MBALE – The Bugisu Cultural Institution has strongly condemned the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), warning that although it is not part of Bamasaba culture, there are reports that it is still being carried out secretly in some parts of the Bugisu region.
Speaking to this publication by telephone from Mbale City, the institution’s spokesperson, Steven Masiga, said reports from communities indicate that FGM is allegedly being practiced discreetly in Bumbo and parts of Sono, particularly among some Sabot communities living in the area.
Masiga said community members informed the cultural institution that the practice is often conducted during the late hours of the night to avoid detection. According to the reports, women escort girls to nearby rivers where traditional cleansing rituals are allegedly performed before the circumcision.
He explained that the ritual cleansing is regarded as sacred by those who practice it and is reportedly carried out between midnight and 1:00 a.m. Community members also claimed that anyone who accidentally encounters the initiates during the ceremony is traditionally required to pay a cow or risk severe cultural consequences.
Masiga emphasized that Female Genital Mutilation has never been part of the Bamasaba cultural heritage and should not be associated with the Bugisu community.
“We strongly reject Female Genital Mutilation in Bugisu. It is not our culture, and we will continue to discourage anyone attempting to introduce or promote the practice among the Bamasaba,” he said.
He added that the institution has been conducting community and school outreach programmes across the region to educate young people about preserving authentic Bamasaba cultural values while rejecting harmful practices that originate outside their traditions.
Masiga noted that while communities such as the Sabot have their own distinct cultural practices, these should not be imposed on the Bamasaba.
“Every community has the right to preserve its own culture, but no community should force its customs on another. Female Genital Mutilation is not a Bamasaba tradition,” he said.
The spokesperson appealed to non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders involved in the fight against FGM to strengthen public sensitisation campaigns in Bugisu, especially in border communities where the practice is suspected to persist.
He said increased awareness and community engagement are essential in protecting girls from harmful traditional practices and ensuring that FGM is completely eliminated from the region.
