By URN
Security forces comprising anti-riot police and the military have sealed off the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom premises in Hoima City.
By 9 a.m. on Friday, personnel from the Uganda Police Force and Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) had surrounded the Kingdom headquarters, blocking access to the Kingdom chambers (Rukurato). Heavily armed officers were visibly stationed at both the chambers and the palace, while others patrolled the city centre.
According to information obtained by the Uganda Radio Network (URN), a faction of the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom subjects opposed to the leadership of Prime Minister Andrew Byakutaga, led by Chief Prince Fred Rucunya Mugenyi, had scheduled a crisis meeting today at the Kingdom chambers to deliberate on various issues affecting the Kingdom.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine Region Police Spokesperson, described the deployment as a normal security operation aimed at maintaining public order.
“We received intelligence indicating that some of the Kingdom’s subjects were planning to storm the headquarters to cause chaos following the long overstay in power of Andrew Byakutaga,” Hakiza said in a telephone interview.
He explained that both police and military presence were intended to prevent any potential unrest, cautioning the public against participating in acts of disorder. Hakiza urged residents to remain calm, warning that security forces are ready to take appropriate action against anyone disrupting peace.
Prime Minister Andrew Byakutaga also downplayed the deployment, saying it should not cause public alarm. However, Chief Prince Fred Rucunya Mugenyi, the Okwiri of the Babiito clan, the ruling clan of the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, accused the Prime Minister of orchestrating the deployment to frustrate their planned meeting.
Mugenyi said the meeting was intended to address pressing issues affecting the Kingdom and unite its leadership, but the heavy security presence had prevented it from taking place.
Tensions within the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom administration have been rising, particularly between the Babiito clan and Prime Minister Byakutaga. On September 2, 2024, the Babiito clan announced Byakutaga’s dismissal and appointed an interim cabinet.
The new cabinet included key figures such as Owek. 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 at the residence of the Chief Prince in Hoima City. The ceremony was officiated by Robert Atega, a commissioner of oaths from the Hoima High Court.
Immediately after the swearing-in, Byakutaga issued a statement rejecting the move as illegal and baseless, saying it contravened Article 246 of the Constitution and the Traditional and Cultural Leaders Act of 2011. He maintained that only the Omukama (King) of Bunyoro Kitara has the authority to appoint or dismiss officials.
Byakutaga further accused the Okwiri of forgery, claiming that a document suggesting the Omukama had delegated his powers to him was falsified. He insisted that the Okwiri’s role is purely cultural and does not extend to exercising executive powers on behalf of the King.
The Babiito clan’s decision followed an emergency meeting on September 1, 2024, where they gave Byakutaga a one-week ultimatum to vacate office, accusing him of illegally extending his tenure. They also criticised the Royal Commission’s July 2024 decision to extend his term by one year.
Chief Prince Mugenyi argued that the Royal Commission’s decision was unlawful, insisting that the authority to oversee Kingdom affairs in the absence of the Omukama lies with him, not the Commission. The dispute has left the Kingdom without a functioning parliament or cabinet for the past two years due to the Omukama’s prolonged illness.
Byakutaga, first appointed Prime Minister on January 15, 2018, by Omukama Solomon Gafubusa Rukirabasaija Agutamba Iguru I, has faced several suspension attempts by the Babiito clan, most notably in January 2022, over alleged mismanagement. Each time, the Royal Commission reinstated him, affirming that only the Omukama holds appointing authority.
This latest standoff mirrors a similar episode in September 2024, when heavy deployment was made around the Kingdom headquarters to prevent demonstrations by subjects demanding Byakutaga’s resignation.
As of now, tension remains high in Hoima City, with security forces maintaining a strong presence around the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom premises to prevent any outbreak of violence.
