The Government of Uganda has officially de-registered Inzuyamasaba and halted its entire operations through its arm, URSB.
Steven Masiga, the spokesperson of the Bugisu cultural institution, has welcomed this bold move by government, saying it was creating confusion in communities by posing as a cultural institution.
Masiga said that according to the laws of Uganda, de-registration of a company by government such as Inzuyamasaba has the following consequences: it cannot operate nor hold bank accounts, it cannot sue but can be sued, and it is officially refrained from presenting itself and operating in communities and local governments while collecting money for whatever purpose.
Masiga said this now allows them and any other aggrieved members of the community to go beyond the counter and identify some of the officials who have been operating a company limited by shares owned by a few persons and masquerading as a cultural institution.
Masiga said the latest move to de-register Inzuyamasaba also follows an opinion raised by the Attorney General of the Government of Uganda, who had issued a similar warning, saying Inzuyamasaba was not a cultural institution and that it was not representing everybody in Bugisu. He added that Inzuyamasaba was owned by less than 30 people in Bugisu and registered as a company under the Companies Act 2002.
The Uganda Revenue Authority is now at liberty to freeze all the assets owned by Inzuyamasaba and have anybody prosecuted if found holding out.
Masiga said the legal framework that ushers cultural and traditional institutions in communities is the Constitution of Uganda and its operative law, the Institution of Traditional and Cultural Leaders Act 2011, Cap 242. Anybody who wants to be Umukuka must be prepared to follow that cultural and legal path and not come into leadership through the Companies Act.
This de-registration officially outlaws Inzuyamasaba from collecting any money from the public, as doing so will be an affront to the Public Collections Act and the URA Act, and anybody found in violation of the above provisions will face legal action.
