Why Bamasaba banned vulgar songs at Imbalu

The Bamasaba Cultural Institution, Inzu Ya Masaba, has banned the touching of women’s buttocks and the use of vulgar songs during imbalu ceremonies, saying these actions disrespect and violate women’s rights.

The decision comes ahead of this year’s imbalu launch scheduled to take place on August 3 at Mutoto Cultural Ground in Mbale City.  The ceremony will be presided over by President Museveni.

The regulations are aimed at restoring decency, sanity and also reducing risks that the errant Kadodi dancers pose to women, children and other road users.
 
Mr Steven Masika, the spokesperson of the institution, said police have been ordered to arrest any culprits.
 
“In Bamasaba culture, we sing songs that invigorate the candidate, not those ones that insult women. We have issued a warning against the immoral way of dancing where you find men touching the bums of our mothers and also dancing with young children in an improper way,” he said.

Mr Masika said clan leaders have also been instructed to institute committees to enforce the new regulations.
 
“The women’s bums are a very sensitive area so it’s immoral to touch them anyhow and we also appeal to women to dance responsibly so that they don’t attract men,” he said.
 
Imbalu is held every even year among the Bamasaaba, from the districts of Mbale, Namisindwa, Bududa, Bulambuli, Manafwa, Sironko and Mbale City.
 
The festivities have already kicked off in different parts of the sub-region with candidates donning traditional beads and bungles, rehearsal of imbalu songs and dances ahead of the launch.
 
The institution has so far organised pre-event activities, including coronation anniversary celebrations of Umukuka III, Mr Mike Jude Mudoma  at Mount Elgon Hotel on August 1 and followed by the Kadodi dance competitions among the families of Mwambu, Wanale and Mubuya on August 2 at Cricket Grounds in Mbale City.
 
The institution’s budget for this year’s imbalu is Shs1.1 billion.
 
Mr Moses Kutoi, the Inzu ya masaba minister for Culture, said they expect to host a big number of foreign kings and visitors.

These include seven kings from Nigeria, three from DR Congo, King Mswati III of Eswatini from Swaziland, the chairman of all kings in Africa and other Ugandan cultural leaders.
 
“The President of Uganda is expected to attend the event as the guest of honour and has also invited his colleague from Kenya, William Ruto and several ambassadors of different countries have also confirmed their attendance,” he said.
 
Mr Hassan Namonye, a resident of Mbale City, said the new measures would curb crime, especially defilement and rape.  

“The way those men hold women’s bums is disrespectful and disgusting. The institution has done a good move,” he said.

Some protests
However,  a section of elders in Bugisu Sub-region have expressed worry, saying the rituals performed during imbalu are being abandoned.
 
Mr Job Wanambwa, an elder, said the imbalu festivities are not regulated by the institution but by the gods. “Our educated sons, who are running the institution have abandoned our values and now they treasure the white man’s values. This is our culture and we practise it the way we inherited it. The women and men  have to dance without conditions,” he said.
 
Mr Peter Gusolo, also an elder,  said if the Bamasaba had stuck to their originality, their culture would be more known and celebrated around the world.

“Those daring moments in imbalu  exhibit responsibility and ability to withstand trials but unfortunately they are  being swept away by modernity,” Mr Gusolo said.

“Bamasaaba were brave people but because our culture is being diluted, our sons are producing children who are physically weak, that is why they now opt for casual circumcision,” he said.
 
Mr Gusolo said the candidates from Wanale and Mubuya were supposed to smear mud from sacred swamps on their bodies so that they are blessed and protected by the gods.

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