KABBA SEI

Kabba Sei (circa 1840-1908) was a Mende war chief of Mando, in Upper Moa, in eastern Sierra Leone, during the late 19th century, who became prominent during the ‘Kpo-veh’ wars, which occurred in Upper Mende country in the 1880s. He was one of the few chiefs of his time who favoured diplomatic methods rather than continuous aggression, and on several occasions, he managed to avert or resolve conflicts between warring chiefs.

PHOTO CAPTION: Kabba Sei. SOURCE: EA Library

Born at Potolu, in the main town of Mando which he later rebuilt, he was the third in line of the chiefs of Mando, the grandson of Mendor, and the son of Kpana Farley. His contemporaries were the great warrior chiefs Kai Londo, Nyagua, Ndawa, Makavoray, Mendegla, and others. Holding the belief that “unity is strength” in 1880, at the time of the Kpo-veh wars, he formed a society called “Tupke,” meaning “push,” to secure his own authority and as an alliance of neighbouring countries against external attack.

When Ndawa, the famous Mende warrior, was expelled from Luawa, today the largest chiefdom in the Kailahun district, after being defeated in battle by Kai Londo, he threatened Mando, Malema and the surrounding countries. Kabba Sei quickly conferred with the chief of Malema to recall the only warrior of note in the area, Ngevau, who was pressing an attack on the Gola in the Liberian highlands. Ngevau returned, stormed the town in which Ndawa had his stronghold, and routed him from the area.

One of Ndawa’s lieutenants, however, Mbawulomeh, a powerful Gbandi chief, whose base was in the Liberian hinterland, continued to make predatory raids in the area. He attacked one of Kai Londo’s towns, moved on to the chiefdom of Guma, where he attacked and killed the town chief Foreka of Bomalu, and encamped at Giuhun Tonagu in Guma.

Kabba Sei and Kai Londo thereupon made plans for a concerted attack. Mbawulomeh learned of it and fled for refuge of chief Fobaywulo of Gbandi who refused to surrender the fugitive. He paid for this refusal with his life, for he was killed by Kai Londo. When Mbawulomeh fled to Gbele country (today the Belle chiefdom in Loji country, Liberia), however, Kai Londo gave up the pursuit and returned to his own country.

Shortly afterwards, Kai Londo quarreled with Mendegla of Joru. The actual cause of the quarrel is obscure, but war between these two powerful chiefs would have been a major disaster. Kabba Sei intervened without delay, and invited both of them to meet in his capital town, Potolu, where he brought the misunderstanding to a successful resolution.

On March 30, 1890, Kabba Sei signed a treaty of friendship on behalf of Mando, Dia and Guma with T.J. Alldridge, a trader who had entered government service as a Traveling Commissioner, representing the colonial authorities. When Mbawulome reappeared, some five years later, and started causing trouble Kabba Sei was implicated (possibly by misinformation) and as a treaty chief was severely sanctioned.

In 1896, while the Pax Britannica was being extended in the form of a unilateral declaration of Protectorate over the hinterland, Mbawulomeh returned to the eastern frontiers and raided several towns in Luawa, by then under Kai Londo’s successor, Fa Bundeh.

Fa Bundeh, also a treaty chief, sent word to Major Fairtlough of the Frontier Police stationed at Panguma, that he had been forced to take up arms, contrary to the terms of the treaty signed by his predecessor Kai Londo. The report was presented in such a way as to suggest that Kabba Sei was behind Mbawu-lomeh’s activities, and though Kabba Sei denied any complicity, action was taken against him.

He was forced to flee from his capital when Major Fairtlough with 50 Frontier Police joined up with Fa Bundeh’s and Nyagua’s warriors and advanced against him. Thereafter, Governor Carde agreed to his arrest and, as a temporary measure, his territory was partitioned between Nyagua and Fa Bundeh.

In March 1898, after Capt. J.E.C. Blakeney, the Frontier Inspector in charge at Panguma, had inflicted a severe defeat on the Sofa and Gbandi allies of Mbawulomeh, Kabba Sei was released, having been made to promise that he would be involved in no more intrigues. A few weeks later, the Mende rebellion against the payment of house tax broke out, but Kabba Sei, in the light of his recent experiences, refused to fight.

He was confirmed paramount chief of Mando after the 1898 resistance had been quelled because he remained loyal to the government and was of great service…in persuading several of the disaffected chiefs to submit to the dictate of the Governor.” Thereafter, he maintained an uneventful chieftainship until his death in 1908.

ARTHUR ABRAHAM