BASONGORA CALL OFF KING’S INSTALLATION.

BASONGORA CALL OFF KING’S INSTALLATION.

By Thembo Kahungu Misairi in Kasese July 1.

Following pressure from different stakeholders in Kasese district, the Basongora Community on Saturday called off the scheduled function for the installation of their King Omunyenyezi James Bwebale Rutakirwa.

The Sunday July 1, function was supposed to take place at Karungibati Hill in Hima Town council in Busongora North, Kasese district.

Several groups of people and leaders in the district are questioning having two kings in one area.

In a meeting between the Kasese Resident District Commissioner Lt. Milton Odongo and Basongora Prime Minister Mr. Samuel Ntungwa in Kasese town on Saturday evening, it was agreed that the function be called off.

“I have not had any letter from the president’s office concerning the existence of another Kingdom in Kasese district. So I would not see that happen” said Lt. Odongo.

The Basongora who claim to have been the first inhibitors of Kasese district claim that they are supposed to have a kingdom that stretches along the Queen Elizabeth National park which many people say is a target of the natural resources.

Mr. Ntungwa told the RDC that they are ready to stop the scheduled function but move on to seek the government’s recognition of their Kingdom.

“We are ready to go on with our demand to have our Kingdom recognized. We have a culture to revive through the installation of our King”. Mr. Ntungwa said.

It is alleged that the installation of the King who is reported to be the fourth in their history would be at midnight at the turn of July 1, 2012.

The coffee buyers association of Kasese Municipality petitioned the Kasese District chairman to block the installation of the Basongora King.

They believe that if the Basongora King is installed without the consent of the Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere, there could be unrest in the district.

The coffee buyers led by Mr. Fred Katsirombi want the district leadership and the Rwenzururu Kingdom authority to give a clear view of the matter to the subjects.

It is alleged that the Rwenzururu Kingdom anthem has been stopped in all schools in the area earmarked to be in the boundaries of the Busongora Kingdom.

The Member of Parliament for Busongora North Mr. William Nzoghu in a press release on Saturday said he would not allow such “divisionary” function to be held in his constituency.

  “I strongly warn the organizers of the installation to desist from creating yet another era of confusion in the district at a time when the people of Kasese are enjoying the little peace in place which we tirelessly struggled for”. Mr. Nzoghu said.

Meanwhile the Busongora South MP Boaz Kafuda believes that the Basongora have a constitutional right to demand for a cultural institution but advised that they seek the right procedures like other Kingdoms have done.

The demand for a Kingdom of the Basongora runs concurrently with the call for a separate district that excludes the Bakonzo which many think is also another course of a likely conflict.

The Basongora say they have been marginalized in the politics, employment and service delivery in Kasese district. END.

NZOGHU AGAINST BASONGORA KING INSTALLATION

The Member of Parliament for Busongora North William Nzoghu has warned the planned installation of the King of the Basongora in Kasese district is likely to cause another conflict in the region.

In a press release received this evening Nzoghu says that the Basongora are about to disrupt the peace and stability that has just been retained on the Rwenzori Mountains after a long struggle.

The King of the Basongora is expected to be installed tomorrow at a Karungibati Hill in Hima town council in Busongora North Constituency.

Despite many calls for a halt in the Basongora King’s installation by a number of concerned groups of people in the district, it looks everything is set for the function tomorrow.

Nzoghu has warned the organizers of the function to desist from creating another error of confusion in Kasese.

The legislator said as the area member of parliament, he urges what he termed as provocative organizers to stop forthwith from including his constituency in their confusion.

Meanwhile, when contacted the MP for Busongora South that has most parts of the proposed Kingdom Boaz Kafuda said that he was aware of the developments.

Kafuda however said that the organizers of the function have rushed their decision adding that they should have first sought advice from the government. End

OMUSINGA CONVOY INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT

Ten injured as the Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere Irema-Ngoma's convoy gets involved in an accident on the way to Bundibugyo.

The Omusinga was this evening heading to Bundibugyo district where the Kingdom's 50th anniversary will be celebrated on Saturday June 30.

Some one at the scene says the Omusinga's vehicle was not involved but that of the Royal Guards drove into a roadside hole and the occupants on Pick Up went down.

They were then ran over by another car that was behind them.

Among the injured are Royal Guards, UPDF soldiers and some civilians and all admitted at Bundibugyo Hospital.

Sulaiman Baluku who hails from Nyabugando in Mpondwe-Lubiriha town council is said to be in Critical Condition.

