Imbalu is a public

circumcision Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. T ...

ceremony practiced by the Bamasaba people of

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

. It takes place at the Mutoto cultural site (also called Mutoto cultural ground) near Mbale in eastern

. It is mostly active in the 8th month of every even year. The ground is believed to be the place where the first Mugishu (Mumasaba) was circumcised. This community affair is characterized by dance and food. The ceremony has been heavily promoted as a tourist attraction, and tens of thousands of people attend. Imbalu marks the initiation of boys into manhood and every year, hundreds of boys aged 16 and above qualify for the Imbalu. In 2022, about 6,000 boys were initiated into manhood during the cultural ceremony that happens every year. This is because the ceremony had not happened ever since 2020 when Uganda was locked down due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. The age old tradition defines and unites the people in Bugisu sub-region including the Bamasaba people of Mbale, Manafwa, Bulambuli, Sironko and Bududa districts. This is because they are believed to be descendants of Masaba.

References

External links

MUSICKING AND DANCING IMBALU CIRCUMCISION RITUALS (KHUSHINA IMBALU): PERFORMING GENDER AMONG THE BAGISU OF EASTERN UGANDA

See also

References

External links

Further reading