Mbale City, Uganda: The Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Gen. Henry Tumukunde has urged the Bamasaba community to resolve ongoing cultural leadership disputes through court-mediated processes rather than relying on government opinions, as stakeholders called for respect for the rule of law.
Tumukunde made the remarks during a stakeholders’ meeting in Mbale City attended by State Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development Hon Mary Kamuli Kuteesa, State Minister for Labour, Employment & Relations, Simon Mulongo, and other leaders to discuss matters affecting the Bugisu Cultural Institution.
Speaking after the meeting, Bugisu Cultural Institution spokesperson Steven Masiga welcomed the minister’s guidance, saying it reaffirmed that legal opinions issued by the Attorney General do not supersede court decisions.
“As a cultural institution, we associate ourselves 100 percent with the learned guidance of the State Minister for Gender and Social Development, Hon. Mary Kamuli Kuteesa,” Masiga said.
‘Court Decisions Take Precedence’
Masiga argued that an opinion previously attributed to the Attorney General’s office regarding the tenure of Umukuka Jude Mike Mudoma had generated unnecessary tension within the Bamasaba community.
According to him, legal opinions cannot override ongoing judicial proceedings. “Our understanding of the law is that the Attorney General cannot give an opinion on matters that are before court. Such opinions may offend the sub judice rule and amount to interference with judicial processes,” he said.
Masiga further noted that the Attorney General is a party in the ongoing litigation concerning the Bugisu Cultural Institution, making it inappropriate for the office to issue guidance on the same matter.
“The State Minister clearly guided that the Attorney General cannot effectively give an opinion on a matter in which he is already an interested party,” he added.
Masiga appealed to members of the Bamasaba community to remain calm and allow the ongoing court mediation process to determine the disputed issues.
He cautioned against actions that could inflame tensions. “Ugandans and Bamasaba must demonstrate fidelity to the law and avoid street hooliganism, especially in high-profile matters,” he said.
He also questioned the authenticity and legal effect of an Attorney General’s opinion that circulated on social media earlier this year, saying many people doubted its legitimacy.
According to Masiga, government legal opinions only become binding when formally communicated to the intended recipients and must be grounded in existing law. “What is important is not merely the legal opinion but the reasoning behind it. Any legal opinion must be premised on the prevailing law and not on sheer imagination,” he said.
The Bugisu Cultural Institution reiterated that it does not recognise legal opinions as a substitute for judicial determinations and encouraged the Bamasaba community to await the outcome of ongoing court mediation over the cultural leadership dispute.
The institution maintained that all parties should respect the judicial process and refrain from actions that could undermine efforts to reach a lawful and peaceful resolution.
The dispute over the leadership of the Bugisu Cultural Institution has remained before the courts, with mediation continuing as stakeholders seek an amicable settlement.
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