A Bamasaba ‘Imbalu’ circumciser identified as Martin Sangula narrowly survived death at the wrath of angry Bamasaaba residents of Bumwena ‘B’ zone, Malongo sub-county in Mayuge district, when he accidentally sliced off the penis of his client, a 17-year-old Peter Munghala, son of the village chairperson Fred Mudenyi.
“Imbalu” is a Bugishu cultural circumcision of male adults who have come of age, as a signal of initiating them into full manhood.
But Moses Wepukhulu, Sangula’s aide who was holding the circumcision candidate in place as he underwent the ritual, did not survive, and onlookers blamed him for allegedly shaking while holding Munghala, leading to the circumciser’s blade to go astray and cut off the manhood.
After killing Wepukhulu, the residents turned their anger to Sangula and began beating him with the intention of killing him also, but he was saved by the arrival of Mayuge police which restrained the mob from fulfilling their mission.
Bumwena ‘B’ LC I vice chairperson, Mubarak Bogere concurred with the allegation that Wepukulu was shaken by onlookers who wanted to closely monitor the full details of the event, leading to the circumciser’s blade to slip and cut off Munghala’s penis. The late Wepukhulu was a resident of Kawempe-Buswere village in Kapyanga sub-county, Bugiri district.
The victim’s father, Fred Mudenyi pleaded with the residents not to kill Sangula, and personally rushed him to a nearby health centre to get first aid from the injuries he sustained as people attempted to kill him.
Mayuge OC CID, Andrew Bumba who oversaw the removal of Wepukhulu’s body to Mayuge Health Centre IV decried increasing incidents of mob justice, and appealed to residents to always refer to police or to the LC I Chairperson any person suspected to have committed any offence.
One of the ‘Kadodi’ (traditional Bamasaaba dance preceding the circumcision event) dancers, John Masaba attributed the incident to the fact that many of the people in the gathering started off the day with taking alcohol, and accidentally shook Wepukhulu who in turn shook Sangura, leading to the unfortunate incident that befell the circumcision candidate.
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