About 80 kings and queens are expected to attend the fourth anniversary of the coronation of Iteso cultural leader Emorimor III, His Royal Highness Papa Paul Sande Emolot, in Busia county.
The royals hail from Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia. The King of Zulu from South Africa has also been invited. They are tied together under Ateker communities, which share cultural traditions, customs and ancestral connections.
The celebrations are expected to attract President William Ruto and his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni, alongside traditional leaders, government officials and representatives of Ateker communities from across the region.
The main event is scheduled for Saturday at Acunet Stadium in Amagoro, Malaba town, while activities are expected to run from Wednesday.
Mark Ogolla, who is in charge of the Emorimor’s security in the Eastern Region, said royal guards and guardettes had begun training at Amagoro Fire Station on Friday under three senior royal guards dispatched by Iteso Cultural Union (ICU) Minister for Defence and Kings Protocol Peter Imoo.
Imoo said the private Ebenezah ka Ateker guards would also secure installations, tents and other facilities at the celebration venues.
“We are undertaking serious training together with senior royal guards from Uganda to ensure the anniversary celebrations are well secured by the Ateker security team throughout the event,” he said.
Teso North MP and Iteso community spokesman Oku Kaunya inspected construction works at the Kakapel Cultural Centre on Friday, saying preparations were on course for the celebrations.
The centre is expected to be commissioned by Ruto on Saturday.
The event will mark four years since Emolot was installed as the cultural leader of the Iteso community in Kenya and Uganda. He is based in Uganda.
“I warmly welcome the President, our Ugandan brothers and sisters, and the people of Teso community at large to join us in witnessing this historic occasion as we celebrate our rich Iteso cultural heritage and strengthen the bonds between our two nations and beyond,” he said.
Iteso Cultural Union Minister for Roads and Public Works Okwara Ekirapa said the invitation of traditional leaders from across Africa had given the celebrations an international dimension.
Kaunya thanked Ruto for development projects undertaken in the constituency and pledged to continue working with his administration to attract further investment.
He also expressed hope that the President’s development pledges, including the proposed 7km Amagoro–Kakapel road and other major roads, would be fulfilled.
Ateke comprise a group of clans and communities bound by shared customs, laws, lifestyles and common ancestry, with their origins traced to the Upper Nile.
They include the Karamajong, Jie, Dodoth, Iteso, Kumam and Langi in Uganda; the Turkana and Iteso in Kenya; the Toposa and Jiye in South Sudan; and the Nyangatom in Ethiopia.
