President Yoweri Museveni has defended his appointment of the Kyabazinga of Busoga William Nadiope Gabule IV as ambassador.
In the reshuffle and appointment of ambassadors announced two weeks ago, the Kyabazinga was appointed ambassador on special duties in the Office of the President.
But the news was received with mixed reactions in Busoga kingdom with some of the subjects contending that it was demeaning for the king be given a job other than his cultural duties as the head of Busoga kingdom.
The Busoga Lukiiko, the top decision-making organ of the kingdom issued a statement advising the king to turn down the appointment arguing that its is unconstitutional and that kings are not supposed to work.
However, Museveni, while addressing the gathering at the Kyabazinga Day celebrations on Saturday at Busiki Chiefdom in Namutamba district, said that cultural leaders should get employment and work for the development of their kingdoms. He hit back at the critics saying that he appointed the Kyabazinga on grounds that he has the skills and therefore needs to put it to use by serving his country.
He also dismissed allegations that it’s the Kyabazinga who approached him seeking for a job.
“I invested in the education of the Kyabazinga. He now has a Masters degree and when he came to visit me recently, I proposed to him to serve his country,” he said.
Museveni also faulted the media for making Kyabazinga appointment a huge issue misleading the subjects.
“When this [story] came out [and] I hear there was a lot of discussions in the papers that royals are meant to only sit. That, ‘when a royal starts working, he loses his authority and dignity’. I just said to myself, they have the freedom to talk but when I also get a chance to talk in Namutumba I will tell them [the reason for the appointment].”
He illustrated to the subjects how Russia became a super power after King Peter the Great together with his 2,500 chiefs went to Holland to work in a ship manufacturing company.
“The problem of Russia was lack of modern warships. Western Europe was more developed so the king himself, Peter the Great, took his 2,500 royals from Russia to Holland to work in a ship-building factory,” he said.
On whether he did not break the law that bars traditional leaders from getting involved in partisan politics or taking up political appointments, Museveni said: “As someone who was involved in restoration of kingdoms, I know the laws governing them. The appointment did not contravene any law.”
The Kyabazinga tasked his subjects to engage in commercial agriculture and invest in education to fight poverty in the kingdom.
Kyabazinga said that they should focus on unity, transparency, accountability and engage in activities that lead to positive change. He appealed to the parents to take their children to school, fight early marriages and teenage pregnancies.
The Kyabazinga Day dates back to 1939 when 11 hereditary chiefs from the chiefdoms that make Busoga adopted the title of Isebantu Kyabazinga as the titular head of all the royal chiefs.
Ezekiel Tenywa Wako, the chief of Bulamogi, took over as the first Kyabazinga of Busoga. The eleven chiefs all have their roots in the Biito dynasty in Bunyoro Kitara Empire.