Former Rwenzururu royal guards plead for support 

Former royal guards of the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu in Kasese District are seeking assistance from their king, Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere.

The guards who were arrested alongside the Omusinga in 2016 after they were involved in a clash with government security forces that raided the Buhikira Royal Palace in Kasese Town, are requesting medical, financial, and psycho-social support, citing health issues since their release from prison last year.

They said they have continued to struggle with diseases, while others face challenges accessing government aid due to lost documents such as their national identity cards.

Mr Edwin Mumbere, the chairperson of the former Rwenzururu Kingdom royal guards, said they critically need psycho-social and medical support for many of their colleagues fighting to regain their health.

“I want to inform you about Mzee Ngwale who has since run mad, and many more of our colleagues are mentally unstable.  The issue of psycho-social support must be given adequate attention. We also have others battling several chronic diseases. We will be happy if they can be supported to receive medical attention,” King Mumbere said.

Mr Besweri Malisaba, the former kingdom deputy minister of security, said many of the royal guards lost their sources of livelihood when they were jailed.

He appealed to the Omusinga to engage the government so that they benefit from government programmes, especially the Parish Development Model (PDM).

“Many of us cannot access PDM funds because we don’t have National Identity Cards. The process of acquiring a new national ID is not only expensive but also hectic. We hope that there can be an arrangement that would help us get our IDs so that we also benefit from all government programmes that require us to have this important document,” Mr Malisaba said.

He also reiterated the need for their children to be supported with educational scholarships.

Dropping charges
In June last year, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions dropped all charges against Omusinga Mumbere and all his accused subjects following a series of accused negotiations between the central government and the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu.

Mumbere was arrested in November 2016 together with 217 of his royal guards after they were involved in a clash with government security, leaving more than 150 people dead.

On October 4, last year, shortly after Omusinga Mumbere’s return to the Kingdom, the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu (Prime Minister), Mr Kule Muranga, announced that the kingdom would be rebranded and there would be no more use of royal guards to guard King Mumbere.

Since his return last year,  the Omusinga has been guarded by a specially trained force provided by the government.

Rehabilitation
In November last year, the coordinator for Amnesty Commission in the western region, Mr Ronald Ssekatawa, in an interview with this publication, said there is a need to rehabilitate former Rwenzururu Kingdom royal guards because they have been living in terrible conditions since they returned to Kasese.

“In our attempt to find out how these royal guards are faring within the communities, we have been profiling them. However, I can tell you that their situation is dire because, their properties, especially land, were sold, leaving them with no source of income and nowhere to stay,’’ Mr Ssekatawa said.

He said despite being exonerated of crimes, many are facing isolation in the public sphere, particularly in accessing the PDM. He stressed the need for affirmative action and special consideration to enable them benefit from such poverty-alleviation programmes.

“There is a need for the government to design a special programme to benefit the former royal guards to ensure their full settlement and reintegration within the community,’’ he added.

Mr Ssekatawa indicated that despite being granted amnesty, none of the 217 royal guards has received their amnesty package due to the commission’s limited resources.

On Monday, Omusinga held a first meeting with his former royal guards since his return about seven months ago at Kasese Better Living Centre in Kasese Town.

During the meeting, the Omusinga said: “I appreciate the challenges that you people are going through. Seven years away is such a long time and I surely know that it has disorganised most of you. I have listened to all your problems but unfortunately, our pockets are still limited, however, you’re still in my heart and my office will surely remain open to you.”

He cautioned them against violence, as they embark on a journey of reintegration into the community.

“We have suffered violence for a long period. Recent history indicates that we have had disturbances since 1962; I want to urge you to maintain peace and desist from any form of conflict within your communities. President Museveni and the government of Uganda have been generous to us by granting us amnesty from the over 70 counts of criminal charges we were facing.  Let us pay them back by keeping peace and involving ourselves in pro-development programmes,” Omusinga Mumbere said.

King Mumbere added that the former royal guards remain a target for persons who may want to cause mayhem within the community. He said they have suffered the brunt of armed rebel groups, including the National Army for the Liberation of Uganda-NALU and Allied Democratic Forces-ADF who are currently in eastern DR Congo.

“In the 1990s, selfish persons used my name to lure our people into armed rebellion; I was forced to return [from exile in the US] to dissuade the Banyarwenzururu from joining the armed rebellion against the government, working with people who may want to recruit you into conflict. I also want to remind you that you are being targeted by those selfish individuals,”  King Mumbere noted.

The Omusinga also commiserated with families that lost their loved ones.

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