By KT Reporter
A new General Assembly of Masaaba clan leaders and delegates has resolved to elect a fresh cultural leader, or Umukuuka, accusing the incumbent, Jude Mike Mudoma, of abandoning the clan’s constitution and overstaying his mandate.
The decision was reached during a meeting held on Saturday, August 30, 2025, in Mbale City, where elders and representatives from across Bugisu said Mudoma had strayed from the values and traditions of the Inzu Ya Masaaba (House of Masaba).
Ambassador Walimba Charles, the Secretary General of the new assembly and a former Prime Minister under Mudoma, said their fallout began when the Umukuuka allegedly sidelined the constitution and created a parallel cultural institution.
The man came out, he threw out the constitution of Inzu Ya Masaaba, which made him to be elected, to be sworn in, and gazetted as Umukuuka,” Walimba said. He further accused Mudoma of prioritizing personal gain and financial interests, pointing to a rumored $10 million US-funded project as one of the driving forces behind his decisions.
With Mudoma’s five-year term ending on October 6, 2025, Walimba revealed that the assembly has already formed a search committee to identify his successor.
Concerns Over Name Change Mzee Nelson Wedaira, the Speaker of the new General Assembly, noted that Mudoma was elected in October 2020 following the death of the late Bob Mushikori. While Mudoma was not officially gazetted by government until 2023, Wedaira stressed that the constitution recognizes a leader’s term beginning from the time of election.
He said Saturday’s meeting was sparked by Mudoma’s controversial move to rename the institution from Inzu Ya Masaaba to “Umukuuka Wa Bugisu” (Bugisu Institution) without the elders’ approval. According to Wedaira, the renamed institution lacked core structures such as a cultural council, a secretariat, and a General Assembly.
During the Mbale meeting, the General Assembly formally established a cultural council, which will act as a search committee to find a new Umukuuka in line with the clan’s constitution.
Molilo Wanga Karim, a delegate from the Sano clan, said his people were disappointed with the current leader. He accused Mudoma of “misleading” the Bamasaaba by disregarding the constitution and altering the name of their cultural institution. Karim stressed that his clan supports the assembly’s decision to reinstate the traditional values of Inzu Ya Masaaba.
Ahmed Washaki, the Masaka City Resident Commissioner (RCC), reminded delegates that Bamasaba’s cultural leadership is not hereditary but rotational. He emphasized that each of the three founding lineages—Mwambu, Mubuya, and Wanale—holds the Umukuuka seat for five years before passing it on.
His remarks echoed the concerns of elders who believe Mudoma is overstepping his mandate and undermining the constitutional framework that governs the institution.
The search committee will now begin identifying a candidate from the Wanale clan, which is next in line for leadership. As per the constitution, candidates must be at least 55 years old, properly married with children, and have ensured their children have undergone circumcision, a key rite of passage in Bamasaaba culture.
The assembly’s target is to ensure that a new Umukuuka is in place by October, when Mudoma’s term officially comes to an end.
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