Prime
Rwenzururu seeks new palace 7 years after raid
One of the structures that were bombed at the Buhikira royal palace of Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu in Kasese Town, in November 2016. Inset is the main gate at the palace. PHOTOs/JEROME KULE BITSWANDE
What you need to know:
- Kingdom officials say the old palace should be turned into a museum as a reminder of the November 2016 attacks.
Today marks seven years after a joint security force raid on the Buhikira royal palace of the Rwenzururu Kingdom, home to Omusinga (King) Charles Wesley Mumbere in Kasese District, leaving the palace in ruins and scores dead.
This tragic event unfolded in 2016, as the police, led by AIGP Asuman Mugenyi and Brig Peter Elwelu (now promoted to Lt Gen and appointed Deputy Chief of Defence Forces), launched an offensive against the palace.
The devastating raid resulted in the loss of more than 150 lives, with more than 200 individuals, including King Charles Wesley Mumbere, being arrested.
Omusinga Mumbere and his royal guards were taken to prison in Kampala, where they spent close to seven years.
It was only in June when the Director of Public Prosecutions (DDP) dropped charges against him and the royal guards and subsequently, on October 4, he returned to Kasese District.
Omusinga Mumbere has been residing in a private house in Kamaiba Cell in Kasese Town.
Plans for the construction of the promised new palace by the government have remained silent, even though the government has already purchased land in Kasese Town at Shs150 million.
The delay in fulfilling this commitment leaves a lingering sense of uncertainty and unfulfilled promises in the aftermath of the tragic events that transpired seven years ago.
Any official kingdom cultural activities are conducted at the royal hill where the kingdom subjects constructed temporary huts.
Buhikira royal palace, which would host meetings of the House of Representatives and daily interactions with the king (Omusinga) and livestock, now lies idle and is a shadow of its old self.
The kingdom’s Prime Minister, Mr Kule Muranga, said the king cannot return to the bombed palace because of the bloodshed that took place. As a result, it will be turned into a museum.
The museum is envisioned to showcase artifacts and serve as a constant reminder of the tragic events. Mr Muranga said the museum could become a tourist destination, akin to Namugongo, where the Uganda martyrs were killed.
“We are going to ask the king to allow us to turn the old palace into a museum so that we can display our artifacts. In our culture, the king cannot go where blood was shed. Therefore, the museum would serve as a constant reminder of what transpired,” he explained.
In the absence of the royal palace, the 57th coronation anniversary of Omusinga Mumbere in October saw all cultural functions and norms conducted in temporary royal huts.
The commencement date for the construction of the new palace remains uncertain, despite Mr Muranga stating that the kingdom has already received architectural designs that are now in the hands of the king and the construction is expected to be undertaken by the UPDF engineering brigade.
About Buhikira royal palace
Located on Kibanzanga Road in the affluent area of Muyenga, Nyakabingo Ward, Kasese Municipality, the Buhikira Royal Palace occupies approximately an acre of land.
Originally bestowed upon Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere Iremangoma, the palace was among several properties the government gave him after his descent from the Rwenzori Mountains.
This followed the signing of a peace accord between the Rwenzururu Army and the Obote-led government in 1982, marking a crucial step towards the cessation of hostilities.
In addition to the Buhikira Royal Palace, Omusinga Mumbere received two other houses situated on Margherita Street from the government.
However, these properties were later reclaimed by Indian businessmen who had owned them before their expulsion in 1972 during the Idi Amin regime.
At the time of the reclaiming, the Rwenzururu Kingdom had not yet been officially recognised by the government, and Omusinga Mumbere was still in exile in the United States of America.
The present site of the Buhikira Royal Palace was not reclaimed because it was originally constructed by the Obote I government as accommodation for senior government employees in Kasese.
At the time, Omusinga Mumbere, then recognised as Chief Elder by the government, resided in the house for two years from 1982 to 1984,and then departed for the United States to pursue studies on government scholarship.
Omusinga Mumbere briefly returned to the house in 1998 after an invitation from President Museveni.
His visit aimed to dissuade the people of Kasese from joining the Allied Democratic Forces, a rebel group that had claimed, at some point, to be under his command.
After a short period, he returned to the United States.
During this time, his mother, the late Rwenzururu Queen Mother Christine Biira Mukirania, occupied the house until around 2005 when Omusinga Mumbere announced his intention to return to Uganda.
In response, subjects initiated the refurbishment of the house to accommodate Omusinga Mumbere who returned in 2007 and married his wife, Nyabaghole (Queen) Agnes Asimawe Ithungu in the same year.
In October 2009, the government officially recognised Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu as one of the cultural institutions in the country.
However, Omusinga Mumbere Iremangoma has been king Rwenzururu for 57 years.
He ascended to the throne to succeed his father, Isaya Mukirania Kibanzanga, who was the kingdom’s first King. Mukirania died in 1966.
