Busoga Royal Wedding – Luxury and Pomp. (The Reception)

Recap, William Gabula Nadiope IV, the ruling Kyabazinga of Busoga kingdom, on Saturday, November 18, 2023 married Ms. Jovia Mutesi in a ceremony still licking up Ugandans’ lips to date.

In this second of our Kyabazinga wedding series, we take you from the Church Ceremony to the royal wedding reception, imaginably the wedding reception of this Century so far in Uganda.  As we told you, last week, it’s an unenviable task to fully describe a Royal Wedding. But someone has got to try, no?!

The purity of the royal vows, a thunderous sermon followed by a public display of the marriage certificate sealed the Busoga Royal marriage and quieted the naysayers, possibly forever. And perhaps the royal procession to the King’s Palace in Igenge that followed was simply to seal this for any doubters.  Here is what followed at the Royal banquet hosted by the newly married Isebantu and Inebantu for a select number of guests in Igenge palace, Jinja district. 

Call this: Kyabazinga Royal Wedding Episode 2

The Royal Wedding Venue

Igenge Palace is located on Igenge hill a few kilometers outside Jinja City, in the south-eastern near the shores of Lake Victoria. From afar, it stands luxuriously in reddish-purple and balm colors. Originally built in 1963, the palace was pillaged in the 1970s by Idi Amin’s troops, who turned it into military quarters. It has however undergone several makeovers ever since, including one recently completed in 2022.

Kyabazinga’s Wedding guests

Busoga Kingdom’s youth minister, James Mukembo had earlier hinted that 2000 guests were expected to attend the reception. Access to the Royal reception was an invite only affair; invitation cards containing a metallic strip for scanning to access were used for entrance, table allocation and seating arrangements.

The Giant tents where invited guests sat were well lit. Male attendees were requested to wear suits with bowties, while female guests were expected to be clad in ball dresses. It was not uncommon though to see some of the guests clad in traditional kanzus and busuutis for men and women respectively.

Among those present at the wedding were the notable African Royals, including Prince Sicalo of Swaziland, the Nabagereka of Buganda Sylvia Nagginda, Tooro Queen Mother Best Kemigisha, and the Queen of Bunyoro Kingdom, Margaret Karunga.

The president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni was represented by the Vice-President, Jessica Alupo. Other political dignitaries included 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Affairs Rebecca Kadaga, and former Vice Presidents; Specioza Kazibwe and Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi.

A few ordinary folks too attended the function; relatives and friends of the families hosting but mostly media personalities, service providers and artists performing at the function.

The Royal Wedding Cake

The Kyabazinga Royal wedding cake was an artistic marvel. With eight tiers, the floral base of pink, purple, cream and mostly white roses, seamlessly blended into what seemed like different doors to the Kingdom which we presume are the different chiefdoms that make up the Busoga Kingdom.

The rest of the cake combined golden roses, chess pieces that represent a king, with window and castle-like golden yellow designs circumventing each of the layers right upto the royal crown that was designed as a topper for the cake. To separate the upper 3 tiers from the bottom, is a tier designed in form of an open door, perhaps representing the Kindgom’s opening of a new dawn with the royal marriage or perhaps its open door policy.  To complete the ensemble, the cake was cuddled in pink, violet and light yellow roses and laid on a glass table with a golden frame and golden stands. If there was any doubt, this was a royal wedding, the wedding cake quelled that!

The Entertainment

As you would expect, we looked forward to what would entertain the royal guests. And we have to say, there was no disappointment. Led by Afrigo band and a few other soloists we could not help but enjoy the day’s selections.

We were also offered some entertainment from the hosts, in form of the Royal Couple’s speech. We learnt from the Inebantu what it takes to be queen, just be humble enough to seek a little advice! Social media inlaws of course always have their own interpretation. One of the memes that trended after the inebantu’s speech was, ‘if you want to be queen, gwe bera confused osilike.’ Loosely translated, ‘…just have a little confusion to seal your destiny as queen.’

But of course, the royal couple could care less about SocialMedia, they proceeded to entertain us with their first dance. A simple waltz, free of glitches but smooth and royal-like. We ate it up and it was enjoyable!  

Security

We would have easily got lost in the glamour of the royal banquet but it took the men in uniform to remind us that this was not just a royal banquet but also a state function. The Kiira regional police spokesperson said cameras were installed at various parking venues as well as around the reception venue for guests who attended the wedding ceremony and reception. They were studiously monitored for any possible causers of mayhem. 

To have a peaceful and secure function, they have deployed security personnel from the UPDF, Military police and police officers into suburbs in jinja city to detect and report any potential criminal activity like at the Railway Bridge, old bridge and new Nile Bridge in Jinja city.

We are told there wasn’t much incident except for a one guest who told the Kyabazinga to pick the cows he had donated to him in celebration of his wedding from his farm. Social media in-laws almost kicked him off the stage. But again, they were doing it on social media.

The Royal wedding of the Isebantu and Inebantu has continued to make waves on social media. The Social media in-laws are still having their say on aspects that they felt still needed attention, top of those being the demand of 750M by the woman claiming to be ‘the real Inebantu’ since his marriage to the Kyabazinga in UK had preceded the ceremony on 18th November by a few years.  

At Nyom Planet, we enjoyed every bit of the Royal Reception and would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Isebantu and Inebantu on their wedding. We wish you both a great marriage.

Tune in next time as we tell you which service provider did what to make the Royal wedding glamorous.