The Kingdom of Kubala is more farce than fiction

Scotland's Kingdom of Kubala has all the hallmarks of a work of fiction.

A king dressed head to toe in African dress, a barefoot queen and a face-painted American "maid" who serves her masters.

The gang claim they are not campers, but royalty returning home.

But this farcical spectacle, complete with the constant sound of traditional tribal singing, is playing out in real life in a Scottish town that is divided by being the centre of international attention.

Sky News pays a visit to the 'Kingdom'

Tucked away in woods on the edge of an industrial estate in the Scottish Borders area of Jedburgh, a self-proclaimed African tribe have set up home.

They claim they are reclaiming Scottish soil taken from their ancestors 400 years ago. But not a shred of credible evidence has emerged, so far, to substantiate their story.

We arrive at 10am to the sight of two large tents, a fire pit, a makeshift toilet and a food table with a bottle of Bisto gravy.

The camp, a 15-second walk from a local plant machinery business, is silent.

The zip of one tent makes a noise, and there is some rustling before a young woman slowly emerges.

The tribe refuse to speak without "gifts" being delivered. They call them tidings. We hand them a supermarket bag with water, muffins and grapes.

And with that, the imaginary door is open to learn more about this Kingdom of Kubala.

Why are they refusing to budge?

The three members are quite the characters.

One man is in a polygamous relationship with two women, whom he calls his wives. They are the self-titled king, queen and handmaiden.

They are refusing to leave the woodland despite an eviction notice from the local council.

Legal action to kick them out is under way with court officials expected to make a move in the coming days.

They were previously ejected from privately-owned land just metres from their current location after being removed by sheriff officers.

Sky News understands surrounding landowners are now seeking legal advice before the latest eviction begins as officials try to avoid a repeat of the circus last time.

Who are they?

"My role is to do all the housework... If the chores aren't done, the tent isn't clean, and the camp is not where it needs to be, then I am held responsible," says young American woman Kaura Taylor, who refers to herself as Asnat, the handmaiden of the group.

I asked if she is being coerced or is there on her own free will.

She responds saying: "Definitely 100%, this is my calling, this is my purpose, and this is what I was created to do."

King Atehene, who snaps a twig from a tree and chews on it while he speaks, is Kofi Offeh.

A recent report by The Scottish Sun suggested Mr Offeh was formally a businessman and director of performing arts firms which were struck off.

He dodges my questions about occupying land in the Scottish Borders that does not belong to him.

He said: "I have come to reclaim my heritage and the lost land. The land and the earth belong to the creator of the heavens and the earth."

Pressed on demands they must leave, the so-called king replied: "No one should be able to tell us to leave this land. It belongs to our forefathers."

Queen Nandi, whose real name is Jean Gasho, refers to her husband in almost every breath, calling him "messiah" and the "holy grail".

She is thought to be behind the group's growing social media audience.

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Growing social media fascination

They have a TikTok account with more than one million views and 60,000 followers as people become gripped by the chaos.

Some viewers hand over cash donations to the group.

The queen tells Sky News: "We only follow the laws of the creator who has given this land to us. It already belongs to us."

Scott Hamilton, deputy leader of Scottish Borders Council, told Sky News officials will swoop in this week to remove them from the land.

He said: "We were obviously very relieved yesterday to get the news that we had been granted an eviction order. So, obviously, we are looking to execute that in an appropriate manner.

"I think we have to be aware of what happened last time when they moved simply to another piece of land.

"So, we are obviously looking at this in a much more coordinated effort. They are clever and they know what they are doing."

The main question is where the group will go next with the harsh, cold Scottish winter just around the corner.

(c) Sky News 2025: The Kingdom of Kubala is more farce than fiction