▁Sw ah ili ▁trad ers ▁in ▁the ▁east , ▁and ▁indirect ly ▁with ▁the ▁Sultan ▁of ▁Z anz ib ar ▁who ▁controlled ▁the ▁east ▁coast ▁trad ers . ▁ ▁M si ri ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁a ▁Ny am we zi ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁' Y e ke ' ▁or ▁' B aye ke ') ▁from ▁Tab ora ▁in ▁T anz ania ▁who ▁got ▁himself ▁appointed ▁as ▁successor ▁to ▁a ▁Was anga ▁chief ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁Lu ap ula ▁River ▁by ▁defe ating ▁the ▁chief ' s ▁L unda ▁enemies . ▁Once ▁installed ▁he ▁conquer ed ▁the ▁neighbour ing ▁tribes ▁and ▁expanded ▁the ▁ch ie ft ain ship ▁into ▁a ▁kingdom . ▁ ▁From ▁its ▁capital ▁at ▁Bun key a , ▁the ▁Ye ke ▁Kingdom ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁western ▁territory ▁of ▁M w ata ▁Kaz em be , ▁stopped ▁the ▁south wards ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁L uba ▁Empire ▁and ▁sub j ug ated ▁tribes ▁in ▁the ▁south west , ▁on ▁the ▁trad ing ▁route ▁to ▁Ang ola . ▁ ▁When ▁King ▁Leopold ▁II ▁of ▁Belg ium ▁was ▁told ▁that ▁the ▁Ye ke ▁Kingdom ▁controlled ▁east - west ▁trade ▁and ▁was ▁rich ▁in ▁co pper ▁and ▁possibly ▁gold , ▁he ▁sent ▁exped itions ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁obtain ▁a ▁treat y ▁for ▁the ▁kingdom ▁to ▁join ▁his ▁Congo ▁Free ▁State ▁( CF S ). ▁Cec il ▁Rh odes ▁also ▁sent ▁exped itions ▁to ▁sign ▁up ▁the ▁kingdom ▁to ▁his ▁British ▁South ▁Africa ▁Company ' s ▁char tered ▁territ ories . ▁The ▁' sc ram ble