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Wituland (also Witu, Vitu, Witu Protectorate or Swahililand) was an approximately 3000 km² territory in East Africa centered on the town of Witu just inland from Indian Ocean port of Lamu north of the mouth of the Tana River in what is now Kenya.

History

Founded in 1858 by the former ruler of the insular Pate sultanate after several abortive moves to the mainland, the native sultanate of Wituland was a haven for slaves fleeing the Zanzibar slave trade and thus a target of attacks from the Sultanate of Zanzibar (ruled by a branch of the Omani dynasty, under British protectorate).

In 1885, the German brothers Clemens and Gustav Denhardt negotiated a treaty with Ahmed ibn Fumo Bakari, the first mfalme (Swahili for sultan or king) of Witu who ceded, on 8 April 1885, 25 square miles of territory to the brothers' "Tana Company", and the remainder of the Wituland became the German Protectorate of Wituland (Deutsch-Witu) on 27 May 1885. The Reich was represented there by the German Residents: Gustav Denhardt (1856–1917; in office 8 April 1885 – 1 July 1890) and his deputy Clemens Andreas Denhardt (1852–1928). German rule was relatively mild, and the territory continued being a haven for escaped slaves [1].

In accord with the 1890 Heligoland–Zanzibar Treaty, on 18 June 1890 a British protectorate was declared, and on 1 July 1890 imperial Germany renounced its protectorate, ceding the Wituland to Great Britain to be added to British East Africa despite protests from the inhabitants of the territory, who wished to remain under Germany's protection. Shortly afterwards several German merchants were murdered, and a British punitive expedition was sent out. Roger Keyes, then only 18 years old, was part of the force.

In 1889, Wituland issued a number of postage stamps although their postal usage has not been verified.

Its flag (31 July 1893 – 1920) was red with a Union Flag in the centre

The known ruling Sultans (styled mfalume in Kiswahili) are:

• 1858 - 1888 Ahmad ibn Fumo Bakari
• 1888 - 1890 Fumo Bakari ibn Ahmad
• 1890 - 1891 Bwana Shaykh ibn Ahmad
• 1891 - 1893 Fumo `Umar ibn Ahmad (1st time)
• 1893 - 7 July 1895 Vacant
• 7 July 1895 - 1923 Fumo `Umar ibn Ahmad (2nd time)

See also

• German East Africa

Sources and external links

• German Wituland, a colonial rarity
• Map of East Africa in 1886 showing Witu
• Map of German Protectorate of Witu (Deutsch-Witu)
• WorldStatesmen- Kenya

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