MBALE – The ministry of Gender, labour and social development has declined to gazette the Bamasaba cultural leader [Umukukha] sighting confusion.
In a letter dated 18 December to the speaker Bamasaba cultural institution [Inzu Ya Masaba] the permanent secretary Ministry of Gender, labour and social development Mr Abbey Kibenge says there is a lot of confusion, disunity, uncertainty and disharmony among the Bamasaba.
This letter comes a week after two factions in the Bamasaba cultural union presented two cultural leaders Mr Jude Mike Mudoma and Mr Amram Wagabyalile for gazetting.
In the Bamasaba cultural union under a rotational house elected Mr Mudoma as the 3rd Umukukha [from Inda Ya Mwambu] for Inzu Ya Masaba on 13 October and installed on 21 November but later on 11 December another faction headed by Sister Rose Nelima elected another Umukukha Mr Wagabyalile.
“We are in receipt of a letter signed by Sister Rose Nelima and Mr Geoffrey Wepondi indicating that the appointment of Mr Jude Mudoma as the cultural leader of Bamasaba is null and void. To them the cultural leader is Mr Amram Wagabyalile,” reads the letter in part signed by Mr Kibenge.
The letter adds that in view of the conflicting information orchestrated by two leadership structures; on one side led by Sister Rose Nelima who doubles as the headmistress Mbale School of the Deaf and the other by Mr Nelson Wedaira, the ministry has observed that this is creating confusion and disharmony.
“Therefore I invite the speaker, secretary general, the chairperson of the culture council of both factions and the prime and the chairperson of governing council and the chairperson select committee to a meeting on 29 December at 10,00am in the ministry’s board room,” PS Kibenge’s letter reads in part.
This comes barely a month after a high court restraint order dated 24 August signed by the resident Judge Hon Justice Jesse Byaruhanga in the presence of Mr Geoffrey Wepondi also put off the elections of Umukukha.
“An order maintaining the status quo and staying the election process of the applicant’s next cultural leader, Umukukha III pending determination of the miscellaneous cause no.15 0f 2020,” reads the order signed by the Resident judge.
The court order was prompted by an application by N. Mugoda advocates on behalf of Mr Geoffrey Wepondi, Inzu Ya Masaba who sought for an adjournment to allow court hear the application [[Misc cause No.15 of 2020] by the LCV chairpersons for being segregated from attending all Inzu Ya Masaba meetings intended to elect Umukukha III.
Mr Wepondi says that the LCV chairpersons of the six districts in Bugisu sub-region are not satisfied by the way things are being done by Mr Nelson Wedaira [the legitimate speaker of Inzu Ya Masaba], Dr Christopher Bunoti, the legitimate head of cultural and Rev James Kangala, the legitimate secretary general of the Inzu Ya Masaba.
It must be noted that under 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.
Reports reaching PML Daily indicate that during an emergence general assembly 3 August, a search committee was instituted that started the search for Umukukha III and that using the guidelines, they named; Mr Cosma Busiima [Sulani Clan], Mr Mudoma Jude [Muyobo clan] Mr Wagabyalile Amram [Halasi Clan] and Mr Womakuyu Patrick [Lago Clan] for Umukukha III elections.
Rev Kangala says that although Inda Ya Mwambu wrote back saying they don’t have other names for Umukukha III, the Inzu Ya Masaba culture council has postponed twice the verification of the candidates due to division within Inzu Ya Masaba.
He revealed that apparently there are two factions in the Inzu Ya Masaba one loyal to the outgoing Umukukha Bob Mushikori who don’t want him to leave even after his term has expired and those who think things must be done in the right way
PML Daily has learnt that on June 2, a faction of monarchists from Inzu Ya Masaba convened at Malukhu in Mbale in yet another move to start the search for the next Umukukha [cultural leader] but was failed by police.
And prior to this meeting, another meeting had been held in Lukhobo chaired by Sister Rose Nelima, the Speaker to the cultural institution also intended to start a search for a new cultural leader for Inzu Ya Masaba.
In these two meetings, the two factions have been at war with each other; the legitimate cultural council leaders in Bamasaba cultural institution [Rev James Kangala, Dr Christopher Bunoti, Mr Nelson Wadaila [Speaker] and Dr Stephen Mungoma the governing board head with another illegitimate faction headed by Sister Rose Nelima that is loyal to the present Umukukha Mr Bob Mushikori.
Although both factions have the aim of rejuvenating their focus on the election of the next Umukukha, the ministers loyal to outgoing Umukukha Bob Mushikori are also fronting a person who will help retain them as ministers in the new Inzu Ya Masaba.
There are also reports that Bugisu/Bamasaba Cultural Institution is also embroiled in financial scandals where some leaders have been accused of soliciting financial support from different sources without declaring what they received to the treasury.
Mr Wedaira says that at this time, Inzu Ya Masaba is supposed to be having a new Umukukha III but that their efforts have been failed by people with vested selfish interests.
Mr Stephen Masika, a lecturer at Makerere and also keen on cultural matters in Bugisu said the Bamasaba are confused just because they don’t have a vision for the cultural Union.
“These people just wanted the cultural union for selfish interests. We have had the first Umumukha Mr Wilson Wamimbi and the second one Mr Bob Mushikori but there is nothing to show on ground,” said Mr Masika.
He explained that the Bamasaba are behaving like the historical French bourbons who had learnt nothing and forgot nothing. “If we did not get anything, not even a brick from the two reigns, what do you expect to get from Mr Wagabyalile, a local person without links,”.
The outgoing Umukukha Bob Mushikori PML Daily that he is waiting to hand over to new Umukukha as long as he is elected.
“Yes, I am willing to handover but I have not seen whom to handover,” said Umukukha Mushikori.
