Pressure is mounting on the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to officially recognise the Bagwere cultural leader, with elders and opinion leaders warning that the prolonged delay has created a leadership vacuum that is threatening unity and cultural identity.
For years, the Bagwere community, majority in the districts of Budaka, Butebo, Kibuku and Pallisa, have remained without an officially gazetted cultural leadership since the demise of His Highness, John Chrysostom Wayabire, a situation that many leaders say has fuelled disagreement over succession, weakened traditional governance and left the community without a unified voice on matters affecting its cultural heritage.
The Obwa Ikumbania Bwa Bugwere has three factions, all claiming to be the rightful and elected cultural leaders of Bagwere.
These include Mr Samuku Pangholi Kintu Mubbala, Johua Musimami and Geoffrey Wayabire.
The High Court in Mbale had declared Mr Samuku Balamu Pangholi Kintu Mubbala as the rightful, elected cultural leader.
Mr Mubbala secured an order from the High Court which he presented to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development in order to be gazetted as the Bagwere cultural leader, popularly known as Ikumbania.
Mr Mubbala was on April 24, 2009, culturally inaugurated as the Ikumbania, the Bagwere Cultural Institution’s head.
Justice Ezekiel Muhanguzi made a ruling on Novevember 7, 2008, and a judgment was made on June 4, 2010, in which he dismissed the suit in favour of Mubbala and since then till to date is the cultural leader of the Bagwere.
Efforts by the Inter-Religious Council to mediate the situation also reached a common ground that out of six, four were in support to have Mr Mubbala remain as the cultural leader of Bagwere.
Mr Mubbala told the Monitor that all the due process were done and documentation submitted to the Ministry of Gender pending gazettement but unfortunately they haven’t done so up to date.
“The court order that also declared that I am the rightful cultural leader was also submitted to the mother ministry. I find no reason as to why I should not be gazetted despite fulfilling all the requirements,” Mr Mubbala said.
According to a petition letter dated July 13, 2026, addressed to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, the Obwa Ikumbania Bwa Bugwere declared by consent judgment and court order dated Jan 27, 2022, in Mbale High Court, No 43 of 2021, humbly petitioned the ministry over the failure to cause the petitioner be published in the Uganda Gazette as the lawful and rightful cultural leader of the cultural institution of the Obwa Ikumbania.
He further stated in the letter that the petitioner is informed and believes that under Section 6 of the Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act 2011, the ministry has powers to cause the declaration of the petitioner to be published in the gazette.
Mr Mubbala noted with great concern that the prolonged delay to recognise the cultural leaders has made the community and institution miss development programs from the government.
For instance, the Bagwere cultural institution missed two official vehicles and financial support towards projects because of the leadership vacuum.
“The leadership vacuum is being created by self-seekers and also being disorganised. The situation is being fuelled by few people who have hidden agenda to satisfy their interest but not for the entire Bugwere,” Mr Mubbala explained.
He added: “Without a cultural leader to act as a unifier, the subjects will remain disunited and sabotage development. There is no direction at the moment because of lack of a cultural leader.”