Culture tour Information : Uganda Busoga's spirits find a new home

Busoga Kingdom is a cultural institution that promotes popular participation ‎and unity among the people of Busoga, through cultural and developmental programs ‎for the improved livelihood of the people of Busoga. It strives for a united people of ‎Busoga, who enjoy economic, social and cultural prosperity. It also continues to ‎enhance, revamp and pave the way for an efficient institutional and management ‎system for the Kyabazinga kingship .Besides, this kingdom is very rich with very many tourism potentials including the source of the nile,Bujagali falls, Itanda falls and many others.

Among all the tourism attractions in the kingdom, source of the Nile and Bujagali falls are the main key with many activities. It is also where the gods in the rock, under water and those on dry land gathered to listen to their “children’s” prayers. Today, the island has been left bare, minus vegetation, exposing its rock foundation. The right river bank where we get the waters were diverted leaving its bed gaping open, the rough rocks stare very rudely at the two high-mighty-gated-spillways made of rock and lime, yet these look down on the rocks so humbly yet confident and proud. However, gone are the days when people from all over the world could walk and also trekked the Bujagali route in search for life, wealth, wife, husband and children.. And no longer shall people flock the Nile river spot to curse away the drought, pray for good harvest or academic excellence for their children.

As presentation of Chinua Achene’s novel, Things Fall Apart, one of the characters Obierika remarks; the white man has placed a knife on the things which held us together and we have fallen apart. This is shortly after Okwonkwo returns to Umoufia only to find a church erect on the evil forest land wondering where all the warriors had gone, the same applies to Busoga kingdom when the Bujagali Energy Limited (BEL), a company spearheading the construction of the Dam . 

 Residents asked for a school or two, a health unit but most importantly they demanded their gods are secured a new home. BEL kept their promise. By June 29, three new shrines had been constructed at Namizi village Budondo subcounty in Jinja for the gods to inhabit. The relocation ceremony was punctuated with speeches especially testimonies from Busoga clan chiefs.

After the national and Busoga anthems, followed a prayer - not the usual “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name............ No. The ceremony of transferring the gods started; “Our gods, Budhagali, Lumbuye, Lubaale, Mukasa....and all grandfathers come in our midst... to ensure that the ceremony works out successfully.

Various assortments of fetishes, beads threaded together on backcloth in different measures were carefully placed the corners of each shrine one after the other amidst loud chants, drumming and vigorous dancing. With the chief custodian, Benedicto Infudu danced while shaking his head allegedly possessed, kicked hot coals with bare feet and put fire into his mouth as way of demonstrating his might. Infudu, says those who think these are lies, superstitions have lost their roots otherwise why do they find it easy to believe Jesus was son of God, he walked on water and performed several miracles including healing the sick but can’t believe a thing as Budhagali in their own land. What proof do they have? Mr Stephen Nantamu, the Minister of Culture and Inter kingdom cooperation in Busoga Kingdom said, “Budhagali is Busoga.”
To conclude the relocation ceremony, mounds of food and chunks of meat were heaped on people’s plates which they described as “a very important phase” in any particular rite but the head of community interventions at Bujagali Energy Limited, Zakalia Lubega, that the said the relocation was part of their community compensation commitment.