The Okwir, (Chief Prince) of the Babiito, the ruling clan of the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom has protested security deployment at his home in Rukooge cell, Hoima West Division in Hoima city.
According to Rucunya, on Monday Morning at around 9a.m, security personnel comprising of the anti-riot police and the Uganda Peoples defense forces (UPDF) heavily deployed at his home.
He alleges that, some of the security personnel were deployed at his gate while others surrounded his home. They did not however enter inside their home but kept their presence outside his gate and around their home.
Rucunya says, he was not bothered by the security deployment at his home but wondered why heavy deployment could be sanctioned at his home yet he had not committed any crime.
He alleges that, the deployment was aimed at intimidating him following the fresh rising tensions at the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom between the Babiito, the ruling clan and Andrew Byakutaga, the Kingdom prime minister.
According to Rucunya, the security personnel left his home at around 3p.m without conducting any search or making any arrests.
Harriet Businge, former Hoima Woman MP who is Rucunya’s wife, condemned the action of the security personnel questioning why they had been deployed at their home.
She has also demanded answers from top police management in the region as to why their home should be besieged yet they had not committed any offense.
One of Rucunya’s neighbors who spoke to URN on condition of anonymity says they were shocked to see security personnel deployed at his gate while others had surrounded the home.
He however says, the security deployment did not interrupt people’s businesses in the area since they (Security personnel) were peaceful.
When contacted, Julius Hakiza, the Albertine region police spokesperson however, denied any deployment at Rucunya’s home saying, they could have seen security personnel on routine patrol.
“Why should we deploy at their home? They should have seen our men on routine security patrol in the area. There is no security deployment currently targeting Rucunya’s home, “said Hakiza.
On Monday morning, Anti-riot police and UPDF personnel were heavily deployed at the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom headquarters with security officers by 9 a.m. blocking access to the Kingdom chambers, locally known as the Rukurato. Other security personnel were seen patrolling parts of Hoima City.
Police also confirmed the deployment to Uganda Radio Network (URN), saying it followed intelligence indicating that some youths were being organised to demonstrate at the Kingdom headquarters.
The kingdom also in a statement issued by Andrew Byakutaga, the Kingdom prime minister confirmed the security deployment stating that, it was sanctioned after Kingdom authorities received a security briefing about a possible attack on the Kingdom premises and properties.
The heightened security presence comes amid a long-running dispute between the Babiito, the ruling clan of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, and Byakutaga over his continued occupation of the office of Prime Minister, or Omuhikirwa.
Last week, the Chief Prince, known as the Okwir, Eng. Fred Mugenyi Rucunya, issued a fresh ultimatum for Byakutaga to leave office by mid-October 2026. Speaking to journalists at his home in Rukooge Cell, Hoima West Division, Rucunya said Byakutaga was occupying the office illegally because his term had expired.
Byakutaga’s original term expired in October 2023 but was extended until June 30, 2024. When that period elapsed, the Babiito, through the Okwir, called for his departure.
However, in a letter dated June 27, 2024, the Royal Commission granted Byakutaga another one-year extension. Rucunya has disputed the legality of that extension, arguing that the Royal Commission lacked authority to extend the Prime Minister’s tenure.
Rucunya said the authority to manage the affairs of the Kingdom when the Omukama is unable to do so had been vested in him by the Omukama, Dr Solomon Gafabusa Agutamba Rukirabasaija Iguru I.
He also accused Byakutaga of running the Kingdom without a cabinet for about three years and repeated allegations of lack of transparency, accountability, financial impropriety and mismanagement of Kingdom assets.
Rucunya warned that Byakutaga must voluntarily leave office by mid-October, threatening to mobilise Kingdom subjects to storm the palace and force him out if he failed to comply. Byakutaga declined to comment when contacted over the ultimatum. The dispute dates back several years-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
