Alex Masereka
7 October 2008
opinion
Kampala — ON March 17, Prime Minister Apollo Nsibambi wrote to Syda Bumba, the social development minister, saying the Government had recognised the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu.
However, on April 1, he clarified that the Government had not recognised the institution but that the issue would be discussed by the Cabinet soon. We have not heard from the Government since then.
The word Rwenzururu comes from a Konzo word syanzururu, meaning the snow cap on Mount Rwenzori. It is from this that the Rwenzururu kingdom got its name.
Some claimants to the throne argue that there is no tribe called Rwenzururu. This is true, but the name Rwenzururu unites the Bakonzo, Bamba and all other inhabitants of the Rwenzori region. Unlike other kingdoms, ours combines more than one tribal community. The word Rwenzururu was chosen to refer to the kingdom of the inhabitants of the Rwenzori region because it is all-inclusive.
It helps us to avoid using many words such as Bakonzo/Bamba kingdom. The rebellion that led to the cession from the Toro kingdom gave birth to the Rwenzururu kingdom with Isaya Mukirane as the first king in 1963 because he was the leader of the rebellion. He was replaced by his son, Charles Wesley Mumbere, in 1966.
Different probes initiated by the Government have shown that most Bakonzo and Bamba support Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu. Unfortunately, the different claimants who want to take the throne from Mumbere are working to bring cracks in community. The last thing a community that aspires for development wants is disunity. The people of the Rwenzori region should come together for purposes of development because the region is blessed with abundant natural resources.
Article 246(1) of the Constitution states that, "the institution for traditional leader may exist in any area of Uganda in accordance with the customs, aspirations and wishes of the people to whom it applies." The wishes of the people of the Rwenzori region are clear from the probes.
The delay in recognising the kingdom creates room for different people to claim they are kings. The Government should formally recognise the Rwenzururu kingdom so that it can embark on development.
The writer hails from the Rwenzori region
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