Francis Mugerwa
31 May 2011
Hoima — Bunyoro Kingdom has expressed concern over the appointment of Mr Saleh Kamba as minister in-charge of Bunyoro affairs. “We thank the President for creating a ministry for us but the appointment of a minister who is not a Munyoro is a big concern for us. We have several people from Bunyoro who qualify to head it (the ministry),” the kingdom’s prime minister, Eng. Yabeezi Kiiza said.
Mr Kamba was appointed to head the newly-created Bunyoro ministry in the new Cabinet that was announced over the weekend. Eng. Kiiza said Bunyoro has several current and historical concerns which need urgent attention from government. “Does he know our culture and historical injustices?” Eng. Kiiza wondered. He said the Bunyoro ministry comes at a time when the kingdom is struggling to regain its past glory. “We hope that the ministry will expedite pushing for our demands, ” Eng. Kiiza added. Bunyoro is demanding a share of revenue from oil wells in the region. Commercial oil exploitation in the region is expected to commence in 2013.
Land issue
The kingdom’s spokesperson, Mr Henry Ford Mirima, said: “The Banyoro in Kibaale District want to repossess their ancestral land which was offered by colonialists to Buganda.” Big chunks of land in the former lost counties of Buyaga and Bugangaizi are owned by absentee Baganda landlords who received it as a reward from the British for collaborating with them in fighting Omukama Kabalega of Bunyoro who resisted imperialism but was defeated in 1899 and exiled in the Seychelles. “Our people live as squatters on their ancestral land. This is unacceptable,” Mr Mirima said.
AllAfrica – All the Time
Taken from:
Bunyoro Kingdom Criticise New Minister