Kings, queens and cultural leaders from across Africa have started arriving in Uganda ahead of the fourth coronation anniversary of His Highness Papa Emorimor Paul Sande Etomeileng Emolot III, the King of the Iteso, scheduled to take place in Kenya from October 29 to 31.
The celebrations will be held at Achunet Stadium in Malaba, Amagoro Division, Busia County, under the theme ‘Celebrating Our Cultural Diversity and Heritage, Building Our Palace.’ They are being organised by the Iteso community in Kenya.
By Tuesday morning, several kings and traditional chiefs had arrived at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda, where they were received by officials of the Iteso Cultural Union (ICU) with traditional songs before proceeding for the celebrations in Kenya.
Among those who had arrived were the paramount chief of the Khoi-San community of South Africa, Nkozi Molefe Phallarg, representing the Basotho community, and Prince Kwazi Zulu, the younger brother of Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini.
Others included Prince Thulani Zulu and Prince Ngobese Wardile, the head of protocol and ambassador of the African Kingdoms Diaspora Alliance (AKDA).
Speaking upon arrival, Prince Thulani Zulu said the gathering offered African communities an opportunity to reconnect with their roots and strengthen ties across the continent.
‘We need to go back to our roots as Africans and regroup. We need to come together and understand where we come from,’ he said.
He added that spirituality was an important unifying factor among African communities, despite differences in culture, customs and nationality.
Queen Cynthia Nzilikazi Khumalo of the Mzilikazi royal house in South Africa said African royals needed to support one another and strengthen their relationships, noting that colonial-era borders had divided communities that historically shared cultural ties.
Organisers said Kenyan President William Ruto and his Ugandan counterpart, President Museveni, had confirmed their attendance at the celebrations.
Other expected guests include King Mswati III of Eswatini, Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini and the king of the Ndebele kingdom in Zimbabwe.
The three-day event will feature exhibitions, a symposium, a football tournament, cultural displays and traditional songs, among other activities intended to celebrate Iteso heritage and promote unity among African communities.
David Emoot, an ICU official and Teso Kingdom ambassador to the Southern African Development Community (SADC), who is also the secretary-general of the anniversary celebrations, said organisers expected more than 80 kings, 80 queens and over 50,000 visitors.
He added that more than 100 delegations from the diaspora were expected to attend the event.
Mr Emoot also called for greater recognition of the Iteso community in Kenya, where he said approximately one million Iteso live, compared with about eight million in Uganda.
Dr Chris Obukui, the chairperson of the planning committee, said the celebrations would strengthen relations between Uganda and Kenya while promoting unity among Iteso communities on both sides of the border.
Since his enthronement in 2022, Papa Emorimor has promoted cultural pride and the use of cultural institutions as catalysts for development, with a focus on education, entrepreneurship, cultural identity and environmental stewardship.
The anniversary is expected to bring together traditional leaders, cultural institutions and communities from across Africa to celebrate shared heritage and strengthen cultural ties.