Ankole ‘king’ caught up in bribery storm

Sunday Monitor has learnt that some politicians from Ankole sub-region are up in arms that funding from unknown sources has been received to be used in the campaign to install Prince Barigye as the King of Ankole.

The politicians say district councillors were recently given “unknown, but large, sums of money” in exchange for their support for Prince Barigye.

Claims denied
But the chairman of Nkore Cultural Trust, Mr William Katatumba, in response to these and protestations that Bunyoro is interfering in Ankole matters, denied the assertions.

“Supporters of Obugabe were not defeated in the recent LCV council meetings of Mbarara and Bushenyi. On the contrary the supporters of Obugabe among the members of those councils, who were clearly in the overwhelming majority, agreed to postpone discussion on the matter due to pressure from above for further consultation,” Mr Katatumba said in a statement to Sunday Monitor.
According to Bushenyi District local council speaker Yoram Tibasiimwe, selected councillors two weeks ago attempted to pass a resolution in the district councils in demanding the restoration of the Obugabeship (Ankole Kingdom).

Smuggling unit
“It … was not on order paper but somebody smuggled it when my deputy presided over that sitting. I wouldn’t know whether some councillors got money or not because some councillors were invited individually to Prince Barigye’s home and the outcome of the meeting wasn’t known. For me, I was not invited,” Mr Tibasiimwe told Sunday Monitor on Wednesday.
He added: “It’s the Kings’ Forum that sat in Masindi that made the resolution that Obugabe and Mbale kings be restored, but this issue will create problems for those of us seeking for votes and for Bushenyi in particular [where] that issue is not liked.”

The Omukama of Bunyoro, Solomon Gafabusa Iguru, is reported to have drafted a letter to district speakers in all the districts of Ankole directing them to pass the said resolution.

In his statement, Mr Katatumba dismissed allegations of any machinations saying: “Councillors of Ankole were not bribed to support Obugabe by Prince Barigye. Those who support Obugabe, who are the majority, do so voluntarily because they appreciate the benefits for Ankole of having Omugabe who is purely for culture and development and is not involved in politics.”

“Prince Barigye does not have the means or desire to bribe anybody and has never received funds from any foreign country or elsewhere.”

Sunday Monitor has been told by sources that Trade Minister Kahinda Otafiire - a known opponent of Obugabe – telephoned all the speakers and urged them to throw out the resolution idea.

On November 13 last year, Prince Barigye had met Maj. Gen. Otafiire at his country home in Kashari and unsuccessfully sought his support. It was after this that Prince Barigye started summoning councillors to his home to announce the news of how he had been endorsed.

In his statement, Mr Katatumba recalls that in 1993 Prince Barigye’s supporters met President Museveni in Rwakitura. “When some leaders of Ankole met in Rwakitura in 1993, soon after Prince Barigye was installed as Omugabe, the supporters of Obugabe at that meeting were intimidated into silence, abstention, non participation or to vote against Obugabe,” he said

“The decision by those present was arrived at through influence. By virtue of both the 1993 Statute and the 1995 Constitution, Obugabe of Ankole was restored and John Barigye Ntare VI is the King of Ankole. What remains is for the Uganda government to recognise that fact, return to the Omugabe his Royal Drums and all the other Regalia as well as Mugabe Palace at Kamukuzi, Mbarara and other kingdom property,” he added.

But the controversy over the restoration is likely to split area politicians in the sub-region, with some of them questioning how the Omukama of Bunyoro got involved in the affairs of another kingdom by directing the installation of a man whose kingdom was rejected.

Ibanda Woman MP Margret Kiboijana told Sunday Monitor that the Omukama of Bunyoro should explain to the people of Ankole his interests as far as Obugabe is concerned.

“Why should the issue of Obugabe of Ankole be at the heart of Omukama of Bunyoro? This kingdom was divisive and that issue was dismissed by greater Mbarara. I opposed it when I was under the Ankole Cultural Trust and my district of Ibanda has resolved that it was backward. Let Prince Barigye enter the regional tier as a person and not as a king,” Ms Kaboijana said on Wednesday.

Whereas Bunyoro kingdom spokesperson Ford Mirima acknowledged that his king wrote the letter to Ankole’s district speakers, he denied the allegations by some Ankole politicians that the alleged money given to councillors was from Bunyoro.

“The Omukama wrote that letter like any Ugandan would have done and it’s about three weeks ago. But for money I don’t think he had that money and why would he bribe? He wrote that letter in his capacity as Gafabusa and not as Omukama of Bunyoro in any case he didn’t consult his cabinet and parliament over the matter,” Mr Mirima said.

Sunday Monitor has reliably learnt this issue is posing a threat to the unity of a sub-region that has long been stable.

According to a well-placed source, old camps within the region and National Resistance Movement party politics are being revived in anticipation that Obugabe could well become an electoral matter in 2011. It could also revive the deep-seated divisions informed by politics of religion which adversely affected Ankole in the past.

Presidential speech
While addressing kings and traditional leaders at the Kings Forum on November 18 at Masindi Hotel, President Museveni is reported to have told the gathering that the districts of Ankole are yet to pass a resolution backing the Obugabe as happened in Buruli and Bunyala.

“The districts of Nakasongola and Kayunga passed resolutions supporting the creation of Buruli and Banyala cultural institutions,” Mr Museveni was quoted to have said.

When asked why Mr Museveni seemed to be softening on his stand given his November 18 assertion that the matter of Ankole be handled by district councils yet he vehemently opposed anything to do with the restoration of Omugabe in 1993, Presidential Press Secretary Tamale Mirundi said: “That matter is too sensitive and I cannot comment on it because I didn’t attend the Hoima meeting but what is guiding all these kings is the Constitution”

The Obugabe talk

• There are claims of councillors being bribed
• Others say Obugabe is primitive
• Those who support the cultural setup say they are missing out on state goodies
• Obugabe consists of seven districts which are yet to pass a resolution supporting the Prince
• There are fears that the issue will bring political division
• Gen. Otafiire one of those against the return of the kingdom
• Bunyoro king told off Ankole affairs
• King Iguru wrote to Ankole districts advising them to support the return of Obugabe