OMG!! Speaker Oboth Oboth Survives Death During Imbalu Ceremonies As Dancers Attack VIP Tent

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oboth-Oboth was forced to leave the Mutoto Cultural Grounds in Mbale on Saturday after a large group of Kadodi revellers breached the VIP section while he was delivering President Yoweri Museveni’s speech during the official launch of the 2026 Imbalu circumcision season.

The disruption occurred moments after Oboth-Oboth, who represented President Museveni as the chief guest, began reading the President’s message to thousands of people gathered for the cultural event. Security personnel and other operatives quickly intervened to shield the Speaker and escort him away as the crowd surged toward the main platform.

The annual Imbalu launch attracted thousands of Bamasaba, cultural enthusiasts, political leaders and invited guests from across Uganda and neighbouring Kenya. Among those present were district chairpersons from the Bugisu sub-region, Members of Parliament, religious and cultural leaders, as well as the Kenyan Ambassador to Uganda.

Unlike previous editions, this year’s ceremony was organised by district local government leaders rather than a single cultural institution. The change followed ongoing leadership disputes among rival cultural factions over who should officially preside over the historic Imbalu tradition.

Eyewitnesses said the disturbance began when traditional Kadodi dancers escorting circumcision candidates unexpectedly moved through the VIP enclosure while leading initiates toward an important cultural ritual.

“The ceremony turned chaotic after a group of traditional circumcision dancers escorting candidates to face the knife broke through the VIP section and charged toward the Speaker. His security team rescued him,” said Joshua Mafabi, whose son is among this year’s circumcision candidates.

According to witnesses, the procession reportedly lost the designated spiritual route leading candidates to the nearby swamp for the Khuwakha Litosi ritual, commonly known as the mudding ceremony.

Khuwakha Litosi is one of the most significant stages of the Imbalu tradition. During the ritual, initiates are smeared with mud before circumcision as a symbolic act believed to connect them with their ancestors and prepare them spiritually for the transition into manhood.

Emma Bwayo, Secretary of the Organising Committee and Chairperson of Namisindwa District, attributed the confusion to delays in the official programme, particularly the late arrival of the chief guest.

“The Speaker’s speech came at a time when the candidates were supposed to proceed to the swamp for the mudding ritual. Despite the interruption, the function was largely successful,” Bwayo said.

Some residents, however, offered a different explanation, claiming that the presence of certain government officials who are allegedly not circumcised was viewed by some community members as contrary to long-held cultural beliefs associated with the ceremony. These claims remain cultural beliefs and have not been independently verified.

Saturday’s incident is not the first security disruption at Mutoto Cultural Grounds during the Imbalu celebrations. In 2022, Kadodi dancers also broke through the VIP section after a tent had reportedly been erected along the traditional spiritual pathway used by candidates returning from the Khuwakha Litosi ritual.

Held every even-numbered year, the Imbalu ceremony is one of the oldest cultural traditions of the Bamasaba people living on the slopes of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda and parts of western Kenya. The ritual marks the formal initiation of boys, typically aged 16 years and above, into manhood through public circumcision.

This year’s launch began with the circumcision of 11 candidates from the BaMutoto clan, one of the 26 recognised clans in the Bugisu cultural community. The launch officially signals the start of circumcision activities that will continue across the region over the coming weeks.

Historical records trace the Bugisu Imbalu tradition to around 1804, although oral history suggests the practice predates that period by several centuries.

Organisers estimate that more than 10,000 boys could undergo circumcision during the 2026 Imbalu season, a significant increase from the 6,024 candidates officially recorded during the 2024 circumcision cycle.