Alio Amos, Minister for Culture and Rehabilitation
“My name is Alio Amos from Alube, and I serve as the minister for culture and rehabilitation,” he begins. “My role is to preserve and pass down our cultural values and norms to future generations.”
The kingdom’s structure begins with Kebhu Rigangi, the foundation from which the sub clans descend, governed by the revered King Tebizi. The four district groups, Yuu, Avazi, Ondikuru and Imgbatama, are each led by an “Opi”, and the sub clans are led by an “Azu” who guides and rules his subjects. Two councils do the governing: the Azus’ council working from the grassroots, and the royal council overseeing the kingdom’s activities.
Before the missionaries arrived, the people worshipped their traditional gods. Today most Kebhu identify as Catholics, Anglicans or Pentecostals, and a small number have converted to Islam. The two worlds do not always sit well together. Many struggle to grasp the depth of the culture, he says, and tensions flare between religious and cultural leaders. Prayer warriors once set fire to the cultural stool of one of the Azus, declaring it a vessel of the old religion.
His job, as he describes it, is to make sure the culture survives such fires and reaches the next generation intact.
Donations
Please donate to the Kebhu to conserve their endangered intangible heritage.