Africa-Press – Uganda. The two rivals for the Bamasaba cultural leadership have agreed that the process of choosing a new king (Umukukha) be repeated.Mr Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development under whose docket all cultural institutions fall, yesterday said this was agreed following a meeting he held with the two rival leaders, Mr Jude Mike Mudoma and Mr John Amram Wagabyalire, and their representatives.
He said the two groups agreed to conclude the election process within a week after which the new cultural leader will be gazetted by the ministry.
“We want to bring this disunity to an end because the Bamasaba need to know their true leader. We are giving them enough time to go and prepare on who will become the leader; that means this whole process must be repeated. When they clear on who is the leader, they will come here and we gazette him,” Mr Tumwebaze told journalists in Kampala yesterday.
Yesterday’s meeting was a culmination of about six months of bickering among the leaders of Bamasaba Cultural Institution over who was to replace Bob Mushikori who died early this year. The rivalry started last year after parallel search committees for the next king (Umukukha III) were instituted, which resulted in elections of the two parallel leaders.
Both Mr Mudoma, who hails from Buyobo clan in Sironko District, and Mr Wagabyalire from Halasi clan in the same district, lay claim to the throne.After yesterday’s meeting, Mr Mudoma said he welcomes the proposal for a repeat election.
“Fights won’t help the Bamasaba; we should go with the resolution of the meeting and go back to the clan leaders for a fresh process. We are hoping that by next week, we shall return to the minister with the answer of how the process would have gone.” he said.
However, Mr Wagabyalire declined to speak to the media and directed his aide to communicate his position to Daily Monitor.“He is not ready to talk to you. Look for someone else to speak to,” the aide told this newspaper shortly after the meeting.
Background
In March, State minister for Gender and Culture Peace Mutuuzo met the Bamasaba leaders and it was resolved that Mr Mudoma be gazetted as the Umukukha III.
During the meeting, it was found out that Mr Mudoma’s election was conducted by legitimate organs of the institution as laid down in the constitution of Inzu Ya Masaba as opposed to that of Mr Wagabyalire.However, the wrangling continued, prompting Mr Tumwebaze to intervene.
