Rival Masaba cultural leaders storm out of Umukuka’s eulogy

Mbale, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  Members of the rival faction of Inzu Ya Masaba Cultural Institution under Jude Mike Mudoma, the purported Umukuka III have stormed out of an assembly convened held to eulogize the deceased Umukuka II Bob Kipiro Mushikori. 

This morning delegates representing various Bamasaba clans converged in an assembly at headquarters of Inzu Ya Masaba Cultural Institution in Malukhu to eulogise Mushikori ahead of his burial on Saturday this week.   Mushikori passed on early this month and his body has been lying at Mbale City Morgue pending burial to allow for the preparations for his funeral. 

The members of the rival faction led by the former speaker of Inzu Ya Masaba Cultural Institution, Nelson Wedaira also turned up for the assembly and stormed shortly after the introduction of the attendees.  Sister Rose Nelima, the incumbent speaker of Inzu Ya Masaba Cultural Institution introduced the delegates including the representative of the “Emorimori” the leader of Teso cultural institution and skipped Wedaira and his team prompting them to storm out.  

Wedaira told journalists that they decided to storm out to protest the speaker’s failure to recognise them the rightful leaders of the institution.  He claimed that even those who attended the assembly were not the genuine delegates of Inzu ya Masaba Cultural Institution, adding that they are just a bunch of the deceased’s friends mourning his demise.  

James Kangala, the former General Secretary of Inzu Ya Masaba says that he is a member of Mushikori’s burial organizing committee and was invited to attend a meeting eulogise the Umukuka and not a general assembly. 

He said they formed a committee involving members from all groups with interest in Inzu ya Masaba but only to find that the meeting turned into a general assembly.   

Tom Mayeku, the Minister of Innovation in Inzu Ya Masaba and one of the organizers of Mushikori’s funeral, says since the assembly was open, Wedaira and his supporters were expected to attend just like any other person.  He also says it wasn’t necessary for the speaker to recognize everybody who attended the ceremony.     

Meanwhile, the assembly passed a motion to name the road connecting from Mbale town to Inzu Ya Masaba Cultural institution Headquarters after the deceased Umukua II. The motion was tabled by Situma Munyanda, a delegate from Mutiru clan.

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URN