Nyakyusa

The Nyakyusa inhabit the fertile country north of Lake Malawi, from the lakeside plain to the slopes of Mount Rungwe. Banana gardens, grain fields and cattle support communities under many local chiefs. Their traditions describe villages in which men of similar age lived together, and a transfer of land and authority from an older generation to its sons. The chiefs' ancestors are remembered as having come from the Kinga highlands to the east, bringing chiefly lineages into the lake country.