Katikkiro Mayiga explains whereabouts of Kabaka's chief guard

The Prime Minister (Katikkiro) of the Buganda Kingdom, Mr Charles Peter Mayiga has said that the head of the Kabaka Protection Unit (KPU) did not disappear while abroad after the military declared him a wanted person.

Katikkiro Mayiga said Captain Edward Ssempijja went for further studies abroad and officially wrote to him about it.

“Capt Ssempijja wrote to me officially about his absence on duty because he was going for further studies after he got a scholarship to upgrade on his education levels,” Katikkiro Mayiga said.

On May 15, the Director of Defence Public Information, Brig Gen Felix Kulayigye told local media that Capt Ssempijja disappeared from work and he is wanted by the military.

Captain Ssempijja was appointed last year as the head of the Kabaka Protection unit. He was under the command of Col James Kato Kalyebara, the Director Royal Guards.

The King (Kabaka) of Buganda Kingdom is traditionally protected by guards, who are members of Lugave (Pangolin) Clan, but due to modernisation of security and Buganda being part of Uganda, they do their role under the Uganda People’s Defence Forces law.

However, there have always been disagreements between Buganda Kingdom and the UPDF on the deployment of royal guards. At one point Buganda Kingdom rejected soldiers deployed to protect the Kabaka, who had not been selected by the kingdom.

The government resolved the issue by allowing kingdoms to select guards and who are then trained by the UPDF before deployment. They automatically become members of the UPDF and subject to their rules and regulations.

Katikkiro Mayiga said Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II is abroad and the Kingdom is aware of Capt Ssempijja’s whereabouts.

He said although he was informed officially by the soldier, he is not aware about the military procedures for a person going on leave.

“I have just got reports from the media that Capt Ssempijja had to go through the military process before going for further studies and it is supposed to be handled by the army officials,” he said.

He said it is a good opportunity for anyone to go for further studies.

On the issue of appointing another head of the Kabaka Protection Unit, he said the military is handling it.

“Soon we are having a meeting with the Director of the royal guards to analyse the whole situation,” he said.

He said Capt Ssempijja left a clean record without any criminal allegations at the kingdom.

“Capt Ssempijja has never been involved in any money scam within the kingdom,” he said.

Brig Gen Kulayigye told Monitor on May 15 that military laws require anyone subject to it to seek permission from the leadership of the force before going for further studies and those who do not follow that rule commit an offence.

"Since he has been away for eight days without permission, we have declared him absent and if he makes 21 days he will be declared away without official leave (AWOL)," he said.

If you are declared AWOL, the army often discontinue your salary payments and declares you a suspected criminal.  

He said military personnel know where to report on any issue while on duty.

"If you have been deployed outside the mainstream authority, you have two reporting offices and Capt Ssempijja had the kingdom and UPDF," he said.

[email protected]