Four youth arrested after storming Bunyoro Kingdom offices

__________________

Chaos erupted at the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom administration offices as police intervened to rescue kingdom officials from a group of youth who stormed the headquarters in Hoima city, demanding that Andrew Byakutaga vacate office.

Byakutaga was dismissed as prime minister last year by the Kingdom’s Chief Prince (Okwir) Fred Ruchunya Mugenya, who appointed an interim cabinet led by prime minister Dr Baltazar Kasirivu Atwooki.

On Monday, police were called in after a security guard failed to restrain the group of youths who had sneaked into the fenced premises of the kingdom administration offices.

The group of over 10 youths arrived intending to force Byakutaga out of office, only to find him absent and his office closed.

They reportedly climbed the fence to gain access, locked the gates from the inside with their own padlocks, and later fled when the confrontation escalated.

The youths reportedly climbed the fence to gain access, locked the gates from the inside with their own padlocks, and later fled when the confrontation escalated. (Photo by Peter Abaanabasazi)

Police, led by Hoima city police commander Jimmy Tumwine, arrived at the scene and engaged the group, managing to arrest four individuals while others escaped.

The suspects, identified as Lenox Mugume, Brian Makanika, and Noah Musinguzi, along with an unidentified fourth person, were taken to Hoima City Police Station.

Following his arrest, Makanika, one of the suspects, expressed frustration over Byakutaga’s continued stay in office.

"The kingdom belongs to all the kingdom subjects, but Byakutaga has turned it into his property," he said.

The suspect questioned why Byakutaga remained in office despite his term expiring, accusing him of clinging to power at the expense of the kingdom’s progress and criticised Byakutaga for ignoring a court ruling that directed him to hand over to the interim cabinet.

Background

On September 2, 2024, Bunyoro Kitara kingdom chief prince (Okwir) Fred Ruchunya Mugenya dismissed Byakutaga and appointed Dr Baltazar Kyamanywa Kasirivu Atwooki as interim prime minister, asserting that the authority to manage kingdom affairs in the absence of the Omukama lay with him.

This decision followed an emergency meeting of the Babiito clan, which issued a one-week ultimatum for Byakutaga to vacate his office. The clan argued that his tenure was illegal, citing a Royal Commission ruling in July that had extended his term by a year, which they deemed unlawful.

However, Byakutaga dismissed his removal by Prince Ruchunya Mugenya, insisting that the chief prince had no authority to appoint or fire a prime minister.

On December 16, 2024, the High Court in Hoima ruled that the appointment of an interim cabinet by chief prince Ruchunya was lawful.

The ruling followed a consent judgment after a legal challenge by Dennis Asiimwe regarding the legitimacy of the appointments, given the absence of proof that King Solomon Gafabusa Iguru I was incapacitated.

The court ruled that Prince Mugenya had acted within his powers, thereby validating the interim cabinet’s leadership of the kingdom’s affairs.

It further directed that the interim prime minister and his ministers, appointed in September 2024, should assume their roles and execute their administrative duties.

“The interim prime minister and interim cabinet ministers appointed in September 2024 are obliged to take possession of their offices and conduct administrative duties,” the court ruled.

Despite the ruling, Byakutaga rejected the decision, maintaining that only King Iguru could remove him from office. He has since refused to step down.

Police confirm arrests

Albertine region police spokesperson Julius Hakiza confirmed the arrests, stating that the suspects would be charged with inciting violence.

He added that police were finalising their case file before forwarding it to the resident state attorney for review.

"They were protesting, saying they wanted to remove the Prime Minister from office. They were inciting violence in public, so we arrested them. They are now in police custody, and we have charged them with inciting violence. Their file is being prepared and will be sent to the Resident State Attorney," Hakiza said.

Attempts to reach Byakutaga for comment were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to repeated calls on his known phone number.