The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II has called for a special but speedy investigation into the protests that took place following the arrest of National Unity Platform’s presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.
The protest broke out on November 18-19th, spreading to several towns across the country and leading to the death of over 50 people and hundreds nursing wounds.
Kabaka Mutebi has equated the happenings to the January 1945 protest that broke out in all the main towns of Uganda leaving eight dead and 14 wounded. The said 1945 protests are said to be one of the major riots in Uganda’s colonial history after the establishment of British power.
However, Kabaka says that even then the colonial government didn’t just fold hands but rather conducted a special investigation into the matter. He adds that many lives of innocent people who were not part of the protest were lost and can’t just be let go in vain.
Kabaka Mutebi made the remarks while officiating at a special virtual run organized to mark his 65th birthday with the main event hosted in Luburi Mengo this morning.
Kabaka Birthday Run is an annual run that attracts thousands of people to celebrate the birthday of the king on April 13. Although the Kabaka Birthday run normally happens the weekend before his birthday, with the COVID-19 pandemic raging around the world, the run was pushed ahead as the country was under an unprecedented total lockdown.
This year’s run was focused on the HIV/AIDS fight under the theme; Men against AIDS to save the girl child with the Kabaka retaliating his efforts to reach out to his subjects on the fight against HIV/AIDS. He however challenged the men, young and adults to take the lead arguing that in most circumstances, it is the men who initiate sexual activities.
In 2017, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) appointed Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II as its goodwill Ambassador for East and Southern Africa. This year, Kabaka was reappointed to the same role for three more years.
Dr. Karusa Kiragu, UNAIDS country director who represented the UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyim applauded the Kabaka for his role in the fight against Aids among his subjects. She however stresses that if HIV/AIDS is to be wiped out from Uganda by 2030, more effort is needed towards reducing the number of people contracting the disease.
The Director-General of the Uganda AIDS Commission, Dr. Nelson Musooba notes that with more efforts, the war against Aids can be won.
Although the main event of the Kabaka birthday run was attended by a few selected people, many other people ran from different counties that make up the kingdom and many other places.
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