| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mvita (Swahili) / Manbasa (Arabic) sultanate | ||
| Independent from Kilwa Kisiwani | ||
| Portuguese Suzerainty | ||
| 1593 to 1596 | Mateus de Vasconcelos, Captain-Major | |
| 1596 to 1598 | António de Andrade, Captain-Major | |
| 1598 to 1606 | Rui Soares de Melo, Captain-Major | |
| 1606 to 1609 | Gaspar Pereira, Captain-Major | |
| 1609 to 1610 | Pedro de Abreu, Captain-Major | |
| 1610 to 1614 | Manuel Pereira, Captain-Major | |
| 1614 to 1620 | Simão Pereira, Captain-Major | |
| 1620 to 1625 | Francisco Pereira, Captain-Major | |
| 1625 to 1629 | Marçal de Macedo, Captain-Major | |
| 1629 to 15 August 1631 | Pedro de Gambôa, Captain-Major | |
| 15 August 1631 to 1635 | Pedro Botelho, Captain-Major | |
| 1635 to 1638 | Francisco de Seixas e Cabreira, Captain-Major | 1st Term |
| Portuguese Colony under Goa | ||
| 1638 to 1639 | Francisco de Seixas e Cabreira, Captain-Major | 1st Term |
| 1639 to 1642 | Martim Manuel, Captain-Major | |
| 1642 to 1643 | ...., Captain-Major | |
| 1643 to 1646 | Manuel Coutinho, Captain-Major | |
| 1646 to 1651 | António de Meneses, Captain-Major | |
| 1651 to 1653 | Francisco de Seixas e Cabreira, Captain-Major | 2nd Term |
| 1653 to 1658 | ..., Captain-Major | |
| 1658 to 1663 | José da Silva, Captain-Major | |
| 1663 to 1667 | Manuel de Campos, Captain-Major | |
| 1667 to 1670 | João Cota, Captain-Major | |
| 1670 to 1671 | vacant | |
| 1671 to 1673 | João da Costa, Captain-Major | |
| 1673 to 1676 | Manuel de Campos, Captain-Major | |
| 1676 to 1679 | Francisco Faria, Captain-Major | |
| 1679 to 16?? | Manuel Franco, Captain-Major | |
| 16?? to 1682 | Pedro Henriques, Captain-Major | |
| 1682 to 1686 | João Portugal, Captain-Major | |
| 1688 to 1693 | Duarte de Melo, Captain-Major | |
| 1693 to 1694 | Pascual Sarmento, Captain-Major | |
| 1694 to 1696 | João Leão, Captain-Major | |
| 1696 to 1697 | Antonio de Melo, Captain-Major | |
| 1697 to 1698 | Dau, príncipe de Faza, Captain-Major | |
| 1698 to 12 December 1698 | Leonardo Barbosa Souto-Maior, Captain-Major | |
| Omani Suzerainty | ||
| Wali (Swahili: Liwali) (Governors) | ||
| 12 December 1698 to December 1698 | Imam Sa‘if ibn Sultan, Wali | |
| December 1698 to 12 March 1728 | Nasr ibn Abdallah al-Mazru‘i, Wali | |
| Portuguese Suzerainty | ||
| Portuguese Colony under Goa | ||
| 12 March 1728 to 21 September 1729 | Álvaro Caetano de Melo Castro, Captain-Major | |
| Omani Suzerainty | ||
| Wali (Swahili: Liwali) (Governors) | ||
| 1729 to 1735 | ..., Wali | |
| 1735 to 1739 | Sa‘id al-Hadermi, Wali | |
| 1739 to 1745 | Muhammad ibn Uthman al-Mazru‘i, Wali | |
| 1746 | ‘Ali ibn Uthman al-Mazru‘i, Wali | |
| Independent (disputed with Oman) | ||
| 1746 to 1755 | Sultan ‘Ali ibn Uthman al-Mazru‘i | |
| 1755 to 1773 | Sultan Masud ibn Naisr al-Mazru‘i | |
| 1773 to 1782 | Sultan Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Mazru‘i | |
| 1782 to 1811 | Sultan Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Mazru‘i | |
| 1812 to 1823 | Sultan ‘Abd Allah ibn Ahmad al-Mazru‘i | |
| Omani Suzerainty | ||
| 1823 to 1826 | Sultan Sulayman ibn ‘Ali al-Mazru‘i | |
| 1826 to March 1835 | Salim ibn Ahmad al-Mazru‘i, Wali | |
| March 1835 to 1836 | Nasur ibn Ahmad al-Mazru‘i, Wali | |
| 1836 to 1837 | Rashid ibn Salim al-Mazru‘i | |
| 1837 to 24 June 1837 | Khamis ibn Rashid al-Mazru‘i | |
| 1837 to 1860 | Abdallah ibn Hamish al-Mazru‘i | |
| 1860 to 1873 | Mubarrak ibn Rashid al-Mazru‘i | |
| 1873 to 1 July 1895 | Rashid ibn Hamish al-Mazru‘i | |
| British Suzerainty | ||
| British Protectorate | ||
| 9 February 1824 to 13 February 1824 | William Fitzwilliam Wentworth Owen, Governor | |
| 13 February 1824 to 29 May 1824 | John James Reitz, Governor | |
| 29 May 1824 to September 1824 | vacant | |
| September 1824 to 25 July 1826 | J.B. Emery, Governor | |
| Zanzibari Suzerainty | ||
| 24 June 1837 | Annexed by Zanzibar | |
| British Suzerainty | ||
| 25 May 1887 | Administration handed to the British East Africa Association | |
| 1 July 1895 | Kenya protectorate coastal strip nominally under Zanzibari sovereignty | |
| 12 December 1963 | Incorporated into independent Kenya | |