Kintu named Bagwere king as court mediation ends 13-year dispute
The decision was reached at the end of a two-day High Court mediation in Mbale chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Emeritus Richard Buteera. Justice Andrew Khaukha was also part of the team.
The agreement now paves way for the final installation of Kintu as the substantive cultural leader, ending years of parallel coronations, factionalism and multiple court cases. (File photo)
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The 13-year leadership dispute over the Bugwere chiefdom (Obwa Ikumbania bwa Bugwere) has ended with a historic breakthrough, after Balaam Samuku Mubbala Kintu was chosen as the new Ikumbania wa Bagwere for a period of five years.
The decision was reached at the end of a two-day High Court mediation in Mbale chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Emeritus Richard Buteera. Justice Andrew Khaukha was also part of the team.
The mediation, held under the Judiciary’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism, which commenced on April 24, this year, brought together the two principal rival factions led by the newly chosen leader (Kintu) and Geoffrey Wayabire, son to the late Bishop John Chrysostom Wayabire.
At the end of the closed-door mediation, the parties signed a landmark agreement.
Under the resolutions, the parties agreed to undertake further engagement and consultations on the leadership issue to fully settle the matter within one month. Each party shall bear their own costs.
The agreement now paves way for the final installation of Kintu as the substantive cultural leader, ending years of parallel coronations, factionalism and multiple court cases.
The dispute, which spans up to 13 years back, formally started when the first cultural leader, the late Bishop Wayabire, was elected unopposed in 2013, an election that immediately drew disapproval from a faction led by Kintu.
In May 2014, the Government gazetted Bishop Wayabire, but following fierce protests from Kintu's faction, the Ministry of Gender nullified the gazettement in August 2014, leaving the institution without a legally recognised cultural leader.
The dispute escalated into courts, leading to a major Mbale High Court ruling in April 2017 that declared Bishop Wayabire the legitimate Ikumbania.
However, the structural cracks between elders and clans were never fully resolved.
Following the passing of Bishop Wayabire from COVID-19 in January 2021, the conflict entered its most chaotic phase, with parallel claims from Geoffrey Wayabire, Joshua Wilberforce Musimami, and Balaam Kintu Mubbala.
Cultural leaders, Buteera speak out
Speaking after the talks, Tom Bulambeli, the Chairperson of the Cultural Council, said the agreement is good for Bugwere because it will bring peace and enable them to benefit from the national cake as a kingdom.
“Bugwere cannot prosper when they don’t have a substantive leader in place,” Bulambeli said.
The newly chosen king (Kintu) called the development a historic moment and saluted everyone, who participated in the tough process of electing a new leader and eventually choosing him as the new king of the Bagwere. He called on the Bagwere to keep the banner burning to achieve a common goal.
Justice Buteera said he was confident that both factions had not remained the same following the mediation. He asked both parties to respect each other’s parallel views that were raised during negotiations.
Buteera congratulated the lawyers of both factions for the hard work they put in to resolve the dispute within the two days, and appreciated the advocates, who guided their clients and fellow mediators for their persistence.
Daniel Bwambale, the Mbale Grade One Magistrate, had earlier said the people of Bugwere should find closure by finding a leader of their choice – a call that has now been answered.