Busoga Kyabazinga dies at 87

Sep 02, 2008

BUSOGA King (Kyabazinga) Henry Wako Muloki is dead. He passed away at Mulago Hospital yesterday morning. The 87-year-old king succumbed to cancer of the oesophagus and the spinal cord.

By Conan Businge
and George Bita


BUSOGA King (Kyabazinga) Henry Wako Muloki is dead. He passed away at Mulago Hospital yesterday morning. The 87-year-old king succumbed to cancer of the oesophagus and the spinal cord.

His deputy premier William Kasango said the king died at 4:00am.

“He had started improving. He could even sit down with ease. We hoped he would be discharged on Tuesday (today).”

He said the king’s daughter Rebecca had proposed to fly him back to India for more attention.

“But all that has not come to pass.”
Muloki had been admitted to Mulago’s cancer unit for about a week.

The king has been in-and-out of hospital. In 1999, he was flown to Italy for a throat operation. In July this year, he was again flown to India when his condition deteriorated.

President Yoweri Museveni, Toro Queen-mother Best Kemigisa, cultural and political leaders visited Muloki when he was bed-ridden in his palace at Nakabango in Jinja district.

Yesterday, security was beefed on all gates into Mulago Hospital. Priority of entrance was given to patients and hospital staff.

Iganga and Jinja towns were thrown into a solemn mood. People gathered in small groups and several shops did not open.

Muloki took over the throne in 1995 after a bitter wrangle with rival Kiregeya (see Page 3). In October 1995, the Government recognised him as the legitimate King of Busoga, following a legal opinion from the Attorney General.

Kingdom deputy premier issued a tentative burial programme.

He said the king’s body will lie in state in the national Parliament tomorrow. Later, it will be taken to his Nakabango palace in Jinja, where it will lie overnight.

Kasango said the body will be taken to the Busoga Lukiiko (kingdom parliament) on Thursday to allow his subjects pay their last respects.

On Saturday, a service will be held at Christ Cathedral, Bugembe in Jinja, and thereafter the body will be taken to Kaliro town for burial on Sunday, he added. By press time, the body was still at Mulago Hospital, where a postmortem report was being carried out.

Busoga leaders yesterday met at Parliament to discuss the burial arrangements of Muloki. The meeting, chaired by deputy speaker Rebecca Kadaga, involved MPs and ministers from the region.

It was not clear if the Kyabazinga wouldl be accorded a State funeral.

The minister for the presidency, Beatrice Wabudeya, said a final decision had not yet been taken.

“Wait for an official communication from the Government because meetings are still going on,” she said.

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