Ankole Prince John Barigye and his wife in 2003. PHOTO/FILE
Thirty-one years ago on Wednesday, President Museveni chaired a heated meeting at his country home during which National Resistance Movement (NRM) honchos from the region exchanged bitter words while other elders shed tears over the Obugabe of Ankole.
According to the Monitor newspaper’s edition of December 7, 1993, the meeting was attended by the LCV Chairperson and Councillors from the three districts of Mbarara, Bushenyi and Ntungamo, which constituted Ankole region.
Other districts have since been carved out of those three to form 13 others including among others Buhweju, Ibanda, Isingiro, Kazo, Sheema and Rubirizi.
Other attendees included among others the NRC representatives from the region; Trustees of NCT; the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Abu Mayanja; First Deputy Premier, Eria Kategaya, Education Minister, Amanya Mushega and; the Army Commander, Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu.
Abu Mayanja was demised in November 2005 at the age of 76, while Eriya Kategaya was demised in March 2013 at the age of 67.
The newspaper reported that during the meeting to which the press was barred, the LCV Chairpersons read out memoranda that denounced the November 20, 1993 coronation of Prince John Barigye as the 22nd king of Ankole. Prince Barigye who passed on in October 2011, had taken on the title “Omugabe Ntare VI”.
The coronation was reportedly carried stealthily and against “the advice” of Sikubwako Kyeyune, the District Administrator (DA) of Mbarara. The DA had been under instructions not to allow the coronation.
The DA was the President’s representative in the district. The title of DA has since been renamed Resident District Commissioner (RDC).
The newspaper reported that on November 21, 1993, a day after the controversial coronation, enthusiastic supporters of the Prince made a procession through Mbarara town in a convoy of horses and tens of honking cars that forced the National Political Commissar, Eriya Kategaya, who was coming from his country home in Rwampara to give way to the crowd.
“Forced denunciation”
Having failed to stop the coronation, on November 24, Mr Sikubwabo Kyeyune, and the LCV Chairman, Mr Justin Sabiiti, met some Trustees of the Nkore Cultural Trust (NCT). The Trustees later issued a statement denouncing the coronation.
In the statement, they claimed that the purpose of the November 20 ceremonies, which were carried out at the Nkokonjeru burial grounds were merely “to conduct a memorial service for the late King Sir Charles Godfrey Gasyonga D, and to install an heir to his estate”.
This implied that there is no King in Ankole but a mere heir to his throne.
It should be noted that whereas the NCT Trustees who met Sikubwako Kyeyune and Justin Sabiiti were led by the Prime Minister (Enganzi), James Kahigiriza, he did not sign the said statement. It was the retired Bishop of Ankole, Amos Betungura, who signed on his behalf.
Amos Betungura was demised in November 2008, while Kahigiriza passed on in March 2010.
ALSO READ: Why Ankole Kingdom was never restored
On November 25 however, Mr James Matsiko, the Legal Advisor to the NCT issued a statement in Kampala denouncing what he described as the “government’s cancellation of the coronation”. He said that the moves were “ineffective”.
Government officials were at the time arguing that the coronation had been cancelled because the NCT never reported back to the government about its consultations with the people over the Obugabe. Mr Matsiko however said that that was not one of the resolutions of an August 23, 1993 meeting with President Museveni at State House, Nakasero.
“He [Barigye) is therefore now Rubambansi Ntare VI, Omugabe of Ankole and the government cannot nullify this, according to the traditions of Ankole and the laws of Uganda”, Mr Matsiko said.
On November 29, NCT Trustees who signed the initial statement issued another statement in Kampala saying that they were coerced into signing the November 24 meeting. The November 29 meeting was this time signed by the Chairman of the NCT, James Kahigiriza, the Treasurer, Amos Betungura, the Secretary, Twinoburyo Omwanawomuntu, the Executor of the will of the late King, G.N.P Kirindi.
“The views of the NCT and the Executors of the late Omugabe’s will are reflected in the statement issued by the legal adviser, Mr James Matsiko, with which NCT and the Executors of the will agrees in total”
Government officials had also been arguing that Prince Barigye had not fulfilled all the rituals required for one to be declared a king. One of the alleged rituals was meant to be the sounding of royal drums of Ankole which were at the time in the Uganda Museum.
However, NCT Trustees insisted that all the rituals had been performed. They said that the absence of the royal drums was not an issue since several previous kings were crowned without them on account of either having been confiscated by rival princes during succession disputes or having been captured by enemy kingdoms.
Enter Museveni
It was against that background that Mr Museveni convened the “consultative meeting” at Rwakitura.
Yoweri Museveni.
Whereas Prince Barigye had been invited and had initially intended to attend, he was reportedly advised against turning up.
Sources told the newspaper at the time that his advisors pointed out that his status as the Omugabe did not allow him to attend a meeting with “all sorts of people” such as those that were bound to turn up.
Fireworks
As expected, there were fireworks, the stage for which was set by the NRC Member for Nyabushozi, Mr Elly Karuhanga, when he took a direct hit at the Chairman and host, Mr Museveni.
“Mr. President, those people around you are giving you false advice as far as the Obugabi issue is issue is concerned, and they are misleading you,” Mr Karuhanga was quoted to have said as he pointed to the First Deputy Premier, Eriya Kategaya, Education and Sports Minister Amanya Mushega and NRM Secretary for Legal Affairs, Mr Jotham Tumwesigye.
“Mr President, if you decide to work outside the law where shall this country be heading? Why should there be double standards while all Ugandans are under one constitution?” Mr Karuhanga reportedly asked.
Mr Karuhanga was referring to the fact that government had not stood in the way of Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi’s coronation on July 31, 1993, but Mr Museveni in defence said that Buganda had been given a free ride because Ebyaffe was centrally and politically important.
“Despite their being only three million they (the Baganda) could be a threat due to the locality”, the President reportedly said, adding that the law may sometimes not be followed if it might lead to chaos.
The newspaper reported that when Mr Amanya Mushega leapt into the attack immediately the floor was open to other NRC members.
"Mr. President, who can you allow Karuhanga to come here and bleat like a goat” Mr Mushega charged, before unleashing other expletives. He was only stopped by Mr Museveni.
Museveni’s views
Mr Museveni reportedly equated Barigye’s coronation to the brewing of local banana wine (Tonto), an exercise for which one does not require a license. He told the meeting that a coronation deserved to be treated with some dignity.
Two days prior to the Rwakitura meeting, a Kampala businessman, Mr Ernest Rubaraza Mbaka, had filed a suit against the coronation of Prince Barigye. One of his pleas was that the High Court issues an order restraining Barigye from assuming the office of Omugabe and acting as the Omugabe.
The newspaper reported that when asked what the government's course of action would be if the High Court ruled against Mr Rubaraza, Mr Museveni reportedly told the meeting that, “that is when politics will come in”.
The newspaper reported that on seeing that Mr Museveni was also against the Obugabe, Gertrude Byanyima, wife of the national Chairman of the Democratic Party (DP), Mr Boniface Byanyima stormed out of the meeting amid tears and curses.
Gertrude Byanyima passed away in November 2008. Her husband, Boniface passed on in January 2021.
