The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Bamasaaba Elders under the Inzu Ya Masaba Cultural Institution have issued an open letter to the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, threatening legal action over the government’s recent renaming of Inzu Ya Masaba to Umukuuka Wa Bugisu.
At a press conference held in Mbale City on Saturday, the elders denounced the government’s action as unilateral, illegal, and disrespectful to Bamasaba traditions. The controversy follows the publication of General Notice No. 966 of 2025, titled Corrigendum, in the Uganda Gazette on April 8, 2025. The notice, signed by the Minister, claims to correct errors in the names of various cultural institutions.
Omar Busale, chairman of the Cultural Council, said, “We have analyzed both Article 246 of the 1995 Uganda Constitution and the Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act, Cap 242, and found no authority granted to the minister to change the name of Inzu Ya Masaba, which was properly gazetted. This same name was used to gazette three cultural leaders, including the current Umukuuka, whose position is still under court litigation.”
Nelson Wedaira, former Speaker of Inzu Ya Masaba’s Second General Assembly, also expressed outrage, accusing the current Umukuuka, Jude Mike Mudoma, of acting without consultation. “From the beginning, when Mr. Mudoma forced his way into the throne, he dismissed those he calls ‘5Ws’ and mocked Inzu Ya Masaba, calling it a ‘shum’ or a ‘malwa group,’” Wedaira said.
He stressed that only the General Assembly—the supreme governing body—can authorize such a name change. “How did the minister approve the name change without a resolution from a legitimate Bamasaba council? Even with ongoing court cases and internal wrangles, the minister proceeded to gazette Mudoma. Has Inzu Ya Masaba been degazetted? Do we now have two cultural institutions?” Wedaira questioned.
He further noted that the Inzu Ya Masaba leadership traditionally rotates every five years among the three major Bamasaba clans: Wanale, Mwambu, and Mubuya. Lillian Mutonyi, widow of the late Umukuuka Bob Mushikori, condemned the move, accusing the Minister of collusion.
“We are shocked that the Minister of Gender conspired with Mr. Mudoma to alter our institution. This move is illegal and has sown confusion among the Bamasaba,” she said. Situma Damascus Muyanda, a founding member and first Secretary General of Inzu Ya Masaba, emphasized the symbolism of the original name.
“Inzu Ya Masaba symbolizes unity among our three major lineages. Both the first and second Umukuuka were elected under this name. Now, a few individuals have altered it without proper procedure,” he said. Davis Wakane, another elder, questioned the decision.
“Who told the minister that the name was erroneous?” He added that the Inzu Ya Masaba institution includes Bamasaba from both Uganda and Kenya. “Renaming it to Umukuuka Wa Bugisu excludes our Kenyan brothers, which is unacceptable,” he said.
Wakane warned that if the General Notice is not withdrawn, their lawyers are ready to file a petition in court, citing Sections 4(3) and 4(4) of the Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act, which allow a community to reject a cultural institution they do not recognize.
In response, Umukuuka Jude Mike Mudoma denied the allegations. Addressing 26 clan leaders, Mudoma explained that the change of name was initiated by the Ministry and applied to all cultural institutions across the country. “From April 4, 2025, I will be Umukuuka Wa Bugisu. But I haven’t created a new cultural institution. I don’t have the authority to make such a change, just as it couldn’t happen in Buganda, Lango, Acholi, or Teso without due process,” he said.
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