Bafaw’s Royal Palace today denied rumours Chief Mukete was dying in a Douala clinic after CIR announcind he was receiving treatment at a private hospital in French Cameroun due to a complication arising from fatigue.  Despite having suffered for falling to take his medication and breakfast on the day of the incident, the Bafaw King is currently on with his offical agenda.

The Chief’s health, and speculation, were top in Southern Cameroons after it was announced the monarch  had collapsed during a South West Chiefs Conference meeting in the Limbe County.

The 99-year-old king, who uses a walking stick, has appeared visibly more frail in recent months. We gathered he made a joke about rumours of his travel to the land of his ancestors, “In my sleep I heard the sub chiefs crying Papa is gone!! Papa is gone!! Who will take care of us?”

A source in the palace revealed that the heavy movements in and out of the palace in Kumba seen recently were a group of elders and Bafaw title holders preparing the funeral rites of the late wife of Prince Ekale Mukete.

Though Chief V.E.Mukete is widely respected, a series of scandals in recent years including the judicial process over the murder of Barrister Eseme have tarnished his image.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from Fru James in Kumba