Efforts to reach the Kingdom spokesperson David Bradford Nguru were futile as his known telephone number was off.

NAADS FARMER ARRESTED IN RUBIRIZI

THE acting Resident District Commissioner, Rubirizi district, WILSON AHEEBWA, has arrested the LC1 chairperson in the area for selling eleven goats meant for the NAADS programme.

The acting RDC arrested Patrick Mugisha, the LC1 chairperson of igomanda village, Kakari Parish, Kyabakara Subcounty, a couple of days ago.

Talking to the media on phone yesterday, the acting RDC, Wilson Aheebwa, said Patrick Mugisha had got the eleven goats three years ago as model farmer but sold them.

The acting RDC said he had arrested Mugisha after being tipped by concerned residents of Igomanda village and handed him to police main station.

Wilson Aheebwa warned the likes of Patrick Mugisa to desist from similar malpractices immediately before the law catches up with them because any.

He said asked the residents to report similar cases which are against the government Prosperity for All Programme (PFA). ENDS

IS KASESE ON THE KNIFE OR REMAINS INTACT?

It may be a wonder for many people and an entertainment for others when it comes to issues concerning the split of Kasese district into three-Rwenzori, Bwera and the Kasese main. But what is it really that is the reason why some people think it is time for the split of Kasese district.

Much as many Ugandans may refer to former president the Late Idi Amin as a dictator, the people of Kasese consider him as one of their liberators after declaring it a district independent of Kabarole in 1974.

But those who were adults then and still see the raising and setting of the sun today, say the district has not settled since then because of civil war and the struggle for the recognition of the Rwenzururu Kingdom. On October 19, 2009 the government recognized the Rwenzururu Kingdom with the Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere the Irema-Ngoma sitting freely on his thrown after over 20 years of study in the United states.

The questions people are asking themselves about the split of the district are not quit many but three are arising. Why is it this time when the Kingdom is starting to stabilize? Why is it that the idea was hatched by a district council that had many politicians who had failed to sail through the primary elections? So what?

Here is the analysis of the four versions of reasoning about the split of Kasese district. The first version is about the district council resolution, the second is on the minority ethnicity, the third is on those opposing the idea and the fourth is about independent thinkers.

Starting with the idea of the Kasese district council that had almost everyone except opposition councilors say “ I” when the then speaker John Baguma posed a question to choose had issues concerning;  1). Improving service delivery. 2). Consolidating the popularity of the NRM government. 3). Need for more to benefit on the district quota system in education and 4) Creating employment among others. At the end of the day, the followers of this version of preaching have been led by Deputy Resident District Commissioner Kasese Mr. Aminadabu Mhundo, Eriphazi Muhindi, Mustafa Kikusa, Rauben Mwahulhwa among others claiming they represent Busongora county.

On the second account, there come the Basongora and Banyabindi who even had one of their braze sons Mr. Muzamiru Bisanga petition parliament on what he termed as marginalization both politically and socially hence demanding for a separate district of their own.

These communities have come clear that they want a district that stretches from River Lubiriha on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo along the Trans African High Way to River Lume on the border with Kabarole district. They want a district that will be independent of the main tribe in the district the Bakonzo. They complain to have been marginalized on politics, service delivery and in education.

Here is the third version on the split of the district, those who oppose the Idea of splitting into three or not at all. Basing on a petition writing by carpenters and coffee buyers to the Omusinga on June 13, 2012, we see issues of addressing government promises to the district and if achieved, and then everyone forgets about the split.

They point at the following; the privatization of Kilembe Mines, the elevation of Kasese Airstrip to an International Airport, the rehabilitation of the Railway line, rehabilitation of the NUYO technical institute in Maliba sub-county, operational izing the industrial park in Kasese Municipality and the re-opening of the Katwe salt factory.

This group reasons that if it is the issue of employment opportunities but not political jobs, the above ventures are enough to transform the lives of the people of Kasese if worked upon by the government.

In a casual talk with the editors of this Newspaper on June 25, one of the educationists in the Kasese Municipality who chose to be on condition of anonymity, he described the agitation for the split of the district this time as a “hungry child in a biting famine”. Where are they going to consolidate the service delivery when majority of the youths are unemployed.

This man thinks that as the people of Kasese, the first step would be to get what the government has in the offing and then after locking everything home, the issue of splitting comes in.

Remember that as people have started staging loose demonstrations. But is this the time people should demonstrate. At this time no one should take it that government has refused to split the district but know it that the ball was thrown back into our half but we seem to be about to score own goals.

