LEADERSHIP CRISIS: Details Why Security Blocked Bunyoro Clan Leaders from meeting at the palace

HOIMA, UGANDA: Police in Albertine Region on Saturday have deployed heavily at the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom palace a head of the sechudled by clan leaders.

The meeting was scheduled on September 21, 2024, at the palace in Hoima City to discuss the ongoing leadership crisis within the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom. 

However, Police and Military officials denied access to the palace.

By 11 a.m. on Saturday, police and the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) had cordoned off the Kingdom premises, following intelligence reports suggesting that certain individuals might have been contracted to incite unrest during the meeting, as stated by Julius Hakiza, the police spokesperson for the Albertine region.

Eng. Fred Mugenyi Rucunya, the Okwiri (Chief Prince) of the ruling Babiito clan, along with other leaders, was among those who were denied entry. Journalists were also prohibited from attending.

 An anonymous source within the Kingdom administration indicated that the meeting has been postponed to October 19, 2024, to facilitate better organization and obtain necessary approvals from clan leaders.

In response to the blockade, Rucunya advised Babiito clan members to avoid attending the meeting, citing concerns over ambiguous security measures. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Atugonza Francis from the Ababyasi clan, who was also barred from entering, remarked that the situation reflected a "state capture" of the Kingdom, implying that Prime Minister Andrew Byakutaga was attempting to assert full control over the Kingdom’s administration while the Omukama (King) is incapacitated. Hundreds of Kingdom subjects gathered outside the chambers after being denied entry.

This evolving situation occurs amid ongoing tensions within the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, particularly a power struggle between the Babiito clan and Prime Minister Andrew Byakutaga. 

In September, the Babiito clan removed Prime Minister Byakutaga from office and established an interim cabinet, appointing Dr. Baltazar Kyamanywa Kasirivu as the Interim Prime Minister.

The dismissed PM however, argued that only the Omukama possesses the constitutional authority to appoint or dismiss officials, as outlined in Uganda’s Constitution and the Traditional and Cultural Institution Leaders Act of 2011.

Despite being reinstated by the Royal Commission in 2018, Byakutaga continues to face resistance from the Babiito clan, which accuses him of poor governance. 

The leadership struggle has been intensified by the Omukama's illness, which has hindered his ability to manage the Kingdom's affairs. 

Currently, according to report senior clerics in the region are conducting a private meeting with prominent figures of the Kingdom to foster peace amid the growing crisis.

 Following the disruption on Saturday, a group of leaders from the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom Clan convened a mini-meeting at HB Hotel in Hoima City, where they formulated several resolutions aimed at restoring order within the Kingdom. This meeting took place just an hour after the earlier gathering of clan heads was deemed unproductive and postponed to October 19th, 2024.

The session at HB Hotel was led by Counsel Edigar Agaba, the head of the Bakwonga Clan, with the resolutions presented by George William Bizibu, the leader of the Bachwezi Clan. 

In remarks, Edigar Agaba noted that although the initial meeting did not yield results, it was crucial for clan heads to convene and address pressing issues, emphasizing the need for clan leaders to register and participate in decision-making processes. 

Among the resolutions reached by the clan heads were the declaration of Okwiri’s Cabinet as null and void, the reinstatement of the previous cabinet for a minimum of five years, the registration of all clans, the requirement for Okwiri to attend the next clan heads meeting, the necessity for clan heads to take charge of the situation in the Kingdom, the recommendation for the King to undergo thorough medical evaluations to determine his health status, and the continuation of Byakutaga and his team in managing the Kingdom's affairs.