Details have emerged of how Rwenzururu king Charles Wesley Mumbere regained his freedom, with our sources revealing the victor-benefactor hand of President Museveni.
The Observer has learnt that although Omusinga Mumbere was released by the High court on Monday, the key to his freedom lay with Museveni. Mumbere walked after President Museveni and Rwenzururu leaders talked long and hard – and ultimately reached a negotiated settlement.
Mumbere, who had been incarcerated for 71 days since November, was released on Monday by the High court in Jinja on bail after he presented five sureties. He was flown to an unknown destination in a police helicopter.
He still faces 41 counts of treason, terrorism, murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery and malicious damage to government property. Knowledgeable sources said that through a series of meetings between Museveni and other security officials on one side and Rwenzururu leaders on the other, it had been agreed that Mumbere be granted bail.
In most of the meetings held at State House Entebbe, sources said, it is Museveni who set the tone. On February 5, Christopher Kibanzanga, a brother to Mumbere, confirmed to journalists in Kasese that negotiations had been going on well to have the Omusinga released.
Kibanzanga described the negotiations as “fruitful” and promised that his brother would be out “very soon.”
However, The Observer has learnt that the negotiations between Museveni and Rwenzururu leaders were protracted. In one of the meetings, the leaders made it clear that they were not only pushing for Mumbere to be released on bail, they also wanted all the charges against him dropped unconditionally. Museveni rejected this.
“This will encourage impunity. Let us [handle] one thing at a time,” Museveni reportedly said.
The president also pointed out that the ‘opposition’ had taken over Mumbere’s case. He pointed out instances where the police had stopped Dr Kizza Besigye from attending Mumbere’s trial in Jinja, and the fact that many of his sureties in the first bail application are members of the opposition FDC. Sources said Museveni suggested that Mumbere gets other non-political sureties for the new bail application.
In the 2016 elections, the FDC gave the ruling NRM a bloody nose in Kasese district, winning most of the parliamentary and local government seats. It would appear that Museveni did not want FDC to get any further political capital from Mumbere’s release.
In an interview this week, Clarence Bwambale, the Rwenzururu spokesperson, confirmed that the state was not impressed with opposition politicians standing surety for the king during the first bail application.
Robert Centenary, the MP for Kasese municipality, told The Observer yesterday that Mumbere’s release was a good sign and commended Museveni for it.
“Let us hope that government will finally drop all the charges against our king,” he said.
TOUGH CONDITIONS
On January 13, Justice Eva Luswata released Mumbere on bail but he was re-arrested shortly after and slapped with fresh charges, which prompted his subjects to file another bail application, which succeeded on Monday.
Among the conditions, Mumbere’s movements are restricted to Kampala, Wakiso and Jinja. He is also barred from stepping in the western districts of Kasese, Kabarole and Bundibugyo, which form the bulk of his Rwenzururu kingdom.
Also from now on, Mumbere shall be guarded by security personnel provided by government, not his royal guards. Besides those conditions, we have been told that while at his Muyenga residence, Mumbere must constantly furnish the police with a list of his visitors.
Sources told us that he is not expected to stay in touch with members of a militia group that have been linked to the kingdom. Mumbere was arrested last November after the army and police raided his palace to disarm the royal guards accused of recruiting a militia in the Rwenzururu kingdom.
Meanwhile, Rwenzururu kingdom officials have referred the matter of some kingdom veterans, who confessed to President Museveni that they had taken part in the Rwenzori clashes, to the kingdom’s top organ for discussion. The resolution was reached in a meeting of kingdom officials on February 5 in Kasese town.
Some of theveterans confessed to the president last year that they were behind the clashes, which led to the military offensive against the Omusinga’s palace.
Consequently, some Rwenzururu officials have called for the excommunication of these veterans from the kingdom.
Kapolyo Bwambale, a clan trumpeter, asked the meeting to pass a motion disowning the veterans for misrepresenting the kingdom. However, Yeremia Mutoro, the acting Rwenzururu prime minister, said the matter would be handled gradually.
Eight Rwenzururu veterans who attempted to attend the meeting of the Kingdom officials were stopped.
ekiggundu@observer.ug
Additional reporting by URN.