Busoga Queen, Inhebantu Jovia Mutesi hosted various dignitaries from Busoga and the Country at large including members of Neyendeire Development Initiative, at a luncheon at Kyabazinga’s Igenge Palace in Jinja City on Friday.
This is the first time Inhebantu Jovia Mutesi is appearing before the public since she tied a knot with Kyabazinga William Gabula Nadiope IV during a Busoga Royal wedding that happened on November 18th, 2023.
By 9:00 am local time, guests clad in traditional Busoga wear-men in kanzu (tunic) and women in gomesi- had started to make their way into Igenge royal palace on a hot day.
They included Ministers from the Central government, local council leaders, RDCs, cultural leaders, Busoga royal chiefs and members of Neyendeire Development Initiative championed by KCCA’s Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka.
At the colourful event, guests were treated to a cocktail of both food and entertainment—Busoga local musicians like Adogomola, Acidic Vokoz and Cillicon Avokoz among others.
Traditional dancers from Nile Beat also kept guests entertained at the event that was at Igenge palace.
Inhebantu Jovia Mutesi was in the company of her husband, the Kyabazinga of Busoga William Gabula Nadiope IV and other members of the royal family.
Busoga Kingdom officials who included Katuukiro Dr. Joseph Muvawala Nsekere, his second deputy Alhaj Osman Ahmed Noor and OBB Ministers were also present.
Prior to the luncheon, Inhebantu Jovia Mutesi started the day with a visit to a garden within the palace where she planted sweet potato leaves and also harvested a bunch of matooke from a banana plantation within the palace.
She was later led to the tent where she showcased various responsibilities of a musoga wife in a home which included showing women how to peel matooke, sweet potatoes, sorting ground nuts and pounding them in a motor in the traditional way.
Inhebantu prepared the sweet potato (emboli) with an abundance of love and care.
After the demonstration, Inhebantu walked back inside the palace and later came out in the company of Kyabazinga and sat in the royal tent where they delivered their speeches to the guests.
In her speech, Inhebantu said that despite changes in the world, the Basoga have cultural norms they stick too and follow which include, exercising good family leadership, growing food and securing it in granaries after harvest, practicing Sanitation and Hygiene, setting up a tent (Ekigangu) in a court yard where one can meet visitors from, having basic farm tools in a home like a hoe, a traditional kitchen, having discipline at home and being mindful of what they say and avoid abusive languages.
Inhebantu urged abasoga to put more emphasis in fighting for their traditional norms and cultural values in order to continue developing in their areas.
she said She appreciated UHTTI for the support it has rendered to Busoga Kingdom and revealed that ObwaKyabazinga Bwa Busoga institution is going to work in partnership with UHTTI to train girls in cooking traditional kisoga food, catering, Pastry and Bakery.
She was happy after being appointed Patron of Neyendeire Development Initiative.
The Kyabazinga of Busoga William Gabula Nadiope IV, mostly appreciated development partners who supported them during the Busoga Royal wedding starting with Central government led by President Yoweri Museveni, schools, higher institutions, media houses, government security agencies, support from different Kingdoms, various clans in Busoga and Busoga Health Forum (BHF) for treating over 10,000 people during the health camps that were organized ahead of the Busoga Royal wedding event.
Among the people who delivered their speeches were Muvawala, Osman, KCCA’s Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka and UHTTI’s Principal Richard Kawere among others.
Members of Neyendeire Development Initiative championed by Kisaka donated gifts to the Kyabazinga and Inhebantu. Fr. Richard Kayaga of Cultural Research Centre also donated books written in lusoga language to the Kyabazinga.
