The Imbalu ritual is a very popular colorful ritual in Uganda carried out by the Bagisu people (tribe) in eastern Uganda, Mbale district – about 240 kilometers from Kampala capital city. Generally, the Bagisu people live on a mountainous region; near the epic Mountain Elgon – Uganda’s second highest mountain. This area is however well irrigated and contains some of the most fertile soils in the country, allowing the tribe to become dominant in agriculture – Arabica coffee growers.
About the Imbalu Ritual:
Performing the Imbalu ritual is a must do activity by all male Bagisu and the ritual is aimed at strengthening cultural continuity by enhancing the passing over of cultural responsibilities and ideologies from older generations to young ones. Imbalu is a fearsome ritual but you are entitled to do it if you are born a Gisu or if you want to marry from the Bagisu tribe.
Imbalu is briefly the process where a Gisu male is circumcised (using a very sharp knife) in front of a very big crowd and by performing this ritual you are counted as a brave man who is now ready to marry a Gisu girl. If you don’t perform this ritual in the Bagisu tribe you are not qualified to be called a man, regardless of your age, and you will not be allowed to marry. Also if you don’t belong to the Bagisu tribe but you desired to marry a Gisu woman you will be asked to perform the ritual to show the woman’s family that you are brave enough to protect their daughter.
With the Imbalu circumcision ritual you stand bravely straight and look into the local surgeon’s eyes (who circumcises) without blinking till when the activity is over. The practice of circumcising the Gisu males dates back to the tale that a certain Mugisu man was summoned by the council of elders because of stealing other men’s wives and then he was subjected to circumcision in Mutoto village, Mbale district, as a punishment and preventive action for being adulterous. Nonetheless, this yielded nothing as he became more powerful and estimable to women hence the counterpart facsimileing by circumcising themselves to compete favorably.
The Imbalu circumcision ceremony was thus made a compulsory ritual among the Bagisu tribe and it is held during leap years as a personal rite of passage to manhood. The Bagisu believe that the desire to be circumcised is spiritually motivated.
During circumcision, the candidates have to stand firm as a sign of courage and boldness. The ritual is conducted in August and usually before 10am. Itinyi, a local herb, is used to induce courage in the candidates. The candidates usually go to their relatives declaring their intentions of being circumcised and are later gathered at Mutoto Village, a cultural site where the first Mugisu was circumcised from. Here elders lead candidates (who are to be circumcised) in traditional wear, while dancing and singing cultural songs. These dress in decorated in plantain fronds or animal skins and their faces are covered with ash or flour.
Before being circumcised, the candidates have to first dance ‘Kadoodi’, in preparations, where their faces are smeared with flour and decorated with traditional beads and bungles. Here the to-be circumcised candidates are accompanied by a crew of cheerleading friends, marching and dancing through the streets, as he collects some items and various gifts from the community for appreciating his braveness and accepting to perform the ritual which many see as fearsome.
Day of Circumcision:
On the day of circumcision, the candidate raises his hands, dancing, proudly exhibiting his blooded member to an ululating crowd. If you cry during the process that will mean that you have feared and literally means you are a coward, hence it’s forbidden to show cowardice during the process.
The launching of the operation in Mutoto village lasts one hour in which a local experienced surgeon makes three bold cuts to remove the foreskin of the candidate’s penis. A whistle is blown to mark the completion of the exercise. He is then led to a very quiet place where he is seated and wrapped in a cloth before bleeding stops. He is taken to his father’s home and hand-fed for three consecutive days before he is ritually washed and permitted to eat with his hands marking the end of the ritual.
Contrary to other African areas where circumcision is done indoors with few associates present, the Bagisu declared it a public function, allowing tourists to attend this spine-chilling event. This is one of those last amazing experiences that can still authentically be traced to the African continent. If you are really interested in African culture this is one the most fascinating cultural ritual in Africa.