His highness Umukuuka III Jude Mike Mudoma(center in white hat)poses for a photo with the workshops’ top organizers at a Mbale hotel on Saturday November 16…..Photo/IP
By IP Editorial desk
MBALE,UGANDA
In a rare convergence of tradition, public health and moral responsibility, Umukuuka III Sir Jude Mike Mudoma has issued one of the strongest directives yet from a cultural institution in Uganda’s fight against HIV/AIDS.
His call for mandatory HIV testing for all Imbalu initiates beginning next year is not simply a cultural guideline — it is a decisive step toward safeguarding a community deeply rooted in its heritage but increasingly aware of modern health challenges.
Speaking at a hotel in Mbale on Saturday, while addressing the 26 clan leaders and Inzu ya Masaaba leaders, the Umukuuka framed the fight against HIV/AIDS as a shared duty for leaders, families and communities across Bamasaaba community .
His tone was diplomatic but firm: the time for complacency is long gone.
He urged the Cultural Board, clan chairpersons, local governments and health institutions to work as a unified front.
HIV testing, he stressed, will no longer be optional and he warned against any attempts to undermine a directive designed to protect young initiates during next year’s circumcision season.
The message balanced cultural authority with public health advocacy — a tone especially important in a region where the Imbalu rite holds deep cultural and spiritual significance.
In a notable shift toward data-driven leadership, the Umukuuka announced the creation of a statistical unit within his office to collaborate with UBOS.
The initiative underscores a recognition that effective cultural leadership must rely on accurate data to tackle persistent health threats.
His remarks also carried emotional and moral weight.
He emphasized that HIV/AIDS is not merely a medical issue but a human rights concern and a social justice obligation.
At a time when stigma continues to hinder access to care, his call for dignity, respect and compassion stands out as a transformative cultural stance.
The Umukuuka expressed gratitude to the AIDS Commission and appealed to ministers, district leaders and clan heads to prioritize HIV awareness in their budgets and community programs.
It was a diplomatic approach — grounded in partnership, not coercion — even as he underscored the urgency of action.
Acknowledging that the Imbalu season brings heightened risk of HIV transmission, he urged cultural leaders to embrace prevention measures without compromising tradition.
By grounding his directive in both cultural identity and scientific understanding, he presented a forward-looking model for cultural leadership.
In closing, he called upon clan leaders to become “ambassadors of hope, agents of change and champions of justice,” a message likely to shape Bamasaaba’s public-health agenda for years to come.
If fully implemented, his directive could become a template for how cultural institutions across Uganda can mobilize their influence to combat HIV/AIDS.
In a nation where cultural structures remain central to community life, the Umukuuka’s stance is more than a policy recommendation.
It is a powerful reminder that in the fight against HIV/AIDS, leadership must be bold, compassionate and unwavering — and that culture, when responsibly guided, can be a transformative force in protecting future generations.
Dia duit, theastaigh uaim do phraghas a fháil.