By Wetondo Denis Julius
MBALE
The Bugisu sub region Local Council Five Chairpersons have set Tuesday (tomorrow 9th February 8, 2021) as the date when they will finally resolve on the Umkhuka successor impasse.
LCV Chairpersons are from the six districts that comprise Bugisu; Manafwa, Bududa, Namisindwa, Sironko, Mbale and Bulambuli.
The resolution follows a failed Friday 5th February, 2021 reconciliation meeting which was called by LCV chairperson of Sironko, Herbert Mulekwe at Sironko district head offices to reconcile John Wangabyalila and Mike Mudoma; both claim as genuine newly elected cultural leader of Bamasaba III.
According Mulekwe, the purpose of the meeting was to have each claimant present steps he used to be elected as cultural leader [Umukuka].
He explained that it would be after listening to them that they would assess and come up with a genuine person whom they would present to the ministry of gender labor and social development for gazetting.
The elders are acting in response to a request by the State Minister of Culture, Peace Mutuuzo last week during the payer of late Mushikori’s body at St Andrew’s Cathedral Mbale diocese that the two factions should be harmonized.
“What failed the Friday meeting is that Wagabyalile and his faction dishonored the meeting by refusing to turn up over unknown reasons,” Mulekhwa said.
John Musila, the LCV chairperson of Manafwa district also says that since Masaba cultural institution came into being after Bugisu districts passing the resolutions to the government through the district councils, the institution is under those districts.
Musila reiterated that tomorrow, they are to hold another meeting involving only LCV chairpersons from all six districts from Bugisu.
In that meeting, Musila warns they will come up with a final decision or resolutions which they are going to present to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to gazette the cultural leader out of the two whom they will have found to have passed through the right procedures.
He adds that they have discovered that the current fights between the Wagbyalila and Mudoma factions may bring conflicts and deaths in Masaaba land thus why they want to come up with early solutions.
However, Geoffrey Wepondi, the general secretary of Masaaba cultural institution but allied to Wagabyalile has urged the LCV chairpersons to stay away from cultural matters since they are politicians.
