Camp beats security to install rival Umukukha

A faction beat security to install Mr John Amram Wagabyalire as the new Umukukha at the weekend.

 Mr Wagabyalire was installed as the head of the Bamasaba Cultural Institution in the wee hours of Saturday during a function that lasted for 15 minutes and with less than 15 people in attendance.

He was installed at the institution’s office headquarters at Malukhu in Mbale City despite a directive by the  Resident City Commissioner (RCC), Mr John Rex Aachilla.

In  a March 14 letter, Mr Aachilla blocked the  coronation ceremony which was scheduled to take place at Mutoto Cultural Grounds on Saturday with President Museveni as chief guest.

 Mr Aachilla in the letter ,  said the  coronation ceremony was illegal.

“By copy of this communication, the RPC (Regional Police Commander) and DPCs (District Police Commanders) of Mbale City and other security chiefs are informed to ensure that security deployment before, during and after  March 18, 2023 is to encourage all those erroneously mobilised for the said coronation to keep off the related preparations until an appropriate guidance is received from ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development,” the letter reads in part.

 A source who attended the meeting yesterday told the Daily Monitor that they agreed that the coronation should be conducted between 6:50am and 7:20am. They also reportedly agreed that only a few people should attend the ceremony to avoid arousing suspicion.

Some of the people were asked to sleep at the venue because the police were monitoring our movements and activities and they would arrest us, if we were found,” the source said.

 He said Mr Wagabyalire, transported to the venue in a Landcruiser Prado from his home, was already dressed in his regalia by 6am.

 The source added: “Mr Dominic Wetangula, from Kenya, performed the coronation rituals in the office compound and everything went on as planned and by the time police learnt of it, we had finished the rituals.”

 Mr Nelson   Mafabi, Mr Wagabyalire’s press secretary,  said the faction will now submit his name to the Ministry of Gender to be gazetted as the new Umukukha of Bugisu.

“I urge the Bamasaba people to come together now that confusion over who is the truly elected Bamasaba cultural leader is over and the true Umukukha is known,” he said.

 Mr Peter Kusolo, the minister of Security in Mr Wagabyalire’s cabinet,  has urged Mr Wagabyalire to reach out to all the Bamasaba, including the faction affiliated to Mr Jude Mudoma, his nemesis.

But Mr Steven Masiga, the spokesperson of  Mr Mudoma’s faction, said their rivals used kangaroo methods to beat security.

 Mr Mudoma and Mr  Wagabyalire are supported by separate factions to replace Bob Mushikori, who died in January 2021.

Mr Wagabyalire’s faction had initially planned for his coronation on February 18 but postponed it to March 18  after  RCC asked for a clearance from Ministry of Gender.

 According to the Traditional Leaders Act of 2011, when a community identifies a cultural leader, the government receives the correspondence and they are thereafter gazetted. The coronation ceremony takes place after an individual has been gazetted.

Mr Mudoma said it’s upon on the government to expedite the process of gazetting the rightful  leader.

Mr Robert Magomu, an elder from Butaaga clan in Bukonde Sub-county, agreed, and said:  “They (organisers) committed a crime and a sin... It was like they were circumcising a corpse of a man who had feared a knife and ran away to far places.”

Background

The Bamasaba Cultural Institution was created in 2010.

 Mr Wilson Wamimbi was installed as its first leader after defeating Canon Codovia Wakiro in an election held in August 2010.

Mr Wamimbi, a former Uganda High Commissioner to Canada, was elected by the 26 clans to serve a five year non-renewal term.

He was replaced by  Bob Mushikori who was elected in 2015.

Mushikori died on January 2021, sparking conflict between Mr John Wagabyalire who was elected in December 2021 and Mr Jude Mudoma who had been elected in October 2020.

In June 2022, the Solicitor General said both elections were illegal.