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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

International The Black Teen/King

Posted by Charles Mudede on Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 9:40 AM

At first glance, he looks like any other 17-year-old.

He bobs his head to rapper Jay-Z, plays video games and reads the "Twilight" vampire books. When he's not doing homework, he kicks a soccer ball in his backyard.

Yet looks can be deceiving.

People in this corner of western Uganda know the young man as King Oyo, one of the world's youngest ruling monarchs. The teen king rules over more than 2 million people in the Tooro kingdom, one of four kingdoms in Uganda that conjure images of pre-colonial Africa.

King Oyo lives for part of the year in a palace perched on a hill in Fort Portal, a place where bicycles stacked with bananas race past ramshackle huts in the shadow of a snow-capped mountain. He also has a palace in the bustling Ugandan capital, Kampala, where he studies at a private school while soldiers stand guard.

Friends at school greet him with hugs and handshakes, but back home, subjects kiss his feet while sprawled before him on the ground, as if they were doing push ups.

You know what I'm thinking? I know what you are thinking. Put your hand on my hip...

Comments (1) RSS

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Charles,
Interesting that traditions such as monarchies are still practiced in much of developing Africa. Granted, in this case it is practiced within the framework of the Ugandan constitution. At least, I think so? And, its not unlike Europe which still has a few kingdoms (UK, Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Sweden among others) and are largely titular. Still, I am uncomfortable with monarchies. Seems the budget outlayed for upkeep of these royal families would be better served for their subjects.

Whatever, as long as this teen is a benign royal, I see no major harm.

Posted by lark on March 16, 2010 at 1:42 PM