KAMPALA, Uganda: The supposed death of the Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II has lately, been almost tearing apart the internet as well as rapturing and polluting the atmosphere throughout the banana republic and across.
The pretty sad news has been making rounds on social media platforms, arguably generated by Radio Katwe, Uganda’s equivalent of the rumor mill for days now. While the Katikkiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga has laudably made a big effort in trying to water down the news, purveyors of the same including – by the way, known members of the royal family, have continued to spin the story with even exaggerated gusto.
When the rumors intensified and this website received an array of callers asking us to investigate the matter in order to put it to bed, we were more than happy to go down to work given the gravity of the issue at hand. We have been on the prowl and we are back with the good news: His Majesty the Kabaka of Buganda is not sick and/or DEAD. The King is alive! We trust our informers to be the most reliable around, for they are closest to the King than any other official in his monarchy.
The gossipers had also tried to link the Katikkiro to the death of the king. They have been accusing Mayiga of ganging up with ‘bad elements’ in the central government to bump off his master. And that following the death of the king, the Katikkiro fled the country! This is equally laughable. Mayiga is in the country and going about his official duties. We sighted his convoy on Wednesday, August 19, 2020, at 8:15 in the evening moving along Kiira road.
From our investigations in Uganda and beyond, we now know and are divulging that the Kabaka left for Nairobi for routine medical checkup shortly after celebrating his annual coronation. The King’s coronation falls on July 31st having been enthroned on July 31st 1993 at Naggalabi-Buddo in Wakiso District. The medical checkup is being conducted by the East Africa’s top notch KAREN Hospital in Langata – Nairobi, in the neighboring Kenya.
We understand that the Kabaka takes a medical checkup on a yearly basis. Like any other dignitaries and responsible leaders the World over, he does this routine whether sick or not. He normally exercises this custom either in Germany or UK. He this time wasn’t able to go to his doctors in Germany or UK because of the prevalence of the COVID19 epidemic and hence the ban on air transport.
He accordingly reached a deal with the authorities in Uganda to have the medical checkup in Nairobi. But naysayers have been alleging how the authorities in Uganda whom the King approached to seek consent for travel, ended up poisoning him instead. And that, the king succumbed to that poisoning later!
We can authoritatively report that when in Kenya, the King settled for Karen Hospital which is touted as the topmost quality medical facility in East Africa. Karen is a destination of choice for top notch individuals from around East Africa, thanks to its highly rated medical equipment and staff.
While going to Kenya, the King had a normal advance party composed of his trusted security officials and personal assistants in the kingdom. This alone discredits reports that he was actually dashed off anywhere in a critical condition. He is currently, majestically pitching camp at the kingly Radisson BLU Hotel which is frequented by the crème-de-crème of people on a visit to Kenya. We understand that the king is set to hit the road back home in two to three days from now.
“I just talked to him and he actually laughed it off before diverting to our main topic I had called him for. He will be home over the weekend,” our impeccable source told us this morning, lightly giving us a green light to publish the story by revealing the King’s purpose in Nairobi and where actually he is staying. All said and done, these sorry rumors attracts several questions…
Which souls would wish for the King’s demise?
The reigning Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi will go down in history as one of the kings from the immediate history who has been fought and openly so, by close members of the royal family. The first group of members of the royal family to fight Kabaka Mutebi, were those from his uncle’s family of Prince David Mawanda.
Rumor has it that Kabaka Fredrick Muteesa II had reached a deal with his brother Mawanda to be the one to succeed him on the throne. That in case Mawanda did not succeed Muteesa, then one of the descendants of his would be the one to be enthroned. But that Muteesa scuttled that concession when he named his son, Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi as his successor. And this explains probably why the late Prince Ssimbwa had taken it upon himself to beef the Kabaka while fronting himself to be the one who was supposed to occupy the throne. Now that the reigning Kabaka has revealed the potential crown prince, we can’t rule out the historic grudge.
Princess Ndagire almost brought the kingdom of Buganda down when she uttered funny words to the effect that Kabaka Mutebi wasn’t a son of the late Muteesa II. Ndagire’s fight which was an extension of the Ssimbwa’s, saw the princess, who was the custodian of the Masiro at the time, labeling Kabaka Mutebi a son of Daudi Ochieng.
Ochieng, an Acholi was a great friends with Ssekabaka Muteesa II so much so that the latter, in the 1960s, literally appointed him an MP in the Parliament of Uganda on the Kabaka Yekka Party ticket. Mutebi survived Ndagire’s onslaught which went even up to the High Court of Uganda just like he survived one of Ndagire’s brother in Ssimbwa.
But since then, there have sprung up voices of rebellion from within the royal family. Many are disgruntled royal princes and princesses who feel that the Kabaka owes them a living drawing from the past times where the reigning king was obligated to take care of almost all needs of the members of the royal family.
Yet other members of the royal family accuse the Kabaka of taking over land that formed part of the estates of their families. Some of these are even in courts of law trying to undo agreements where the government in Kampala handed back property belonging to Buganda under Kabaka’s custody.
Just like the Kabaka’s reign has faced challenges of haters, even that of Katikkiro Mayiga has faced a number of challenges. Mayiga’s detractors say he has not been transparent when it comes to projects that are funded by money collected from people. That he and his cronies have benefitted a great deal from money collected to build Masengere Complex and to reconstruct the Masiro (Kings’ burial grounds) at Kasubi.
The opposition elements in Mengo and elsewhere accuse Mayiga of handing over the kingdom and Buganda at large to President Yoweri Museveni and Central Government, an accusation Mayiga himself is yet to find a believable rebuttal.
Could it be that the haters of both the person of Kabaka and those of Mayiga are the ones spinning or benefitting from the death reports against the king for their selfish interests? Your guess is as good as ours. But Thank God, we hereby firmly conclude that the Kabaka is not only alive but is not complaining of any pain whatsoever.
Author Profile
- Mr. Stephen Kasozi Muwambi is a seasoned crime investigative writer, majoring in judicial-based stories. His two decades’ experience as a senior investigative journalist has made him one of the best to reckon on in Uganda. He can also be reached via [email protected]
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