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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Residents of Kasese have received the sacking of Christopher Kibanzanga from the position of Chief Prince of the Rwenzururu Kingdom with mixed reactions.
Kibanzanga is the immediate brother to Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere Iremangoma. He has been serving as the kingdom’s chief prince until a letter suspending him and scrapping the title of the kingdom structures was released on Monday by Mumbere.
In the letter, Mumbere said Kibanzanga, who is also Minister of State for Agriculture has been acting in a manner that dents the image and reputation of the king and the entire kingdom in general.
Mumbere noted that whereas Kibanzanga remains a prince, he will cease representing the royal family and carrying out any other duties assigned to the chief prince.
Now residents of Kasese and loyalists of the Rwenzururu Kingdom have received this new development with mixed reactions.
John Bagonza Kibethe, a resident of Nyamwamba Division says much as the burial of the queen mother was a clear manifestation of disagreements between the King and Kibanzanga, Kibanzanga has for a long time been portraying himself as though he is more important than all the kingdom structures. Kibethe says Kibanzanga’s sacking is overdue.
He says defying Mumbere’s orders also undermines the Rwenzururu’s first king Isaya Mukirania whom he argues that Mumbere represents.
Happy Bwambale a resident of Base Camp Cell in Central Division says the he was happy with the decision to have Kibanzanga dropped as Chief Prince.
Bwambale says that in the recent past, Kibanzanga has used his proximity to central government has undermine the kingdom.
He argues that the forceful picking of his mother’s body from Buhinga Hospital mortuary in Fort Portal against the wishes of the King, the Royal household and the entire kingdom was manifestation that he is hell-bent on watering down the authority of the king.
Bwambale says for Kibanzanga to get back into the good books of the Banya Rwenzururu (Rwenzururu People), he ought to apologise for all his unkind utterances and actions towards the person of Mumbere, the King of Rwenzururu Kingdom and all the people of the kingdom.
But Lt Maathe Magwara a resident of Kasese town says the sacking of Kibanzanga is rather an unfortunate development in the kingdom. Magwara says the decision to sack Kibanzanga could have been ill-advised.
He argues that the tempers are still flaring and the King should have allowed the healing process to start before such a fundamental decision is taken. Magwara says the decision might have been politically motivated by some political actors that are against Kibanzanga.
He adds that the sacking also retards the peace process that the actors have been involved in in the district.
He says the Omusinga, Kibanzanga and the entire royal household ought to talk and bury all the differences they have against each other if the kingdom is to progress.
Sylvester Kule Walyuba a former minister in the Rwenzururu Kingdom says it is even more unfortunate that the position of chief prince has been scraped off from the Kingdom.
Mumbere dropped Kibanzanga from position of chief prince and scrapped off the title from the kingdom structures until further notice.
Walyuba says the lack of this position could preoccupy the Omusinga with royal family matters instead of thinking broadly about the development of the entire kingdom.
Walyuba emphasizes argues that Rwenzururu Kingdom is over and above the royal family emphasizing the need to solve the impasse through the structures of the kingdom.
Kibanzanga and the kingdom leadership have remained tight-lipped on this development.
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