Kai Londo

Kai Londo was a Kissi warrior from Sierra Leone who conquered a large territory. He built new roads and fortified towns and established a new capital at Kailahun.

Biography

Early life

Kai Londo was born in 1845 in the village of Luawa in what is now part of Kailahun District 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, 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.