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Hoima, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom clan leaders’ meeting, initially scheduled for today (Saturday), has been postponed due to the declining health of Dr. Solomon Gafabusa Rukirabasaija Agutamba Iguru I, the Omukama (King) of Bunyoro. The meeting, called by Eng. Fred Mugenyi Rucunya, the Okwiri (Chief Prince) of the Babiito ruling clan, was intended to address the ongoing leadership crisis within the Kingdom.
Omukama Iguru’s health condition worsened, leading to his airlift to a hospital in Kampala on Thursday. In a letter dated October 19, Eng. Rucunya announced the postponement of the meeting, citing the Omukama’s illness and absence from the palace as the main reason for the decision.
The leadership crisis within the Kingdom has been escalating. On September 21, 2024, security forces, including anti-riot police and the military, sealed off the Kingdom’s premises ahead of a planned clan leaders’ meeting to address the leadership issues. The Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) blocked access to the Kingdom chambers, where the meeting was set to take place.
Eng. Rucunya and other Babiito clan leaders were prevented from entering the venue. The police later explained that the heavy deployment was based on intelligence suggesting potential disruptions, and the action was intended to maintain order.
The leadership dispute centers on a power struggle between the Babiito clan and Prime Minister Byakutaga. On September 2, 2024, the Babiito clan dismissed Byakutaga and appointed an interim cabinet, including prominent 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). The new 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, under the supervision of Robert Atega, a commissioner of oaths from the Hoima High Court.
Byakutaga condemned the swearing-in on September 16, calling it illegal and baseless. He argued that the action violated Article 246 of Uganda’s Constitution and the Traditional and Cultural Institution Leaders Act of 2011, asserting that only the Omukama has the authority to appoint or dismiss officials. Byakutaga accused Eng. Rucunya of forgery, claiming that a document purportedly transferring the Omukama’s powers to the Okwiri was falsified. He emphasized that the Okwiri’s role is purely cultural and does not extend to acting on behalf of the King or the Kingdom.
The decision to appoint an interim cabinet followed an emergency meeting by the Babiito clan on September 1, 2024, during which they issued a one-week ultimatum for Byakutaga to vacate his office, accusing him of holding an illegal tenure. The clan expressed discontent with the Royal Commission’s July decision to extend Byakutaga’s term by one year, which they criticized as unlawful. Eng. Rucunya has argued that, in the Omukama’s absence, he has the authority to manage the Kingdom’s affairs, not the Royal Commission.
Despite Byakutaga’s extension, the Babiito clan’s directive for his immediate departure has fueled the ongoing dispute, leaving the Kingdom without a functioning parliament and cabinet ministers for over a year due to the Omukama’s illness.
Byakutaga was first appointed Prime Minister on January 15, 2018, by Omukama Solomon Gafubusa Rukirabasaija Agutamba Iguru I. In January 2022, he was suspended by the Babiito clan over allegations of mismanagement and other accusations, but the Royal Commission reinstated him, affirming that only the Omukama has the authority over such matters.
The Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom remains in a state of uncertainty as the leadership crisis continues, with clan leaders awaiting the Omukama’s recovery to address the pressing issues affecting the Kingdom’s governance.
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