Rastafari Council of Kenya

18/08/2026

18/08/2026

For those who are interested in the post revolution Ethiopian Imperial dynasty, in addition to tomorrow being the birthday of Emperor Menelik II and the observance of the birthday of his consort Empress Taitu, it is also the birthday of a modern day royal figure.

Tomorrow (August 17) marks the 73rd birthday of Crown Prince Zera Yacob Amha Selassie. Had the monarchy survived in 1974 and the succession and lifespans remained the same, he would be Emperor Zera Yacob II, and be in the 29th year of his reign.

Prince Zera Yacob was born to Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen and his second wife Crown Princess Medferiashwork Abebe on August 17, 1953. He had four sisters, Princesses Idjigayehu, Mariam Sena, Sefrash Bizu and Sehin.

Prince Zera Yacob attended Eton College in the UK for his secondary education, and went on to Exeter College of Oxford University and Sandhurst Military Academy.

In 1973 his father Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen suffered a massive stroke and was rushed abroad for medical treatment. Amid the political turmoil, the uncertainty of the health of the heir apparent became an additional source of instability, and so under pressure of the new government of Lij Endalkatchew Makonnen, Emperor Haile Selassie named Prince Zera Yacob as “Acting Crown Prince”. He was reluctant to do so as it seemed to indicate a lack of confidence in his sons survival, something which must have pained the aged monarch who had already lost 5 of his seven children.

Never the less, Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed in September 1974 and the military Derg regime initially proclaimed Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen as King (rather than Emperor) to succeed his father. The Crown Prince who was in Switzerland receiving medical treatment did not acknowledge this proclamation and later issued a denunciation of the massacre of the sixty ex-officials by the Derg in November 1974. The Derg officially abolished the monarchy in March of 1975.

In April 1989, Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen was declared Emperor-in-exile at his home in London and confirmed Prince Zera Yacob as Crown Prince. In the interim, Prince Zera Yacob had completed his studies and worked briefly in finance. He had married and subsequently separated from Tiblet (Nunu) Getaneh by whom he had a daughter, Princess Lideta Zera Yacob. He moved briefly with his parents to the Virginia suburbs of Washington DC where there was a larger Ethiopian community in the early 1990’s, but soon returned to Britain.

In February 1997, Emperor Amha Selassie died in Alexandria Virginia and his body was returned for burial in the Imperial crypt at Addis Ababa’s Holy Trinity Cathedral. Crown Prince Zera Yacob accompanied by his mother and sisters presided at the first royal funeral in post revolutionary Ethiopia. In November 2000, he again led his siblings and cousins in presiding over the reburial of his grandfather Emperor Haile Selassie.

His Imperial Highness lives a very quiet and private life making extremely rare public appearances, such as at the inauguration of the statue of Emperor Haile Selassie at the African Union headquarters.

But for circumstances of history and politics, this man would have been the reigning monarch of the world’s oldest monarchy. A symbol of continuity, stability and legitimacy. Instead he is a quiet symbol of an ancient legacy which has been assaulted and battered for decades by those who lack all of the above. With the horrors betrayals and incompetence of recent times, it is clear nothing has changed for the better. In fact it has been a downward spiral of blood and tears ever since…but that is another story….

May he have a happy birthday.

✍🏾 by Solomon Kibriye

18/08/2026

182 years ago in the town of Angolalla in Northern Shewa, a son was born to Abeto Beshah Wered (later Negus Haile Melekot) and Woizero Idjigayehu Lemma. The child would be baptized as Sahle Mariam, but his grandfather Negus Sahle Selassie, king of Shewa, renamed him Menelik.

The baby born on August 17, 1844 would eventually mount the Imperial throne as Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia. He would successfully consolidate the authority of the central government over peripheral areas, and restored the sovereignty of the Ethiopian Crown over the various vassal kingdoms and sultanates who had functioned with autonomy since the Zemene Mesafint (“Era of the Princes”, a time of strife and disorder) or the earlier Gragn Wars. He would successfully defend his realm against Italian colonialism, decisively defeating the largest European army assembled in Africa until that time at the Battle of Adwa in 1896. He started his country on the road to modernity, setting up the foundations for development.

