What Kyabazinga-Bulamogi reunion means for Busoga

Kyabazinga William Nadiope Gabula IV has reunited with Kaliro District-based Bulamogi chiefdom led by Prince Columbus Wambuzi, 10 years after the former was installed as the substantial monarch of Busoga Kingdom.

The perceived animosity between then Prince Gabula and Prince Wambuzi had threatened to plunge the monarchy into an abyss of uncertainty following the death of Kyabazinga Henry Wako Muloki in 2008.

Immediately after Kyabazinga Muloki’s death, disagreements over who should succeed him emerged, with some subjects fronting his late son, Prince Wambuzi, while others were pro-Prince Nadiope.
Elections held by the 11 hereditary chiefdoms to determine who will ascend to the throne on October 31, 2008 zeroed down on Prince Gabula, who garnered seven votes, triggering a prolonged litigation process at Jinja High Court, which drew intervention from President Museveni and then Speaker of Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadaga.

The impasse was, however, resolved and in 2014, Prince Gabula was installed as the Kyabazinga of Busoga Kingdom.
A visit by a delegation from Prince Wambuzi to Kyabazinga Gabula’s Palace atop Igenge Hill in the Jinja City suburb of Bugembe 10 years later caught most of the subjects by surprise.
Prince Wambuzi’s delegation, which included elders, clan heads, political leaders, youth and women, was led by the Isabalangira of Bulamogi chiefdom, Mr James Naita.

They delivered gifts to the 36-year-old Kyabazinga, including goats, chickens, and a cow, among others, “to appreciate him for bringing in peace, unity and accountability in Busoga Kingdom”.
“We want to cement the reconciliation and the working relationship between Bulamogi chiefdom and the rest of the chiefdoms under leadership of Kyabazinga Nadiope; that is why we have come before him to prove that we are now together,” Mr Naita said.

To justify this narrative, Mr Naita handed over a document to the Kyabazinga which he said contained a Memorandum and congratulatory message over his ascension to the throne and getting a queen last November.
The document, Mr Naita said, was an assurance from the visiting delegation that they are aware that Bulamogi is an integral part of Busoga Kingdom.

Looking back at the 10-year hostility between Kaliro and the Kyabazingaship, Mr Naita said Bulamogi has not only missed out on pleasantries from Busoga Kingdom, but also from the central government.

“Just recently, the President's office appointed Assistant District Resident Commissioners and Kaliro missed out,” he said.
The Kyabazinga thanked Balamogi for exhibiting patience and taking responsibility to ensure that day came to see the light of day.

He informed the visiting delegation that although there have been some “small conflicts”, the friendship between their grandfathers has been there, adding that through unity, they will be able to generate more development programmes from the central government to develop the chiefdoms.

Kaliro District Chairperson, Mr Elijah Kagoda, said his vision was to ensure that Bulamogi chiefdom unites and works with the rest of the Busoga chiefs, while Ms Margaret Mbeiza, the former Kaliro District Woman Member of Parliament, said their visit points to unity and peace between Bulamogi and the Kyabazingaship.
Busoga Kingdom Second Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Ahmed Osman Noor, said he has been at the centre of the reconciliation journey that started four years ago when Prince Gabula hosted Prince Wambuzi at his Budhumbula Palace in Kamuli District.

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Ms Sanubi Namusisi, a former Kamuli District Woman Member of Parliamentary candidate, described the reconciliation as “long overdue”, saying as Kaliro District and Bulamogi chiefdom, they were increasingly getting “isolated and losing their identity”.
“The reconciliation is in Bulamogi chiefdom’s best interest because some of us suffered political aggression having worked and crossed from Bugabula chiefdom in Kamuli District to contest in Kaliro District, so we were seen as ‘moles’,” Ms Namusisi said.

She is optimistic that with reconciliation, Bulamogi chiefdom will get on board and recoup whatever missed opportunities and open communication channels, citing the Pallisa-Kaliro Kamuli Highway that she said will open Bulamogi to the Far East, Kampala and boost trade.
“Bugabula is sort of a ‘landlocked chiefdom’; therefore, opening up to Bugabula chiefdom where the Kyabazinga and most well-placed government officials hail from, including Ms Kadaga, will influence service delivery and bring gains that will improve our peoples livelihood and incomes,” she added.
Mr David Munaaba, an Insurance Officer and son to former Minister and Kaliro District Woman MP, Ms Flavia Munaaba, reels over the differences that he says left Bulamogi chiefdom “lagging behind and isolated”.

Mr Godfrey Samanya Ssajjabbi, the Personal Secretary to the Kyabazinga, however, says: “The change of stance comes after Bulamogi chiefdom realised that they were fighting a losing battle and all fronts they had relied on were overtaken by events, time and legal provisions.”

He added that while the few elites were using the reaping from the division, the locals (subjects) were at a loss, a situation the Kyabazinga exploited to win them over.
Mr Ssajjabbi, for example, said that during Covid-19 pandemic, the Kyabazinga provided maize flour (posho) and foodstuffs, masks, hoes and boreholes, among others, to the people of Bulamogi chiefdom.

Mr Emanuel Babalanda, the deputy royal prince (Isabalangira) of Bugabula chiefdom, says the reconciliation efforts have paid off and Busoga is now one family focused on development and unity.
“Bulamogi chiefdom is to catch up, get projects, programmes and recover whatever missed opportunities in terms of services, and envisage that with Bulamogi on board, the religious tourism circuit is going to be enhanced and strengthened for government support and promotion.
Busoga Kingdom Spokesman, Mr Andrew Ntange, described the visit by a delegation from Bulamogi chiefdom to the Kyabazinga as “a historical one in Busoga”.
He added that because of disunity, especially from Bulamogi chiefdom, a section of elders, clan leaders and chiefs from Bulamogi escorted the Kyabazinga and Inhebantu, Ms Jovia Mutesi, to meet President Museveni last month.

According to Mr Ntange, the visiting delegation was well-constituted instituted by people from Prince Wambuzi, which now shows that the entire kingdom is fully united, and there should now be no more excuse to uplift the status of Busoga.
The acting Kisiki of Busiki chiefdom, Isabalangira Yololim Nabongho, says Bulamogi being a hereditary chiefdom, means a lot to the Kyabazingaship, which he says has been missing “wise counsel” from Balamogi.

The Busiki chiefdom Minister for Sports, Mr Eria Mukooli, thanked Balamogi for accepting to work with the Kyabazingaship, adding that if they had not accepted to do so, then such reconciliation would not have taken place.