Budhagali has died disappointed, destitute - Musumba

As Busoga Sub-region mourns the death of Dhadha Nabamba Budhagali, reports suggest that the 113 -year-old fallen oracle of Budhagali Falls was disappointed and destitute at the time of his death.

Budhagali succumbed to diabetes and high blood pressure at Nile Hospital in Jinja district on Saturday, according to his daughter, Betty Namande.

However, traditionally, his death must be announced after 6 hours, and that is why news of his death started circulating later on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

The former Kamuli District Chairperson, Ms Salaam Musumba, on Sunday said the spiritual guardian passed on disappointed, dissatisfied, poor’ and ‘yet to get his royalties’ after the relocation of Bujjagali spirits to pave way for the construction of Bujjagali Dam in Jinja District.

According to Ms Musumba, the deceased had recently asked her to notify Kyabazinga William Gabula IV of his ailing health and have him take charge of his ‘incomplete businesses’.

“He called me up, we had a chat and he jokingly told me to inform the Kyabazinga about his ill health and take on the uncompleted business of his royalties because the spirits were about to recall him,”Ms Musumba said.

“I didn’t take him serious but knew he was expressing his fear of never getting or enjoying his expected compensation,” she added.

Ms Musumba described Budhagali as ‘a man of raw traditional research’ who researchers failed to make use of to find his scientific use of backcloth to cross and do Bunge jumps to safety under the guise of spirits.

“We are losing icons after Bishop Cyprian Bamwoze and our history, culture, tradition, identity and values are getting eroded. The reality is that we need to document our history,” she noted.

Kagulu Hill oracle and guardian of Kagulu spirits, Mandwa Kagulu Nabiryo, said she had premonitions over the past three weeks, signaling a ‘strange’ happening.

“The spirits were as storms and heavy rain to prepare for his reception manifested in the continuous rains and flooding of swamps. The previous night, he appeared to me in a dream, promising good tidings to Busoga for keeping him and the peace,” Mandwa Nabiryo said.

Budhagali was admitted at Nile International Hospital in Walukuba/Masese Division in Jinja town on September 1, suffering from diabetes and a bacterial infection in the bloodstream, according to doctors.

At the time of his admission, he was reportedly ingesting food through a tube and could neither talk nor move his body as the left side of his body was paralyzed.

According to Dr Edrine Mulema, the Medical director at Nile International hospital, Budhagali’s condition slightly improved though there were some ‘essential tests’ they wished to carry out but the family could not afford to pay for them.

At that time, the family was stuck with medical bills that had accumulated to over Shs7m, including facilitation for the CT scan that was regularly required.

“The first scan showed that the patient had diabetes and bacterial infection in the blood, spotted near the brain,” Dr Mulema explained, adding that though most diseases can be treated in government health facilities, most people don’t go for regular medical checkups and by the time they seek medical attention, it is late.

Ms Masitula Lukoowe Kyonaza, the widow and the deceased’s eldest daughter, Ms Betty Namande, on Sunday said Budhagali will tentatively be laid to rest on November 2, eight days after his death.

However, according to the spiritual norm, nobody, including the embalmer, his wife or children, will be allowed to see his body.

Traditional healers, including Mandwa Mwiri and Mandwa Wansimba have accordingly been tasked with enforcing this directive; and indeed, traditional healers who thronged Budhagali in Budondo Sub-county were stopped from seeing the body.

It is alleged in hierarchy of traditions that Dhadha Budhagali is ‘next to’ the Queen of England, meaning he's above Maama Fiina, Ssenga Kulanama, Kinagoidhi and other traditional healers/witchdoctors.