SPECIAL STATUS: Omukama Solomon Iguru of Bunyoro

By Gerald Businge

JUST weeks after her traditional rival Buganda presented her proposals to the constitutional review commission (CRC), Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom is presenting proposals to the CRC also calling for a federo system of governance and land reforms.

In a strongly worded memorandum appealing to the government and people of Uganda to listen to ‘the unique case of Bunyoro’, the kingdom is asking for affirmative action and redefinition of her boundaries to include the districts of Hoima, Masindi and Kibaale left out of Bunyoro in the 1995 constitution.

They also request for the institution of the Omukama, the traditional ruler of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom to be strengthened, empowered and facilitated by government on top of other privileges like only being second to the president in protocol and tax exemption. The Memorandum of Bunyoro was presented to the CRC today. They say Bunyoro-Kitara kingdom needs affirmative action because of “the dire consequences” of the destruction of life, property and violent rule vetted at the people by the British colonialists after the defeat of King Kabalega in 1899 and the subsequent ‘marginalisation in development programmes.’

“We request that government takes deliberate affirmative action and institute economic policies aimed at redressing Bunyoro-Kitara’s backwardness and uplifting her standard to the level reached by other regions,” reads the memorandum.

‘The Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara is considering instituting a case of reparations against the British government for the destruction of life and property, inhuman treatment and various war crimes which depleted our population from 2,500,000 in 1891 to 100,000 in 1899,” it reads.

The Kingdom also calls for specific land reforms to enable Banyoro especially in the controversy stricken Kibaale to own land currently belonging to absentee landlords. They also want to receive compensation for land deprivation of more than 100 years as the absentee landlords are being compensated for land grabbed from Banyoro.

The kingdom also wants control and management of the 54% of the land in Bunyoro, which they claim was maliciously gazetted as game and forest reserves by the colonial government. They claim that governments have continuously settled people from other areas in these reserves and that government is planning to degazette them.

“The kingdom has become a dumping ground for refugees, displaced people and migrant populations whose numbers have sky-rocketed over the past 20 years. This is clearly a direct result of the policy of denying the Banyoro individual land ownership and an extension of the policy of marginalisation started by colonial masters.”

The kingdom is also calling for all land and natural resources in the area to be vested in the kingdom who will control distribution and utilisation. They also want all land titles and schemes formerly belonging to the kingdom returned.

The Memorandum calls for the immediate enactment of a settlement law to curb and regulate migrations and the implementation of the 2002 Kiyonga Committee recommendations on Kibaale district’s standoff between Banyoro and Bakiga settlers.
“The Banyoro believe that this time round their cry will be heard and many of the injustices they have suffered corrected in a just and fair manner, especially their God given right to own and till their land passed to them through generations.

The desire of our people is to own and live on that land undisturbed through forceful and clandestine programmes,” says Kingdom Prime Minister Byenkya Erisa Kagoro
None will be happier than Buganda on Bunyoro’s call for federalism as the former was branded selfish in calling for the same.

While defining and giving advantages of federalism in the memorandum, the Bunyoro monarch says their demand for federalism is within a framework of a united and strong country, which is united in diversity for the enjoyment, conservation, and promotion of “our divergent cultural heritages, traditions and values.”

“The Banyoro would like to unite together constitutionally for their common good as a people with a common culture, history and language, and as a people with a common identity and destiny. We believe that other people of Uganda would like to do the same for similar or even other legitimate reasons in their individual geographical areas.”

The memorandum, a product of a 15-man committee appointed by Omukama Solomon Gafabusa Iguru 1 to consult and compile the Kingdom’s views to the CRC says it is necessary for the constitution to create and guarantee optimum conditions and institutions for the peaceful co-existence of Uganda’s multi-ethnic society under a federo arrangement that doesn’t disregard the need to live together and relate as a nation.

The kingdom also wants regional languages to join English as official languages, reducing the size of parliament, discontinuing affirmative action among others.

Like in the case of Buganda, the call for federalism and land interests are bound to raise concern in the kingdom with probably the highest number of non-core tribe (Banyoro) and interested parties in the Kingdom. Ends

Published on: Wednesday, 19th March, 2003