Busoga has not experienced a King’s wedding for the last 69 years, so what happens at the King’s wedding?
It is always a beehive of processes, norms and cultural practices when the Kyabazinga of Busoga is getting married.
A process initiated by the elders starts with locating the family where the Kyabazinga would marry which calls for a keen eye, and high integrity without missing any root of the entire process.
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Tonight, we bring you the process that is and has taken place ahead of the marriage of Kyabazinga William Gabula Nadiope IV.
For the past 69 years, Busoga as a kingdom has never had any other Royal wedding after the last was witnessed in 1954 when the former Kyabazinga His Royal Highness‘’ The late ‘’Henry Wako Muloki was marrying Alice Kintu Muloki the 3rd Inhebantu of Busoga.
Among those who witnessed that royal wedding in 1954 is 87-year-old Brewer Abaliwano who was by then 17 years of age.
For a while, Busoga has been yearning to witness the tremendous moments of Kyabazinga William Gabula Nadiope IV's marriage.
Another wedding is here after close to seven decades, but the roots of the dos and don’ts still hold in terms of norms, and other cultural practices that come with the marriage of a Busoga King.
Speaking to Henry Woira Kitimbo the Isabalangira of the Gabula chiefdom, it’s an obligation of the elders from within the palace to search for the Inhebantu.
It’s a process that requires high intelligence not forgetting the aspect of holy matrimony of the parents of the Inhebantu.
A strong educational background, integrity, and the fear of God are among many qualities elders look for while choosing the Busoga queen.
After these initial stages, both families are meant to meet for further preparations.
This is typically followed by the Kukyala, which happens to be the root of the entire marriage ceremony.
And without this stage, there is no basis for the later functions according to Richard Mafumo the cultural minister in the Busoga Kingdom.
However, both the Kukyala and the introduction are always private functions on which the wedding date is set.
The wedding preps come with a number of special engagements and sittings right from the top to the bottom of the entire kingdom.
On the wedding day, at the church, it’s not different from the usual as the Inhebantu is to be accompanied by the father towards the altar.
However, being a special occasion, the father hands her over to the Inhebantu’s brother who hands her over to the Kyabazinga.
As the two become one, sex among all people in Busoga is prohibited on both the eve and the wedding day.
Over the years, these norms and practices have been followed to uphold the Busoga culture and this time, the situation may not be any different.
