Bamunka

Bamunka is a small village of Cameroon located in the North West Region along the ring road from Bamenda.

Bamunka village is located some 42 km away from Bamenda town on the Bamenda-Nkambe stretch of the ring road.

The village has direct boundaries with Babungo, Baba I, Babessi, Bambalang, Bamessing, Bamali and with the Bello Sub Division.

Once upon a time in 1484 there were two brothers, the older one called Tunimangwa and the younger Cheng, who lived with their parents at Ndobo in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon.

Apparently not being satisfied with the selection of a new Fon in Ndobo, following the passing away of their father, they decided to migrate to new lands so as to establish their own fondoms where possible.

For that reason, they have created branches all over the world so as to come back home and develop their respective villages.

[2][page needed] The Bamunka people have some cultural heritage that they hold jealously and are preserving it.

[3][page needed] In the case of a potential marriage between the son and daughter of an ordinary Meukoh citizen, an intermediary informs the father of the future bride that one of his friends intends to "steal" from his compound.

This informative contact takes place a number of times and could be done even along the road, in a Njangi house, at a death celebration, in the farm, in the weekly market etc.

If the father of the potential bride is interested, he asks the go-between the name of the friend intending to steal from his compound; discussions then ensue, which may end up with the revelation of the identity of the future groom.

[1][page needed] The practice of a man falling in love with the sister of his wife that used to be common in Bamunka has been condemned into extinction.

The practice was tolerated because at first the Bamunnka Man was not allowed near his nursing wife until the child was at least two years old and walking about before its mother could stop breast feeding.

[3][page needed] The Fon is the custodian of the custom and tradition of the Bamunka people and whelms much power, is respected and honored.

When someone is enthroned Fon, he sits at the entrance to Kwifong's compound and for the last time in his life he greets commoners by the hand but draw away power from them which he stores in a bag hanging from writs.

It can also be done by way of delegates of quarters or by the entire village being called out to perform certain tasks such as road clearing, construction and bridge building.

Where there is pregnant woman in the compound of the enjoined the injunction is tied to a tree and nailed on a cut plantain stem instead of on the ground in the yard as is the normal practice.

[3][page needed] The dead in Bamunka is washed, rubbed, and dressed up with a cap to match for men.

Generally the son of a person who served the Fon or Kwifong in the palace is the one with priority over his brothers to succeed their father when he dies.

Generally, the system of succession in Bamunka is an accepted traditional "Will" which even the legal authorities acknowledge as well.

Princes and their descendants down to the fourth generation cannot be member of Kwifong and they may belong to other secret societies called Guiteh.

[3][page needed] Princesses who must necessarily marry commoners, have their male children as members of Kwifong and not of Gueiteh secret society.

[3][page needed] One day a week (on Bimbee) is set aside on which Kwifong can re-assert its authority over the village through its thundering sound but without actually leaving its residence.

Those who apply and are accepted are admitted through an initiation procedure which forces anyone to confess if he had secretly seen Gueiteh and the punishment is usually severe and they must then pay heavy finds before admission if at all.

Current administrative arrangements have resulted in the emergence of a peri-urban Centre (popularly known as Ndop or Bamunka Urban).

The peri-urban Centre is located along the Bamenda-Nkambe stretch of the ring road and extends a little bit from the boundary with Bamali village situated beyond the Ndop Cooperative Union to beyond Saint Mary's Catholic Comprehensive High School which stretches into Babungo village.