Ugandan cultural King arbitrates Kenyan politician

Sometimes towards the March 4 elections, a Ugandan cultural king was implored to intervene and strike a truce between two senior political leaders who were at loggerheads in Western Kenya. Then ministers Moses Wetang’ula (Trade) and Eugene Wamalwa (Justice and Constitutional Affairs), both from the Bukusu community, were key pillars for Cord and Jubilee coalition campaigns in the region. “I was approached by some leaders from Kenya to reconcile the two politicians, but because the elections were too close, I could not manage. My appeal to them now is to preach peace and calm because they are in opposing camps for the December 19 senatorial by-election.

Violence should be avoided at all cost,” Bamasaba King  Wilson Wamimbi (Omukuka)  told The Standard on Sunday in an interview at his Busano home near Mbale town, Eastern Uganda. But how is it that a Ugandan cultural king has the power to arbitrate in a political dispute pitting senior politicians in Kenya? Cultural kings are recognised in the Ugandan Constitution — not in Kenya — but traditional powers bestowed upon two kings in Eastern Uganda spill over to Kenya. The first King of the Bamasaba (bringing together the Bagisu of Uganda and Bukusu of Kenya who have a common ancestry), King Wamimbi and the first king of the Itesos of Kenya and Uganda, His Highness Papa Emormor (Augustine Lemokol Osubang), both have commanding respect among their subjects both inside Uganda and Kenya. Two countries Despite the constitutional boundary separating the two countries, the modus operandi of the two cultural kings, could be a perfect case study for the technocrats working behind the scenes to hammer out a political federation for the East African Community (EAC) member states. Wamimbi, who was installed on November 13, 2010, at Mutoto Cultural Grounds in Mbale, has his base in Mbale town. The installation saw hundreds of Bukusu cross over to Uganda in hired buses numbering more than 10, led by political leaders, among them former nominated MP Musikari Kombo (now being supported by Wamalwa in the by-election against Wetang’ula),