New gazette confirms Mudoma as Umukuka, names titles of other cultural leaders

Mbale City, Uganda: The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has released a corrigendum in the Uganda Gazette, correcting the titles and areas of jurisdiction of Uganda’s cultural leaders, a move hailed by the Bamasaaba community as long overdue.

The new corrections now confirm that the Bagisu people fall under the leadership of His Highness Jude Mike Mudoma, who rightfully oversees the districts of Bududa, Manafwa, Sironko, Namisindwa, Mbale City, Bulambuli, and Mbale.

The update is in line with the Third Schedule of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda, which outlines Uganda’s recognized tribes and stipulates that a person must be born in the respective community and have parents from that ethnic group in order to be gazetted as a cultural leader.

Speaking to DailyExpress, Mr. Steven Masiga, the spokesperson of the Bamasaaba Cultural Institution, commended Hon. Betty Amongi, the Minister of Gender, for issuing the statutory instrument that streamlined cultural leadership titles across the country.

“This clarification erases the long-standing confusion, especially among the Bamasaaba people who had begun interpreting cultural laws in ways that deviated from constitutional provisions,” Masiga said.

He emphasized that previously, individuals in Bugisu had taken to assigning themselves arbitrary titles and territorial claims, creating divisions within the cultural institution.

The gazette further corrects previous administrative errors that complicated the understanding of which regions were under the leadership of each gazetted cultural leader.

“About ten years ago, several cultural leaders were de-gazetted for adopting inconsistent titles like ‘Rt. Hon’, ‘Commander’ or ‘Excellency’ instead of the formally recognized royal titles such as His Royal Highness or Majesty,” Masiga added.

Masiga noted that with these clarifications in place, the Bamasaaba institution now has a “mundane duty” to roll out cultural education campaigns and realign its practices with national law and identity.

“This is a necessary correction that helps unite our people under one umbrella. We now have clarity, and the responsibility lies with us to educate our people,” he concluded.

The new statutory corrections are expected to end years of wrangles, dual leadership claims, and conflicting titles, especially in regions that had seen growing tensions over cultural governance.