Let’s Promote Cultural Oneness: Jubilation in Kakamega as guests from Ghana visit Wanga Kingdom

A delegation from Ghana has visited the Wanga Kingdom in Kakamega County, western Kenya.

The guests came to see the Wanga Kingdom, and extend an invitation to His Majesty Nabongo Peter Mumia II for the Cultural Oneness Festival, scheduled for December 6 –14 this year in northern Ghana.

The visit, which took place at the Nabongo Cultural Centre in Shiembekho on Thursday, included tours of the Nabongo Museum, shrines of past rulers, the traditional homestead of the Nabongo, and the Wanga Kingdom library.

Tengol Kplemani, a visionary entrepreneur, cultural ambassador, and strategic connector committed to uniting Africa’s creative, cultural, and business ecosystems led the Ghana delegation.

During the tour, the Ghanaian delegation identified similarities between Ghanaian and Wanga traditions, including homestead designs, calabashes, baskets, pots, and burial rites.

Kplemani called for African kingdoms to be given stronger voices in uniting the continent.

“It is time we honour our ancestors, who have been demonised for so long. They were custodians of our culture. We want to create sister kingdoms, including a Wanga cultural space in northern Ghana, to strengthen African unity,” he said.

Kplemani also proposed cross-cultural marriages as a way of cementing trust and peace between African kingdoms.

Nabongo Peter Mumia II welcomed the delegation and reflected on the endurance of traditional institutions despite colonialism.

“The Whiteman thought he would finish kingdoms, but centuries later we are still here,” he said. “We had structures that made us self-sufficient. No single acre of land was taken from us, and we never experienced hunger like today’s modern states.”

The Nabongo also pointed to the impact of the slave trade, which uprooted many families from African kingdoms.

“Missing your roots hurts so hard. Some members of my kingdom left for Mombasa with job promises, but were bundled onto ships and displaced. Cultural diplomacy can help reconnect them with their homes,” he said.

He further emphasised the importance of authentic leadership among African kingdoms, warning against “briefcase monarchies.”

The Wanga Kingdom, also known as the Nabongo Kingdom, traces its roots to Nabongo Wanga, who was enthroned in 1512.

The kingdom expanded under a succession of rulers, most notably Nabongo Mumia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who extended its reach from Naivasha in Kenya into parts of Uganda.

Although stripped of political authority under British rule, the kingdom has survived as a cultural institution. His Majesty Nabongo Peter Mumia II currently presides over cultural events, heritage preservation, and dispute resolution in Matungu Constituency.

He is expected to grace the Cultural Oneness Festival which will run from December 6 to 14 in northern Ghana. Organisers say its aim is to “expose the rich variety of African cultures and its outgrowths in the Diaspora.”

The Ghanaian delegation said the Wanga Kingdom’s participation will be critical in strengthening ties between East and West African monarchies.