Prime
Bunyoro officials fight over oil money
Omukama Solomon Gafabusa Iguru. In a September 1 letter, the king wrote reversing the prime minister’s decision of sacking Mr Nyabongo and referred the matter to the kingdom’s attorney general.
What you need to know:
Undecided. There is a disagreement among the kingdom’s top officials on how much to spend constructing a cultural centre using money from Tullow Oil.
A disagreement has erupted amongst the officials of Bunyoro Kingdom over the management and utilisation of millions of shilling given to the kingdom by Tullow Oil.
The dispute over management of the Shs234 million meant for the construction of the cultural centre led to the suspension of a kingdom minister on Thursday.
Bunyoro’s prime minister, Eng Yabezi Kiiza in a letter dated August 27, suspended the culture, palace affairs and protocol minister, Mr John Olimi Nyabongo.
Eng Kiiza accuses Mr Nyabongo of disrespect, insubordination and working single-handedly on the construction of a kingdom cultural centre in Hoima town.
“Nyabongo has become an engineer, a supervisor for the construction of the kingdom cultural centre, yet there are other people who can do that which is unfair,” Eng Kiiza said.
He added that the down-payment that should be given to the contractor should not exceed 30 per cent but Nyabongo submitted to him 50 per cent in the memorandum of understanding.
Kiiza ordered Nyabongo to hand over his office to Albert Kasaija Mugamba, head of the Babiito ruling clan, immediately as the kingdom plans to appoint another minister to replace him.
Intervened
However, to resolve the issue, the king, in a September 1 letter, wrote reversing the decision of the prime minister and referred the matter to the kingdom’s attorney general.
“In the meantime, I advise that the work currently being done by the cultural committee to proceed uninterrupted, chaired by John Nyabongo Olimi, as we wait for the attorney general and minister of finance’s feedback,” the letter read.
Kiiza in his defence argued that the construction of the museum is supposed to meet internationally-acceptable standards fearing that short of this, the kingdom may lose the remaining Shs117 million promised by Tullow Oil for the cultural centre.
When contacted on Thursday, Mr Nyabongo said the fighting are rooted in the control of donations to the Kingdom.
He denied any wrong doing and said the appointing authority, who is the Omukama Solomon Gafabusa Iguru, is his immediate boss not the Prime Minister.
“He is blaming me for insubordination and disrespect yet I don’t report to him. My immediate boss is the Omukama, he is the one who appointed me to this post,” Mr Nyabongo said.
