I can’t meddle into Bunyoro kingdom affairs – Minister Otafiire

MASINDI: Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire has said he can’t meddle into any kingdom’s affairs just from nowhere.

Minister Otafiire was on Wednesday responding to a May 3 letter written to him by Bunyoro kingdom Prime minister, Mr Andrew Byakutaaga who expressed outrage over the alleged “continuous meddling of the minister into Kingdom matters”

In his letter titled, “Security for Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom council meeting”, Mr Byakutaaga said, “Bunyoro-Kitara kingdom has seen on social media a letter dated 2nd May, 2018 referenced ADM 133/01 which is purportedly signed by you.”

He added, “The above letter which is addressed to the Minister for Internal Affairs indicates that the supreme council of Bunyoro-Kitara will be holding a Rukurato (Parliament) which will be addressed by the king, Dr Solomon Gafabusa on May 5, 2018 at Lado Hotel, Masindi”

Mr Byakutaaga asserted in the letter that the said meeting was not sanctioned by the relevant kingdom authorities, and that the kingdom is aware of various manoeuvre's and schemes of former ministers to arrange meetings and destabilise Bunyoro.

When contacted on the matter, Minister Otafiire said; “Yes, the kingdom wrote to me that they want protection for their meeting and I also wrote to the relevant minister to facilitate it, so what is wrong with that, is that what they call meddling into kingdom matters, what wrong did I do.”

Otafiire explained that the supreme decision making body of the kingdom is the Orukurato, “not any other, so what did I do to ask the line minister to facilitate its sitting on their request.”

But Byakutaaga warned that Otafire’s continuous meddling into the kingdom affairs is a sign of disrespect and brings back the dark memories of Bunyoro’s invasion and plunders by the British colonialists.

‘‘There is overwhelming public demand in Bunyoro that the president restrains you (Otafiire) from meddling into kingdom affairs and that your actions and those of former Bunyoro kingdom officials who were retired on January 15 be investigated by relevant security agencies,” Byakutaaga’s letter to Gen Otafiire read in part.

The state minister for Bunyoro affairs, Mr Earnest Kiiza also wrote another letter dated May 3, to the Inspector General of Police asking him to stop the ‘purported’ meeting.

A reliable source from the kingdom confirmed that the meeting did not take place as police blocked it.

A former minister in the cabinet which was dissolved by the King in January intimated to Daily Monitor that there are some people who want to destabilise Bunyoro Kingdom because of its being the epicentre of oil and gas resources.

‘‘For the last two or three years, our kingdom has not been stable. I thought the dissolution of the cabinet would come with some relief but see what is happening now! Just confusion’’ said the former minister who preferred anonymity.

Compiled by Felix Basiime, Alex Tumuhimbise & Ismael Bategeka
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