By Dan Samanya,
MBALE
The cultural leaders in Masaba land have turned their horns against their cultural leader UMUKUKA (king) over violating Imbalu traditions and values and suppressing of the cultural councils
In an interview on Saturday 27th July 2024 , Sulaiman Khaukha one of elders who bears with the task of blessing (khupita) the circumcision equipments alleged the Umukuka for not going through right procedures as far as IMBALU is concerned.
Khaukha revealed that the Umukuka has violated the works of the cultural council because it’s the cultural council to decide on when and how the IMBALU is launched.
“We can’t allow someone who was circumcised from the hospital to leader the initiation of our children, our children may end up not being reproductive. The Umukuka doesn’t know when and where he was circumcised from , I just heard that he was circumcised from the hospital” said Khaukha.
Amongst the Bamasaba , people circumcised from the hospital or with any medication to reduce the pain are taken not to be men as they refer those who endure with the pain and stand firm to be “BASANI BURWA” translated as “BRAVE MEN”.
Following the allegations, the elders in Inzu ya Masaba (House of Masaba) institution have accused their king (UMUKUKA) for trespassing to the duties of the cultural council, the cultural council according to the Constitution of the Inzu ya Masaba, grants the cultural council full rights of planning, preparing and organizing the circumcision (IMBALU) launch.
Jude Mike Mudoma the Umukuka lll made a personal suggestion of distrusting the cultural council and created his own body cultural board led by Wilson Watila to assist him plan and organize the IMBALU launch.
The IMBALU launch of 2022 was lead by the former Umukuka 1 His Highness the late Wilson Wamimbi Weasa due to wrangles that arose between Amlam Wagabyalile and Jude Mike Mudoma all claiming to be the righteous Umukuka (king) of the Bamasaba but resolutions made considered Mudoma the Umukuka and was gazetted last year and put on the throne as the king of the Bamasaba. Khaukha added that for them as he BAMUTOTO” clan to allow Mudoma lead their children, it means they have cursed their own children as also revealed that they are not going to allow their children open the circumcision if Mudoma is to lead.
He lamented that there’s no IMBALU launch on 3rd August as decided by Mudoma, it is going to be there on 10th August as decided by the cultural council because they are mandated by the Constitution of Inzu ya Masaba.
Eddy komoli also revealed that the Elder representing Sano clan wrote a letter to the permanent secretary ministry of gender concerning the IMBALU launch and the reply was on the favour of the cultural council not Umukuka as it stated that the cultural council reserves all rights of any kind of preparations as IMBALU launch is concerned.
