President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni met and held discussions today with His Majesty Omusinga (King) Charles Wesley Mumbere of Rwenzururu Kingdom and his wife, Her Royal Highness Nyabaghole Agnes Ithungu Asimawe at State House, Entebbe.
During the meeting, President Museveni learned that the Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu had begun a new chapter aligned with the vision of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to transform Uganda.
“I’m glad that the kingdom is now aligned with the NRM vision, which has three historical missions that Africans had failed to see,” H.E Museveni said, mentioning prosperity, socio-economic transformation, and strategic security.
The President informed the Omusinga and his cabinet members that the government restored Kingdoms to allow traditional leaders to mobilize and cause socio-economic transformation through universal education and ensuring everyone joins the money economy.
“These institutions are good if 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,” H.E Museveni stressed.
The President emphasized that his government cannot make any mistake of abandoning its historical mission. “I’m very glad to see that the Kingdom now has taken a new path, and I congratulate you because we didn’t have to have an irreversible showdown because there’s no way we can abandon the principles of the NRM,” H.E Museveni added.
Regarding culture and heritage, President Museveni called upon traditional leaders to emphasize the oneness of the kingdoms rather than their differences because most people are interlinked.
“When I am in many of these areas, I don’t need a translator; I can hear everything directly. And besides, we have Swahili, which is a Bantu language, uniting not only East Africa but also in Congo, and it’s part of our heritage,” Gen. Museveni said.
President Museveni assured the Kingdom that the government will, in the new financial year, begin the construction of the Kingdom palace in Kasese and 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,” H.E Museveni said.
Earlier, the Deputy Prime Minister of Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu, Mr. 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 objectives around peace, reconciliation, and socio-economic transformation through government programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM).
“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 (PDM), making sense of the money which government is giving to our people, and we hope this will be a game-changer, Your Excellency,” Mr. 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.
