By Mulengera ReportersBetween 16th and 17th January, hundreds of Ugandan Kings, Cultural and Traditional leaders converged at Kampala’s Imperial Royale Hotel for their annual national conference under the auspices of the Gender Ministry.
All cultural institutions, including Buganda Kingdom, were represented and had big-name representatives who presented reports indicating what they are each doing to mobilise their subjects to participate in the GoU programs aimed at achieving wealth creation and social economic transformation of the ordinary people in their respective areas.
Whereas Minister Noah Wamala represented the Kabaka and read out a long report on behalf of Buganda Kingdom, Bunyoro and Tooro were represented by their Prime Ministers. The Kyabazinga of Busoga was a represented by a group of Ministers who made a presentation too.
Kings or their representatives competed for the microphone to be able to make presentations showing what they are doing to complement Gen Museveni’s government efforts to mobilise people into wealth creation activities.
The event on day one was opened by Gender Minister Betty Amongi who was aided by State Minister for Culture Dr. Peace Mutuuzo who assured the Kings of the President’s readiness to buy vehicle fleets for each one of them to enable them move more effectively while mobilising their people to embrace and participate in government programs.
One after another, the Kings present thanked Gen Museveni for restoring cultural institutions and for treating them generously as manifested in the Shs75m each one of them will soon be getting monthly as facilitation to run their respective Kingdom duties.
They were also excited about the prospect of Gen Museveni being prepared to look into their Buganda’s Ebyaffe-like claims and render the appropriate compensation for what each one of them lost as a result of Uganda’s turbulent political history. The Umukukha representative from Bugisu asserted that its not only Buganda but they too lost stuff and therefore qualify for compensation. Gen Museveni was also appreciated for giving them VIP security.
And towards the end of the conference, Peace Mutuuzo signalled the Kumam King (aka Ateker Ma Kumam) to come forward and share a little bit of what she called “elderly wisdom.”
And what the old man did was to read out a proposed resolution declaring support for President Museveni making it clear that he is the only one they will be urging their subjects to vote for come 2026. This was subsequently adopted as a collective resolution amidst ululations and cheers. The cultural leaders and their representatives present unanimously adopted this resolution in presence of everyone.
The Kumam King asserted: “We are here as very important people in the country today because of the maginanimity of President Museveni. He is the one who restored us. He is our patron and we all know very well that without him we wouldn’t be here. Let’s declare right now and here that he is the one we shall be rallying our people to vote for come 2026-and no one else.”
His proposal was greeted with applause with majority in the room making it clear that Gen Museveni will be their man come 2026. In welcoming this endorsement, Minister Peace Mutuuzo referred to the Rwenzuru representative and Alur King who in their earlier submissions had spoken of having large groups of followers and subjects in DRC from where they can’t pay allegiance to them nor exercise their cultural rights (like their counterparts living in Uganda do) simply because of the bad politics there which doesn’t permit free exercise of such cultural rights.
Mutuuzo said there was noting shameful or wrong with kings, cultural and traditional leaders declaring their support for Gen Museveni’s reelection in 2026 because the truth is that, they have been here freely leading their people because of the political decision he personally took to restore their respective cultural institutions. The Kings demanded for a meeting with the President to harmonise on the operational details of the role they each will be playing to amplify his 2026 reelection campaign. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
