First Church In East Africa

Do you know that the Portuguese Chapel in Malindi was the first known church in East Africa? It was built in the 15th Century. In the adjoining graveyard two Portuguese sailors are buried. They were aboard the same ship with St. Francis Xavier who was travelling to India in 1542. After the Portuguese left Malindi in 1598, the church remained abandoned until the British arrived in 1893.
The first District Commissioner J. Bell Smith was buried there in 1894. From 1894 the graveyard was used until 1959. This chapel is older than Fort Jesus!
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I wonder why we don’t have more UNESCO protected sites in Kenya. There is so much history here that shouldn’t be allowed to just disappear.

I’ve been to holiday in Mombasa so many times and was only recently told that the piece of land with a demolished slab right next to BOA (near Fort Jesus) used to be a trading platform for slavers. Beneath it, there is a labyrinth of tunnels connecting it to other parts further inland and the main one connected it to Fort Jesus which is where they would make the slaves who were to be transported out/in pass away from sight.

Next time I asked about it, they said someone was in the process of buying the land to build an office complex.

… oh yeah, the tunnels were closed/blocked on purpose because some locals said that there were some savage demonic dogs living in there which were killing their children and the local authorities decided to fix it with dynamite! Problem fixed! smdh

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I agree with @Nefertities , these sites need to be protected. I visited Fort Jesus and i was awed so much. That night anf few days after i lay awake at night trying to figure out how it was in 1593. [ATTACH=full]13461[/ATTACH]

It is said an underground network of tunnels originates at Fort Jesus and cuts across Mombasa through Mama Ngina Drive, Docks and Makupa Causeway. @meriamata is this true

its rumored that the tunnels start from the site of the demolished Manor hotel to Fort Jesus. Have tried to dig up on it but have found nothing.

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Hapa ndipo walipata foothold ya kutuletea religion, democracy and freedom. We are eternally grateful. Wako wapi tuwapatie shamba zilizobaki?

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@Meria Mata Help me confirm the rumours I heard that hata Nairobi kuna an underground tunnel that was used by the colonial masters running across the current CBD. I dont know if the guy was tipsy (coz he had swallowed a few) though he sounded confident that the tunnel ran from Railways to Ambassadeur Hotel, then to somewhere around State House…Sijui but just interested to know.

Kazi kwangu. I got an ear on the ground let me check and see what ill get

We have tunnels in various places , inside Kabete technical all the way to Uthiru round about was used by military

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@kasaman was in kabete technical in late 80s, never heard of this tunnels.
hebu tueleze zaidi