Background of the Bamasaaba
Inzu Ya Masaaba (House of Masaaba), IYM, is the cultural institution of Bamasaaba living at the slopes of Mt. Elgon Mt. Masaaba, commonly called Mt. Elgon, in Eastern Uganda and Western Kenya. They cover the districts of Mbale, Sironko, Manafwa, Bududa, Bulambuli and Namisindwa in Uganda; and Bungoma and Trans Nzoia in Kenya.The leadership of Inzu ya Masaaba is vested in a Cultural Leader called Uwelukoosi Umukuuka We Ba'Masaaba. Since inception in 2000, IYM has had two leaders; Uwelukoosi Amb. Wilson Wamimbi Weasa of Inda ya Wanaale as Umukuuka I and Uwelukoosi Bob Mushikori of Inda ya Mubuuya as Umukuuka II. Tenure for every cultural leader, according to the constitution, is five years and is done on rotational basis from one ancestral family (Inda) to another.Inzu VisionA United People For Sustainable DevelopmentInzu MissionTo preserve, promote and enhance culture as well as the material economic heritage of Bamasaaba in Uganda, Kenya and Diaspora.Inzu Strategic ObjectiveEnsuring quality governance and leadership practices and emphasis on resource mobilization to ensure the unity and well-being of all Ba’Masaaba for posterity.Guiding Principles and Core ValuesIntegrityHardworkServant LeadershipHumilityStrategic Areas of The Strategic PlanPreservation of Cultural HeritageEnvironmental and Land ManagementAgricultural TransformationInzu Ya Masaaba as a Cultural Institution was established in 2011 to foster Unity and Development amongst Bamasaaba and hopes to achieve this through working in partnership with local district Governments in Masaabaland and the Central Government. It is owned by every Mu-Masaaba and non Bamasaaba resident in Masaabaland in Uganda and Kenya and all friends and well wishers of Bamasaaba.
Inzu ya Masaba, also known as the Bamasaba Cultural Institution, is the centralized traditional umbrella for the Bamasaba (Bagisu) people of Eastern Uganda and Western Kenya. Established in 2010 to unite 26 independent clans, its leadership is rotational among the descendants of Masaba's three sons: Wanale, Mwambu, and Mubuya.Origins and HeritageThe Ancestry: The Bamasaba trace their origins to an ancestral figure named Masaba, who migrated from the Ethiopian highlands and settled on the slopes of Mount Elgon.Historical Governance: Historically, the Bamasaba were a decentralized, non-centralized society of 26 independent clans. They were governed by elder councils rather than centralized kings.Formation: Because of their decentralized history, the Bamasaba previously had no traditional kingdom. The Inzu ya Masaba was formalized and gazetted in 2010/2011 to unify the descendants under one cultural identity, foster socioeconomic development, and preserve the iconic Imbalu (circumcision) rituals.Geographic ScopeUganda: Spans the Bugisu sub-region, including Mbale City, Mbale District, Sironko, Bulambuli, Manafwa, Namisindwa, and Bududa districts.Kenya: The umbrella also extends to descendants of Bagisu descent living in Western Kenya, particularly in the Bungoma and Trans Nzoia counties.Leadership and StructureThe Umukuuka: The cultural head of the institution is known as the Umukuuka.Rotation: To maintain harmony, the position of Umukuuka rotates among the cultural households representing Masaba's three main sons:Wanale (Settled primarily in Mbale area)Mwambu (Settled in Sironko and Bulambuli)Mubuya (Settled in Manafwa, Bududa, and Namisindwa)Before Inzu Ya Masaaba was formerly conceived, Bamasaaba from various parts in masaaba land had always been in discussion and proposed various ideas for the formation of an institution that would organize members of the Bamasaaba under a single umbrella to address issues of Masaaba welfare both at home and abroad. This culminated into a process to formalize ,which began on April 13 2007 when agroup of BaMasaaba gathered at the Uganda community center in Mbale , with the aim of forming an organization that would be the engine of preserving Masaba culture , and also act as catalyst for social and economic development in Uganda particularly in Masaabaland.
They emphasized that the organization would be a non-partisan and non-political , whose most important focus was to foster unity with the aim of coalescing BaMasaaba towards common development goals, particularly in the areas of health , education and economic development .They pointed some fundamental guiding principles to foster Unity which were commitment , respect, communication, and discipline.