SHINYANGA, Tanzania — Traditional leaders from across East and Southern Africa have renewed calls for stronger regional cooperation through cultural diplomacy, with Kenya’s Anzauni Clan Patron Dr Augustus Kyalo Muli urging communities to preserve their shared heritage as a foundation for peace, unity and development.
Dr Muli was among prominent traditional leaders who joined thousands of revellers in Shinyanga for the annual 7.7 Saba Saba Celebrations, a four-day cultural festival hosted by the Sukuma community and the Busiya Kingdom under His Royal Highness Chief Makwaia III.
The celebrations, which culminate every July 7, are regarded as the largest annual cultural gathering of the Sukuma people, Tanzania’s largest ethnic community. This year’s event drew chiefs, elders and cultural delegations from Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa and representatives of the Zulu Kingdom, transforming Shinyanga into a meeting point for African traditions and cross-border cultural exchange.
Representing the Anzauni Clan at the personal invitation of Chief Makwaia III, Dr Muli said Africa’s traditional institutions remain critical in strengthening people-to-people relations and preserving values that transcend modern political boundaries.
“We are one people with one history. The Anzauni Clan is proud to celebrate with our Sukuma brothers and sisters. Culture is the bridge that connects Nairobi to Shinyanga,” Dr Muli told the gathering.
He said cultural heritage should be viewed not only as a symbol of identity but also as a strategic pillar for regional integration, social cohesion and sustainable development across East Africa.
Throughout the four-day festival, thousands witnessed colourful traditional dances, indigenous music, cattle exhibitions, elders’ councils and cultural ceremonies celebrating the customs that have shaped generations of the Sukuma people.
Welcoming the international delegations, Chief Makwaia III said the annual celebrations continue to strengthen bonds among African communities by creating a platform where traditional leaders exchange ideas, preserve indigenous knowledge and promote peaceful coexistence.
“On July 7 we remember who we are. When chiefs meet, our people are strengthened and our traditions live on,” the Busiya monarch said.
The growing participation of delegations from Kenya, South Africa and the Zulu Kingdom reflected an emerging trend in which traditional leadership is increasingly complementing government-led regional integration by fostering cultural understanding, heritage preservation and grassroots diplomacy.
On the sidelines of the celebrations, Dr Muli held bilateral discussions with Chief Makwaia III on strengthening cooperation between the Anzauni Clan and the Busiya Kingdom. Their talks focused on cultural preservation, educational exchanges, community development and cultural tourism as avenues for deepening relations between communities in Kenya and Tanzania.
The Kenyan delegation returned home on Tuesday carrying a royal message of goodwill and an invitation for Sukuma elders to visit Kenya in 2027 as part of a reciprocal cultural exchange programme expected to further cement ties between the two communities.
The next 7.7 Saba Saba Celebrations will be held from July 4 to July 7, 2027, in Shinyanga, with organisers projecting wider participation from traditional leaders and cultural institutions across the African continent.
