THE KWAHU PEOPLE

 Some of the Ashantis during the Asante Conquest left the Asante Empire. They migrated from Adansi and Asante Mampong in the Ashanti Region before the year 1600 AD. The departure of this people was spearheaded by one Nana Osei Twum with support from his nephew called Badu, his younger brother called Kwasi Titiiti, his servant and few of his followers.

Days after travelling, they got to a stream around present day Mount Apaku where they came across a rock with a jar-like shape. They interpreted that as a good omen and they called the place Obo-kuruwa meaning “stone jar.” “Obo kuruwa” gradually became “Bukuruwa.” Twum died there and was succeeded by his nephew Badu.

During Badu’s reign, other groups joined them possibly from the Akan group who were migrating to Worawora. The Akans pursued them. The people got to the mountainous regions were they are currently located. They one day woke up to see their pursuers approaching them. They quickly gathered huge rocks and rolled them down on their attackers. This forced their attackers to retreat and when one of the Akans said they should return to finish what they had started, he was given the reply “kɔ wu” meaning “go and die.” Kowu gradually became the name of those people thus, Kowufuo is what we know now as Kwahufuo meaning the Kwahus.

 According to one source, Prince Osei of UGMS, 2013-2017 hailing from Nkawkaw, there was another popular saying among the Asantes “Enko kowo” meaning “do not go and die”. This saying was later rebranded “Nkawkaw” which later became one of the names of the Kwahu towns.

Some notable Kwahu towns include Nkawkaw, Anyinam, Bukuruwa, Asakraka, Kwahu-Tafo, Abetifi, Kwahu-Oboo, Kwahu-Akwatia, Gyekiti, Mpraeso and many more

Sources: Philip Owusu, Nungua & Prince Osei, Nkawkaw




I am Huniah Tetteh, born 10th October 1995 and a lover of languages and ethnicity studies. I love animals and traveling and ready to do everything to push the study of languages to the world

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