By Steven Masiga
With a few months left towards the ascendency of the new cultural leader of the Bamaasaba, a bigger number of people insist that the confusion engineered at the Umukuka offices might cast askance on the outcome, because a group of self seeking officials are now masquerading as central government ministers.
Under the cultural leaders Act Sec. 8 (b), a duty is cast on the Ugandan Government Minister to formally Gazette the cessation or abdication of such a cultural leader thus giving the public knowledge that so and so is no longer a cultural or political leader.
Thus, a duty is cast on the Minister of GoU not the minister of Bamasaba one can guide himself with the varous interpretation Acts of statutes.
The state minister for Gender one peace Mutuzo and the Solicitor General had variously guided that the right board to help guide or solicit candidates for the election was the board led by Dr. mungoma (former principal UCU Mbale campus) in total disregard of this communication from the minister amafia team at the palace acting under no statutory guidance clandestinely and exploiting the ailing condition of the outgoing Umukuka who was on his sick bed at Nakasero hospital Kampala, put in place a team of eminent judges to manage the election of the new Umukuka contrary to the directives of the minister and solicitor General.
The team of the likes of judges their lordships Wangutusi, Musenene, Gadenya etc may not even been consulted or the Chief Justice may too decline releasing them to execute such tasks, as under the Judicature Act Cap 13 and thus Public Service standing orders a public servant cannot do any other work without authority of their superiors and in this context the Principal Judge or Chief Justice whom the letter didn’t address to grant such permission.
Besides, Judges are all too senior to just be deployed like that; who will head, who will arise!.. Officers at corresponding ranks can’t just be deployed in such a confused manner.
The law in its current form Articles 246 of the constitution and the Cultural leaders Act 2011 does not place mandate on the outgoing Umukuka to participate in the selection of the new Umukuka and neither do we have precedents to rely on and his actions to court.
Trouble and confusion at the place are acts of astranger and can scorn from all intentioned Basamasa including litigation. If the current Umukuka had wanted to stay around politically like his close friend Museveni, he should have amended the law.
The culture council and Dr Mungoma’s board should thus be afforded the opportunity to organize elections which will be acceptable to all Bamasaba but not any other team smuggled by the Umukuka.
When the current King was appointed, we had very high expections but alas Mr Wekale laments.
Steven Masiga is a transformative researcher on politics, Education and Governance from Mbale.
For comments, remarks or continuity, reach him on +256 706 655811
