I read with shock an article written by Rhyman Agaba in the new vision of 09-02-26 titled “Isabaruuli offers to mediate in Bugisu leadership dispute” It is said that the offer was made when the cultural leader of the Buruli chiefdom, Constantine Mwogezi Butamanya hosted a delegation from Bugisu led by a one Masolo Yaaya Gidudu packaged as the rightful “Umukuuka” or the cultural leader of Bugisu.
This is obviously news to many Bugisu as this is the first time ever to hear the name Masolo Yaaya Gidudu as one of the people with a claim to our cultural throne. Matters are made worse that the host is the current chair of the Uganda Kings and Cultural leaders Forum and is expected to know his colleagues under the forum.
In a modern setting where leaders are held accountable for their actions, Butamanya’s decision to invite, leave alone host an imposter on matters of Bugisu culture and goes on to make such unsolicited offers is a basis for resignation and is a pathway for impeachment for bringing disrepute to the formation of respected cultural leaders across the country.
Any wise leader upon interfacing with a stranger like Gidudu would engage his counterpart Umukuuka Wa Bugisu to find out if any dispute exists and if his intervention is required and acceptable to both parties before offering himself as a mediator. Instead, he opted to invite journalists to make a public statement about his willingness to provide unsolicited mediation to the Bagisu without establishing if any such dispute does exist.
I am personally baffled at how Isabaruuli, a man whose very throne is under fire is able to make such a wild offer as if his own chiefdom is operating optimally. I would have expected him to first clean up his own house regarding unresolved Nakasongola land conflicts with and his quest for autonomy from the Mengo establishment.
One wonders why Isabaruuli is looking at the speck of sawdust in his brother’s eye- Umukuuka Wa Bugisu and paying little or no attention to the plank in his own eye?“ The book of Matthew 7:3-5 is emphatic on this subject and criticizes hypocrisy in judging others when one has his own problem that should take first priority.
We all know the history of the Buruli and how they have struggled with Buganda for autonomy and over the lost Counties which have remained a foundational conflict stemming from the 1900 Buganda Agreement. Whereas the Buruli chiefdom claims that this was a forced annexation, they still remain a chiefdom within Buganda.
Beyond the issues of being a chiefdom within the boundaries of Buganda, Isabaruuli is still pointing an accusing finger at the Kabaka for failing to honor a 2013 memorandum of understanding brokered by President Museveni, which was intended to grant autonomy to the Buruli and control over their administrative units and land in Nakasongola.
As recent as 2024 and 2025, the Isabaruuli warned of potential insecurity if the central government did not intervene to stop Buganda from, in their view, encroaching on their land. On December 14, 2024, tension flared over an installation ceremony of a Buganda chief in Nakasongola, which was only allowed to proceed after security forces intervened to keep the activity within the Kabaka’s palace.
In 2025, Isabaruuli continued to demand equal treatment to Buganda by the central government, particularly regarding land titles and funding, a claim that the government pushed under the carpet. All these are pointers that all is not well within the Baruli establishment to which they should focus their attention.
Back to Bugisu. we acknowledge there were disputes in the former outfit known as Inzu Ya Masaaba that prompted interventions of the Minister of gender, the Court, and other stakeholders, that is all in the past. Umukuuka Wa Bugisu upon his gazettement in 2023 is a Corporation Sole in accordance with the law on Traditional or Cultural Leaders and is not part of Inzu Ya Masaba, a Cultural Association.
Alarmed by the previous confusion, the government of Uganda on its own motion corrected the errors in what had been taken to be Institutions of the Traditional or Cultural Leaders in Uganda and it Published the corrections in the Corrigendum gazette Notice 966 of 2025. This is public information that Isabaruuli should be aware of.
It is unfortunate that the government has not sensitized the people about the reasons why they made the correction and the implications of the correction. But for clarity, the Umukuuka wa Bugisu is the first Corporation Sole Institution of the Cultural Leader for Bugisu, therefore, there can be no contention for the position he holds, by impostors or those contending to be leaders of Inzu ya Masaaba.
We have repeatedly reminded the public that the Attorney General and the Ministry of Gender did not change or re-name Inzu Ya Masaaba to Umukuuka Wa Bugisu as they are not clothed with the mandate to interfere with how Inzu Ya Massaaba, a Cultural Association is managed and by whom. Factually, Umukuuka Wa Bugisu has no legal or equitable interest in the affairs of Inzu Ya Massaaba and its day-to-day operations.
The fact that most of the promoters of Inzu Ya Masaaba have since died is not a problem, an amendment can be made using the known legal parameters if they so wish. That association however does not operate within the meaning of Article 246 of the Constitution of Uganda or the Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act.
As of today, there is no cultural or any known legal dispute before the Attorney General, Ministry of Gender or even the Courts of law regarding the Bugisu cultural establishment and it is also common knowledge that HRH Umukuuka Jude Mike Mudoma is the person recognized by the Government as Bugisu’s Cultural Leader.
For a long time, Bagisu have been looking for a unifier, a person who can bring a divided house to order, a man who supports his people without discrimination, a man who lobbies the central government for jobs for his people and a share of national cake, a man who reminds government to implement pledges and promises, let us give him a chance.
It is against this background that the Isabaruuli is advised to stop making careless utterances against Bugisu and its cultural leader. Such statements portray Isabaruuli as an attention seeker and as a leader who takes decisions hurriedly and then thinks through them later. Otherwise, we can only conclude that his unsolicited offer is a misguided missile.
Wadada Rogers is a commentator on political, legal and social issues. wadroger@yahoo.ca