Menelik was taken prisoner as a small boy by Emperor Tewodros II during that Emperor’s forcefull campaign to bring Shewa back under direct imperial rule. Although imprisoned, Tewodros developed a deep affection for the little prince and treated him as his own son. When Menelik came of age Tewodros even married him to his daughter Alitash Tewodros. However Menelik soon after escaped detention abandoning his bride and returning to Shewa and claiming his father’s throne. Although from that point, Tewodros and Menelik were political opponents and Menelik was a claimant of the throne Tewodros occupied, personal feelings were different. Tewodros, once his initial rage subsided said he understood why Menelik had done what he did, but that he was hurt that he chose to abandon his bride. For his part when Menelik heard of Tewodros II’s defeat and su***de at Magdala, he shut himself away and wept inconsolably for three days. Tewodros had after all been a father to him.

During his time as King of Shewa he demonstrated his skill at governing, his natural diplomacy, and his skill st picking hood advisors. He made a devoted friend of his one time enemy, King Tekle Haimanot of Gojjam, and navigated a rocky relationship with Emperor Yohannes IV, placing himself in a position to assume the Imperial throne he had long claimed after Yohannes IV fell at Mettema fighting the Mahdists.

As Emperor Menelik II was the type of leader who suspended the collection of taxes when a rinderpest outbreak killed off most cattle including ploughing oxen, triggering a devastating famine. He led by example going out to personally break the earth with a hand held hoe, to encourage cattle-less farmers to do the same, stressing that there was no dishonor in working with one’s hands if even the crowned and anointed monarch could do so. Easily moved by the plight of others, compassionate and merciful, he earned the nickname Imiye Menelik እምዬ ምኒልክ (Mother Menelik) because he was seen to be more like an indulgent and affectionate mother figure, than the typical stern father figure image of traditional Emperors. Tolerant in matters of religion, firmly believing that everyone had the right to practice their religion unmolested, he nevertheless was personally a devout member of the Orthodox Church and devoted to the Virgin Mary. He had the ability to turn enemies into friends, but was firm when firmness was needed. He had a childlike delight in new inventions and technological advancements. He dreamed sbout how they could improve the lives of his people. His reign saw the introduction of electricity, the telephone, telegraphs, automobiles, trains, modern western style schools, hospitals and diplomatic ties with the major powers, thanks to his heroic political and military leadership that achieved victory over invading Italy at Adwa.

In recent years, shameless revisionists have tried to turn Emperor Menelik II into a monster. It is an insidious effort to undermine the Ethiopianism he stood for. However, truth and history cannot remain buried or be corrupted forever. The truth will prevail.

May the memory of Menelik II, King of Kings of Ethiopia, be eternal.

✍🏾 Solomon Kibriye

18/08/2026

August 17 also marks the 175th birthday of Empress Taitu Bitul (August 17, 1851 - February 11, 1918)

Taitu Bitul was born in 1851 in Debre Tabor to Ras Bitul Haile Mariam of Semien and his wife Woizero Yewubdar. Her mother was from the minor nobility of Beghemidir, but her father was from one of the most aristocratic families of northern Ethiopia. His half brother was Dejazmatch Wube Haile Mariam was the ruler of most of northern Ethiopia and lost out on being crowned Emperor only by being defeated and imprisoned by Tewodros II (who eventually married his daughter). She was also descended from Ras Gugsa the Great, whose dynasty of Princes from Yejju in Wollo who had served as regents (virtually shoguns) who had ruled in the name of the latter Emperors in Gondar who were virtually their puppets. She was thus of mixed Amhara and Oromo ancestry and fiercely proud of her heritage.

Taitu married Menelik when he was still King of Shewa. She was his third wife, and he was her fourth husband. Their marriage however was the only one for both that was sanctified in church and and through Holy Communion which made it insoluble. When Menelik II was crowned Emperor she became Empress-Consort. In the past, Empress-Consorts of Ethiopia were always crowned by their husbands in their palace on a separate occasion from his own coronation. Empress Taitu was the first Empress-Consort to be crowned like her husband in the Church by the Archbishop on the third day of the week long celebration of her husband’s coronation.

Empress Taitu is credited with founding the present capital of Ethiopia, and naming it Addis Ababa (New Flower). The seat of her husband’s kingdom had been atop Mt. Entoto, which was cold and inhospitable, and was increasingly lacking in wood for construction and fuel. Taitu built a house on the hilly plateau below Entoto close to the hot springs there which she and her ladies would use as a spa. Other nobles built homes nearby, followed by their attendants and those trading with their households and thus a city was born. She named it Addis Ababa, and today it is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia, as well as Africa’s Diplomatic capital as the seat of the African Union, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and numerous other international and continental institutions.

