President Museveni has hailed Rwenzururu kingdom for taking a new path since the bad blood with government which climaxed with the attack on their palace in Kasese in 2016.
“I’m very glad to see that the kingdom now has taken a new path and I congratulate you because we didn’t have to have an irreversible showdown because there’s no way we can abandon the principles of the NRM,”Museveni said.
The president was on Wednesday speaking during a meeting with Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere at State House in Entebbe.
The meeting was also attended by Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu cabinet ministers.
During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister of Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu, Edwin Kugonza informed Museveni that upon returning to Kasese, the Omusinga launched a new chapter of the kingdom with new and refreshed objectives around peace, reconciliation but more so, socio-economic transformation of the people.
“The king has been moving around the whole kingdom and he is preaching nothing but peace, reconciliation and economic transformation through government programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM), making sense of the money which government is giving to our people and we hope this will be a game changer your excellency,” Kugonza said.
Speaking in response, the president told the Omusinga that he was happy to hear that the kingdom has taken a new path aligned to the NRM vision to transform the country.
“I’m glad that the kingdom is now aligned with the NRM vision which has three historical missions which the Africans had failed to see.”
He said that government restored kingdoms to allow traditional leaders to mobilize and cause socio-economic transformation of the people through among others universal education and ensuring that everybody joins the money economy.
“These institutions are good if they are handled well. When I met Kabaka Mutebi in London in 1981, I told him that I will support kingdoms if they focus on unity for prosperity and unity for strategic security. So, if your kingdoms can support that, then we shall support them. If they oppose it, we shall fight them.”
Museveni further emphasized that his government cannot make any mistake of abandoning its historical mission.
President Museveni called upon traditional leaders to emphasize the oneness of the kingdoms other than their differences because most of the people are interlinked.
“When I am in many of these areas, I don’t need a translator, I can hear everything directly. And besides we have Swahili, which is a Bantu language, which unites not only East Africa but also in Congo and its part of our heritage.”
He said government will in the new financial year embark on constructing the kingdom palace in Kasese and also improve monthly allowances given to the kingdoms.
“The reason why politicians refused to increase allowances for kingdoms was that some of them make a mistake of taking sides in politics and this is of course very dangerous,” Museveni said.
The meeting was also attended by the Minister of State for ICT and National Guidance, Godfrey Kabbyanga Baluku, the Deputy Attorney General, Jackson Kafuuzi and several Ministers from the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu.
The bad blood between government and Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu climaxed in November 2016 with a security raid on Omusinga’s palace on Kibanzanga road in Kasese Town where several royal guards were killed.
Omusinga together with hundreds of his royal guards were later arrested and terrorism plus murder charges slapped against them.
The charges were dropped this year and Omusinga allowed to access Kasese after seven years.
