The internal bickering and Wrangles with in the leadership circles of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom based in Hoima, western Uganda have climaxed into the suspension of the crown’s Prime Minister, Andrew Byakutaga.
The ruling Babiito clan of the kingdom advanced six reasons for his suspension, of which the most distinguished was poor accountability and irresponsible spending of kingdom finances.
In a statement released yesterday January 30th, 2022, and signed by the Chief Prince Fred Mugenyi Ruchunya, it was made clear that the actions of the prime minister tantamount to abuse of office.
He was suspended along with the Kingdom’s Attorney General Edgar Agaba and minister of Finance and Planning, Robert Owagonza.
It was also made clear in the document, that the bold decision was reached at following a meeting of the Babiito clan, the ruling clan of the kingdom held on 29th January.
From the meeting, it was ressolved that the prime minister be suspended from office, till further notice.
The kingdom cited lack of accountability and transparency in handling crown resources, aimed at illicit aquisition of wealth by the Prime Minister.
This was masterminded through fraudulent cash deals which he transacted with an intention of enriching himself.
According to the statement, Mr Byakutaga is alleged to have totally failed to provide total explanations and accountability, for the kingdom’s funds he withdrew several times in a row, thus draining the kingdom’s treasury.
“….for instance, fraudulent and dubious cash withdraws and expenditures of the Kingdom finances, where colossal sums of money are withrawn several times in a day, by you and your co signatories without any approved financial policy and activity plan in place,” Mr Mugenyi said in a statement.
Nevertheless, the gross mismanagement of the Kingdom’s assets was also quoted in the document as one of the reasons that costed him his position of the “Omuhikirwa” in the Kingdom.
Assets which include Bugoma Forest land, Royal burial grounds in the greater Kibaale, Semwema cultural site to mention but a few, are alleged to have been misused by the prime minister, though details of how it happened were not contained in the document.
Worse still, involvement in the fraudulent sale of kingdom assets like BKK landing site was another reason that was advanced as to why they showed him the exit. It is alleged that he had an upper hand, in conniving with some land officials in Bunyoro to sell off this property, an act which was uncalled for.
Other reasons including disrespect and insubordination of the ruling Babiito clan, disregard of the values and customs of the kingdom, plus curtailing the King’s relatives from seeing him, were all advanced as additional reasons for his censure and suspension.
Just like other kingdoms in Uganda, Bunyoro -Kitara suffered a major blow in 1967, when the Obote government abolished cultural institutions.
However, with the capture of power by President Yoweri Museveni in 1986, these institutions including Bunyoro-Kitara were revived, and Dr. Solomon Gafabusa Iguru was crowned King in 1994.
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