Kai Londo (1845–1896) was a Kissi warrior from

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...

who conquered a large territory (now

Kailahun District Kailahun District is a district in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. Its capital and largest city is the town of Kailahun. The second most populous city in the district is Segbwema. Other major towns in Kailahun District include Koindu, ...

). He built new roads and fortified towns and established a new capital at

Kailahun Kailahun is the capital of Kailahun District in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. Kailahun is a major business and commercial center of Kailahun District. The population was 13,108 in the 2004 census, a 2006 estimate of 18,41and a current es ...

Biography

Early life

Kai Londo was born in 1845 in the

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

of Luawa in what is now part of

in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone to parents from the Kissi ethnic group. Londo hailed from a political dominant family; his father was a powerful Kissi chief in eastern Sierra Leone. From boyhood Londo was trained in the art of warfare.

Career

In 1875, Kai Londo joined the famous Mende warrior,

Ndawa Ndawa or Dawa (c. 1850 – 1888) was an important war chief in the Mendeland region, in present-day Sierra Leone, in the 19th century. Ndawa was born into slavery and was traded multiple times until the chief of Tikonko, Makavorary, began tr ...

, in a series of military campaigns against Chief Benya of Small Bo. Later the two had a falling out and Kai lead a successful attack against Ndawa. Londo was then declared to be the supreme ruler of Luawa. As leader he built new roads, fortified towns, and established the new capital at Kailahun.

Death

Kai Londo died of a sudden illness in 1896, soon after a military victory.

References

External links

* http://www.sierra-leone.org/Heroes/heroes4.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Londo, Kai 1845 births 1896 deaths Sierra Leonean military personnel People from Kailahun District