Bamasaba Leaders Petition Minister Amid Standoff over Mushikori’s Successor

A faction claiming leadership of Bamasaba cultural institution has petitioned the Minister of Gender Labour and Social Development Minister, Frank Tumwebaze, accusing the junior minister Peace Mutuzo of interfering in their affairs.
In a February 8, 2021, letter, Mr Geoffrey Wepondi, the Secretary General of Inzu Ya Masaba, accuses Mutuuzo of reinstating leaders ejected from the institution during their general assembly in 2019.
He asserts that their general assembly chaired by the late Bob Mushikori dully elected Wagabyalile as Umukuka III.
“There were five contestants in the race including Wagabylile who was elected and Jude Mudoma who purportedly was elected the III Umukuka but Mudoma wanted to go through shortcuts beating the established process and now he is fighting to legalize illegality using the machinery of your state minister’s office…,” the letter reads in part.
He further alleges that High Court delivered a ruling on November 10, 2020 stopping the minister’s actions. According to the same letter, on February 1, 2021, delegates held an extraordinary general assembly and resolved to forward Wagabyalile’s name to Tumwebaze’s office for gazetting as Mushikori’s successor and that the Umukuka has already proposed a cabinet, which the elders have approved.
Inzu has been struggling to gazette its new cultural head alias Umukuka following the demise of the late Bob Mushikori last month.
Prior to Mushikori’s death, a group of Bamasaba clan heads led by the former Speaker, Nelson Wedaira, the former Speaker of Inzu Ya Masaba elected Jude Mike Mudoma as their leader. However, the cultural council led by Bobi Mushikori elected John Amram Wagabyalile as the cultural leader. They also went ahead to install and gazette him as the new Umukuka.
However, while at the burial of the late Mushikori, Mutuuzo said no one has been gazetted as Bamasaba cultural as far as the government is concerned. This drew uproar from the cultural council prompting them to send a delegation to the government over the matter.