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Security at Busoga palace stepped up
A UPDF soldier (C) patrols around Busoga Kingdom headquarters in Bugembe yesterday. PHOTO by DeNIS EDEMA
What you need to know:
This is after Prince Edward Columbus Wambuzi, one of the contenders for the throne, forced his way into the palace.
JINJA
Security at Busoga Kingdom headquarters in Bugembe has been tightened to counteract any possible chaos after one of the claimants to the throne allegedly tried to force his way into the palace.
All routes leading to the headquarters are being manned by anti-riot police who check all vehicles. The royal guards at the headquarters are also on watch. This comes after yesterday’s incident when Bulamogi prince, who is also one of the contenders of the kingdom throne, Prince Edward Columbus Wambuzi, forced his way into the kingdom offices.
Wambuzi gets backer?
It is alleged that with the support of Ms Maureen Kyalya Walube, the presidential advisor on poverty alleviation programme in the Busoga subregion, Prince Wambuzi stayed in the Kyabazinga’s office temporarily before leaving for his Nakabango private palace.
This raised concern from a section of people who have complained about the conduct of Ms Kyalya, prompting a group of youth under their umbrella organisation, Busoga Bulaire Foundation, to cause commotion at Katende Road that leads to the headquarters.
They also carried drums claiming Ms Kyalya had come to interfere in the kingdom affairs and called for the intervention of the President. However, Police led by the district police commander, Mr Jonathan Musinguzi, moved quickly to disperse them.
Mr Farouk Jomba, the spokesperson of Busoga Bulaile, later announced that they would resume their demonstrations if Ms Kyalya and Mr Wambuzi did not come out to apologise.
The chairperson, Mr Moses Bakera, said: “Who is Maureen to endorse a Kyabazinga yet the President himself, in May this year, said the institution has no substantive king? He even suggested that the prince be acting as the Kyabazinga,”
Appearing on one of the local FM radio stations in Jinja last week, Ms Kyakya assured the pubic that Prince Edward Columbus is the legally elected Kyabazinga, who should be left to execute his duties without interference.
However, Ms Kyalya refuted the claims, saying she is not a royal princess or a kingdom official to have any say in the Kyabazinga affairs. “I believe these royal princes are stakeholders in the struggle against poverty whom I must consult, ” Ms Kyalya said, adding: “I am trying my best to approach all the 11 so that we can agree on the way forward to Busoga’s underdevelopment and I pity the chiefs who shunned my invitation.”
