African royalty is coming to Wichita. 

His Royal Majesty Oklepeme Nuer Anorbaah Sasraku II, the Konor (King) of Yilo Krobo State in the Eastern Region of Ghana and his entourage will spend 10 days in south central Kansas meeting with community, business and church leaders.

Wakeelah Martinez, administrator of the African American Council of Elders and project lead,  said the king is also expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Council of Elders to officially create the 7th Division of Yilo Krobo and allow the Council to begin development of Wasenor, a new state in Yilo Krobo that will welcome African Americans to relocate there and have the full rights of citizenship.

He has said that the primary reason for his visit is that he wants to meet his brothers and sisters in Kansas, Martinez said. Wassenor means “younger sibling” in the Dangme language.

The King has given the Council of Elders of Wichita a beautiful, pristine mountain site of 500 acres that will be developed  for the new division.

The Wasenor Development 

Initial plans are under way for development of a 50-acre plot of the land.  The project, called the Wasenor Development, will consist of 40 horses built in pods of eight homes, facing each other.  A lead engineer on that project is long-time Kansas City businessman, community activist and engineer Ajamu Webster. 

Earlier this year, Webster retired and sold his business DuBoise Engineering.  He and his wife Lindy will be fulfilling their dream of retiring in Africa.  His work in Africa, and on this project, he says is the most fulfilling project of his career.  

Environmentally  friendly plans for the development include solar energy, rainwater collection for potable water and wells for supplemental water or fire fighting. All waste will be recycled or reused and gray water from showers, bathtubs, laundry and dishwashers will be used to water fruit trees and gardens. Black water from toilets will go into concrete pits where it will be treated with biological agents to break it down to be used for fertilizer.

Walking paths and an access road to connect the development to a main highway that goes to the capital city, Somanya, are planned along with the creation of a two-acre pond for recreation and as a fire break.

Sister City Relationship 

It is a project that began 10 years ago when the Council of Elders led former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer and Vice Mayor Lavonta Williams and other Wichita officials on a visit to Africa. The trip had a two-fold agenda: introducing Brewer to his African family, the Asante and Ga Dangme people and searching for an African Sister City.

Since that trip, the Council of Elders have hosted two royal visits, one in 2013 with then-king Nene Sakite and the Queen Mother Esther and in 2019, with the new Paramount Queen Mother of Manya, Koryo Piyogu Aplam II.

Following her visit, Martinez and County Commissioner Lacey Cruse visited Ghana and were honored for the work and the platform the Queen Mother was given while visiting Kansas. As a result of their visit, talks began with the Yilo Krobo Ministry of Aviation and Ministry of Education on the possibility of developing an aviation school in Ghana. 

In March of 2021, Martinez arranged yet another trip for a team of four people, Dr. Sandra Ross, herself, Imam Hanif and Thaia Grace.During that visit, they were given a durbar and officially adopted as members of Wassenor. 

Delegation’s Schedule  

The King and his delegation are scheduled to arrive in Wichita on Monday, Oct. 24. Visits to Mueller Elementary School, Brooks Middle School, North High and possibly WSU Technical College are planned. The delegation will also meet with Wichita city officials and will spend a day at the Hesston College of Aviation, which is a partner in the plans for the Wasenor development. 

A tour of Holy Savior Academy and a meeting with the Council of Elders, where the Memorandum of Understanding is expected to be signed are also on the agenda as well as attending a church service at Iasis Christian Center and a Community Meet and Greet.

A Visionary King

Oklepeme has impressive academic credentials preparing him for his service as King. He is currently a candidate for the award of Doctor of Business Administration in Supply Chaim Management from the Southern Columbia University, USA. He also holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Australian Institute of Business, Master of Law from the Salford University, UK and Robert Kennedy University in Switzerland.

In addition he has a graduate Diploma in Law from London School of Economics and Political Science, a graduate diploma in management students from the Australia Institute of Business and a certificate in administration and management from Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.