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Bamasaba family endorses new leader as rival faction protests
Mr Jude Mike Mudoma, who was endorsed by clan leaders, receives a spear from Mr John Musila, the Manafwa District chairperson, during the installation ceremony in November last year. PHOTO/FRED WAMBEDDE
What you need to know:
- Mr Richard Wambedde, the institution’s spokesperson, said Mr Wagabyalire was illegally elected.
- Mr Mudoma and Mr Wagabyalire were both elected as successors by parallel organs of the institution in November and December, respectively.
The Mwambu family in Bamasaba cultural institution has endorsed Mr Jude Mike Mudoma from Buyobo Clan in Sironko District as the duly elected Umukukha of Inzu Ya Masaba amid protest from a parallel faction.
The new Umukukha replaced the late Bob Mushikori, who died last month.
The first cultural leader, Mr Wilson Wamimbi, who was elected in 2010, came from the Wanaale family while the late Mushikori was from Mubuuya.
Nine clan members from the Mwambu and delegates elected Mr Mudoma during a verification meeting in Sironko Town last Friday.
The meeting was organised after the Minister of State for Gender and Culture, Ms Peace Mutuuzo, earlier said the Mwambu family should resolve the impasse since the two parallel cultural leaders are from the same family.
“The Mwambu family should come up with a very firm decision on who becomes the next Umukukha,” Ms Mutuuzo said.
However, Mr John Wagabyalire Amuran, a parallel cultural leader from the Halasi clan, shunned the meeting.
Mr Mudoma and Mr Wagabyalire were both elected as successors by parallel organs of the institution in November and December, respectively. None of them has yet been gazetted by the government.
Earlier, Mr Wagabyalire released his cabinet, appointing Mr Geoffrey Wetpondi as the prime minister and Mr Omar Njofu as prime minister for the Bamasaba of Kenya chapter.
He also appointed advisers, including Mr Cornelius Wekunya, Canon Andrew Nyote, Mr Dominic Wetangula, Mr Moses Kiizibo, among others.
Analysts told Daily Monitor that Mr Wagabyalire’s decision to appoint a cabinet complicated the dialogue process.
“Each group is determined to have the throne and the recent decision by Mr Wagabyalire to appoint a cabinet makes dialoguing further complicated,” Mr Amos Mafabi from Namanyonyi Sub-county in Mbale City, said.
However, Mr Wetpondi said they could not attend a meeting organised by a district chairperson because he does not have mandate to call for a cultural meeting.
He added that Ms Mutuuzo has no part in determining who to become the next Umukukha.
“As Bamasaba, we elect a leader and forward the name to the minister for gazetting. The minister has no powers to guide or find us our next cultural leader,” he said. However, Mr James Kangala, the institution’s parallel secretary general, said the resolution from the Mwambu family is law bidding.
“We are going to write a report and forward it to the relevant authorities on which they will base to gazzete Mr Mudoma as the next Umukukha of Bamasaba,” he said.
Mr Kangala said the Mwambu’s decision is also in line with section 16 of the Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act 6 of 2011, which provides the conflicts should be resolved internally.
“The act allows us to resolve conflicts, internally and that is what the family tried to do but the other group boycotted the meeting. That is how they have been behaving,” he said.
Mr Richard Wambedde, the institution’s spokesperson, said Mr Wagabyalire was illegally elected.
“They are after causing disunity and confusion in the institution but their days are numbered,” Mr Wambedde said.
The institution since its initial days of formation has had leadership challenges.
In 2013, another cultural leader, Mr Wash Joseph Kanyanya, going by the title Umukhungu Bukusu, was installed in Bududa District.
Way forward
Gender minister Peace Mutuuzo recently said government will gazette the new umukukha this month, adding that within two weeks, it will organise a series of meetings to resolve the standoff that led to elections of two parallel cultural leaders in the institution and thereafter gazette a genuine one.
