Bugisu turns to culture to prevent climate disasters
Some of the candidates during the Imbalu ceremony in Bugisu Sub-region last year. PHOTO/FRED WAMBEDE
What you need to know:
- The area has been increasingly plagued by landslides, dwindling water sources, and severe soil degradation.
In a unique blend of tradition and environmental consciousness, elders and leaders in the Bugisu Sub-region are harnessing the power of Imbalu (male circumcision) rituals to combat the escalating threat of climate-related disasters.
The Inzu Ya Masaaba Cultural Institution and local leaders are leveraging the widespread participation in Imbalu activities, such as Inamba and Isonja, to mobilise communities for extensive tree-planting initiatives on the vulnerable slopes of Mount Elgon.
This effort aims to restore vital vegetation cover, stabilise soils, and mitigate the devastating impact of landslides. “It’s very key because the communities do listen to their cultural leaders and attend such Imbalu activities in large numbers more than anything else in this sub-region,” explained Mr Steven Masinga, a researcher and spokesperson for the institution.
Imbalu, the most significant traditional ceremony among the Bamasaba people, involves the initiation of boys into manhood and is celebrated annually across Mbale, Namisindwa, Bududa, Bulambuli, Manafwa, and Sironko districts. These districts have been increasingly plagued by landslides, dwindling water sources, and severe soil degradation. The cultural institution has forged partnerships with organisations such as GROW, which provides seedlings for distribution during Imbalu ceremonies.
“We are using Imbalu activities to promote tree planting because we need those trees while carrying out our rituals,” Mr Masinga stated. “We have cultural paths in the communities and we have asked our clan leaders to plant trees along such paths so that the candidate’s paths have shade while doing the processions during the circumcision year,” he added.
Last year, the Inzu Ya Masaaba Cultural Institution announced an ambitious plan to plant over 2.5 million trees in the Elgon region, a vision championed by cultural leader Umukuuka Mike Jude Mudoma. “We feel pain when we see our people die from landslides,” said Mr Simon Peter Wamoto Nabende, the minister of climate change in the institution.
“We will, therefore, educate the community about the risks associated with environmental degradation and advocate for climate change mitigation strategies,” he added. In Nametsi Village, where the 2010 disaster occurred, LC1 Chairperson Francis Mulahama reported that residents are actively planting trees along riverbanks, a crucial step in preventing future landslides. Farmer Yafes Wabuseme testified to the positive impact of planting bamboo and trees in preventing soil erosion.
However, the region continues to face imminent threats, with a significant crack running through several villages in Bubiita Sub-county, Bududa District, signaling the potential for another disaster. Environmental experts emphasise the critical role of trees in combating climate change. “Trees prevent disasters such as landslides, mudslides, and floods. They stabilise soil, absorb carbon dioxide, and support biodiversity,” said Mr David Kureeba Mutsitsa, the senior programme Officer at the National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE).
The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) is also involved, with Executive Director Barirega Akankwasah announcing a five-year tree-planting project on Mount Elgon’s slopes. Nema is breeding local tree species for distribution, focusing on reforestation and afforestation to combat deforestation, the primary cause of landslides. “We intend to fully green Bugisu, we want to have a secured area, free from hazardous impacts of climate,” said Bamasaba Cultural leader Jude Mike Mudoma.
Through the fusion of tradition and environmental action, the Bugisu community is taking significant strides towards a more sustainable and resilient future.
JUSTIFICATION
The urgency of this initiative is underscored by recent tragedies, including a landslide in Bulambuli District last year that claimed 48 lives and displaced hundreds, and the catastrophic 2010 landslide in Bududa’s Nametsi village, where more than 100 people died.
