Appeal for Banyankore and Bakiga Kingdom Made at MIU Cultural Competitions.

Mbarara: Banyankore and Bakiga communities have been asked to establish a kingdom. This appeal was made during the Metropolitan International University (MIU) cultural gala competitions held on October 19, 2024, at the university’s Mbarara campus.

The event brought together cultural groups from MIU’s three campuses: Mbarara, Kampala, and Kisoro. Participating cultural groups included the Banyankore, Banyoro, Batooro, Basoga, Baganda, Bakonjo, Bagwere, Bafumbira, and others.

A retired music teacher with over 30 years of experience as a judge Milton Rinda, observed that while some groups performed well, they lacked proper guidance in certain areas, such as time management and lack of music scripts for their anthems. He also noted that the number of participants in some groups was lower than required, explaining that a choir should at least have more than 10 members for a proper presentation.

Rinda highlighted that certain cultures, like the Banyankore and Bakiga, struggle to fully embrace their traditions because they lack a kingdom. He explained that tribes with established kingdoms, such as the Baganda, Banyoro, and Basoga, have an advantage in mastering and preserving their cultural norms and values, as these are passed down through generations. He further criticized some of the Banyankore presentations for not being authentically traditional.

Additionally, the Mbarara City Education Officer and Guest of Honor at the event, Ezra Atuheirwe, encouraged students to learn from such cultural events and apply the skills and values they acquire at the university in their future careers. He thanked parents for choosing MIU and urged the students to become good ambassadors for the university wherever they go.

Dr. Gracious Ariho, the Proprietor and University Secretary for MIU, addressed the congregation, noting that this was the first time the university organized a cultural competition involving all three campuses. He acknowledged the challenges encountered during the event and stated that the administration would focus on improving cultural promotion in future competitions. Dr. Ariho also thanked the heads of the cultural associations for their efforts and assured them that the university would allocate more resources to support cultural activities.