The Kuomboka Ceremony

About Kuomboka
The Kuomboka ceremony is over 300 years old and it is cerebrated by the Lozi people of western Zambia. The word Kuomboka itself means 'to get out of the water and onto dry land'.
The Litunga (King) decides when the journey is to be made from Lealui which is his dry season residence to Limulunga his wet season residence. The journey is made when Lealui is flooded at rainy season end (around February to March).

The Royal Canoe "Nalikwanda"



When the Litunga deems fit, he drums the Maoma (big drums) as a signal that the journey is impending and also has a signal to the royal  paddlers of the Nalikwanda to gather at Lealui and make preparations for the journey.
The Nalikwanda is the big royal boat that carries the Litunga through the journey. It is a very big canoe painted in black and white stripes, paddled by about a hundred men and it has an elephant on top of it as the insignia of the Litunga.

The first day is when the king drums the Maoma, the second day paddlers gather to prepare and the third is the actual Ceremony (Kuomboka) day.


Actual Day
The Nalikwanda carrying the Litunga with Royal paddlers paddling

Drums are sound early in the morning to signal that the journey is on, at daybreak the Litunga is met with a guest of honor. In the company of the guest of honor the king walks majestically (Kutamboka) to the Nalikwanda (Royal boat). He boards the boat with or without the guest of honor and sets out for the journey aboard the Nalikwanda. Several other barges accompany the Nalikwanda as entourage amidst of drumming and singing of different songs.
Along the way, the Nalikwanda will have to dock allowing the guest of honor to get off and board an helicopter that will take him or her to the final destination which is Limulunga to later rejoin with the king. From here the journey continues with the Royal paddlers paddling to the sound of song after song of traditional music, making several stops along the way to rest and eat.

Arrival at Limulunga Palace
Once at Limulunga, the King disembarks arrayed in his British Admiral uniform. The uniform was presented to him in 1902 by the British King, Edward Vll in recognition of the treaties signed between the Lozi people and Queen Victoria.

The Litunga in his admiral uniform accompanied by the president, his excellency Edgar Lungu

The fourth and fifth day that follow are characterised by songs, dances, homage and different other traditional rituals and jubilation.

The Kuomboka, just like any other traditional ceremony is a spectacular and colorful event attended by a great many people, both local and foreign tourists alike.



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