not driven by selfish ambition or greed. It demonstrates that God has first priority over their resources, time, and plans,” he said.

He added that in many Christian traditions, sacrificial giving and fasting are believed to invite divine protection, open doors and help overcome spiritual or practical obstacles.

As multibillion-shilling projects reshape the Coast, the Dongo Kundu controversy exposes a deeper tension between modern infrastructure development and cultural beliefs that remain deeply rooted in some communities.

For Kaya elders, the issue is not simply whether shrines should be moved, but who has the authority to conduct the rituals, which traditions must be observed and what happens when sacred customs are reduced to public performances.