The family of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, returned to their ancestral home, Nkroful, last week, to join the people of Nzema in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region to celebrate this year’s Nkrumahfest.
Led by Nkrumah’s daughter, Samia Yaba Nkrumah, the family participated in this year’s festival, organised to honour the legacy of
While Ms Nkrumah is a known face in Ghana, the younger generation of Nkrumah’s descendants were making the trip to Nkroful officially for the first time and the return marked more than a ceremonial visit.
The grandchildren who accompanied her were Kwame Nkrumah Jnr Princess Fathia, named after her grandmother and Yusuf Gokhe Nkrumah.
The 2026 NkrumahFest at Nkroful brought together members of the Nkrumah family, political leaders, academics, Pan-Africanists, traditional authorities, young people and other guests to commemorate Ghana’s first President and reflect on his vision for Ghana and Africa.
Forgive us
Explaining their absence from their ancestral home of Nkroful, Ms Nkrumah said their prolonged absence from their ancestral home was due to the painful experiences surrounding her father’s political life had left them traumatised and fearful.
She on behalf of her siblings, apologised for that, saying: “I want you to forgive us for staying away from our home for so long,” she said.
Samia recalled witnessing the personal cost of Nkrumah’s political commitment, including surviving assassination attempts.
She said she remembered seeing her father wounded and covered in blood following one of the attacks, experiences she said had a lasting effect on the family.
“We were traumatised, we were scared, we were confused,” she said.
But she said the family had now decided to return and play its part in Ghana’s development, unity and progress.
“But the good news is that we’ve come back.
And we want to make a contribution to Ghana’s progress, to Ghana’s development, and to Ghana’s unity,” she stated.
Inspiring the future
She said the family’s renewed engagement was not simply about honouring Nkrumah as a historical figure, but ensuring that his ideas continue to be examined and used to inspire future generations, pledging the family’s continued support for NkrumahFest.
She also commended the organisers for using the festival to expose younger generations to Nkrumah’s philosophy and Pan-African vision.
She specifically acknowledged the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, a convener of the festival.
“It is for this reason that the Nkrumah family will always support what our brother is doing, what Honourable Buah is doing with NkrumahFest, enlightening the younger generation. Honourable, the Nkrumah family is behind you,” she said.
She said the family’s participation was intended to help reconnect young Ghanaians and Africans with Nkrumah’s ideas.
“We are here because we want to reintroduce our father’s ideas to the younger generation. Because we believe he was speaking Africa’s truth,” she added.
