Kumam Paramount Chief Papa Otaya Calls for Cultural Revival in Independence Day Message
KUMAM -The Paramount Chief of Kumam Kingdom, His Royal Highness Won Ateker Papa Kumam Rafael Otaya, has called for cultural revival ahead of the October 9 Independence Day celebrations.
In his message, the King warned that the erosion of indigenous knowledge and moral values threatens the identity and future of Ugandan youth.
He said Uganda’s “good past” holds valuable wisdom that must be preserved, noting that traditional knowledge such as making pots from clay, forging spears from metal and using local herbs to treat diseases was key to self-sufficiency and community health adding that “old is golden”
“That was indigenous knowledge, very important to our communities, which we need to preserve,” Otaya said.
The Kumam paramount chief also stressed the need to preserve local languages, saying language is the cornerstone of identity.
“We are identified as Kumam, Acholi, Munyankole and Langi by our local languages. We need to use them and teach them so that they are not lost,” he said.
He decried what he described as the breakdown of family values, citing child marriage, incest and indecent dressing, which he said were forbidden in the past.
Otaya further urged his subjects to embrace hard work to ensure food security, wealth creation and education of children, contrasting the industrious nature of past generations with the current trend of idleness.
He said true independence lies in preserving culture, languages and values for future generations.
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