Kamba Cuá: Blood connection between Akamba in Kenya and Paraguay
By Lutta Njomo, June 30, 2026The Paraguay national football team pulled what was described as the biggest upset in the 2026 FIFA World Cup by bundling out a star-studded Germany side through a penalty shootout on Monday night, June 29, 2026.
Beyond the match heroics, a section of Kenyans rallied behind Paraguay due to a long historical blood connection.
Kamba Cua in Paraguay
In Paraguay, there is a small group of Kambas known as Kamba Cua. This community traces its roots to a group of around 250–400 Kamba people from Kenya.
It is believed that this group made their way to South America via the transatlantic slave trade and Portuguese routes. They arrived in Paraguay in 1820 as part of a regiment of spearmen (lanceros), including men, women, and children, accompanying Uruguayan independence leader General José Gervasio Artigas during his exile.
Historical analysis indicates that the Kamba were valued for their military skills with spears and agility. This earned them land of about 100 hectares in the Campamento Loma area.
Like in Kenya, the community settled there and started practising agriculture, dairy farming, and herding; thus, the area earned the name Kamba Cuá.
Also known as Artigas’ Cué or Blacks of Kamba Cuá, the group faced significant land loss in the 1940s. Despite this, they maintained their cultural identity.
Preserving identity
Today, they have continued to preserve their identity by blending with Guaraní and Spanish elements. Like their Kenyan counterparts, dancing and music form part of their cultural identity, which encompasses drumming and performances.
Striking similarities in their dancing styles include the shaking of legs and vigorous moving of the head to match different musical beats
They also hold on to farming as their source of livelihood even as they survive miles away from Kenya.
Paraguay World Cup quest
As World Cup progresses, their distant relatives will be keen to witness how far Paraguay will go in the global competition.
Paraguay pulled off a monumental upset of Germany after José Canale successfully converted his penalty kick following Jonathan Tah’s miss to send them into the round of 16 on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.
Orlando Gill repelled two penalties in it to leave the Paraguayans all but through, only for Manuel Neuer to inspire a remarkable fightback. However, Canale kept his cool when it mattered the most to send Gustavo Alfaro’s charges through.
Paraguay, who had never won a World Cup knockout match before, will now face either France or Sweden in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026, for a place in the quarter-finals.