Busoga chiefs ignore Bulamogi

The constitution review team says the chiefdom’s leader has failed to come to terms with them.

JINJA

The subjects of Bulamogi, a traditional hereditary chiefdom, may not have their views incorporated in the new Busoga Kingdom constitution. This is after the Busoga Constitutional Review Commission decided to compile a final draft for debate, the committee’s chairman, Hajj Shaban Muziransa, has said.

Several members of the committee who separately talked to the Daily Monitor said their decision was reached after Prince Edward Columbus Wambuzi, the traditional hereditary chief of Bulamogi county, failed to comply with the team.

Prince Wambuzi is a son of the late Kyabazinga of Busoga, Henry Wako Muloki, and claims that he, as the sitting Kyabazinga, has never appointed the committee. Hajj Muziransa said efforts had been made to involve elders like the former Chief Justice Samuel Wako Wambuzi, former LC5 chairman of Kaliro, Mr Samuel Mutono, and one of Muloki’s confidants, Mr John Kadoko, but that Prince Wambuzi had remained adamant.

Prince Wambuzi has always questioned the legality of the commission on grounds that it has never appointed the Kyabazinga nor sanctioned by the Busoga Lukiiko as required by law. Prince Wambuzi was elected as Kyabazinga during a disputed October 30, 2008 election, but his election was challenged in the High Court in Jinja which upheld his election mid last year.

Hajj Muziransa said at the weekend that his commission was appointed by the late Kyabazinga as early as 2004, but that the committee did not commence work immediately due to financial constraints. He said the government only intervened and provided funding for the review exercise after the kingdom was plunged into confusion following discontent arising out of the perceived unfairness of the constitution.

The current constitution confines the right to contest for the Kyabazingaship to only royals from the five chiefdoms believed to have descended from Bunyoro Kitara, the Baise Ngobi.

It also provides that only the 11 chiefs of the hereditary chiefdoms of Busoga can elect a Kyabazinga.
Hajj Muziransa said given that the committee has collected views from 10 of the 11 counties of Busoga, they will do without views of Bulamogi group.

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