At least 30 clan heads and members of the Tooro Kingdom supreme council skipped King Oyo’s 27th coronation anniversary that was held at Karuziika palace in Fort portal Tourism City Monday.
The clan heads led by Reverend Willy Kintu Muhanga the representative of Abamoli clan in the Tooro kingdom supreme council and the chairperson of the clan heads committee said that their decision to skip the coronation anniversary was in line with their resolution to express their dissatisfaction over the governance of the institution.
Some of those who skipped the coronation anniversary include the head of Abeeri, Abamooli, Abaitiira, Abatenzi, Abaliisa, Abagorongwa, Abaihangwe, and Abachwama clans among others. The clan heads accuse King Oyo of flouting the procedure of choosing a prime minister and speaker of the Kingdom’s supreme council, which they claim is an abrogation of the 1999 constitution that governs the kingdom.
In their petition conveyed to the king on September 4th, 2022, the clan heads expressed dissatisfaction with how Mr. Julius Mwirumubi, the Tooro kingdom supreme council Speaker was handpicked by the king instead of being elected by the council members and how the king didn’t follow the right procedure while appointing the new prime minister Rt. Hon. Stephen Kiyingi.
Reverend Muhanga told Uganda Radio Network that the clan heads petitioned the King citing a number of anomalies in the appointment of the new prime minister Steven Kiyingi and the speaker, Julius Mwirumbi. He, however, says that the King adamantly refused to respond to the concerns of the clan heads.
Muhanga says Tooro is built on a strong foundation of clans, which make up the kingdom. He, however, notes that the king doesn’t respect the opinions of the kingdom’s supreme council and the clan leaders upon, which he derives power to govern the institution.
Methuselah Kasukali, the head of Aberi clan in the supreme council said whereas the king has deviated from constitutional governance, some people have continued to support his actions even when they know they contravene the law.
Kasukali says as head of Aberi Clan he could not sit down and celebrate the king’s coronation when the kingdom was being led on the wrong path. Mbogo Rukiidi, the vice chairperson from the Babiito ruling clan, says that he could not attend a ceremony where both the Speaker (Rwigi)and the premier (Omuhikirwa) are illegitimate.
Mbogo says they are still considering a number of options to save the kingdom from operating illegally. He says that one of the many available options includes seeking legal redress. The kingdom has not responded to the decision by the clan heads to skip the coronation anniversary celebrations.
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