Find Out What His Highness Yuma, the Lugbara Paramount Chief Elect, Intends To Do For His Subjects

ARUA. Early this year, the council of elders declared His Highness Manase Amuku Yuma, the Chief of the people of Ayivu, as the new Paramount Chief (Agofe) of the Lugbara cultural institution (Lugbara Kari).

The declaration was made on January 26, 2024, by Elly Emo Ejiku, the chairman of the select committee council of elders from the four main Lugbara chiefdoms of Ayivu, Vurra, Maracha, and Terego.

This is after the council of the elders sat on July 13, 2023 and unanimously declared Yuma as the duly elected Agofe of the Lugbara people. Yuma will now replace His Highness, the Late Nason Avutia who died in January 2023.

“On behalf of the council of elders Lugbara Kari, and on my own behalf, I, Ejiku Elly Emo, as directed by Article 12 of the Constitution of Lugbara Kari, declare His Highness Yuma Amuku Manase as the 4th Agofe of Lugbara Kari on 26th day of January 2024,” the declaration form signed by Ejiku read in part.

When contacted, Ejiku said preparations are already underway to officially enthrone Yuma as the duly elected and recognized Paramount Chief of Lugbara Kari.

Relatedly, Ismail Tuku, the Lugbara Kari Prime Minister also confirmed that all due processes were followed during the election of Yuma right from the level of being a Chief to now the new Paramount Chief of the people of Lugbara.

What Yuma intends to do

In his remarks, Yuma thanked God for the opportunity to serve the Lugbara-speaking people in his new capacity as the Agofe of Lugbara Kari.

He pledged to use his new office to unite the people and promote the Lugbara culture both within and outside the region.

“And I will try my best with the Prime Minister and other members to see that the government recognizes us and gazettes us so that we can get support and be heard or known by the government of Uganda as Lugbara Kari. Then, I will turn to my people together with the Ministers and begin to move to them to popularize Lugbara Kari at the grassroots level. This is what I am going to do,” Yuma said.

He also vowed to promote unity among Lugbara people in West Nile and elsewhere so as to have a common voice wherever they will be.

“As I said before, unity is very important. So, my role again is to see that we should work together to bring unity among Lugbaras. We should also work hard to see that there is cooperation among Lugbara people wherever they are, which is very important for the growth of our culture,” Yuma stated.

Besides, Yuma noted that he will work hard to promote education, agriculture and the health of his subjects once enthroned as the Paramount Chief.

Yuma further pledged to work with his cabinet to ensure that cases of gender-based violence in homes are discouraged among the Lugbara-speaking people if the cultural institution is to pride in violence-free families.

“I will also see that we promote the dress code. These days, I don’t know where our youths borrowed their dress code. But we shall see them, and we will minimize the practice during our reign. We should dress as Lugbaras even if you go to Koboko, you should be able to see Kakwas before someone tells you that this is a Kakwa, you should be in position to know by their dress code, the same should apply to Lugbaras. Some people feel too shy to identify themselves as Lugbaras…no, don’t! We never applied to God to make us Lugbaras, you are created as Lugbara, please be proud of it,” Yuma advised.

“Then I will see that our young ones are also taught our language. These days in Primary and Nursery schools, people tend to teach English alone, but me as the Agofe elect, I have come up with literature in Lugbara Tisi, I will print it then we see that these things are taught in Nursery schools, in Churches and in every place where learning is promoted. We need people to speak pure Lugbara whether you go to other places, be proud to speak Lugara language. This is what we shall promote very seriously among other things,” Yuma stressed.

Before he announces his cabinet as preparations for the coronation ceremony continue, Yuma has already appointed and retained Tuku as the Prime Minister of Lugbara Kari, a position he (Tuku) has accepted to take on.