Mbale, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | The rhythmic drumming and vibrant hip movements of the dancers set the stage for the upcoming mass traditional circumcision ritual, known as Imbalu among the Bamasaaba people in Uganda’s mountainous eastern region.
However, the joyous street celebrations masked a simmering controversy as some community members raised concerns about their king’s approach to the public display of Imbalu, a traditional circumcision ritual performed every two years for thousands of boys in this remote area bordering Kenya.
The central question was whether Imbalu should evolve into a tourist spectacle or remain a sacred, private ceremony where families quietly prepare their sons to bravely undergo the rite of passage.
The king, known as the Umukuuka, ultimately prevailed before the ceremonial inauguration on August 3 in Mbale, advocating for a festival that preserved tradition while also appealing to visitors. The Ugandan government and a corporate sponsor contributed over Shs 440 million (approximately $120,000) to support the event.
In an interview with our reporter, the Umukuuka acknowledged the challenges of organizing a modern Imbalu and defended his decision to promote the ritual as a tourist attraction in alignment with Uganda’s national development goals.
“Everything is changing as the population expands. People may not manage to follow the cultural processes,” he said, citing the economic hardship and commercialization he said were diluting the communal aspect of Imbalu. “But we are fighting through the clan system that (Imbalu) remains intact.”
The Ugandan government’s involvement in the Imbalu ceremony has sparked concerns among many within the Bamasaaba community, highlighting the unease surrounding this deeply significant ritual for the ethnic group, which comprises 4 million Ugandans.
Some members, speaking to the Associated Press, expressed their belief that the Umukuuka, in his first year of leadership, was diminishing the sanctity of Imbalu by opening it up to external influences.
“Our leadership is being hijacked by national political leaders,” said Wasukira Mashate, an elder who is a custodian of Bamasaaba cultural property, charging that the Umukuuka was missing the counsel of clan leaders with real spiritual authority.
“I don’t think they are having any role” in Imbalu, he said, speaking of clan leaders. “It was for our own benefit culturally, but now it is becoming a national event because the government of Uganda has captured it.”
During the ceremonial inauguration, a tense crowd gathered outside the totemic shrine of the clan traditionally responsible for initiating Imbalu by circumcising the first candidates.
Clan members expressed their displeasure at the sight of a young mixed-breed bull tied to the grass, deeming it an inappropriate offering to the gods. They insisted that only a bull of local breed would be a fitting sacrifice for the sacred ritual.
“This cow is exotic. We are Bamasaaba, and he brought us a white animal,” said Kareem Masaba, speaking of the Umukuuka. “He has insulted us. His predecessors used to come into the shrine and participate in the rituals, but this man will not come here. He is disrespecting us.”
The dispute over the sacrificial bull at the ceremonial inauguration delayed the event into the late afternoon, as frustration mounted among men armed with machetes, sharp sticks, and other crude weapons.
Despite the growing anger, the Umukuuka, seated nearby in a tent with dignitaries from across Africa, remained unmoved. In protest, clan members refused to present the first group of initiates to the Umukuuka, whose real name is Jude Mudoma and who previously served as a forestry officer.
The mass circumcisions are set to continue until the end of 2024.
Imbalu, the tribal initiation that marks a boy’s passage into manhood, remains deeply controversial in some African countries, such as South Africa, where botched and fatal circumcisions among the Xhosa people have led to campaigns advocating for safe, clinical procedures. However, among the Bamasaaba, whose circumcision method is equally intense, there have been no calls to abandon the practice.
For the most ardent supporters, Imbalu holds greater significance now than ever, especially with the rise of infant circumcisions performed in hospitals. They believe that boys who do not undergo the traditional tribal initiation risk a lifetime of social ostracism.
Tribal circumcisions are carried out by traditional surgeons using knives often made from melted nails. Bamasaaba men living far from home, even in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, are known to track down those who try to evade Imbalu, forcibly subjecting them to the ritual. The bodies of uncircumcised men may also face desecration before burial.
“Circumcision helps us to be strong,” declared Peter Gusolo, a traditional surgeon, proudly emphasizing his people’s reputed sexual prowess. For those who resist the practice, Gusolo issued a stark warning: they will be circumcised “even if they are dying.”
He added, “We circumcise you at night. We bury you in the morning.” Gusolo made it clear that within Bamasaaba culture, it is a curse to bury an uncircumcised person on their land, as it is strictly against their cultural constitution.
Living on a hillside surrounded by arabica coffee plants, Gusolo had spent days in seclusion in a cave, abstaining from intimacy with his wife to allow the spirit of Imbalu to possess him fully. Although he and other traditional surgeons hold certificates from local health authorities attesting to their skills, the title of surgeon is hereditary. They take their responsibilities seriously, believing that the wounds they inflict will only heal if they are spiritually strong.
The first candidate for initiation this year was a teenager, his face smeared with mud and the remnants of homemade beer. As he stood with his legs spread, staring unblinkingly at the sky, a chaotic crowd surged around him, demanding bravery. The surgeon, using no anesthetic, quickly made his cut, and a member of the boy’s family collected the foreskin, a protective measure against witchcraft.
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Emmanuel Watundu, the father of a 17-year-old boy who was among the first to be circumcised, expressed his unwavering support for Imbalu, calling it the transformative event his son desired. However, he lamented the carnival-like atmosphere brought by “peer groups [who] normally behave differently than we used to.” Outside Watundu’s house, where a large crowd had gathered, people of all ages danced wildly, some drunkenly, and a woman briefly exposed her breasts. Meanwhile, a politician campaigning for a seat in the national assembly led a procession down the dirt road, and young boys teased and flirted with girls.
Watundu noted that many of the street dancers were “from different areas” and that most people attending Imbalu came “to do business.” He also criticized the involvement of the Ugandan government, saying it had “given some bad picture” regarding the Umukuuka’s role as the chief organizer of Imbalu.
Wilson Watira, the chairman of the Imbalu organizing committee, defended the government’s participation, arguing that it supported the preservation of Bamasaaba traditions. He pointed out that the lively street processions had brought joy to the community.
“When it comes to the performance of culture, it remains culture. We only want to show the world that even when we are performing this culture, it can also attract other people,” Watira explained.
He added that in the past, some people viewed the ritual as barbaric and brutal, but that perception is changing.
“It’s the reason why we said, ‘No, we are not barbaric. We can make this thing very attractive, and you will enjoy it.”
