Zimuto Siding

Zimuto Siding pronounced correctly as ZeeMooToe Siding, is named in the ChiKaranga language spoken locally after Chief Zimuto in whose area it is located. Zi is a word prefix denoting large size, and Muto is a noun meaning soup. So literally Zimuto means a large amount of soup. The colonial settlers named the siding after the local chief Zimuto but due to their poor understanding of the pronunciation wrote the name as they would pronounce it and not as it is actually pronounced. The name Zimutu was put down as the official name and appears on some old maps and on rail road documents. It is meaningless and led to confusion as locals spelt is as Zimuto, and the settlers spelt as Zimutu. After inderpendence in 1980, most local names were revised and spelt correctly. Because many documents were generated during the colonial years, researchers must always assume that Zimutu is the same place as Zimuto.