The Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development has issued a corrigendum through a statutory instrument correcting the titles of royal highnesses and clarifying the areas they lead across Uganda.
Speaking to this The Ankole Times, the spokesperson for the Bamasaaba cultural institution, Mr. Steven Masiga, welcomed the corrections made by Hon. Betty Amongi. He noted that the move would eliminate the confusion that had persisted for years regarding the leadership and territorial jurisdiction of cultural institutions.
“For example, in Bugisu, some people had disregarded national laws on cultural institutions and started creating their own,” Masiga said. “There was a lot of misrepresentation regarding who we are and where our authority lies. With this correction, we now clearly know that we are Bagisu people, and our cultural leader, His Highness Jude Mike Mudoma, oversees Bududa, Manafwa, Sironko, Namisindwa, Mbale City, Bulambuli, and Mbale District.”
The Third Schedule of the Ugandan Constitution outlines the various tribes that make up Uganda. According to this provision, for anyone to be gazetted as a cultural leader, they must be born within that specific community, and both parents must also belong to the same tribe by birth.
The recently issued corrigendum, published in the Uganda Gazette, rectifies previous errors that hindered proper understanding of the territories overseen by traditional and cultural leaders. It clearly outlines the regions and districts represented by each gazetted cultural leader as custodians of cultural heritage and norms within their respective communities.
About ten years ago, in 2014, the Ministry of Gender degazetted several cultural leaders for using inconsistent and inappropriate titles. Some leaders had adopted terms such as “Right Honourable,” “Commander,” or “His Excellency,” which contradicted their official titles such as “His Royal Highness” or “His Majesty.”
Mr. Masiga emphasized that with the corrections now in place, the Bamasaaba people have a critical task to re-educate their communities on cultural values, roles, and leadership. “It is now our duty to carry out cultural education and raise awareness about these long-overdue clarifications,” he said.
The corrected gazette now formally recognizes the titles and jurisdictions of various cultural leaders across Uganda, including:
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The Kabaka of Buganda
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The Kyabazinga of Busoga
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The Omukama of Toro
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The Umukuka of Bugisu
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The King of Samia
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The King of Buruli
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The Kamuswaga of Kooki
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The Rwot of Acholi
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The Cultural Leader of Kumam
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The Omusinga of Rwenzururu (Bakonzo)
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The Emorimor of Teso
These developments mark a significant step in preserving Uganda’s cultural identity while aligning traditional leadership structures with the national legal framework.
