Seychelles is set to honour the legacy of Otumfuo Agyemang Prempeh I by converting the Anglican Church of Victoria, where the exiled Asantehene was baptised and confirmed, into a museum.
The announcement was made by President H.E. Wavel Ramkalawan during a durbar marking the 100th anniversary of Prempeh I’s return to Ghana from exile.
Otumfuo Prempeh I, who was exiled by British colonial authorities to Seychelles in 1900 at the age of 26, embraced Christianity during his time in the Indian Ocean archipelago. The church, where he received the sacraments of baptism and confirmation, will be preserved as a tribute to his time in Seychelles and his enduring impact on the country.
Speaking at the event, President Ramkalawan revealed that the museum project is already underway, with the necessary documentation signed. “We will be turning the very chapel in which King Prempeh I received the sacrament of holy communion and confirmation into a museum,” he announced. “This has already been accepted. I have signed the papers, and in the presence of King Prempeh I, his legacy will continue to live on.”
In a parallel initiative, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the current Asantehene, is spearheading efforts to establish a museum at a cottage near Prempeh I International Airport in Kumasi, Ghana. The cottage was frequently visited by Prempeh I following his return to Ghana. This announcement was made during a grand durbar held at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on November 23, 2024, after a symposium the day before. The event was presided over by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Asantehemaa Nana Konadu Yiadom III.
Distinguished guests at the event included the First Lady of Seychelles, H.E. Linda Ramkalawan; Prime Minister of Eswatini, Russell Mmiso Dlamini; former Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor; Ghana’s High Commissioner to Seychelles, Francisca Ashietey-Odunton; and Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, founder of the Movement for Change. The museum projects in both Seychelles and Ghana will stand as lasting tributes to the legacy of Otumfuo Agyemang Prempeh I, celebrating his cultural and historical significance.
