Group accuses Wanga King Nabongo of neglecting community

A civil society organisation has accused the ruler of the Wanga kingdom, King Peter Nabongo Mumia II, of failing to address issues affecting his community.

Bunge la Haki chairman Boniface Manda and his deputy Desterio Okumu say King Mumia II has failed to offer direction to the community which gained fame and respect in 1940s during the reign of Paramount Chief Nabongo Mumia.

Mr Manda said the current king has failed to articulate issues affecting the society, including economic, political and socio-cultural matters.

DONATIONS

“We have never heard his voice on the struggling Mumias Sugar Company which is a stone throw away from his home. He needs to come out and talk about the revival of the miller which is a mainstay of his subjects economic activities,” said Mr Manda.

The activists also accused the king of soliciting donations from local, national and international leaders for his own benefit.

They claimed Nabongo Cultural Centre in Matungu, which was funded by Mumias Sugar Company to promote the Wanga culture and showcase the kingdom, has been converted into a family business and is not offering community exhibitions as intended.

BASELESS

But King Mumia II dismissed the claims as baseless, saying anyone with issues concerning the kingdom can face him or his council members for clarification.

“I don’t hold secret meetings with leaders and I have never solicited funds for my personal gain,” he said.

King Mumia II said those making the claims have no right to interfere with the transactions of the kingdom which has a structured leadership.

But the activists stuck to their guns and urged the Cabinet Secretary for Sports and Culture Rashid Echesa, who comes from the community, to ensure that the centre is used as a shrine that promotes the community’s cultural activities.

MAUSOLEUM

Currently, the Nabongo Cultural Centre runs a restaurant and offers accommodation services. It also has a library and a mausoleum which houses graves of the seven kings who ruled the community.

The Wanga community was the most developed and centralised kingdom in Kenya’s history before the advent of the British colonialism in the early 1900s.

The community has retained Nabongo as its monarch and still holds on to a cultural kingdom within the present Kenya.

The kingdom has been prone to succession feuds, the most notable resulting in the splitting of the kingdom when the sons of Nabongo Osundwa fought over the throne.

VISITORS

The current king, Peter Nabongo Mumia II, is from the Wanga of Lureko, who retained the royal regalia of the great Nabongo Mumia and remained as the rightful King of the community.

Some of the notable leaders who have visited Nabongo Cultural Centre include former US ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger, former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, opposition leader Raila Odinga, and Deputy President William Ruto.

Last month, African royal and traditional leaders toured the centre for a two-day meeting.

The Wanga community dominantly occupies three sub-counties of Mumias West, Matungu and Mumias East in Kakamega County.