The Iteso community in Kenya and Uganda is finalising preparations for cultural celebrations scheduled for October 29 to 31, which will culminate in the fourth coronation anniversary of His Royal Highness Papa Emorimor Paul Sande Emolot Etomeileng III, the Paramount Chief (Emorimor) of the Iteso Cultural Union (ICU).
The celebrations will be held at Achunet Malaba Stadium in Teso North, Busia County, where more than 80 kings, 80 queens and over 50,000 visitors are expected to attend.
Prominent traditional kingdoms, including the Zulu Kingdom from South Africa and the Ndebele Kingdom, are also expected to attend.
The celebrations will feature exhibitions, a symposium, a football tournament, cultural displays and entertainment through traditional songs aimed at promoting Iteso culture. The community has an estimated population of 600,000 in Kenya and approximately three million in Uganda.
The football tournament has already kicked off in both countries and will run alongside build-up activities ahead of the main celebrations. These include tree planting, with a target of planting more than 100,000 trees.
President William Ruto and his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni, are expected to attend the coronation anniversary celebrations of Papa Emorimor Paul Sande Emolot Etomeileng III and the closing ceremony on October 31.
The elders will also use the celebrations to impart life skills to young people while highlighting the impact of the Iteso Cultural Union on local communities. These achievements include a special fund that has sponsored locals to study at Soroti Flying School and Makerere University, as well as supported others to pursue studies in India through scholarships.
Speaking to the media during the launch of activities for the event, the chairperson of the planning committee, Charles Barasa Omukoyi, said the community would pass on its traditions to younger generations while using the occasion to strengthen relations between Kenya and Uganda.
“The cultural event will bring our communities together; it will support business and further continue to nurture the relationship we have between Kenya and Uganda since we are also a border community. It is meant to create a Unity of Purpose, Heritage and Economic Empowerment,” he noted.
Committee member CPA Dismas Esamai said the symposium and exhibitions were intended to transform the cultural event into an avenue for economic empowerment.
“The key objective of the symposium is to give visibility to our businesses. We are targeting to impact our youth, those not employed, those not in businesses whether established or starting, women in business among other types of economic activities,” he noted.
Iteso Cultural Union (ICU) and Teso Kingdom Ambassador to the Southern African Development Community (SADC), David Emoot, said they are also expecting to host more than 100 delegations from the Iteso diaspora in the United States, Europe and other parts of the world.
Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Commissioner Dr Nichodemus Anyang’ said the event would strengthen relations between Kenya and Uganda and promote unity among the Iteso communities living on either side of the border.
“This event in a special way is going to enhance relations between the two neighbouring nations, that is Kenya and Uganda, because Teso Kenya and Teso Uganda occupy territory that is at the border. So, this event is going to cultivate a sense of belonging, a sense of togetherness and the importance of working together as related communities,” he noted.
by Moses Wekesa
