This campaign of vengeance was rooted in a historical grievance dating back approximately forty years, when Mangi Rengua of Machame orchestrated the massacre of defenseless initiates from Kibosho at Kinduchi.
Shortly after his ascension, a delegation of Kibosho men, led by Ndana, an emissary of Mangi Sina, arrived in Foo bearing gifts of cloth.
[6] Consequently, Muro and a significant portion of the Machame leadership, including the masumba, njama, and the most skilled warriors, set out for Sina's homestead, Udileya, in Kibosho.
The unpleasant smell emanating from his residence, erroneously identified as that of a deceased body, was actually due to a dead goat placed there intentionally for the ruse.
To this day, Kibosho commemorates the event through song, celebrating their triumph with lyrics that reference the trickery involved: "We played a trick on you, and the river Malala ran with your blood.
It was disclosed that Ndesserua had been deceased for some time and had, prior to his death, invited Sina to attack Machame with the intent of annihilating its inhabitants and seizing their cattle.
Among those likely aware of the truth were Nassua, the prominent njama (warrior), the widow Nuya herself, and Ndesserua's half-brother, Karawa, along with his kinsman, Muro, son of Mende.
Ultimately, the underlying motivation for the leaks appears to be twofold: to bolster the spirits of the Machame and to lend credence to Ndesserua's purported invitation to Sina, framing it as a customary practice.
In a manner reminiscent of their previous flight from internal discord under their chief, Ndesserua, many Machame sought refuge to the west of the Kikafu River to escape the external threat posed by Kibosho.
Each time Sina's forces traversed the central route, they set fire to homes, captured inhabitants, and seized the few remaining cattle, unimpeded by any opposition.
This decision, coupled with his efforts to rally local support, allowed him to maintain his position as Mangi, albeit intermittently, over the territories east of the Kikafu while effectively governing areas west of the river as well.
[23] Ngamini first settled in Uswa, located west of the Kikafu, before relocating to Nkwatawa in Nguni, where he lived with his uncle Lyamari, a former rival of Ndesserua.
The charred remains of homesteads in Foo, including the ruins of Ngamini's own residence, along with other signs of turmoil, indicated a recent raid by Kibosho forces.
However, historical records, including accounts from geographer Hans Meyer, confirm that Ngamini was still ruling and living modestly in Uswa as late as November 21 and 22, 1889.
[26] In pursuit of his political ambitions regarding the Machame kingship, Nassua opted to negotiate a separate peace with Mangi Sina following the third raid.
Notably, Nassua's complex feelings toward the successive Mangis, Ndesserua and Ngamini, led him to share strategic information with Sina, including the most effective routes for raiding Machame's hiding places.
[27] The devastated condition of Foo and Nassua’s subsequent encounter with Mangi Ngamini in Uswa are vividly chronicled by Hans Meyer, a geographer who was visiting Machame during this tumultuous period.
[32] On August 3, 1890, a newly arrived German officer, von Eltz, escorted Bishop de Courmont and P. P. Gommenginger to Machame, where they were warmly received by "Chief Shangali," who was still a youth at the time.
In an effort to seek Sina's forgiveness, Nassua traveled to Kibosho bearing a girl and an elephant tusk wrapped in masale leaves.
Nassua played a crucial role in helping Sina achieve his goal of defeating Ngamini, who was still engaged in combat in Nguni alongside his uncle Lyamari, likely around 1890.
Mangi Rindi, having suffered a disastrous defeat in his raid on Usseri, abandoned his own kingdom and took refuge in Kahe before eventually reaching Machame.
[42] Von Eltz, the newly appointed German representative in Moshi, accepted Shangali as the de facto mangi of Machame under the regency of Nassua at this pivotal point in 1890, when Ngamini's fortunes were at their lowest.