Mbale, (UG): The Inzu ya Masaaba headquarters, the official palace of the newly elected Umukhukha, His Highness Jude Mike Mudoma will soon undergo a facelift after officials signed an agreement with a Chinese firm to undertake its renovation.
The official palace of Inzu Ya Masaaba has been desolate and unkempt for about three years since the demise of the previous cultural leader Sir Bob Mushikor who passed away in 2021 after concluding five years as a cultural leader.
About a month ago, the Government of Uganda gazetted Umgiii Mike Mudoma after court guidance, where the clan heads were accordingly requested to mediate and settle on one rightful candidate in line with the Cultural Leaders Act 2011 and the Arbitration and Conciliation Act cap 4 laws of Uganda among other enabling statutory provisions.
The cultural leader after the assumption of his cultural duties in bugisu has also put in place a committee to handle the inauguration ceremony headed by Dr Kosea Wambaka where President Museveni, the head of state is expected as chief guest by early October 2023.
The Umgiii was last month invited to attend the launch of the Chinese industrial park factories in Mbale where President Yoweri Museveni was the guest of honour, and on the sidelines of the launch, the Inzu Ya Masaaba Prime Minister Ambassador Charles Walimbwa requested the Chinese investors to help in the revocation of the palace which idea was officially okayed.
The renovations are going to begin immediately because, during the upcoming inauguration as a cultural requirement president, Museveni will be requested to pay a visit to the resigning Umgiii in his official palace in line with bugisu culture and other Bamasaaba norms.
Also, during the upcoming inauguration, there are a series of demands that will be outlined to the head of state and colloquially, H.E. Yoweri Museveni is indeed an old boy in Masaabaland since he (the president) grew up in Masaabaland during the Guerilla days.
“Issues to be outlined will include the construction of the official palace in Mutoto; this is very core because as an institution of culture, we need reasonable space,” emphasized SG Hebert Mulekwa.
Bamasaaba from Bulambuli to Webule in Kenya are warming up for the upcoming inauguration where hundreds of cows will be slaughtered to celebrate the ascendance of the Mwambu lineage unto inzu Yamasaaba leadership.
The newly elected Umukhukha has committed himself to uniting the Bamasaaba from both Kenya and Uganda but had been torn apart on account of political differences, especially in Uganda, where political parties like the NUP and FDC have deepened the gulf among his subjects.
He regretted this disunity recently during the burial of Hon Irene Muloni Nafuna’s husband.
Aside from commitments so far fulfilled, the Government of Uganda has also secured the palace militarily by deploying new royal guards and protecting Umgiii is the core principle and salary of the cultural leader has begun following and this made Masaabaland more committed politically.
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The author; Steven Masiga, is the spokesperson for Inzu Yamasaaba Contact: 0706655811
