By Spy Uganda
Concerned Bagisu have petitioned HE. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to intervene in their matters and save their cultural institution they say is on the verge of collapse due to incapable leadership.
In a letter inked by Hon. Mathias Nabutele the Deputy Prime Minister Royal and Protocol Duties of Umukuuka II, says that Bugisu political wing abandoned its political role and overran the cultural institutional framework.
”The confusion is caused by the directive from the Ministry of Gender dated 14th July 2023, The letter triggered Inzu Ya Masaaba Cultural Institution constitution abrogation on the 26th July 2023. The Bamasaba Community is under uncertainty because the Ministry Directive was not in good faith. The new illegal administrative structure was established and gazetted by the said ministry without clear due process. Incidentally, the structure is curved under the political boundaries of Uganda denying the involvement of our cultural kins across the Kenyan border like in the past two cultural leader’s electoral processes,” reads the petition to the President.
”It is a suspected futuristic national political scheme targeting Ugandan politics not cultural relations in the East African Community like it has been during the past two cultural leaders. The Gender Ministry is behind the sinister motive with a few individuals from our region, such a cultural cum political gamble is very costly to manage when it explodes in a different direction,” further reads the petition.
In fact, Bagisu say that even the spirits are unhappy with what is going on saying that lightning struck and killed three cows recently during the swearing-in ceremony of the current cultural leader, a sign that not only the Bagisu are disappointed but also the ancestors are grieving.
Hon. Mathias Nabutele further inks to the President thus;
”Sir in a written reply reference P/1 9th August 2020 to His Highness Sir Bob Mushikori, Umukuuka II of Inzu Ya Masaaba, You congratulated him for a successful term of office and advised him to ensure that the law is followed to elect his successor. Sir upon your advice, the Late Umukuuka was implemented accordingly, later it was clearly tabled on the floor of parliament during HH Bob Mushikori (RIP) eulogy on 10th Feb 2021 as per the Parliamentary Hansard records.
It was unfortunate that there was a global Pandemic Covid 19 under which stringent measures could not permit gatherings to conduct the process, coupled with a restraint court order originating from an electoral procedure dispute, a court ruling was delivered on 10th November 2020.
Later on, His Highness Bob Mushikori (RIP) exercised his powers as a corporation sole (UMUKUUKA II) and oversaw a legally binding process which dully elected John Amram Wagabyalire as UMUKUUKA III elect among other competitors in full attendance of our delegates assembly including the Kenyan representative.
Sir the same process was gazetted and forwarded to the Ministry of Gender for gazettement as the law established.
It is unfortunate that while the whole country was under very tight restricted movement, a section of some people disobeyed your directives and claimed to have assembled in October to elect another person without the supervision of the sitting cultural leader as prescribed in Inzu Ya Masaaba Cultural Institution Constitution. (In other words, it was a palace coup against Umukuuka II).
It is absurd that the Gender Ministry failed to implement and sought advice from Attorney General about the gazettement process.
The AG responded to the minister with an opinion and later Elder Mike Jude Mudoma and others sued both AG and Gender Ministry to compel the minister to gazette him. The case was dismissed hence staying the AG opinion.
Your excellency it is a pity that some Bugisu Political wing members have influenced and arm-twisted the above events under the guise of political patronage. They went ahead and influence government officials resulting in contradicting actions by senior and junior ministers respectively.
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The Minister of Gender in April 2023 directed the director UPPS to gazette Jude Mike Mudoma as Umukuuka III of INZU Ya Masaaba without considering the Attorney Generals’ Opinion on 28th November 2021.
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On July 14th, 2023, the State Minister for Gender Cultural Affairs used the Mudoma Ruling as a guide and called for specific 26 clan heads of her choice to conduct and election contrary to Inzu Ya Masaaba Constitution which only elects a cultural leader through an assembly by Clan Delegates involving women and youth representatives of (54 in Number).
It is very evident that all meetings are being conducted and organized at the Mbale District headquarters and attended by politicians whose outcomes have caused tension within the Bamasaaba community. Emerging tensions may lead to mass protests as video images shown on 11th Aug 2023 by one Yaya Masolo another claimant to the same throne.
The meeting was a resemblance of an LC6 election or another authority above all the local Gov’ts in Bugisu. All the above activities are being conducted at the district headquarters not the gazetted IYM cultural offices in Mbale.
Sir, the law is very clear on the separation of politics and cultural leadership, to avoid the 1960s Buganda crisis, where the king was a politician, a cultural leader must publicly relinquish all political affiliations and ambitions thereof.
The purpose of this letter sir is to request your urgent attention in finding out the motive of political actors overrunning the cultural leadership under the guise of formulating a new cultural structure a semblance of a regional tier without following the right constitutional procedure in place.
It is very evident that the same people are still holding visible political roles and ambitions.
The danger with our community is they may fail to differentiate between such political and cultural leadership responsibilities hence apportioning blame to the wrong leadership authorities.
Hon Mathias Nabutele
Deputy Prime Minister
Royal and Protocol Duties
UMUKUUKA II.”
