King Mumbere demands Shs2 from each Hima cement bag

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As rainy days continue hitting hard on some monarchies, most of them have resorted to pushing for the restoration of their old revenue base through royalties from the natural resources surrounding their kingdoms.

Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom must have set the pace, following its demand for 20 per cent of revenues from its oil reserves in the northern Albertine graben.

Following suit is King Charles Wesley Mumbere of the Rwenzururu Kingdom, who last week renewed his demand in which his kingdom wants Shs2 from each bag of cement manufactured at Hima Cement Factory.
King Mumbere, who last visited the Kasese-based factory in 1982, reiterated his appeal when he paid a courtesy call to the plant last week.

“I have made several requests to the plant management about the Shs2 per bag that is dispatched from the factory as special royalties to the kingdom to help us move on but no response has come through. This factory lies under my kingdom so we must have a share of it,’ King Mumbere told the plant manager. He added that Rwenzururu kingdom was still lagging behind in development just like other kingdoms in the country, due to limited resources and that is why it thought of getting a share on royalties.

However, the Hima plant manager, Mr Peter Robson, said they do not have any official written communication on file from King Mumbere about the issue: “Hima as a factory has been paying huge amounts of money to government as royalties. I don’t think that it may be in position now to pay (other royalties) but I will present it to management for discussion.” He said the factory produces 2,500 tonnes of cement daily, each tonne containing 20 bags.

King Mumbere blames politicians for fuelling Rwenzururu conflict

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The Omusinga of Rwenzururu, King Charles Mumbere Iremangoma, has accused politicians of initiating and fuelling tribal conflicts in his kingdom.

The royal blamed some politicians in Kasese and Bundibugyo districts for planting hatred among the Bamba and Basongora to rebel against the kingdom, which he said led to some bloodshed. “Tribal conflicts are very hard to fight compared to a war between different countries because they may result in mass killings. I am very disappointed with our politicians who confuse the population,” he said.

King Mumbere said the Bakonzo had lived peacefully with the Bamba and Basongora for generations but started drifting apart after being brainwashed by politicians who do not wish well the kingdom.
The Omusinga, who was the chief guest at a tree-planting campaign in Hima Town Council, at the weekend, said: “It is shameful to see that other tribes which are being housed in our district have tried to break away from us. During our struggle to rebel against Tooro Kingdom, the Bakonzo, Basongora and Banyabindi were united for one cause.”

The king said dialogue should prevail during situations where there are conflicts among some tribes.
He hinted on the fact that Kasese is very accommodative, which he said has resulted into some settlers enjoying the hospitality in his kingdom to amass wealth.

“Rwenzururu veterans who shed blood for their kingdom can’t seat back and see other people disturbing their freedom,” the king, who warned people against misusing the hospitality and politeness of his people, said.

He invited development partners to support his kingdom’s drive of environmental and cultural conservation, revealing that his kingdom has so far distributed more than 40,000 tree seedlings to farmers as one way of conserving the environment and protecting the cultural heritage in his kingdom.

Bad people in Kasese are fleecing others

News updated at E-Society Kasese

I am writing from Maine, USA. I have recently been the target of a scam being conducted by some people in Kasese. The scam is operated through a pen pal site on the Internet. This scam has been in operation for a long time, and has provided the perpetrators with lots of money from unsuspecting people from abroad.

One of the perpetrators is a head master at a local primary school. It revolves around a supposed woman, who writes to people saying she has three children who are suffering from malaria, who are hungry, and who cannot afford school fees. I would have been duped had I not felt something was not right and asked an outside party to visit with these people to check the facts.

Sadly, this development has the potential to ruin the opportunities of other legitimate, children, schools and organisations to seeking funds from well-wishers abroad.

Carol Vose,
vosehammond@myfairpoint.net

Boy, 10, in Kasese exchanges letters with President Obama

If there is any head of State many Ugandans would wish to meet, that would be US President Barack Obama. 

Ten-year-old Christopher Kule, a primary four pupil at Rwentutu Christian Primary school in Kasese District has the same dream and while he has not yet met the President, you could say he is a step ahead of the rest.

 This is because Kule received a letter from White House, after having written to the American President.

Christopher Kule and his teacher, Mr Dasiel Raul, display the letter and the portrait from US President Barrack Obama. PHOTO BY Thembo Kahungu Misairi. 

