2020 BAGISU IMBALU CELEBRATIONS TO KICK START

TEENAGE BOY BEING TURNED INTO A MAN

The 2020 Bagisu Imbalu circumcision celebrations were warmly welcomed by the Bamasaba just at the start of the year. The celebrations will kick start from Mbale. This is a unique cultural experience every traveler on Uganda safari shouldn’t miss out. For starters, this event includes drumming, beer parting, electric dancing, singing and joy. It is a mass cultural practice where boys are initiated into men and attracts the candidates to be circumcised, friends and their relatives who come to witness the event. Usually, it attracts people from different areas including Sironko, Manafwa, Bududa, Bulambuli, Mbale, Namisindwa as well as Bukusu and Luhya from Western Kenya. The mentioned areas are all found on the Western and Southern slopes of Mount Elgon (Mount Masaba), Eastern Uganda.

The Imbalu circumcision ceremony is conducted after every even year and it is characterized by music performance, Kadodi dance and feasting. According to the Bagisu culture, all men should undergo through the process if they are to be recognized as mature men. Amazingly, the celebrations are open to tourists on Uganda safari. For starters, it is a unique cultural experience worthy taking part while on Uganda cultural safari tour. The season is usually welcomed by the appearance of the bird whose chuckles usher the mood of the festival. Once the bird is heard, the elders go under the clan tree and start preparing and grooming the candidates for the ritual and this normally takes about 3 days.

The first day involves smearing the whole body of teenage boys with sorghum paste. He will be on traditional dress, heavy bangles on every leg and later he pays a visit to the relatives. This will be accompanied by singing and dancing with songs mainly full of praises to his forefathers.  The singing will be done as he makes a stop while he also does leap high in the air.

There are so many myths attached to Imbalu. There is belief that removal of the foreskin originally began as a punishment give to one of the men who often snatched other men’s wives. When he recovered, he was very attractive to women compared to the other men. This made other men too to also embark on circumcision so as to be attractive to women. Others belief that the custom began with a gishu ancestor who wanted to marry a Kalenjin girl from the Barwa clan in Kenya who was asked to make a covenant of circumcision with the clan including his ancestors. Because of the love he had for the girl, he went ahead to be circumcised.

As soon as the horns are blown for the new Imbalu season, the teenage boys get inspired and they show their intentions to get circumcised. The surgeons get filled up by the Imbalu spirit. Those who show their interest can be advised by the elders on the challenges of the knife as away for him not to show any kind of fear. Any signs of fear mean he won’t be attracted to women and other men won’t recognize him. The practice has for long been done and teenage boys get circumcised prior 15 year as away to avoid being forced to do so when they are old. Come and witness teenage boys as they are initiated into men and experience something unique on Uganda cultural safari this holiday!