By Vision Reporter

NONE of the parties claiming the Busoga Kyabazingaship (kingship) is recognised by the central Government, President Yoweri Museveni has disclosed.

“The central Government does not recognise any of the two. We are working with the Ssabalangira Wakholi (chief prince) and all the princes of Busoga,” Museveni said during a public rally at Butembe Primary School in Kamuli district on Saturday evening.

Museveni was in the district to commission a water project by the UPDF engineering brigade during celebrations to mark the founding of the UPDF.

The Kyabazinga issue was raised by Deputy Speaker Rebecca Kadaga. She had earlier told the President that some Basoga leaders were feeding him with lies.

“Unlike other Basoga leaders who feed you with lies about the Kyabazingaship in Busoga, I want to tell you that the rightful Kyabazinga is Gabula,” she said.
Her remarks were greeted with ululation from the audience that waited for the President up to 8:00pm.

However, Museveni told the crowd that Busoga had a constitution which governs the succession and the election of a new Kyabazinga.

“I was very worried that (after the death of former king Wako Muloki) we shall face succession problems. But I was informed by the former Chief Justice, Wako Wambuzi, that Busoga had a constitution to guide the people on the succession process,” he said.

Museveni told the audience that, according to the constitution, the Busoga electoral college is composed of 11 members and a quorum of nine members should endorse the election of the new Kyabazinga.

He recalled that when Prince Columbus Wambuzi was elected king, only eight members of the 11 participated in the election and he got seven votes. “He could not become the new Kyabazinga because there was no quorum,” Museveni observed.

The President said when Gabula was elected in spite of a court injunction, the electoral college did not have the required quorum.

“This means that there is currently no Kyabazinga in Busoga. As the central Government, we are working with all the traditional leaders in Busoga at Bugembe, with the Ssabalangira Wakholi as the caretaker.”

He added that the Government stopped facilitating the Kyabazinga institution and is instead sending funds to Bugembe.
He urged the princes to carry out elections according to the constitution if they wanted the Government to recognise the new king.

“Electing a new Kyabazinga is not my role. My role is to recognise him. Please, do your work so that I can concentrate on mine of fighting battles, ensuring security, infrastructure and poverty alleviation,” he pleaded.

Museveni explained that he changed the commander of the soldiers who were guarding the Kyabazinga because the former one had taken sides.

“Our soldiers are not deployed to fight personal battles of the traditional ruler. They protect him and guard public properties of the institution. I was told the former commander was taking sides and I replaced him with a new one from the Presidential Guard Brigade.”

On Kadaga’s request that the UPDF exercise in Busoga be extended, Museveni agreed that the doctors can continue their projects for another two weeks.

“For other activities, like water, I have to consult their commanders. These soldiers have other assignments.”
Museveni praised the high level of professionalism in the UPDF.

He said the army has specialised brigades that can undertake any public works, roads and water supply. He disclosed that the UPDF will undertake the rehabilitation of the railway network in Uganda.

He also told his audience that the NRM leadership has instilled discipline in the ranks of the army.

“No other government was able to tame the army. Now they know that once you rape a woman, we kill you. You kill a civilian, we kill you.”

He urged the people of Busoga to take poverty alleviation programmes seriously. “If you are a poor Musoga, anyone who becomes Kyabazinga will not solve your household poverty problem. Make sure that your homestead has money.

When families have money, it eliminates domestic violence. There will be peace in the homes, villages and the country,” the President explained.