Ndugu M’Hali, also known as Kalulu, was an African boy born around 1865 in what is now Tanzania.Captured as a child during a slave raid, he was sold in Tabora and later acquired by the Victorian explorer Henry Morton Stanley in 1871.Stanley renamed him Kalulu, meaning “young antelope,” due to his agility and grace, and brought him to Europe and America.

Kalulu became both a companion and a servant to Stanley, appearing in portraits and attending high-profile social events, even becoming the subject of Stanley’s 1873 book, which fictionalized his adventures.For a brief time, he attended school in London with the hope of one day acting as a colonial intermediary in Africa.In 1874, Kalulu joined Stanley on the arduous Trans-Africa Expedition to map the Congo River.

Tragically, on March 28, 1877, Kalulu drowned at Livingstone Falls along with five crew members, prompting Stanley to name that section Kalulu Falls in his memory.

Modern historians view his story critically, recognizing that although Stanley portrayed him as an adopted son, Kalulu’s life was marked by forced relocation, exploitation, and premature death.His story highlights the complex intersections of colonialism, celebrity, and childhood during the 19th century.