Inzu Ya Masaba Embroiled in Financial Scandal

Inzu Ya Masaba, the Bamasaba Cultural Institution is embroiled in a financial scandal. Some leaders of the cultural institution are being accused of soliciting financial support from different sources without declaring what they receive to the treasury.

A seven member committee has been set up to carry out an audit into its finances including money collected from the biennial circumcision events. The committee is to find out how the money collected during circumcision ceremonies from 2010 to 2014, was spent.

Bob Mushikori, the cultural Minister in charge of Diaspora, who is the committee chairperson, says among the money they are investigating is the more than Ugx200 Million that was donated by President Museveni in 2010 and 2014 to facilitate the institution\'s retreat and circumcision ceremony respectively.

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He says they have also been tasked to probe the relevance of the Bamasaba cultural institution to its subjects.

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He said so far they have held meetings with the heads of clan and political leaders in Bududa, Manafwa Bulambuli, Sironko and Mbale districts. Mushikori says their preliminary findings show that majority of the clan and political heads support the activities of the Bamasaba cultural institution. 

He however, says that clan heads wants to know the accountability for the finances collected from the Bamasaba for the various activities for the past years. On their part, he says the political heads expressed concerns on how the institution has always sidelined them in some of their major activities like the most pronounced embalu, the circumcision ceremonies.

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Mushikori says the probe committee is now left with meeting separately all the cultural ministers who have been in charge of the day to day state of affairs of the institution to give the accountability of funds collected on behalf of the institution.

He says they will also interface with Wilson Wamimbi, the Umukuukha before making a final report. He is optimistic that they will be through with their investigations before the end of April.

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Inzu Ya Masaba was created in 2010 with the aim of preserving and fostering the culture of the Bamasaba. The cultural institution is comprised members from 26 clans across Bugisu sub region.