NEWS– President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni yesterday December 13th 2023 met and held discussions with His Majesty Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere of Rwenzururu Kingdom and his wife Her Royal Highness Nyabaghole Agnes Ithungu Asimawe at State House in Entebbe.
During the closed door meeting, President Museveni is reported to have expressed happiness to learn that the Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu had begun a new chapter which is aligned with the vision of the National Resistance Movement to transform Uganda.
President Museveni said that he was glad the Kingdom is now aligned with the NRM vision which has 3 historical missions which the Africans had failed to see and said that this was prosperity, socio-economic transformation and strategic security.
The President informed Omusinga Mumbere who moved with some of his cabinet members that the government restored Kingdoms to allow traditional leaders to mobilize and cause socio-economic transformation of the people through among others universal education and ensuring that everybody joins the money economy.
“These institutions are good if they are handled well. When I met Kabaka Mutebi in London in 1981, I told him that I will support kingdoms if they focus on unity for prosperity and unity for strategic security. So, if your kingdoms can support that, then we shall support them. If they oppose it, we shall fight them,” President Museveni stressed.
The President further emphasized that his government cannot make any mistake of abandoning its historical mission.
While addressing himself on issues of culture and heritage, President Museveni called upon traditional leaders to emphasize the oneness of the kingdoms other than their differences because most of the people are interlinked.
President Museveni assured the Rwenzururu Kingdom that the government will in the new financial year embark on the work of constructing the Kingdom palace in Kasese and also improve monthly allowances given to the kingdoms.
“The reason why politicians refused to increase allowances for Kingdoms was that some of them make a mistake of taking sides in politics. And this is of course very dangerous,” Museveni said.
Earlier, the Deputy Prime Minister of Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu, Edwin Kugonza informed the President that upon returning to Kasese on 4th October 2023, the Omusinga launched a new chapter of the kingdom with new and refreshed objectives around peace, reconciliation but more so, socio-economic transformation of the people.
“The King has been moving around the whole kingdom and he is preaching nothing but peace, reconciliation and economic transformation through government programs like the Parish Development Model, making sense of the money which government is giving to our people and we hope this will be a game changer” Kugonza said.
The meeting was also attended by the Minister of State for ICT and National Guidance, Hon Godfrey Kabbyanga Baluku, the Deputy Attorney General, Hon Jackson Kafuuzi and several Ministers from the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu (OBR).
This was the first meeting between President Museveni and the Rwenzururu King Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere Iremangoma since he was arrested seven years ago.
