Mak Vc Survives Imbalu Knife

 

By Davidson Ndyabahika

At the stroke of 5:30 pm on Saturday November 1, the cultural gala was at its peak as the adjudicators of the day gracefully pronounced Basoga Nseete students association as the overall winners of the hotly contested gala at Makerere University.

Joshua Bwayo stands firm to face the knife

At this juncture, tears of those who had unsuccessfully made it to top the gala were washed away by an ecstatic event of the Imbalu organized by the Bamasaba Makerere University Students Association (BAMUSA), a Gishu group that owes its origin from Mbale sub region.

This was reached amidst cheers and jubilations, the BAMUSA performed for the first of its kind the Imbalu- the traditional ceremony of circumcision at Makerere.

Makerere students  retreated to Malwa after the event

Multitudes of students were attracted to the event.  Weboya Paul the culture minister university Hall also a born of Mbale in Eastern Uganda expressed his happiness having hosted the mega event at his hall of residence adding that UH is on record for its hospitality and calmness compared to other halls on campus.

“Circumcision is part of our culture among the Bamasaba. This event climaxes our culture and it has been in UH for the first time. 

It is the culture we have launched and we want to implore all cultural ministers to maintain the same because what you have seen is just a prototype. 

It has attracted some tourists who are willing to contribute towards the event. “

Joshua Bwayo 16, an S.1 student at Oxford HighSchool- Mbale was the day’s candidate for circumcision and eventually was turned into a man.

Juma Kimanai of Napooli Village, Mutoto parish Bumutoto sub county Mbale District,  the uncle to the candidate confirmed the circumcision on behalf of the family and thanked the students for upholding the traditional cultural values.

“It was yesterday (Friday) that Sam called us requesting for a candidate for circumcision and as a family we agreed to it. They sent us some transport and we were very happy for the way students welcomed us. We really loved it when we were called to Makerere and we hope he will study hard and come here also. Some people have not been seeing it practically but I am happy it was done.”

He also noted, “The association has contributed 400,000 for the boy and I am sure it will add to his school fees. I know in every corner of the world he has been known.”

Muramuzi Zakayo an elder brother to the candidate said he was very excited to come to Makerere since it was his first time and had only stopped in A’ level. “I am very happy and honored for having welcomed me at Makerere. When they called me, I had to negotiate with my family and they finally allowed us to come with ‘Umusinde’ (a boy) and now he is now a man ‘Umusaani’,”Zakayo said.

The circumcision was made by a 56 year old traditional surgeon Mr. Kalidi Kitutu of Lunghangha village Bungoho in Mbale sub region. Before performing the traditional circumcision rites, Mr. Kalidi showed the medical certificate from the Ministry of health certifying his qualification.

He thanked the president of the republic of Uganda for making Makerere university a university worth boasting of and urged students to read hard and become tomorrow’s leaders.

Mr. Kitutu said “I thank my fellow parents who sent these children to Makerere to find good lecturers I also thank the president of Uganda who brings good lecturers at Makerere and I wish to request everyone to put more emphasis and efforts to have our cultures upheld.”

Traditional surgeon Kitutu Kalidi who performed the circumcision.

“I want to urge my children to have discipline and read hard. I have happiness now that these students take me as their elder and respect me. I am extremely happy about this,” added Kitutu Kalidi the day’s traditional surgeon.

According to Sam Mabonga a third year B.com (COX) student who also doubles as the culture minister of the BAMUSA said the university management did not take this with responsibility yet the students spent a lot on the event.

“The university gave us only Ushs. 150,000 only and yet we spent over 1.5 m. Unlike them, other groups in Kyambogo were given 1.8m for the function. I expected the university to have called the media to cover our function,” said Mabonga

He added, “I encourage all other cultural heads to always display their cultures and its meaning so as to help other students who have grown from towns to be introduced to their cultures.”

The ceremony normally is in an even year and the Imbalu (male circumcision) season is a legendary ceremony among the Bagisu ethnic group that marks the initiation of boys into manhood. The ritual normally brings a festive atmosphere in the Elgon region: Music blares, the dance is enthralling, food is in plenty and beer flows. Similar tribes with the same cultural tradition in Uganda include Sabiny, Bakonjo and the Bamasaba.

LETTER TO MY SISTER NABUKENYA BRENDA

Dear Brenda

Congratulations upon your landslide win in Luweero. As a brother, I was proud of your performance both on the campaign trail and on the ballot, which announced your defiant arrival on Uganda’s murky political climate in spectacular fashion. 

The mammoth numbers you pulled on your rallies,   which were later replicated on the ballot paper, clearly showed how your message resonated perfectly well with the hopes and aspirations of the Luweero electorate, a fact that made our father’s message pale in comparision.  I am happy to hear from you and talk to you my sister and deliver the message from my father.

I know am your little brother and so you might want to take my advice lightly, but please allow your now busy self to go through what I’ve struggled to scribble down. Of course I acknowledge that small birds shouldn’t in normal circumstances be found to advise bigguns, but please, allow me to unusually defy protocol.  

In a recently held family meeting with our father, he expressed fears that you might be losing track if you continue those ill behaviors of even shunning family meetings. In his communication, I was meant to believe that our father is still witty and can see farther than we can see. He told me how you and our big brother, the professor from your clan made him lose his face in a place that led to the birth of a peaceful home we have embraced for more than 28years.

