By Micah Sali.
His highesss Umukuuka we Bamasaaba III Jude Mike Mudoma has dismissed a statement circulating on different media forums that a female guest cannot preside over the Bamasaaba circumcision ceremony.
He said the ceremony doesn’t discriminate individuals based on their gender .
The Imbalu ceremony slated for August 3 2024 at Mutoto in Mbale city is the second most popular cultural ceremony in the world after the Brazil carnival.
Masaaba cultural leaders ( the Gishu of Eastern Uganda and the Bukusu of Western Kenya )had asked President Yoweri Museveni to personally preside over the ceremony instead of sending a female guest or uncircumcised individual to oversee the function.
The last function that was held in 2022 was presided over by Dr Mary Kidudu the former minister for Karamoja Affairs in Uganda.
Speaking to the media Umukuuka III Mudoma said that the statements issued by different cultural leaders were not in tandem with the official communication from the cultural leaders.
” All those who were interviewed gave their own thinking about the festival. Therefore, we , the organizing lmbalu Culture Board, categorically denounce the statement circulating within the media houses suggesting that a lady cannot be a guest of Honor during our circumcision culture festival,”
He said that the statements given by individual cultural leaders do not reflect the values, beliefs, or the official position of the cultural institution.
” We believe in the importance of inclusivity, respect, and equal opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their gender. Our festival celebrated the rich Cultural heritage of our community and we welcome individuals from all walks of life to participate and share in this celebration,”
The Umukuuka affirmed the importance of women’s role in the community adding that women deserve respect and recognition in all aspects of life.
“We will not tolerate any form of discrimination or exclusion based on gender or any other personal characteristic. We look forward to celebrating our circumcision culture festival with dignity, respect and inclusivity for all,”added Umukuuka.
Ambassador of resource mobilization and development in Inzu ya Bamasaaba Phillip Wekesa Wanyonyi said there are certain customary rites that cannot be performed by women or people who have not been circumcised adding that presiding over a circumcision ceremony doesn’t mean that you are performing specific customary rites.
” Its against the law discriminate any person on the basis of gender,race,tribe or customary practice .The freedom of choice is the reason why communities that don’t practice circumcision have a right to choose circcision as individuals, “said Wekesa.
Accordimg to Wekesa women who hold state or government positions can preside over the ceremony as state officers because all cultures are supervised under government institutions but they( women)cannot oversee specific cultural rites .
Mobilizer in Inzu ya Masaaba Joseph Mauso said that from the first time circumcision was accepted by the Bamasaaba community a woman from the ‘Barwa’ community was the first person to circumcise Masaaba ,the partriach at Mutoto in Uganda.
” It was our martriach Nabarwa who did the first circumcision.We cannot discriminate women’Omutirinya or Namakhala’ who serve the initiate with food in ‘Likombe’ after circumcision.
A section of elders in Bugisu Sub-region had requested Uganda President Yoweri Museveni not to delegate a female representative during the official launch of the imbalu ceremony this year.
“The gods of Bamasaaba have spoken against the move,” the elders said.
The elders said that men inhabited with ‘spirits’ turned violent ,disrupted the ceremony by attacking the female guests .
The imbalu candidates reportedly got possessed by the spirits and wandered into the VIP tent, causing a stampede.
Mary Gorretti Kitutu, the former minister of Karamoja affairs and the woman MP for Manafwa District was the chief guest.
The security personnel of the former minister whisked her away from the wrath of the ‘possessed’ men.
Mr John Diffasi Wabuyi, the head of the 26 clans of the Inzu ya Masaaba institution said it will be disrespectful for the President to send a female representative to preside over the function if he will not attend the function.
“Even men who were circumcised in the hospital used to be chased away whenever we visited the sacred swamps to cleanse the boys and at the place where the boy is going to be circumcised,” he added.
Mr Steven Masiga, the spokesperson of the institution said that the gods communicated through the elders, warning against repeating the past mistakes.
“The gods have asked the President to attend the launch himself or send a circumcised man to represent him during this year’s imbalu launch,” Mr Masiga said, adding their desire to avoid the chaos of 2022.
Ms Irene Khaitsa Mangali, the commissioner for mobilisation in the institution and a former RDC, emphasised that its culturally wrong and an abomination for a woman to preside over the opening of a circumcision year.
“A woman is not allowed [to come] close even near to a place where they are going to circumcise from. A woman is supposed to be inside the house with her legs flat on the floor. It is believed that the woman’s calmness inside the house also calms down the boy’s heart to face the knife,” she added.
One of the elders , Job Wanambwa insisted that the imbalu festivities should be regulated by the gods.
“Our educated sons have abandoned our values and now they treasure the White man’s values. This is our culture and we practice it the way we inherited,” he said.
The director of publicity of the Imbalu cultural board Joseph Weyusia called on all Bamasaaba in Kenya,Uganda and diaspora to attend the ceremony and ensure the ceremony supersedes the Brazil adding that the ‘Imbalu’ ceremony should get the leading international cultural status it deserves.
“We invite all Bamasaaba to attend the function and give it the leading international standard beyond the Brazil carnival,” said Weyusia.
President Museveni will deliver 36 Heifers for the Imbalu ceremony according to Inzu ye Bamasaaba Prime Minister Ambassador Charles Walimbwa Pekee.
Ends/Micah.