The soft-spoken pupil believes that after exchanging letters with the US president, there is hope that the two will meet one day. It all started when Kule wrote a letter during a class exercise when they were tasked to write a letter to anyone seeking help on community issues. 

Kule’s letter caught the eye of the American student teacher doing internship at his school in Rwentutu, who claimed his grandmother was a friend to a White House aide and promised to send the letter to the President. “I just decided to write to the President of America because I thought he would solve Uganda’s problems,” Kule explains. He said his letter requested America to support Uganda in curbing insurgency and promoting peace.

His teacher, Mr Dasiel Rau promised that he would post his letter to the White House in Washington. A few days later, he reported that the letter had been received and sent to the President’s office.

Obama replied, and in his response, a letter dated July 10, this year accompanied with a signed portrait, the US president Obama addressed issues of human rights and conflicts in Africa and the Mideast. In the letter, Obama said: “I am committed to reinvigorating America’s leadership on a range of international human rights issues because the US opposes the use of violence and repression against men and women.”

Obama said the violence that has led to rape, murder and torture of innocent people in Sudan, Syria and Democratic Republic of Congo has become a stain on the collective conscience. He told Kule that there is no nation that should be silent in the fight against human rights violation. The jovial Kule says he looks forward to meeting Obama.

“I am very happy to have received a reply from Obama and I have kept everything properly because my hope is to meet him one day. If he comes to Uganda, I need to meet him and if he wants me to go and live with him in America, I am ready,” Kule said.The boy, who wants to be a medical doctor in future, says there is need for a pupil to have a peaceful environment in order to study well. He reasons that since America is a superpower, it can influence issues of security in Uganda. 

For now, he is sticking close to the treasured items. His father Mr Semu Kahulho says his son does not want to spend any moment away from his letter and the portrait. 

“He has sometimes gone with them to church and even sleeps with them. He treats the materials as his treasure since he believes nobody else in the district has ever exchanged letters with the US President,” Mr Kahulhu said. 
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Lightening kills one and injures another in Kasese

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Thunder has struck Kalingwe village in Nsenyi Parish, Kisinga sub-county in Kasese district killing one person and injuring another.
The dead has been identified as Yonia Kahumulha in her late thirties and wife to Yolamu Kahumulha a resident of Kalingwe village.
The injured is Grace Masika of Kyamuhamira who was taking shelter the deceased’s home on return from her farm in Kiringa village.
An eye witness said the lightning struck at about 4.30 pm when a heavy down poor was recorded across Kisinga sub-county.
Moses Bruce one of the first people who rushed to the scene says Masika has been admitted at Kagando hospital where she was rushed in critical condition.
Yonia Kahumulha’s death is the second to be caused by lightening in Kasese district this month after a boy was killed last week in Mairo-Ikumi village in Munkunyu sub-county.
Rainfall in Kasese district is being received in bits and scanty areas this season which has created fears among farmers over what they yielding fate will be.

Breaking news

By: E-Society Kasese

Residents of Kihara are heading to a demonstration at the district headquarters over land in Butsumba. They are demonstrating against the arrest of five people picked from their houses and after the houses set on fire.

MPs investigate Kasese conflict

The parliamentary committee on Defence and Internal Affairs is investigating the cause and devising possible solutions to the ethnic and land tensions in Kasese District.
The disputes are between the cultivators who are mainly ethnic Bakonzo and pastoralists, largely ethnic Basongora.

The seven-member committee chaired by Mr Milton Muwuma (Kiguli South), started investigations on September 6, with a series of public consultations.

However, on the set-off of the inquiries, the district vice chairperson, Mr Tadeo Muhindo, stunned residents and MPs when he claimed the district had no tribal tensions.

Mr Muhindo said government should not be misled by politicians who want to use the alleged tribal tensions for their own selfish gains.

“The district is calm but we only have the problem of population increase. But I appreciate the fact that all tribes have constitutional rights of freedom of expression,” Mr Muhindo said, angering the municipal mayor, who quickly refuted the remarks.

“Nobody should deceive you that there is no problem in Kasese. The problem is there. Imagine a group of civilians attacking the whole police station. Leaders are shying away from the truth,” Mr Kabyanga Kiime said, adding that if not addressed, the tribal tensions will cause more bloodshed.

Kasese RDC Milton Odongo asked the committee to interprete thoroughly Article 246 of the Constitution to the people, saying it has caused a lot of misunderstanding between the the two tribes after the installation of the Busongora king Rutakirwa Ivan Bwebale Rwigi IV.