I should tell you that having seen how our other big brother who had thought he was unable to adapt to changing times to the new job as the mayor. And everything that he did seemed working against him and had taken tribunal resolutions mere jokes. You see where he is now? As a littlun, it becomes evident that compliance rather than violence constitutes the wisest principle for survival. I should advise you to read Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” because having read it inside out, I was made to believe not all animals are equal. 

You should remember the Runyankore adage that goes, “eibega noburyakukura, tirikukira mutwe” literally meaning that even if a shoulder grows big and bigger, a head remains a head.

Our father remains our father and you should understand that you remain under him even if you go out to make your own family. Therefore some animals are more equal than others.

I therefore ask you also to convey my message to our family doctor, (the professor from your clan) that my father is not happy with what he did in our natal village-Luweero. My father said they used to be friends and that he at one time thought of making him the heir to our family and because of his greed, he could not wait my father’s blessings and our father was annoyed.

When we asked him how to go about the professor, he said that he has not denounced him from the family and that he still considers him as part of us. He said he is willing to father him in case he repents. He advised us to tell you to go to Bunyoro in the next sitting so you can atone. He added if he does not comply, he will be forced to join the other four prodigal sons.

You should therefore not keep the smile expecting your fellow clan members to join you in civil naughtiness, the only family Professor who stood with you on the podium shall not be with you forever. He was a disgrace to the family and he is willing to come back home tosurreptitiously receive his strokes.

Your usual suspect DVDtheSON

POLITICISING THE MAKEREREAN NEWS PAPER WOULD BACK FIRE AT THE PLANNERS

All eyes will be on the new editorial board of the University students “news” paper, The makererean after it landed in the hands of lawyers.

This of course comes after the majority our right thinking honourable members of the 80^th students’ guild parliament overwhelmingly voted a one Mayambala Michel a student from law school as the Chief Editor to the newspaper.

I would therefore sound unwelcome if  I go on without congratulating the man with the mantle “to give directives to those who will be working on the paper,” I pray you have the best time as the Editor.

Reservations are therefore made to anyone who be offended by this article but please this is what I think comrades. Politicking around under the guise of wanting to win the elections even without the knowledge of what one does not know, I would refer to that one as applying what John Rawls refers to as the veil of Ignorance in his book A Theory Of Justice.  I therefore strongly hold that political reasoning is expected to cast a long shadow on the recovery of the paper, even as prospects of a swivel remain firm. 

Reference is made to the Bible in the book of Mark 12:17 “....render to Ceasar the things that are Ceasar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. In the same way, I have a feeling that there should be a demarcation on who does what or who should do the other.

Recently, a friend of mine in “that house” intimated to me that he was not happy with some of the decisions made by the big dog of the house. This was after he said the big dog had messed some ministries and gave them to people who were not in that line of duty (all in the name of pleasing his loyalists during the race).

From that background, I can categorically say that say that yes, no doubt anybody can write what appeals to them and they should have a right to think whatever they have written positions them to be editors. However, our honourable members, it is not true that anybody can be an editor. That is why a doctor cannot win law suit unless they hire lawyers. In other wards everyone has their areas of specialisation and I am made to believe that a journalism student would be the best candidate to suit the chief editor position for “news” paper.

I have learn't that these journalism students who have been approached to work towards the well being of the paper have turned down the offers claiming that they could not receive directives from someone who does not have the background in the paper.     

The argument is that this paper should have been given to a journalism student whose aim would be developing the paper as they would be more responsible since it falls under their jurisdiction.

I think they do not have a moral grounding to dictate on the editorial decisions when they don’t know them. The argument that may be some one can write and produce a magazine is rather obscure.

   To be quoted, I don’t support of lazy fellows who under the guise of offering Journalism and Mass communication claim they are all know and that no other person can manage to write. But trust me, here, I am talking about professionalism and working ethically. 

Sewer leak sparks fear of disease outbreak in Makerere

SANITATION

In dilemma: Fears of a disease outbreak are rising in Makerere University after it raw sewage leaked into the main students’ walkways.

Residents of Lumumba Hall in particular and others who use the steps behind St Francis conference hall and just near lower building at the School of Languages Literature and Communication (SLLC) have reported the stench and poor sanitary conditions yesterday evening.

 Hon. Ronald Kyasiimire the GRC of Lumumba Hall expressed dissatisfaction and disappointment from the university authorities over the leaks and sluggish response by the university over the emergence.

“The filth from the sewer leak flow towards Lumumba and we are unhappy about the University’s reluctance on the matter,” he added.

“I blame the whole delay on allocation of the University funds since they do not make immediate response to certain emergences. Sewage was flowing all over and flies everywhere at SLLC and for the proceeding hours, I could not concentrate because the stink was too much,” Hon. Kyasimire said yesterday

 Students’ response

Hon. Lwasa Laban the GRC School of Forestry blamed the university authorities for failing to establish a monitoring unit that would be meant to check the irregularities at campus.

“If the university has a monitoring unit to always check on these problems, then we would be having immediate solutions. It’s a shame that this has not only happened once and each time it happens, only temporally solutions are provided,” Hon. Laban Lwasa said.

 “The state is very appalling. Although people don’t seem to care about the situation, the irritating smell is really annoying. The fact is that the broken sewage may cause disease outbreaks like cholera in case they get in contact with water connections. In makerere when you don’t ask you don’t get,” Elias Matsiko a resident of Lumumba Hall said.

“It is such a big embarrassment to see we have leakages in pipes and no immediate solution was met. These pipes are too old. The University should change the entire pipes and provide new strong ones long solutions for the sewer leaks,” Aggrey Nyondwa Legal advisor at the School board said.