Wagabyalire in tears as Govt blocks coronation again

By Nathan Ngobi

More misery and troubles continue pilling on Bugisu’s old man John Amram Wagabyalire. His coronation has been blocked again. He was meant to become the Umukuka 111 but the government insists that the coronation is illegal.

Wagabyalire, a professional teacher and former FDC LV candidate for Sironko district had his dreams to retire as  Umukuka 111 of Inzu Ya Bamasa but was slapped with an embarrassing  setback after Government rejected  to allow his purported coronation scheduled for 18^th March 2023 to take place again  on ground that he is not yet the rightful Umukuka 111.

Speaking to this media house, the Mbale city RCC John  Rex Roberts Aachilla said that as chairman of the area security, they will not allow the purported coronation to take place unless they have been cleared by the Government through the ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development.

“We called Wagabyalire and his team on Monday to our security meeting and asked them to present a clearance communication from the minister of Gender Hon. Betty Among but they had nothing and therefore we stopped them until a proper process cleared by the minister is done then a coronation would take place” RCC Rex Roberts Aachila told The Second Opinion Publications.

He said that during the meeting, Wagabyalire was told that the matter of Umukuka is still under contention by two rival cultural leaders who were both not legitimately elected and verified up to now.

He said that unless the position is cleared by the line minister, he will not allow the said coronation to take place.

According to the RCC, such a function would be organized and attended by the line minister, but shockingly the ministers are abroad attending international women’s day.

Rex Roberts Aachilla maintains that for the coronation to take place, contentious as it is, the Government must come up and declare one person and even gazette him before the coronation takes place.

Flops

This is the second time Mzee Wagabyalire is suffering a flop of his purported coronation after it was called off by the Government last month when he had organized for 18^th Feb 2023 at the same place Mutoto cultural ground in Mbale city.

The old man this time around had invited digintories from Kenya and Uganda for the function on top of that Kayunga district NRM chairman Karangwa had given him a bull to be slaughtered on the D day.

Several people had also been contributing cash to see that his purported coronation takes place.

Wagabyalire camp insists the coronation is Saturday 18 /03/2023!!!

However speaking to Augustine Wamalwa the spokesperson of Wagabyalire’s camp told The Second Opinion that with or without clearance or security the coronation will take place.

“We have mobilized a lot of people and resources and this is a cultural matter not Government or political issues so the function is unstoppable come rain come sunshine” Wamalwa said.

He said that issues of gazettement will come after the coronation because the matters are purely organized by the Bamasaba not the Government.

Wamalwa pointed out that they have written to the ministry informing them of the coronation but the ministry has no powers to stop the function.

He said that on Thursday a team of Bamasaba will cross with the flag to Kenya and hand it to the Kenyan delegation who in turn will come with it on the D- day Saturday 18/03/2023 at Mutoto cultural ground.

He added that a football match is slated for Friday and many other activities to mark the beginning of the official coronation of Wagabyalire as Umukuka 111 of Inzu Ya Bamasaba.

Security beefed

Meantime Police spokesperson Fred Enanga told The Second Opinion that security is aware of the purported illegal coronation where a cultural leader is set to gather people that would end up inciting violence in Bugisu.

He said that according to intelligence tips  the gathering is illegal and security are  set to deploy heavily to flash out remnants of the cultural leader who would turn up at the cultural ground in Mutoto come Saturday 18^th /03/2023.

 Gender minister

Earlier on however, before she left for an international women’s day the  the minister for Gender , Labour and social Development  Betty Amongi Ongom  said  that Wagabyalire’s  ongoing coronation program was  illegal and a waste of people’s resources and  time because he has not been recognized by the ministry and Government.

“We do not have any Umukuka in Bugisu as of now and whoever organizes a cultural coronation is illegal, we have not resolved the impasse between Wagabyalire and Jude Mike Mudoma to declare who is the rightful person for coronation and gazzetement” Said Betty Amongi.

The minister said that they asked both parties to go back on the ground and get certifications by the 26 legitimate clans that vote the cultural leader “Umukuka” in Bugisu with the support and endorsement of the all LCV chairpersons of Bugisu who would vet these elders   but each time the parties submit different persons as elders of the 26 clans.

She added that her ministry requested for legal guidance from both the solicitor general and attorney General and the outcome was that both Wagabyalire and Mudoma  were not legitimately elected as Umukuka for Bamasaba.

She pointed that in the case of Wagabyalire Amram John his election was conducted in December 2020 when the term of office of the organs of the Inzu Ya Masaba has elapsed on 15^th October 20202 hence invalidating his election while as Jude Mike Mudoma  stands invalid because his election occurred when there was a court order in place stopping any election from taking place and no effect was made to vacate the court order prior to the election.

Therefore there is no current cultural leader of Inzu Ya Masaba until the Government declares one and gazette him before those arrangements of coronations would take place.