By SIRAJE LUBWAMA.
Bakar Musakane Tebamwenda who claim to be the real Crow King of Bukonza kingdom says the d release of Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere and his subjects might bring more killing in Kasese.
In an exclusive interview with the Observer on Monday from his Kampala residence, Tebamwenda refereeing to the recent death of 37 students and five other people from Lhubiriha Secondary School by suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels could have been carried out on the interest of Omumbere.
“People with a good memory will recall that 25 years ago ADF attacked Kicwamba technical College, in Kabarole district, and burnt 80 students to death and abducting more than 100 and it should not be forgotten that at one time Mumbere defected from NALU rebel organization.
On June 17 Ugandan authorities recovered the bodies of 42 people, including 37 students, who were burned, shot, or hacked to death by attackers at a secondary school. At least seven people were abducted by the rebels, who fled across the porous border into the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the grisly raid.
Although some student escaped and survived the attack, others remain haunted by the bad experience. Many were burned beyond recognition, and others were shot or hacked to death after militants armed with guns and machetes attacked the school in the frontier district of Kasese, a local mayor told this reporter Associated Press. Early June, the Director of Pubblic prosecutions (DPP) Jane Frances Abodo withdrew withdrawn all charges against Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere and 212 subjects.
The charges that were withdrawn following the Amnesty Act before the International Crimes Division (ICD) Court presided over by Lady Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha include murder, terrorism, treason, malicious damage to property, attempted murder, and aggravated robbery, among others. In the interview Tibamwenda alleges that by all standards, Mumbere has never been a King of Bakonjo because he is not a Mukonjo himself.
“In 2017, I wrote a petition to the Right Honorable Speaker Rebeca Alitwala Kadaga informing parliament based on historical facts that the so called Mumbere and his predecessor Isaya Mukirane are criminal ‘aliens’, who immigrated to Kases just to wage war against the government of Uganda, as they sought to form a separate state known as Yiira,”Mumbere said.
Mumbere alleges that it was late Amon Bazira who contributed to Charles Mumbere’s surrender as a rebel leader of Rwenzururu rebel organization, after some NALU rebels had been arrested and detained.
“It was because of the works of NALU, which Mumbere personally commanded, and the setting of Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu, which the same Mumbere crafted from Rwenzururu rebel organization, that another rebel group got a soft landing in Kasese district and its environs. The rebel group being talked about is the ADF, which was formed by Jamil Mukulu, who is currently detained in government poisons,” Tebamwenda recalls.
He avers that when Charles Mumbere learnt of Article 246(1), he contemplated upon it as an opportunity to utilize in having Obusing Bwa Rwenzururu “fraudulently legitimized” and wanted to use crooked means and camouflage himself as a cultural leader of the Bakonzo tribal community within the Rwenzori sub-region.
Article 24(1) gives liberty to people, who wish to have the institution of cultural/traditional leadrs to do so.
“To me, as a Crowned King waiting to be confirmed as the genuine cultural leadership/Kingship institution is rightly called “Obwami Bwa Bakonzo” but not “Obusinga Bwa Rwezururu” which is political title,” says Tibamwenda.
Tibamwenda recalls that before the Bukonzo cultural leadership was restored, president Museveni on April 2, 2005 appointed a ministerial committee comprising of four members chaired by Henry Muganwa Kajura, the then deputy prime minister and minister of Public Service to investigate the issue of Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu and make a recommendation to Government.
“Even if Mumbere was erroneously enthroned in 2009 on the basis of the same ministerial report, his enthronement was an act imposing him on the Bakono in the impersonation of king,” Tibamwenda adds.
The “Obwami” concept Tibamwenda in is petition to the 10th parliament, says one year after the arrest of Mumbere, “Obwami” is a the Lhukonzo word for kingship which appeals in the Lokonza dictionary and even used in the Lhukonzo Holy bible, when talking about the 1st and the 2nd Kings of book contained therein. “Obwami was founded in 1630 AD. Kinyabodo belonged to the clan of Abasu Banyangalha.
In here, the word “clan” is used to mean a group of families with common ancestry. Clans form part of the Bakonzo culture. In here, the world “culture” is used to mean a way of life and social organization, customs and traditions of particular society or group. Mumbere is not traced anywhere here,” adds Tebamenwnerda.
To prove his point, Tibamwenda says, Mumbere’s mother came with him at her send marriage to Isaaya Mukiranye and named him Muhindo meaning she had changed the sex of producing a boy form the first girls; because the mother wanted Muhindo to inheriteMukiranye’s properties, she further named him Petero Mumbere, meaning first born, the reason why Mumbere’s mother was buried where she originally Mumbere’s brother who was a minister…” adds Tibamwenda.
Winnie Kiiza’a raeaction Reacting to Mumbers’ allegations, former LOP for FDC Winnei Kiza said she has ever head of Tibamwenda’claim of being the cultural Bakonzo culuturea King which claim has never been approved.
“The Ministerial; Committee on Bakozo leadership was conducted after many othr people like Tibamwenda claimed to be Bakonzo Kings and many were refected and Mumbere was confirmed outrtrue cultural King; the death of Kicwamba students found Mumbere in US where he came to be enthroned,” Winnie Kiiza explianed.
She now says their joy to celebrate the release of their Omusinga and his subjects was only stopped by the death of students. “We ask government to restore the palace of our King it destroyed before we give him a befitting welcome; his signing the Amnesty was because he was arrested for long, got sick in prison and some of subjects died in poison, so he had nothing to do but to sign, this does not mean that he is guilty as some people think,” Kiiza added.
On his recollection, tibamwenda says the usefulness of this report stops at the capture of Mumbere – as he was captured in 2016 and at the final collapse of Obsibnga Bwa Rwenzururu, which is now a thing of the past. Before Bukonzo Cultural leadership was restored he says there was a true leader Mumbere, and his predecessor Isaya Mukirane Mumbere’s group comprised of 218 suspects had specifically been implicated in the September 14th, 2016 double murder of two Police Constables Saverio Ochema and Simon Peter Apille.
They were accused of attempting to murder Detective Police Constables Polycarp Ojoko, Benon Byaki, Francisco Nsimaki, and Assistant Inspector of Police Denis Ahebwa. According to the State, Mumbere and his subjects also murdered a Police Constable Godfrey Kasimba on March 24th, 2016 who was formally attached to the defunct Field Force Unit.
The prosecution also alleges that Mumbere and his subjects attacked several police establishments and property at Bukara and Nyabutsi villages in July and November 2016. The withdrawal of charges follows the amnesty that was granted to the group by the Amnesty Commission after the suspects admitted to having participated in the crimes and also denounced rebellious activities and reconciled with the government.
Prior to the palace attack, security officers alleged that the palace was a training ground for royal guards who planned to destabilize the country. Mumbere had earlier been told to disband the guards in vain. Mumbere and his co-accused persons were later charged with treason, terrorism, murder, aggravated robbery, malicious damage, and attempted murder.
In 2018, he was committed to the International Crimes Division of the High Court in Kololo by the Jinja High Court to face the charges. He was then granted bail and his movements were restricted within Kampala, Wakiso, and Mukono Districts.
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