Imbalu is a public circumcision ceremony practiced by the Bamasaba people of Uganda.[1] It takes place at the Mutoto cultural site (also called Mutoto cultural ground) near Mbale in eastern Uganda.[2] It is mostly active in the 8th month of every even year. The ground is believed to be the place where the first Mugishu (Mumasaba) was circumcised. This community affair is characterized by dance and food. The ceremony has been heavily promoted as a tourist attraction, and tens of thousands of people attend.[3][4] Imbalu marks the initiation of boys into manhood and every year, hundreds of boys aged 16 and above qualify for the Imbalu.[5] In 2022, about 6,000 boys were initiated into manhood during the cultural ceremony that happens every year.[6] This is because the ceremony had not happened ever since 2020 when Uganda was locked down due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.[6]
The age old tradition defines and unites the people in Bugisu sub-region including the Bamasaba people of Mbale, Manafwa, Bulambuli, Sironko and Bududa districts.[7] This is because they are believed to be descendants of Masaba.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Thousands throng Mutoto cultural ground for Imbalu launch". Daily Monitor. Archived from the original on 2018-08-16. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
- ^ Wambede, Fred; Kitunzi, Yahudu (August 8, 2016). "Uganda: Bamasaba Move to Build Giant Imbalu Centre". Daily Monitor. Full text of article available here.
{{cite news}}: External link in|postscript= - ^ "How Uganda Turned a Public Circumcision Ritual into a Tourist Attraction". www.vice.com. September 2016. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- ^ Mutizwa, Nyasha K. (June 13, 2016). "Ugandan Imbalu circumcision ceremony attracts tourists". Africanews. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- ^ "WHO Guides the Bagisu Community on Carrying out a Cultural Norm while observing COVID-19 Guidelines". WHO | Regional Office for Africa. 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
- ^ a b "From lockdown to inflation: Imbalu goes under the knife". Monitor. 2022-08-12. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
- ^ a b "Hundreds throng Mutoto cultural ground for Imbalu launch". Monitor. 2022-08-13. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
External links
editFurther reading
edit- "Thanks to Mutoto, imbalu still reigns". New Vision. May 15, 2014. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- Kakembo, Titus (July 9, 2020). "COVID-19 disrupts Imbalu festival". New Vision. Retrieved 2020-09-11.