Toro Royals Insist Libya Links Not Personal

By Josephine Maseruka Toro Kingdom spokesman Prince Philip Winyi yesterday rubbished allegations that the Queen mother, Best Kemigisa, has a “special relationship” with the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar Gadaffi. Speaking to The New Vision on phone, Winyi said the kingdom officials and the Queen mother were pursuing relations between Libya and the kingdom but not a private affair between Kemigisa and Gadaffi. The Queen mother could not be reached for comment. Winyi’s response follows media reports that Gadaffi had bought two houses for Toro Queen mother and the child King Oyo Nyimba Iguru. Reports said Gadaffi had bought a US$1.2m house (sh2b) for the royal family in London and another in Kololo. Winyi, however, said he did not know about the house claims. He said he suspected the Kololo house referred to was the Libyan embassy on Sezibwa road. He said, “I cannot speculate on that for now. I treat it as a mere speculation.” Kemigisa left for Tripoli on August 30, in the company of the kingdom ministers for information Winyi, for protocol Msgr. Sam Kawamara and Sam Kisembo, one of the regents. The team that spent almost two months in Libya returned Tuesday with King Oyo who joined them two weeks ago. On allegation that Libya was to pay the education bills for Oyo and her sister Princess Komuntale in London, Winyi said he was not aware of such an arrangement. He, however, said, “We shall cross the bridge when we reach there.” He explained that although the royals are entitled to their own decisions, the issue of the Omukama studying in London would be discussed exhaustively in various fora like the Rukurato, the kingdom’s parliament, and in the cabinet. Winyi said the delegation met Gadaffi thrice, twice at a public function and once in State House in Benghazi. He said the only concrete promise Gadaffi made was to build the palace at a cost of about US$4m. “Others were mere statements of commitment,” Winyi said. He denied claims that Gadaffi had offered the royal family US$70,000 annually for a vacation in any country they choose. The delegation spent most of the time exploring prospects with other cultural delegations on how they can pursue the cultural dimension of the African Union, he said. Ends