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KASESE - Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu (OBR) queen Agnes Ithungu Asiimawe has lashed out at men who neglect their families.

The queen says men who leave their wives to take up all family responsibilities deserve no respect from their wives and children.

Ithungu made the rebuke during New Year's Day celebrations at Nsenyi parish in Kisinga town council, Kasese district where the entire royal family including Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere was in attendance.

She said some men wake up in the morning and leave their homes without leaving a coin for their family’s welfare and instead go to the trading centres where they drink alcohol only to come back in the evening and ask for what to eat.

“Most of you men have wild and inhumane behavior,” Ithungu said.

Her Royal Highness Agnes Ithungu Asiimawe, the queen of Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu told men that they cannot be respected if they do not take up their family responsibilities. (All Photos by Samuel Amanyire)

She added that most men do not want to listen to their wives, especially when they bring them on board to discuss matters concerning the well-being of the family and go on to confront them that what they say is useless.

The queen urged men to collectively work together with their wives should they want to have successful families, especially in educating their children. 

Elders speak out

Anne Muhindo Bakazimbaga, the head of laity Nsenyi parish, urged the OBR to put in action the five pillars of the rebranded institution including reconciliation, peace unity mindset change, and social economic transformation, especially mindset change should they want to transform the morals of all the people.

“Mere speaking here in front of the people won’t help much. We need to go on the ground,” she said.

Muhindo also asked the institution to engage and bring on board the older people who will be at the forefront of fostering peace, unity, and harmony in families, a matter that will trigger development since a family is the basic unity of any locality.

Christine Muhindo, the presidential advisor in charge of Rwenzori region, tipped all the cultural institutions in the Rwenzori (Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu, Toro Kingdom, and Obudhingiya Bwa Bwamba) to team up and work together to fight social vices, especially domestic violence, child neglect and early marriages.

The OBR royal family including the king, queen, and their children with political leaders, church leaders, and some elders at Nsenyi Parish after prayers.

Kibira speaks out

Kasese Catholic Diocese bishop Francis Aquirinus Kibira reminded the public of the role of the Church in counselling, guiding, and spiritually enriching families with the word of God as their instrument for progress and appealed to the people to approach Church leaders should they get family setbacks.

Omusinga lauds government 

Mumbere congratulated his people upon beginning 2024 joyfully. 

He lauded the Government for dropping all charges imposed on him and his subjects in 2016, including treason, attempted murder, and aggravated robbery, and granting him a chance to flourish in his kingdom but also urged the people to expedite the five pillars of the rebranded OBR kingdom especially peace, unity, mindset change, and social-economic transformation to attain sustainable development in the new year 2024.

“Let us pray for peace in our region. The ADF rebels have for long disturbed us," Mumbere said.

He also urged his subjects to educate their children, 'for you will reap much from them in future'.