The government of Uganda, through H.E Yoweri K Museveni, has facilitated a delegation of clan leaders from the Buganda Kingdom who have embarked on a 5-day trip to Nambia to visit the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, who is their traditional ruler and is a symbol of their cultural heritage and identity.
The clan leaders, through the State Minister of ICT, Joyce Ssebugguwo, secured facilitation from the president to travel to Nambia and physically visit the Kabaka. The purpose of the trip, according to the clan leaders, is to personally assess the health and well-being of the Kabaka, who is receiving medical treatment in the southern African nation.
According to Pius Walusimbi Mbirozankya, clan leader of Ky’effurbe, the clan leaders within Buganda Kingdom undertook a trip on July 1, 2024, to express concern and affection felt by the Baganda people for their traditional leader, who has been away from the Kingdom and his subjects for quite some time due to poor health and is receiving care and treatment from Nambia.
Mbirozankya stated that it would be unfair to Buganda subjects to only be updated about the Kabaka’s health by Buganda representatives.
“We have decided as clan leaders to take it upon ourselves to go to Nambia, and we see firsthand how our Kabaka is faring. The Kabaka is not just a political leader but a unifying figure that embodies the rich history and traditions of the Buganda people,” said Walusimbi.
He noted that as clan leaders, they must ensure his well-being, stand by him during this challenging time, and offer him the necessary support he needs to fully recover and return to his subjects.
Sam Walugembe, the leader of the Ababito b’e Kibulala-Ssingo clan, said that they are challenged by what is going on in the kingdom. According to Walugembe, they cannot sit still as subjects demanding answers about the Kabaka’s whereabouts and health approach them first with such questions.
“So since we found out that he is outside the country, and in Nambia we could not sit still, we have to go and see for ourselves how he is,” said Walugembe.
Opposition politicians, especially Bobi Wine of the National Unity Platform (NUP), have on several occasions asked Buganda subjects to demand their Kabaka’s whereabouts and not rely on Katikiro Peter Charles Mayiga for updates. He went ahead to accuse Mayiga of hiding the Kabaka.
Mayiga has criticised this narrative and warned Buganda subjects to keep aware of such politicians, whose sole interest he termed selfish and calculative in nature, as their interest is to use the Kabaka for politics.
On July 1, 2024, the kingdom released a video that the Kabaka sent to his subjects about his current state and why he was away from his official duties.
The video sparked renewed discussions about the role of traditional leadership in modern African societies. As the Buganda Kingdom continues to navigate the complexities of a changing world, the Kabaka’s influence and the reverence held for him by the Baganda people remain a powerful force that commands respect and attention both within Uganda and beyond.
