By Masejele Sulaiman
The Banyole community living outside Butaleja District is set to hold its fourth annual Oluhuje gathering on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at Kadama Primary School playground in Kadama Town Council, Kibuuku District.
Oluhuje is an annual gathering organized by the Banyole community living outside Butaleja, with the event being held on a rotational basis in different areas. This year’s gathering is expected to attract thousands of Banyole from across the country, as well as invited guests and leaders.
The event follows the previous three editions, which were held at Nakaloke Playground in Mbale. After Kibuuku hosts this year’s gathering, the 2027 edition is expected to take place in Busia.
The organizers say the gathering is intended to bring together Banyole living outside their ancestral home of Butaleja, strengthen unity and social networks, promote the Banyole language and cultural identity, and provide an opportunity for members to support and strengthen their savings and credit cooperative initiatives.
Dr. Wakida Patrick, commonly known as Omu Russia and Member of Parliament for Kabweri, will be the chief guest at the gathering.According to the organizers, Dr. Wakida is particularly interested in attending the event because of the support he received from the Banyole community in Kibuuku during his campaign. He considers gathering an opportunity to appreciate the community and give back for the support they extended to his team.
The guest speaker will be Hajji Umar Nangoli, the Member of Parliament for Northern Division in Mbale City, popularly known as Local Breed. Nangoli has already contributed to preparations for the event.
More than 18 Members of Parliament are expected to attend, alongside cultural leaders from Butaleja District, administrators, community leaders and other invited dignitaries.
The cultural delegation from Butaleja is expected to be led by the Prime Minister of the Banyole cultural institution, Apollo Lyada.
The organizers have also lined up a range of entertainment and cultural performances to make the gathering both informative and entertaining.
Popular Ugandan musician Gravity Omutujju is expected to entertain the guests, while artists from Bugwere, including Sowedi Higenyi, popularly known as “Bluzman,” are also expected to perform. Artists from Butaleja will equally showcase their talent during the event.
Speaking about the preparations, the President of Banyole Outside Butaleja, Mr. Kadimba Hussein, who also serves as the Assistant Resident City Commissioner of Mbale City, said preparations were almost complete.
He said the organizing team was finalizing the remaining arrangements and was ready to welcome the expected guests and members of the Banyole community.Kadimba said the gathering would provide an important platform for Banyole to interact with one another, network with leaders and promote their cultural identity.
The organizers say one of the major objectives of Oluhuje is to encourage Banyole to embrace and openly identify with their cultural identity.
They expressed concern that some Banyole, particularly those living outside Butaleja, are increasingly reluctant to identify themselves as Banyole or speak the Banyole language.
Through Oluhuje, the organizers hope to create a platform where members can freely celebrate their culture, promote the Banyole language and pass cultural values and traditions on to younger generations.
The gathering will also provide an opportunity to discuss ways of strengthening the Banyole community’s SACCO, with the organizers viewing economic empowerment as another important pillar of community development.
As part of activities leading up to the main gathering, the organizing committee will on Friday, August 28, conduct a blood donation exercise and a general cleaning campaign in Kadama Town Council.
The activities will be led by the Vice President of Banyole Outside Butaleja, Mr. Samuel Ngugo Waluye.The organizers say the blood donation exercise is intended to contribute to saving lives, particularly for patients in hospitals who require blood transfusions. The general cleaning exercise, meanwhile, is meant to give back to the host community and promote cleanliness in Kadama Town Council.
The organizers said the community service activities will commence after obtaining the necessary national clearance.
With preparations nearing completion, the Banyole community outside Butaleja is now looking forward to what organizers describe as a major cultural, social and economic gathering that will bring together community members, leaders, cultural institutions and other stakeholders under the theme of unity, identity, networking and development.