By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
For the sons and daughters of Kimbo scattered across Cameroon and abroad, the road home has always been measured in more than miles. It is measured in memory, in belonging and, now, in a renewed call to action.
That call came June 27, when Mua Pascaline Lukong took the helm of the Kimbo Cultural and Development Association (KIMCUDA) during an Elective General Assembly at Ngay Nso, Simbock in Yaounde.
She stepped into the role as President, inheriting a position that has, since 2017, navigated the turbulence of ongoing crisis while trying to keep a village’s heart beating.
The theme of the assembly, “Building Hope and Resilience in Challenging Time,” was not chosen lightly. It reflected both the struggles of the past and the fragile optimism of the present.
For Lukong, Branch President of Limbe and a member of the NSODA Executive, the moment carried the weight of both gratitude and gravity.
“My message to all sons and daughters of KIMCUDA is that, if you love where you come from, run to the nearest branch and register so that together, we all build our village,” Lukong said, her voice carrying the urgency of someone who knows that development does not happen by accident. “Build once village is not an individual issue but a collective one.”
For Lukong, the work is just beginning. She has already signaled a shift in approach, one rooted in intimacy and dialogue. Rather than grand pronouncements, she envisions a series of one-to-one meetings, a space where creative ideas can surface and where the association’s diverse voices can harmonize into a single, forward-moving chorus.
“I have pleaded with my executive that we need to create a one-to-one meeting, bring up creative ideas so that together, everyone can have one voice and move onward as one,” she said.
Her election, she acknowledged, was not solely her own doing. She described it as the work of God and made clear that her success would depend on the collective will of those she now leads.
Her election was overseen by Ngwang Wirngo Emmanuel, Secretary General of the Nso Cultural and Development Association (NSODA) alongside other dignitaries, marking a peaceful transition from Frederick Bankui Kidze, who had led the association since the height of unrest.
Kidze did not walk away quietly. He walked away with the quiet pride of a Kimbo man who had steered a ship through stormy waters.
“The newly elected president of KIMCUDA is a giant lady and I know her just like many others for her hard work,” Kidze said. “Everyone is behind her with their hearts because she is a committed woman.”
Looking back on his own tenure, Kidze described a journey that began in the middle of crisis. “I am leaving with my head high because when I was elected in 2017 in the middle of the crisis, my exco and I took it as a mandate to bring back KIMCUDA to its live mode and we did it,” he said. “Today we have branches all over the national territory and even outside the country with everyone thinking of how we make our village a better place.”
Kidze, for his part, offered a parting blessing to the community he once guided. “They should know that they got a beautiful development association and everyone should come on board,” he said. “They should take the opportunity to come and discover the association because it is a place of mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and for everyone.”
For the people of Kimbo, the changing of the guard is more than a leadership transition. It is a reminder that home is not a place you leave behind but a place you carry with you, and that building it anew requires every hand, every voice and every heart willing to say yes to the work ahead.
Kimbo Cultural and Development Association – New Executive Committee
- President: Mua Pascaline Lukong (Leader)
- Vice Presidents: Sahka Paul (1st) and Shey Lukong Louis Yuyar (2nd)
- Secretary General: Shey Mbuh Richard
- Assistant Secretary General: Yenla Claris
- Treasurer: Woisy Solange Tanlaka
- Financial Secretary: Banseka Eric
- Logistics Officers: Tav Clement Diewong and Gham Maureen
- Public Relations Officer (PRO): Shey Birfee Chifford
- Elder Advisors (Providing guidance and wisdom): Nyang Banyuy Fai Abubakar and Shey Bankul Frederick