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“These conflicts have escalated because government has not solved issues of land, district splitting,’ Mr Odongo said. Meanwhile, at Nyakatonzi Sub-county, Isebantu Erisa Mugisa Ateenyi, the self-proclaimed cultural leader of the Banyabindi, wondered why government gives a lot of attention to the Omusinga.

“Government is deceived that if it doesn’t consult the Rwenzururu King Charles mumbere, decisions can’t be made. This is a total lie. He is like me. I am also a cultural leader. We have suffered for 50 years under the Rwenzururu struggle,” Mr Mugisa said.

The minority communities, comprising of the Basongora, Banyabindi and Bakingwe told the committee at Nyakatonzi that the best way to solve the tribal conflicts in Kasese was to give them their own district so that they can manage their own business without being marginalised and oppressed.

Mr Muwuma promised that the committee will present their findings to Parliament.

Kasese Town seeks to reclaim all Rutooro-named roads

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Ethnic differences in Kasese District took a new twist on Tuesday after the municipal council tabled a Bill seeking to rename all roads in Kasese Town from Kitooro to Kikonzo names.

The councillor Nyakabingo II Ward, Mr Kahene Bwambale, tabled a motion seeking to rename several roads after prominent Bakonjo personalities.

Mr Bwambale proposed that roads should be named after personalities like the late Isaya Mukirane, the former Minister of Finance in the Obusinga, Ms Loyce Biira, who is the first Mukonzo woman Minister of State for Gender in the NRM government, and Dr Crispus Kiyonga for being the longest serving member of parliament, among others.

The roads to be renamed include; Kogere, Rukidi, Mugurusi, Kayisiga, Kijongo, Byensi and Rweisamba, which all bear Rutooro names. Culturally, the Bakonjo for long were under Tooro Kingdom before acquiring their own kingdom, the Obusinga.

However, the speaker, Mr Alex Kwatampora, deferred the motion to the executive committee for further scrutiny. When this newspaper asked why he deferred the motion, Mr Kwatampora cited legal implications and expenses involved in renaming of all those streets before council would commit itself on the matter.

“I want our council to have ample time to study the issue and consider all the implications that may arise from the same,” Mr Kwatampora said.

90% okay Kasese split as minority tribes cry foul

Betrayed? Minority tribes in Kasese District claim that they demanded for the district split after realising that they were marginalised but authorities say they will not allow a district created to benefit only small ethnicities.

At least 90 per cent of residents in Kasese have shown interest in the split of the district, according to a parliamentary committee that was in the area last week on a fact-finding mission.

Ms Florence Kintu, chairperson of the Public Service and Local Government Committee of Parliament while meeting Basongora and Banyabindi elders and petitioners in Kasese town said they, however, were not convinced with the boundaries and other modalities involved in new districts.

All stakeholders in the district’s five constituencies were consulted but the minority groups insisted that they want their own district in order to solve their problems such as poor service delivery and denial by the majority right for land.

In 2010, the district council resolved to split the mother Kasese into Kasese, Bwera and Rwenzururu districts but the minority tribes, Basongora and Banyabindi rejected the proposal calling for their own district, Busongora.

Ms Lucy Kamya Abwooli, a resident, said: “Bakonzo have forced our children to learn Lukonzo in government schools which has killed our culture. We feel this is the time for us to have our own district which would address most of our demands.”

Bart Atwooki Kitakakaire, who led the Banyabindi, told the MPs that it was the minority groups that demanded for the district split after realising that they were marginalised.

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• Museveni invited Bakonzo, Basongora and Banyabindi to Rwakitura where he directed the then district chairperson Bamusede Bwambale to give an administrative unit to the minorities which the district council rejected until recently when we shouted and we were given Nyakatonzi Sub-county,” Mr Kitakakaire said.

However, Mr David Muhumuza (Mwenge North) said the Bakonzo have vowed not to release the lower lands to the minority tribes since they contain all the resources and lakes for the fish which is their favourite dish.

But the district chairman, Lt. Col. Mawa Muhindo, insisted that the resolution of council still stands and warned that his leadership will not accept a district created to benefit only small ethnicities because it would create more confusion.

Ms Kintu (Kalungu) was accompanied by Ignatius Besisira (Buyaga east), David Muhumuza (Mwenge north), Keneth Bosa Kiyingi (Mawokota South) and Maate Joseph Kireghegya (Bughedera County)