KILIFI, Kenya — A family in Matsangoni, Mkongani, is mourning the death of Elizabeth Kalinda Baya, who is reported to have lived for more than 110 years.
Kalinda died at her home in Matsangoni, leaving behind a remarkable family spanning several generations.
According to her family, she was a mother of five children, 40 grandchildren, 120 great-grandchildren and 30 great-great-grandchildren.
“Elizabeth Kalinda Baya was my grandmother, and although we are saddened that she is gone, we can still refresh our minds and hearts by remembering what she gave us and how she treated us as her grandchildren—with tenderness, love and care. She always prayed that we would live successful lives full of God’s blessings, just like she did,” said her grandson, Charo Banda.
Her death brings to an end a life that stretched across more than a century and witnessed several generations of her family grow.
Banda said his grandmother maintained a traditional lifestyle, eating mainly locally available foods and remaining physically active well into her old age.
“She always ate traditional foods, lots of vegetables and very little cooking oil. She loved boiled foods such as cassava, sweet potatoes and local vegetables. She was also a hardworking woman who remained active in her shamba even at a very old age,” he said.
Kalinda is expected to be laid to rest next Saturday, as relatives, friends and members of the community prepare to bid farewell to one of the area’s oldest residents.
Her reported longevity and the large family she leaves behind have made her death a significant moment for the Matsangoni community, with her descendants spanning four generations.
