Bunyoro Kingdom clan leaders meeting flops – The Kampala Report

A clan leaders’ meeting organized to address the ongoing leadership crisis in the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom has flopped The meeting was scheduled for Saturday at the Kingdom chambers in Hoima City but was disrupted by chaos after security forces, including anti-riot police and military personnel, sealed off the premises, blocking clan leaders from entering.

Among those barred from accessing the meeting was Eng. Fred Mugenyi Rucunya, the Okwiri (Chief Prince) of the ruling Babiito clan. Journalists were also prevented from entering the venue. A source within the Kingdom administration, speaking anonymously, revealed that the meeting has been rescheduled to October 19, 2024, to allow for better organization and the sanctioning of clan leaders.

Following the blockade, Rucunya mobilized Babiito clan members not to attend the meeting, citing the unclear circumstances surrounding the security measures. By 11 a.m. on Saturday, police and Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) had surrounded the Kingdom premises, responding to intelligence reports indicating that some individuals might have been hired to cause chaos during the meeting.

Hundreds of Kingdom subjects gathered outside the chambers after being denied entry. The tense situation follows a series of conflicts within the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, particularly a power struggle between the Babiito clan and Prime Minister Andrew Byakutaga.

In September, the Babiito clan dismissed Byakutaga and appointed an interim cabinet, with Dr. Baltazar Kyamanywa Kasirivu as Interim Prime Minister. Byakutaga, however, contended that only the Omukama has the authority to appoint or dismiss officials, as per Uganda’s Constitution and the Traditional and Cultural Institution Leaders Act of 2011.

Despite being reinstated by the Royal Commission, Byakutaga has faced ongoing opposition from the Babiito clan, which accuses him of mismanagement. The leadership crisis has been exacerbated by the illness of the Omukama, who has been unable to oversee the Kingdom’s affairs. Following the events, top clerics in the region intervened, holding a closed-door meeting with key Kingdom figures to promote peace amidst the escalating crisis.