Bomb scare at Kyabazinga 7th coronation anniversary

The seventh coronation anniversary of Kyabazinga William Nadiope Gabula IV at Igenge Palace, Bugembe Ward, in Jinja North City Division was yesterday marred by reports of a bomb scare at Bugembe Blue Primary School, about two kilometres from the main celebration grounds.

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Jinja Zonal spokesman, Lt Jude Wandera, told Daily Monitor that he received a call from the deputy Resident City Commissioner (RCC), Mr Peter Banya, and they had to engage their intelligence.

“We later called in the engineering team which came and confirmed that it was not a bomb; it looked like something being built by someone but by the time we found it, it had nothing to do with electrification,” Lt Wandera said, adding that no arrests had been made but investigations about it were still going on.

“We are focusing our investigations on why such a thing was built but it is confirmed that it was not a bomb and it wasn’t at the coronation grounds; for now let’s wait for the detailed investigations to be done,” Lt Wandera added.

By 9am, Kyabazinga’s subjects made their way, by invitation, to the main celebration grounds, although the function started at about midday and ended at around 4pm.

In his speech, the Kyabazinga asked his subjects to work hard, adding that unity and hard work, coupled with responsibility of the subjects, would lead the kingdom forward.

“For purposes of strengthening our relationship abroad, I appointed ambassadors in different countries to promote Busoga Kingdom’s agenda,” he said, adding that through his visits abroad, he was able to lobby for agricultural items for his subjects to help them during this rainy season.

The Kyabazinga said he was happy that the government was ready to return some of the kingdom’s vast property and directed the prime minister, Dr Joseph Muvawala, to appoint a committee to follow up on the matter.

The First deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community (EAC) Affairs, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, thanked the government for ensuring that the Kyabazinga’s Shs7b palace is completed.

She, however, reiterated that the sugarcane problem remained Busoga’s biggest problem that has brought lasting poverty to the region, adding that because of the monopoly of the sugar factory owners, MPs from Busoga will convene a meeting this Saturday to get the land for the can-milling factory that President Museveni promised sugarcane farmers.

“We are going to assemble at the Civil Service College in Jinja with leaders who have been invited to meet the Minister of Finance and officials from the Uganda Development Corporation to agree on the location of the sugar factory for the indigenous people of Busoga that was promised by the President,” Ms Kadaga said.

On returning kingdom property

The Minister of State for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Ms Peace Mutuuzo, said the issue to return kingdom property will be handled “within a very short time”. “My ministry has developed a (new) political leadership committee at various levels in which all stakeholders must be brought on board through consultation; thereafter, the issues that need budgetary provisions will be discussed and presented to the Ministry of Finance,”  Ms Mutuuzo said. She added: “Government is committed to support cultural institutions, only that the Covid-19 pandemic has not allowed some of the activities; otherwise, we are here to serve all traditional institutions to spur social and economic development in the country.”

–Daily Monitor