Africa-Press – Uganda. The prime minister of Rwenzururu Kingdom, Mr Joseph Kule Muranga, has said the government will train a special force to guard King Charles Mumbere as part of efforts to rebrand the kingdom.
The special force will replace royal guards, whose past animosity with state security agencies climaxed with the raid on the kingdom palace in 2016.
Mr Muranga said the presence of royal guards in their kingdom was illegal because they are not provided for in the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu constitution of 2000 and the 1995 Constitution of Uganda.
He said it was a mistake to surround the king with royal guards.
“How do you raise an army which has no salaries? In the new rebranding of the kingdom, we shall not have these royal guards, the government will provide specially trained people who will guard the king as is the case with other kingdoms,” Mr Muranga said.
In November 2016, Omusinga together with royal guards were arrested after his palace in Kasese was raided by the army. The group was later slapped with several charges, including treason.
On June 12, the Director of Public Prosecution dropped the charges, setting Mumbere and 2017 royal guards free.
Kingdom pillars
Mr Muranga clarified that only three pillars; the royal family, chieftains and clan leaders are recognised by the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu ancestry.
“How could royal guards detach the king from his people? Those were past mistakes committed. The royal guards always conflicted with the army and police, which resulted in bad blood. This should not happen again,” the premier said. He said after rebranding, people will be sensitised about the constitution of the kingdom, drafted in 2000, and about the Obusinga charter.
He, however, noted that they are finding challenges in sensitising Rwenzururu subjects about their rebranding initiatives since they accuse them of having been compromised by the government.
In an interview with this publication yesterday, the Omusinga implored his subjects to work closely with the government by embracing government programmes, which are geared towards poverty eradication.
“Please distance yourself from being misled again with people who have selfish interests. I want to wish my people of Rwenzururu a happy stay as I plan to come back to the kingdom officially,” he said.
The prime minister said within a month’s time, the king will return to his kingdom and that the government promised to construct him a palace.
Background
The Omusinga and several other kingdom officials, including prime minister Johnson Kistumbire, and more than 100 royal guards were arrested following a military operation at the king’s Buhikira Royal Palace in Kasese Municipality in November 2016.
The operation was commanded by the current Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Peter Elwelu.
The group was then transferred to Kampala from where they were paraded in court in Jinja on several charges, including murder and terrorism.
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