Ambassador Simon Mulongo…Photo/File
MBALE, Uganda
The Bugisu cultural drama continued this week after Bugisu Cultural Institution spokesperson Stephen Masiga penned an open letter to Ambassador Simon Mulongo, defending the office of the Umukuuka and politely reminding critics that the cultural leader is neither a lawmaker, cabinet secretary nor chairman of the electricity distribution board.
In a sharply worded response wrapped carefully in cultural diplomacy and mild frustration, Masiga argued that many critics appear determined to treat the Umukuuka’s palace like a second State House.
“The Umukuuka is not a law or policy maker,” Masiga wrote, in what sounded less like a statement and more like a public service announcement for people confusing cultural institutions with Parliament.
Masiga insisted that the role of the Umukuuka is cultural — preserving heritage, promoting unity and occasionally surviving endless meetings about who should have become king in 1964, 1987, 2000 and last Tuesday.
The spokesperson defended the recognition of Umukuuka wa Bugisu III Jude Mike Mudoma, saying the process followed constitutional procedures and clan endorsements.
According to Masiga, the institution was legally recognized and did not emerge from a midnight family WhatsApp poll as critics seem to imply.
Ambassador Mulongo, on the other hand, has maintained that cultural institutions require transparency, accountability and wider community participation.
The former legislator has repeatedly warned against systems built around personalities rather than institutions, arguing that communities function better when leadership structures are stable and inclusive.
He has also questioned whether the current Bugisu cultural arrangement fully reflects the voice of the wider Bamasaaba community — a debate that has now become the region’s favorite political sport after football and funeral fundraising.
Masiga dismissed the concerns, insisting the 26 Bamasaaba clans had already endorsed the current leadership and accusing critics of recycling old disputes with the energy of people refusing to accept election results from three decades ago.
Observers say the exchange highlights the delicate balance between culture, identity and politics in Bugisu, where discussions about kingship can quickly escalate into constitutional seminars, clan meetings and emotional history lessons stretching back several generations.
For now, the Umukuuka remains on the throne, Ambassador Mulongo remains unconvinced and the Bamasaaba public continues enjoying front-row seats to what is rapidly becoming East Africa’s longest-running cultural debate series.
