The Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara, Solomon Gafabusa Iguru, has been airlifted to Kampala for medical treatment, the kingdom has announced.
The Omukama, who has been ailing for a long period, was accompanied by his wife, Margaret Karunga Adyeeri, and Prince Richard Kitehimbwa, the Minister of Palace Affairs and his Principal Private Secretary.
The Office of the Prime Minister confirmed that Gafabusa arrived safely in Kampala, and the kingdom has asked the public to pray for his quick recovery.
“We pray for the quick recovery of His Majesty,” Prime Minister Andrew Byakutaga said in a statement.
This development follows a recent court ruling by Hoima High Court Judge Jesse Byaruhanga, who ordered that the Omukama be taken for specialised medical treatment, potentially in India.
The ruling came after Prince Apollo Kisoro, the former Bunyoro Kingdom Minister for Tourism and Personal Assistant to the King, filed an application in 2014, seeking to ensure that the King receives appropriate medical care for his deteriorating health.
Prince Kisoro argued that the King’s health had been neglected by those responsible for his care and that he had arranged medical appointments and sufficient financial resources to support the King’s treatment in New Delhi, India.
The court’s ruling emphasised the Omukama’s right to healthcare, regardless of his status, and mandated that the King be taken for further medical examinations and management if necessary.
The Omukama’s health situation comes amid rising tensions within the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom administration.
On September 2, 2024, the Babiito clan, the kingdom’s ruling clan, dismissed Prime Minister Andrew Byakutaga and appointed an interim cabinet.
This decision followed growing discontent within the clan over Byakutaga’s leadership.
The newly appointed interim cabinet, led by Dr. Baltazar Kyamanywa Kasirivu as Interim Prime Minister, includes Kugonza Miganda as Interim Speaker, John Apollo Rwemparo as First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, and Owek. Stephen Mukitale as Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil and Gas.
The swearing-in ceremony for the interim cabinet took place on September 15 at the residence of Chief Prince (Okwiri) Fred Mugenyi Rucunya in Hoima City.
The ceremony was overseen by Robert Atega, a commissioner of oaths from Hoima High Court.
However, Byakutaga condemned the swearing-in, calling it illegal and a violation of Uganda’s Constitution and the Traditional and Cultural Institution Leaders Act of 2011.
He maintained that only the Omukama has the authority to appoint or dismiss kingdom officials. Byakutaga also accused the Okwiri of forging documents that allegedly transferred the Omukama’s powers to him.
The Babiito clan’s decision to dismiss Byakutaga followed an emergency meeting on September 1, 2024, where the clan issued a one-week ultimatum for him to vacate his office, citing alleged mismanagement and the illegal extension of his term.
The Royal Commission had previously extended Byakutaga’s tenure by one year in July, a move the Babiito clan rejected as unlawful.
The Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom has been without a functioning parliament and cabinet for over a year due to the Omukama’s illness.
