Busoga queen commences chores 3 months after wedding

The Queen of Busoga Kingdom has made her first public appearance and commenced her chores as a lady three months after their royal wedding. 

Queen Jovia Mutesi and King William Gabula Nadiope IV tied the knot at Christ Cathedral Bugembe in Jinja City on November 18 last year.   

The queen commenced her cultural ceremonies on Friday by digging in a garden within the palace, planting potatoes, harvesting matooke from the garden, and peeling it amid cheers.

She then served lunch to her subjects at the plush Igenge Palace on Igenge Hill in Jinja North City Division. 

She was attended to by a group of women dubbed Neyendeire, an initiative led by Kampala Capital City Authority Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka. 

The queen then retreated into the palace and re-emerged with King Nadiope IV to loud cheers from their subjects. 

In her address, Queen Mutesi reminded their subjects about the fundamentals of a good family in Busoga. She stressed the primacy of a father and mother as figureheads with children, according them respect and observing the standards for a good home. 

She implored all families to grow and stock enough food for consumption and the surplus for sale to cater for other domestic needs, including health and education.  “Families should have food for home consumption and the surplus for sale to meet other expenses. They should have granaries to store food for consumption during the dry season and every home should have a hoe as a sign of productivity,” she said. 

Queen Mustesi said all families should have toilets, a kitchen with a store for firewood, and stands for utensils to promote good sanitation. 

The queen said all families should have visitors’ rooms and should share meals as a sign of love. She cautioned the Basoga against bickering, saying such ill-will is against the cultural norms that govern Busoga. 

Queen Mutesi urged the women to work hard and be disciplined in order to develop Busoga. 
“My office will partner with the Uganda Hotel and Tourism Institute to equip women, girls, and youth in skills such as catering, pastry and baking,” she said. 

Queen Mutesi said the kingdom would undertake different projects, including boosting literacy and fighting poverty, and illnesses as a way of developing Busoga. 

The Kyabazinga urged the Basoga to remain united because it is the only way to develop Busoga. 
“The unity you exhibited during the royal wedding should be used in developing Busoga. I thank all those who contributed to the wedding to continue doing the same in taking Busoga forward,” he said. 

The prime minister of Busoga Kingdom, Mr Joseph Muvawala, warned the people against encroaching on Kyabazinga land. 

“Your Highness, you ordered all those who are building on the kingdom land to stop but they have defied the order. I have released a letter banning the construction of any building on the land at Bugembe Complex and at Igenge Hill until we verify the titles because most of them are forged,” he said. 

Mr Muvawala said no one should build on the Kyabazinga land without authorisation from the kingdom or else they will be arrested. 

He said they would organise a royal tour for the queen and king so that they can visit their subjects in different areas of Busoga.