The tradition of including proverbs on kangas — the misemo that give the cloth its voice — was introduced in the 1920s by Mali Ya Abdulla in Mombasa. The earliest sayings appeared in Arabic script, reflecting the Swahili coast’s rich cultural and linguistic heritage, before later shifting into Kiswahili in Roman letters in the mid-20th century.

The introduction of the jina (saying) established it as one of the three defining elements of the kanga, alongside the pindo (border) and the mji (central motif).

Imran Kaderdina of Mali Ya Abdulla — the family company that pioneered this innovation — shared three treasured examples of those early designs, featured below.

Read our full story on Mali Ya Abdulla and their legacy in the modern kanga here.