Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere Irema-Ngoma and more than 150 of his royal guards have been in detention since 27th November, 2016. A litany of charges has been placed against them including; treason, terrorism, murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery and so many others. Just the other day 13th January, 2017 the King was slapped with new other charges according to police spokesman Andrew Felix Kaweesi. The new charges according to Kaweesi are a result of new investigations that have been ongoing linking the King to criminality. The charges may as well increase as the court process proceeds.
In line with the above, according to my research and observation, I would like to inform the reader on why the cases have been put on the King and the royal gaurds, the cause of the confusion in Kasese and possible solutions towards sustainable peace and stability. The court charges on the said above are not that the King acquired a big number of royal guards; it is not that the King rejected government sponsored UPDF guards. It is not that the King has FDC associates around him nor is it that the King wants to succeed from Uganda to create purported Yiira State, as no rational being can accept such an allegation.
But the massacre on the Rwenzururu subjects, the arrests and court charges on those in detention is because of the allegations that some of the royal guards attacked government security installations. That, in that scuffle some police officers died and that the royal guards ran away with the guns. This created many questions on where the royal guards were taking the guns and for what use the guns were being taken.
At this stage I will not draw a conclusion because court is yet to find out. However, if it is true that royal guards killed police officers and ran away with guns, it was wrong and criminal. However, to my dismay no one seems bother to tackle the pertinent question; why the purported attacks happened?
The other question is; was it necessary for UPDF and the Police to use such a strong force confronting civilians armed with pangas and machetes despite the alleged stolen guns?
UPDF has fought serious wars in Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and many others. I think there were other options that would save lives but instead emotion and anger took over the rationality of Mr. Peter Elwelu.
Back to the first question; to me this question has not been explored into. It is on this note that I want to explain to the reader on why royal guards become purportedly allegedly hostile towards the police.
There has been a section of people in Kasese before the recognition of OBR and after recognition who oppose the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu. The reasons on why they have failed to swallow their ego despite government recognition and restoration of OBR are known to themselves.
But I would think its pro-choice to pay allegiance to a certain culture as long as no one steps on another’s feet. However, in Kasese a section of people which MP Centenary on one NTV talk-show referred to as an academy with its chief-tutor Dr. Crispus Kiyonga has continued its opposition and thus destabilizing OBR.
Its unfortunate that this group also happens to be of strong NRM surporters in Kasese. Because of this, in the execution of their opposition agenda towards OBR they penetrated the Uganda police creating an attitude in the police that the OBR royal guards are a militia and actually a rebel group being trained for a Yiira Republic. I will return to the stupid village talk of Yiira State later.
Sunday Apolo Randy
The Dream Team,
The Rwenzori Eagle Eye.
“Keep your hope Alive”
