Thousands of people from Bugisu gathered at the Bumutoto Cultural Grounds for the official launch of the 2026 Imbalu circumcision season, but the colourful celebrations took an unexpected turn when Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oboth-Oboth was forced to leave the VIP section after a procession of Kadodi dancers and circumcision candidates disrupted the official programme.
Oboth-Oboth, who represented President Yoweri Museveni at the event, was preparing to deliver the President’s speech when a traditional procession of circumcision candidates, accompanied by Kadodi dancers, drummers and chanting supporters, entered the main arena.
The lively procession, which marks an important stage in the Bagisu circumcision ritual, immediately captured the attention of thousands of spectators, making it impossible for the Speaker to continue with the official programme.
As excitement among the crowd intensified, security personnel escorted Oboth-Oboth away from the podium and out of the VIP section before he could deliver the President’s message.
Cultural leaders later explained that the interruption was not intentional but resulted from a clash between the official programme and longstanding cultural traditions.
Namisindwa District Chairperson Ema Bwayo said that, according to Bagisu tradition, circumcision candidates are expected to proceed for the ritual at around 3:00 p.m., and once the procession begins, it cannot be halted.
“By 3:00 p.m., candidates are expected to proceed for circumcision, and culturally you cannot stop a candidate who is heading for the knife,” Bwayo said.
Some stakeholders, however, blamed poor time management for the disruption, arguing that the official programme started late after Members of Parliament held a closed-door meeting with the Speaker at a hotel before proceeding to the cultural grounds.
Despite the interruption, the celebrations continued as scheduled, with five boys undergoing circumcision at the Bumutoto Cultural Courtyard, officially ushering in the 2026 Imbalu season.
The launch attracted cultural leaders, government officials, politicians and visitors from across Uganda and neighbouring Kenya, highlighting the deep historical and cultural ties shared by the Bamasaba communities on both sides of Mount Elgon.
Kenya’s High Commissioner to Uganda represented President William Ruto, while hundreds of Bamasaba from Kenya attended the ceremony in a demonstration of cross-border cultural unity.
During the event, Bugisu Parliamentary Group Chairperson Godfrey Wakooli Matembu called on the government to invest in the Bumutoto Cultural Grounds and gazette the site as a national cultural heritage centre to promote tourism and preserve the Bagisu’s revered Imbalu tradition.
The launch marks the beginning of months of circumcision ceremonies across the Bugisu sub-region, during which thousands of young men will undergo the traditional rite of passage into manhood.
