Kings without Kingdoms: How NRM Restored Hereditary Monarchies in Uganda.

By Dennis Katungi

Between 1962 when Uganda got independence from Britain to 1986 when NRM took power, the country had changed governments eight times, seven of them violently.  Five of its six former presidents were living in exile with the sixth having died in Britain seventeen years earlier.  The country had - for all these years been traumatized by political violence and economic destitution.

In 1986, the NRM with its fighting wing the NRA emerged from the bushes of Luwero triangle where it had spent five years fighting governments of the time. Its leader, Yoweri Museveni, announced to the huge crowds gathered to welcome him, that his movement had brought a fundamental change to the politics of the land.  Some did not believe him and indeed opposed him violently, but the majority of Ugandans and the international community agreed to give him a chance to implement what had, during the bush years, been tagged the ’10 Point Programme’.

In this article, we look at one element, not explicit in the 10 programme but implicit by a gentlemen’s agreement ‘to restore the Kingdom of Buganda’ and by extension, other kingdoms in Uganda.  It is interesting to note that the restoration of kingdoms mirrored their abolition.  In both cases, the army came first, and then the politicians legitimized the process by constitutional proclamation.  On April 3rd 1992, the Army Council, under the chairmanship of the President and Commander -in-Chief of the armed forces, Gen. Yoweri Museveni, convened at Gulu Barracks.  Top on the agenda was the restoration of the Buganda monarchy as promised during the five-year bush war in Luwero Triangle.

At the end of the deliberations that saw Lt. Col. Serwanga-Lwanga among others disagree, a resolution was passed recommending the restoration of the kingdom.  It would take another year before the kingdom was realized because once the soldiers had given a no objection; the politicians had to actualize it.  On April 30th 1993, the National Resistance Council [NRC] – the defacto parliament then – in a closed door session chaired by President Yoweri Museveni deliberated on the subject and agreed in principle to restore the Buganda monarchy and return its properties.  

On July 23rd 1993, the NRC passed two constitutional amendments enabling the restoration of the institution of kingship and the return of properties to Buganda.  The first one repealed Article 118 in the 1967 Constitution, which had abolished the kingdoms, and inserted the freedom to adhere to the culture and cultural institution of the community people belong to [The Constitutional Amendment Statute 1993]. However, to assure that the restored traditional rulers would remain only cultural rulers without executive authority, certain limitations were introduced.  The second amendment restored the properties that used to belong to the kingdom [The Traditional Rulers Restitution of Assets and Properties Statute 1993].

A week later on the 31st July 1993, Prince Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II was crowned as the 36th Kabaka of Buganda.  This opened the way for the restoration of other kingdoms, like Bunyoro, Busoga, and Tooro, that had similarly been abolished by law.  After a 27 year hiatus, the kingdoms were finally back in 1993 and with them; the pomp and ceremony that surrounds royalty – never mind that this time round, the kings were only cultural heads without executive authority.

In a wave that would sweep across the country, one monarch after another were enthroned – Bunyoro’s omukama Rukirabasaija Agutamba Solomon Gafabusa  Iguru, Tooro’s Omukama Rukirabasaija Patrick David Mathew Kaboyo Olimi III [who passed on in 1995 and was replaced by his three-year old son Rukirabasaija Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukid IV], and Busoga’s Isebantu Kyabazinga Henry Wako Muloki, to name a few. Of all the old five main kingdoms, only Ankore was not restored allegedly because of public opposition to the institution by the majority Bairu population who – as they alleged, detested it as a tool of Bahima domination. Those who opposed the restoration argued that during pre-colonial times, Bahima rulers used to mistreat their Bairu subjects.

A secret enthronement on November 21st 1993 of Crown Prince John Barigye as the new king of Ankore, taking the title Omugabe Ntare V, Rutashaijuka was immediately snuffed by President Museveni ostensibly because the district local councils of Ankore region had not passed a resolution calling for it.  So, in spite of being surrounded and supported by some of the big guns in NRA who included a former Army Commander, then Maj Gen Elly Tumwine, and then Maj Gen David Tinyefuza, Prince Barigye was unable to take his place among the revived kings of his time. The frenzy over kingship soon caught on with areas that never had centralized traditional authority too crafting one.  The added incentive, of course, was the 5. Million monthly stipend from the central government and a 4x4 Mitsubishi Pajero vehicle donated to each cultural leader by the president on his coronation.

The Acholi enthroned Rwot David Onen Achana II of the Payira clan in Acholi; the Alur enthroned Rwoth Obino Jobi II, the Iteso enthroned Emorimor Paphras Imodot Edinu [later replaced by emorimor Augustine Lemukol Osuban, the Jopadhola enthroned Tieng Adhola Moses Awor, and the Bagwere, George William Koire, in 2003 but following disagreement again installed another, Kintu Mubbala, in 2009 under the new title of Ikumbania.

Cultural leaders that sprant up were Umukuuka Wilson Weasa Wamimbi of Bugisu, Won Nyaci Yosam Odur of Lango, and Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere of the Rwenzururu kingdom [Bakonzo].

The hysteria over cultural leaders also saw fissures emerge within some kingdoms, especially Buganda.  The county of Kooki which was incorporated in 1896 crowned its hereditary traditional ruler, Kamuswaga Apollo Sansa Kabumbuli II. He, however, maintained allegiance to the Kabaka of Buganda.  Buruli, and Bunyala [Bugerere] counties that were given to Buganda as war booty by the British colonialists for helping defeat Bunyoro, asserted their independence from Buganda, crowning their respective cultural leaders.  Isabaruli Butamanya Mwogezi of Buruli and Sabanyala Nathan Mpagi of Bunyala who unfortunately died on the morning of his would-have-been crowning following a court injunction that halted the process.  His son, Capt. Baker Kimeze, was subsequently crowned Sabanyala.  Both Buruli and Bunyala cultural leaders have sworn allegiance to the Omukama of Bunyoro Kingdom where they originally belonged.  The fissures in Buganda kingdom turned bloody on September 11th 2009 when government backed Sabanyala’s refusal of Kabaka Mutebi to visit Kayunga where he was scheduled to preside over Buganda youth day celebrations.

Government insisted that Bugerere was not in the realm of the Kabaka and if he wanted to visit, he had to seek permission from the area’s cultural leader, in this case Sabanyala Kimeze.  The Kabaka insisted that Bugerere was part of his territory and would not seek permission from any one, least of all a cultural leader he did not recognize.  In the ensuing stand-off, several people were killed and or injured in the week-long riots that followed.

Because of this increasing foray into the political realm by cultural leaders, government mooted a new law to regulate their activities.  Addressing kings and chiefs at a three-day Forum for Kings and Cultural leaders at Masindi Hotel held November 11-13, 2009, President Museveni told the cultural leaders that the cabinet had approved the draft Bill on traditional leaders. The law included a clause that not only bars kings and chiefs from engaging in politics but also prohibits politicians from riding on kingdoms.    Only the Kabaka of Buganda was absent.

We conclude by stating the obvious.  NRM has been a force for good. It continues to confront pertinent challenges in order to transform society but the fundamental shift is undeniable.

Dennis Katungi is the AG Deputy Executive Director - Uganda Media Centre
@Dennis_Katungi