President Museveni has said government is set to build a new palace for Rwenzururu kingdom in Kasese to replace the one destroyed in 2016.
Speaking during a meeting with Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere on Wednesday at State House in Entebbe, Museveni said government will in the new financial year embark on constructing the kingdom palace in Kasese and also improve monthly allowances given to the kingdoms.
''The reason why politicians refused to increase allowances for kingdoms was that some of them make a mistake of taking sides in politics. And this is of course very dangerous,'' Museveni said.
The palace of Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu on Kibanzanga road in Kasese Town was destroyed in 2016 during an attack by security forces that led to death of a number of royal guards.
During the raid, Omusinga and hundreds of his royal guards were arrested and several charges related to terrorism and murder slapped against them as the climax of the animosity between Rwenzururu kingdom and government.
The charges were only dropped this year and Omusinga allowed to travel back home after seven years in October.
Speaking during a meeting also attended by Rwenzururu kingdom cabinet members, Museveni told the Omusinga that he was happy to hear that the kingdom has taken a new path aligned to the NRM vision to transform the country.
''I'm glad that the kingdom is now aligned with the NRM vision which has three historical missions which the Africans had failed to see.''
The president informed the Omusinga that government restored kingdoms to allow traditional leaders to mobilize and cause socio-economic transformation of the people through among others universal education and ensuring that everybody joins the money economy.
''These institutions are good if they are handled well. When I met Kabaka Mutebi in London in 1981, I told him that I will support kingdoms if they focus on unity for prosperity and unity for
strategic security. So, if your kingdoms can support that, then we shall support them. If they oppose it, we shall fight them.''
He further emphasized that his government cannot make any mistake of abandoning its historical mission.
''I'm very glad to see that the kingdom now has taken a new path and I congratulate you because we didn't have to have an irreversible showdown because there's no way we can abandon the principles of the NRM.''
President Museveni called upon traditional leaders to emphasize the oneness of the kingdoms other
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than their differences because most of the people are interlinked.
''When I am in many of these areas, I don't need a translator, I can hear everything directly. And besides we have Swahili, which is a Bantu language, which unites not only East Africa but also in Congo and its part of our heritage.''
The Deputy Prime Minister of Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu, Edwin Kugonza informed the President that upon returning to Kasese, the Omusinga launched a new chapter of the kingdom with new and refreshed objectives around peace, reconciliation but more so, socio-economic transformation of the people.
''The king has been moving around the whole kingdom and he is preaching nothing but peace, reconciliation and economic transformation through government programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM), making sense of the money which government is giving to our people and we hope this will be a game changer your rxcellency,'' Kugonza said.
The meeting was also attended by the Minister of State for ICT and National Guidance, Godfrey Kabbyanga Baluku, the Deputy Attorney General, Jackson Kafuuzi and several Ministers from the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu.
