Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, the reigning king of Buganda Kingdom, can now breathe a sigh of relief after one of the people tormenting and giving him sleepless nights was thrown in jail for, among other things, plotting to form a breakaway kingdom from Uganda’s larges cultural institution.
Since 2014, Bujwenge Bukulu Kasirye Isabasambasa has not given up on his quest to form his own kingdom and force the secession of Ssese Island, officially one of the 18 masaza (counties) that make up Buganda. Bujwenge Bukulu Kasirye Isabasambasa claims to be the Crown Prince of the so-called Ssese Kingdom or Obutenza Ggulu Bwa Ssese, located in the island district of Kalangala.
Bukwenge Bukulu Kasirye and his group claim that there is no binding agreement Ssese island signed with the Kingdom of Buganda to be one of the counties under Mengo and that all the palaces and cultural sites in the island do not belong to the Kabaka but the Isabazinga and the Crown Prince who wants to be installed and formally recognized as a king.
The group further rejected the Kweba (Ssaza Chief) of Ssese Augustine Kasirye, saying his position is illegal since Ssese is, at least according to the group, an independent kingdom and not under Mengo. The group equally advised Mengo to forget about Luggo Forest Reserve, which is very central to Buganda’s culture and throne. It is from a special tree in this Luggo Forest that the Ddamula Royal Mace or stick of authority is made.
About five years ago, a plan by the Isabazinga Supreme Council to install Bujwenge Bukulu Kasirye Isabasambasa as the King of Ssese Kingdom collapsed after elders questioned Bukuku’s roots to the cultural institution he was seeking to lead. Yet this man did not relent in his quest to form a new kingdom and impose himself as a king.
Days ago, Bujwenge Bukulu is said to have attempted to torch a Buganda Kingdom cultural site on Bukasa Island in Kyamuswa Sub County. But officers of the Uganda Police Force (UPF) swung in action and arrested the self-declared king of Ssese Islands. Police and the state, generally, slapped charges of assault and malicious damage to property against the Isabazinga.
The self-imposed king, who is ideally seeking a breakaway from Buganda Kingdom, was then arraigned before a court of law, formally charged and sent to prison on remand. Presiding Kalangala Magistrate Herbert Arinda told Bujwenge Bukulu that the charges against him are triable in a chief magistrate’s court, further telling him that his file will be sent to the Masaka Chief Magistrate who will try him and pronounce a judgement that could see him further jailed.
Bujwenge Bukulu Kasirye Isabasambasa has been behind bars at the Mugoye Prison from where he will be driven to the Masaka Chief Magistrate’s Court next Friday, October 28, 2022.
Ssese Island County becomes the second to attempt to break away from Kabaka’s Buganda Kingdom. Just recently, the Kamuswagga of Kkooki announced the breakaway of Kkooki County from Buganda, with the institution even establishing an arch showing the boundary between the new Kooki Kingdom and Buganda. (Read Story Here).
But Kabaka’s youth warned Ugandan president Gen Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni that if he allows Kkooki to break away from Buganda Kingdom, they would do everything within their powers to ensure that the Kabaka and his Buganda Kingdom also breaks away from Uganda and becomes an independent state. (See Details Here).
Meanwhile, the Kabaka’s health condition has worried his Baganda subjects after the king appeared in public in what they called a bad state. (Read Report Here).
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