By the end of the 2010, the minister of Local Government Adlof Mwesigye wrote back to the then district Chairman the Rev.Can. Julius Kithaghenda asking him to consult with the Omusinga on matters concerning the split of the district. No one is sure whether the district council ever sent a delegation afterwards to consult the monarch after betraying him in the first instance before passing the motion in council.

Speaking to the agitators’ delegation at the Buhikira Royal palace on June 22, the Omusinga lamented how Rev.Can. Kithaghenda defied his initial advice to hold on with the issues of splitting the district.

To all the Banyarwenzururu, the current stand of the Omusinga is that dialogue between both sides-the agitators, the Minorities and those opposing be conducted so that a common ground is reached before he can add his voice on the split.

The car that has been used to transport stolen livestock from Kyalhumba, Kyondo and Mahango sub-counties to Bwera is no more.

The car registration number UAD 586M was set ablaze last night in Kilhambayiro village, Kyalhumba sub-county after thieves abandoned it when a big trap was set. They had stolen about 10 goats that are now eating pasture after being resqued.

The car called PUHU belongs to one LUKA of Bwera. It is not yet clear whether he is the one who was driving or it was hired by someone.

This is a big lesson to you all.

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Mahango landslide victims remain homeless after one year

It is eight months now since Mr. and Mrs. Bwambale Mulemba lost three
of their four children and two relatives in landslide that occurred on
the night of October 9, 2011. But as the memories of the deceased
children are not yet off the minds of the parents, they are yet to
settle down in a new home after being advised to leave the fateful
land in Mahango sub-county, Kasese district.
The dead children are Ednus Mumbere, 15, Edwin Bwambale, 8, and
Phebryn Kabugho, 2, both Mr. Mulemba’s children. The others are Yoneki
Nziabake, 17 who was MR. Mulemba’s parents’ last daughter, and Brian
Masereka, 17, who has visited the family the day before.
Mr. Mulemba’s children were studying at Mahango primary school where
as his sister Nziabake was a Senior Two student at Mahango Secondary
School where she has been the assistant head girl.
There were nine people in the house at the time of the disaster with
only four escaping unhurt, since they were sleeping in a different
room.
Mr. Mulemba, wife and the only remaining child stay with a relative in
Kisinga three sub-counties away from their former home but do not know
when and where they will establish a new home.
In an interview with the Daily Monitor in Kisinga on Tuesday, Mr.
Mulemba said that the spirits of his lost children and relatives may
not rest well until the family has a place to live in permanently.
“After losing my children, my sister and an in-law in one incident, we
decided to leave the area (Mahango) where I grew from my childhood.
But it is like I did not solve anything because I have not managed to
settle down in my own place”. Mr. Mulemba said.
A chairman LC one of Mahango village at the time of the disaster, Mr.
Mulemba says his wife has not yet settled down because she has found
the spirits of the deceased children several times when she goes to
work in the gardens rented for cultivation.
Much as Mr. Mulemba and the family left Mahango with people thinking
that their family was struct with a disaster because one of the
deceased Brian Masereka had stolen someone’s jackfruits before running
to the fateful house, the landslides have not stopped at all.
Six other people were killed in similar landslides in different parts
of Kasese district two weeks ago including three from the same house
in Mahango sub-county.
Empty promises.
Mr. Mulemba says there are some individuals and institutions that came
to sympathize with him during the trying moments and promised to help
him financially to put up a new home but to date none has respond to
the promises.
Kasese district chairman Lt. Col. Mawa Muhindo told mourners on the
burial day that the local government would donate 500000shs to the
family to start the construction of a new house but according to Mr.
Mulemba no response has come through despite several phone calls.
However, a councilor at the district who preferred anonymity told
Daily Monitor that the matter has never been brought to the notice of
the district council to see whether the pledge can be included in the
budget.
He calls upon the well wishers to come to his rescue so that he
establishes a new home to start a new life to restore the hope.
Meanwhile, the Mahango sub-county leadership has vowed to arrest every
man whose house is not well planned. The affected families whenever
landslides occur are with those houses that are very close to the
steep ground walls.
The area LC 3 Chairman Mr. Stephen Muthekengwa influenced the
sub-county council to pass a resolution to compel every house head to
leave at least three to four meters of free space between the house
and the upper ground wall.
Utilities.
Seven people were killed by landslides in Kasese last year.
Six have so far been killed this year.
Over 30 houses have been demolished by the disaster in different hilly
sub-counties.
Environmentalists say more are likely to occur.
END