Empress Taitu was no decorative spouse to be restricted to adorning her husband’s court in glittering finery and ceremonial niceties. She was in every way an equal partner in his rule. She was privy to all state affairs and voiced her opinion in all matters. Her views carried great weight with her husband and his advisors. Even the greatest nobles would admit that she could reduce them to children with a few words. She was unrivaled as a political player and a formidable strategist. During the run up to the first Italo-Ethiopian war she led the hardliners who urged the Emperor not to give an inch. She commanded her own military units in the war, and was the person who came up with the idea of cutting the water supply to to the Italian fortress on Mount Enda Yesus at the battle of Mekelle, and was thus the key to that victory. She was present and contributed at the subsequent great victory at Adwa.

Taitu was more conservative and cautious than her adventurous and innovation loving husband. Where he was always eager to embrace modernization, technology, and innovation, she would cautiously consider what the impact of these would be on society, and the resources needed for them. When Alfred Ilg was aggressively promoting the building of a railroad from Addis Ababa to Djibouti, Menelik told him it was Taitu that he needed to convince. Ilg passionately made his case for the economic benefits, but Taitu pointed out that this railroad would devastate the operators of the camel caravans, mostly lowland Muslims whose societies depended greatly on this livelihood of carrying trade back and forth between the highlands and the coasts. Who would feed their wives and children she wanted to know. Menelik was a debonair easy going man in daily life. He could be determined and resolute in matters of life and death, but on routine issues he often preferred to defer decisions rather than offend or upset people with a difficult decision. His wife had no such issue, and so he often relied on her to make those decisions in his place. The Emperor was known for saying “Ishi nege” (roughly ok, let’s discuss tomorrow) while Empress Taitu was known for her resolute “imbi” (no). As a result the Emperor was massively popular man with a deserved reputation of great compassion, while his wife’s reputation suffered during her lifetime. This is perhaps not surprising. Strong female leaders are often resented and the subject of gossip even today in the “developed” west, never mind in the late 1800s Africa. Empress Taitu had a strong suspicion of the intentions of western powers in Ethiopia. She always questioned their motives and viewed their many offers and schemes with a strong skepticism. She did not believe that their intentions were friendly in the least, and cautioned that the quest for modernity had to be tempered with vigilance for Ethiopia’s independence. As such western diplomats labeled her as hostile to foreigners and being “reactionary”. It is certainly true that she had distaste for Ethiopians who adopted western dress and mannerisms. She believed that her country and its people needed to be protected, and saw all sorts of cultural, religious and political threats surrounding them.

Taitu Bitul was a woman who loved her country and worked to improve the lives of its people alongside her husband. She at the same time worked to preserve her country’s interests. She was a person fully capable of ruling the Empire in her own right. She is a towering figure in our history, not just as a female leader, but a LEADER period!

✍🏾 Solomon Kibriye

13/08/2026

HEAR YE, HEAR YE!👂🏿📣

"And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever." - 2 Samuel 7:16

The Twelve Tribes of Israel, 🇰🇪 will celebrate the Earthstrong of His Imperial Majesty, Crown Prince Zere Yacob Asfa Wossen, as well as the Honourable Marcus Garvey and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Menelik II, on Monday, August 17, 2026, at our headquarters in Gikambura (Matt No. 112 from Kikuyu Town).

FUNDAY at 10:00 am 🎉🎊
Devotion at 8:00 pm 🛐

COME ONE, COME ALL!
All Rasta mansions are welcome! 🙏🏿

11/08/2026

Rastafari Council, Ghana

Virtual Town Hall Meeting

Date : Sunday 23rd, August 2026

Venue : Zoom

Time: 7pm Sharp

Agenda :
1. Current state of Rastafari in Ghana
2. Strengthening RCG and the Commissions
3. Rastafari Continental Council Summit/ All African Rastafari Gathering hosted by Nigeria
4. Insurance
5. AOB

Rastafari Works Must Be Done

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89922485098?pwd=VSWA58X52EDduDqKnun0rBexhJBIw5.M 1

11/08/2026

Priest Marfo discusses the untenable prohibitionist logic specifica...