Kakamega: Governor Fernandes Barasa on Monday graced the inaugural Wanga Cultural Festival that aims to help celebrate, preserve and promote the heritage of the community. Speaking at the event held at the Mumias Cultural Centre, the Governor announced that his administration will organise a dedicated cultural week to showcase and incorporate traditions from all the sub-tribes residing in Kakamega County.

According to Kenya News Agency, the Governor urged the youth to embrace their cultural heritage in diverse cultural expressions like traditional foods and by connecting them to their roots. ‘We have certain traditional foods that the current youth (Gen Z) don’t know about yet that form our strong cultural heritage,’ he emphasised.

Barasa urged the Wanga people to continue preserving their culture and traditions, emphasising the importance of passing down these values to future generations amid modern western influences. The Wanga, a predominant subgroup of the Luhya people, are known for their historical, highly organised Wanga Kingdom, a centralised monarchy with a rich heritage.

Wanga Kingdom traces its roots way back to 1849-1940 when Nabongo Mumia Shiundu founded a pre-colonial Kingdom in Kenya and Uganda, where he served as paramount chief of the expansive region that traversed both Kenya and Uganda. Currently, the monarch, the Nabongo, is Peter Mumia II. The event, marking the first of its kind for the historic Wanga Kingdom, brought together community members to celebrate their rich cultural heritage.