By URN
The Omukama (King) of Bunyoro Kitara, Dr. Solomon Gafabusa Rukirabasaija Agutamba Iguru I, has been discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment for a deteriorating health condition. The King was airlifted last Thursday in a military helicopter to Kampala, where he received care at Ruby Hospital.
In an exclusive interview with Uganda Radio Network (URN) on Tuesday morning, Fred Mugenyi Rucunya, the Okwiri (Chief Prince) of the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, reported that the King responded well to treatment and was discharged from the health facility on Monday. Currently, he is in a private home in Kampala, where doctors are closely monitoring his health.
Rucunya urged the King’s subjects to remain calm now that he has been discharged from the hospital.
On October 3, 2024, the High Court in Hoima ordered that Omukama Iguru be airlifted for specialized medical treatment in India. Hoima High Court Judge Jesse Byaruhanga ruled that Dr. Solomon Gafabusa Rukirabasaija Iguru should be taken for specialized medical treatment in India or any other facility with the best resources.
The ruling followed an application filed in 2014 by Prince Apolo Kisoro, the former Bunyoro Kingdom Minister for Tourism and Personal Assistant to the King, citing the King’s ill health. In his application, Prince Kisoro sought court orders to ensure the King received medical attention, expressing concern that those responsible for his care were neglecting his deteriorating health.
The High Court ultimately ordered that the King should have access to medical examination and further management when needed, affirming his right to health regardless of his current condition. Tensions within the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom administration have escalated due to conflicts between the ruling Babiito clan and Andrew Byakutaga, the Kingdom’s Prime Minister.
On September 2, 2024, the Babiito clan dismissed Byakutaga and appointed an interim cabinet. The new interim cabinet includes key figures such as Kugonza Miganda, Interim Speaker and Chairperson of the Clans Consultative Council; Owek. John Apollo Rwemparo, First Deputy Interim Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism; and Owek. Stephen Mukitale, Second Deputy Interim Prime Minister and Minister of Oil and Gas, among others.
The interim cabinet, led by Interim Prime Minister Dr. Baltazar Kyamanywa Kasirivu, was sworn in on September 15 at the residence of the Chief Prince in Hoima City, with Robert Atega, a commissioner of oaths from the Hoima High Court, overseeing the ceremony. However, Byakutaga condemned the swearing-in as illegal and baseless, arguing it violates Article 246 of Uganda’s Constitution and the Traditional and Cultural Institution Leaders Act of 2011.
He asserted that only the cultural leader, the Omukama, has the authority to appoint or dismiss officials. Byakutaga accused the Okwiri of forgery, alleging that a document claiming the Omukama had transferred his powers to the Okwiri was falsified, emphasizing that the Okwiri’s role is purely cultural and does not include acting on behalf of the King or the Kingdom.
The decision to appoint the interim cabinet followed an emergency meeting by the Babiito clan on September 1, 2024, which issued a one-week ultimatum for Byakutaga to vacate his office, citing dissatisfaction with the Royal Commission’s decision in July to extend his term by one year. Eng. Fred Mugenyi Rucunya criticized this extension as unlawful, asserting that the authority to manage Kingdom affairs in the Omukama’s absence lies with him, not the Royal Commission.
Despite this, the Babiito clan’s directive for Byakutaga’s immediate departure has led to ongoing disputes. The Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom has been without a functioning parliament and cabinet ministers for a year due to Omukama’s illness. Byakutaga was first appointed Prime Minister on January 15, 2018, by Omukama Solomon Gafabusa Rukirabasaija Agutamba Iguru I.
He was suspended in January 2022 over allegations of mismanagement, but the Royal Commission reinstated him, affirming the Omukama’s authority over such matters.
