KASUBI TOMBS FIRE: Government agrees with Mengo

Kampala
The government and Buganda Kingdom have agreed to form a joint committee to ensure immediate restoration of the destroyed royal tombs at Kasubi which were gutted down on Tuesday night.

While visiting the Buganda Katikkiro, Eng. John Baptist Walusimbi, the head of the cabinet committee on the restoration of Kasubi tombs, Mr Gabriel Opio, said the two institutions have agreed to link relevant sub-committees to achieve the intended purpose.

“We have established a linkage between the kingdom and central government, there were suspicions of difference between the two institutions but we can now work together. Ours was to link the two committees so that they can work together,” Mr Opio, also the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, said after a closed meeting at Mengo.

Visit’s purpose
The visit was also intended to convey government greetings and sympathies from President Museveni over the destruction of the tombs, pledge the government’s support and to assure the kingdom that investigations into the cause of the fire and shooting of seven people, resulting in the death of three of them, will be carried out promptly.

The kingdom team is headed by the Katikkiro with four sub committees established and headed by different personalities. “They will work with the government committee where necessary,” the kingdom deputy information minister, Mr Medard Lubega Sseggona, said.

Mr Kivejinja rubbished suspicion that the government was behind the Kasubi tombs inferno. “We are here to express our solidarity with the kingdom because of the big loss to Buganda, Uganda and the entire world,” he said.

The kingdom has opened up an account (No.221063319) with Centenary Bank to solicit financial support from well wishers. The kingdom estimates Shs5 billion is required to restore the heritage site.