Inzu Ya Masaba cultural institution’s newly elected cultural leader Mr. Jude Mudoma has been sworn in as the officially recognized cultural leader of Bamasaba.
The grade one magistrate Ms. AniteTusiimire presided over the function that took place in Lukhobo at Malukhu in Mbale City.
A cultural leader is required by law once chosen and gazetted to swear the oath of office or make the affirmation of office in the presence of his subjects.
This comes barely two days after the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development gazetted Mr Jude Mudoma as the Umukukha [Umuguga] III of Bamasaba Cultural Institution aka Inzu Ya Masaba.
Mr Mudoma now officially becomes the Umukukha [Umuguga] III and will be the cultural leader of the Bamasaaba and Babukusu hailing from Uganda and Kenya.
Mr Mudoma was gazetted on August 4, 2023, under General Notice No. 1413 of 2023, according to Vol. CXVI No. 52.
The gazette signed by the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi Ongom dated 1 August 2023 on publication of the traditional or cultural leaders says,
“By powers conferred upon me by the constitution of the republic of Uganda, article 246 [1] and the institution of Traditional/cultural leaders act 2011, section 6 which states that where a traditional or cultural leader has been declared to exist in any area of Uganda in accordance with the culture, customs and traditions or wishes and aspirations of the people, the minister shall cause the declaration to be published in the Uganda gazette, I hereby cause Mr Jude Mudoma to be published and gazetted in The Uganda Gazette,”
Mr Mudoma became a cultural leader upon election by clan heads on 26 July at Lukhobo, in Malukhu in Mbale City and today he becomes Umukukha III elected by the Bamasaba 26 clan heads after the delegates failed to resolve the dispute that surrounded the throne for over two years.
Inzu Ya Masaba has been under Mr Amram Wagabyalire and the elect Mr Jude Mudoma both relaying unjustifiable claims to the Bugisu/Bamasaba cultural throne.
According to Inzu Ya Masaba constitution Article 8, 3, the Umukukha III of Inzu Ya Masaba is supposed to come from the Inda Ya Mwambu [Sironko and Bulambuli] administration, where Umuguga Mudoma comes from.
Umukukha Mudoma becomes Umukukha III elected by the Bamasaba 26 clan heads after the delegates failed to resolve on the dispute that surrounded the throne for over two years that saw Mr Amram Wagabyalire and the elect Mr Jude Mudoma both relaying unjustifiable claims to the Bugisu/Bamasaba cultural throne.
While a section of leaders supported the gazettement of Mr Mike Mudoma [Muyobo Clan] as the new Umukukha, others sided with John Wagabyalire Amram [Halasi clan] both of whom belong to Mwambu Clan.
Mr Mudoma said his target is to unite Bamasaba both in Uganda and Kenya under Inzu Ya Masaba. And I will also make sure the Bamasaba who are living in the diaspora are also united under this cultural institution.
“I have forgiven everyone and I pray that we forgive each other. I am not just coming to the office to sit, I am coming to lobby from the government and outside to ensure that we build Mutoto cultural site into kind of a museum for tourism. I am also aware that many of our children born today don’t know many things we used traditionally, my target is to educate my people and I encourage all Bamasaba to be hardworking,” said Mr Mudoma amidst applause from the audience.
He said “I am also calling for unity among the Bamasaba and I ask my bother Mr Wagabyalire and his camp to bury the hatchet, let us work together to develop Masaba land,” added Mr Mudoma.
Bamasaba have been in wrangles over who should be Umukukha
Although the minister of state for gender has on several occasions guided the parties to utilize Section 16 of the Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act, 2011 to settle their disputes, this had yielded no results.
The foregoing section provides in Section 16(1) that any conflict or dispute within the traditional or cultural institution or within the community shall be handled by a council of elders or clan leaders or a representative body chosen and approved by the community, in accordance with the traditions, customs and norms of dispute or conflict resolution pertaining to that community. This is what gives the clan heads powers to preside over.
About Bukukha /Buguga
Inzu Ya Masaba was created in 2010 with the aim of preserving and fostering the culture of the Bamasaba, the cultural institution which comprises members from 26 clans across Bugisu sub-region.
The Bamasaba cultural institution aka Inzu Ya Masaba has been bogged down by leadership wrangles that worsened with the death of Bob Mushikori in 2021.
After Mushikori’s death, two parallel search committees for a new Umukukha were instituted by parallel factions, resulting in the election of two rival cultural heads for the same institution; Mr Jude Mudoma and Mr John Wagabyalire.
In the renewed efforts by the government to settle the impasse between the two factions, the minister of state for gender and cultural affairs Ms Peace Mutuuzo on July 14 wrote the former Umukukha [Emeritus Umukukha Wilson Wamimbi I] asking him to convene a meeting of 26 clan leaders to resolve the issue “within 30 days from the date of reception of the letter”
Division and intrigue intensified among Bugisu political leaders over the pending gazettement of the new Umukukha.
This voting by elders comes after the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Mr Frank Tumwebaze, in his April 6 letter declined to gazette any of the parallel elected cultural leaders.
Mr Tumwebaze instead asked the leaders to utilise Section 16 of the Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act, 2011 to settle their disputes before reporting to his office.
