This was confirmed yesterday after security personnel sorrounded Majje stadium in Lwanda Sub County, Rakai district in the morning and blocked players and supporters from accessing the facility. It was a match between Kooki and Kyaggwe FC. This, however looked contrary to what the Rakai Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Sarah Kiyimba, had vowed the previous day.

Kiyimba, in a social media viral audio the previous day, had spit venom against Kooki, assuring Buganda loyalists that they would play and watch the match with maximum security, to avoid any disturbances from thelatter`s loyalists who had in the same measure, also threatened to stage protests against the match. The Kooki cultural institution – Obwakamuswaga, and Buganda Kingdom have been at loggerheads for close to ten years. This stance, after the Kamuswaga (King of Kooki) declared his area a no-go-zone for Buganda activities since they (Buganda) had failed to honour his demands mutually.

Among Kooki’s demands issued on September 25^th 2014, was reinstating the throne (Namulondo) of their hereditary leader (Kamuswaga) in the Mmengo Lukiiko, withdrawing all parallel leadership structures appointed by Mmengo in Kooki, returning 13 land tittles belonging to the Kamuswaga which were confiscated by Mmengo officials and, a call to review the said agreement between the two cultural institutions.

These demands were tabled in a letter relayed by the Prime Minister of Kooki (Katuukiro) Idd Ahmed Kiwanuka, to Buganda Kingdom where, the Kamuswaga provided an ultimatum of three months (90 days) grace period within which the same should be observed and worked upon. Short of action on the said demands and in time, the Kamuswaga announced, all representation by Kooki to Mengo was to stop automatically and with immediate effect.

The Repercussions

To peace lovers, its unfortunate that Kamuswaga’s concerns were not only swept under the Mengo heavy carpet, but the same were officially, on the floor of Lukiiko in Mengo, ridiculed by the Katikkiro of Buganda, Rt. Hon. Charles Peter Mayiga as `childish` issues meant for children. This prompted the Kamuswaga to write another letter, distancing his institution from all Buganda activities. The two institutions from then onwards, have had a poor relations to the extent of Buganda also shunning Kamuswaga’s coronation anniversaries and vice versa.

In July last year, the two institutions attempted to resolve their matters after a meeting was held in Kooki with Buganda’s team led by their Attorney General, before theKooki Deputy Premier, Owek. Godfrey Kimbugwe. From here, Kimbugwe also led an eight-member team to Mengo for continuation of the same. The two meetings yielded nothing after Buganda still failed to honour at least one of the demands which Kooki had said, would initiate commencement of the desired good relations.

“We had several demands from Buganda but we simply told them to withdraw the parallel structures they put in our area. It’s the Kamuswaga, not Mengo to appoint leaders. They, at the time, instead threatened to use force and access Kooki in a bid to have Butambala County play with Kooki but we quelled them,” Stanley Ndawula, the Kooki information Minister and official Spokesman said then.

Before the said match on a Saturday, Kooki loyalists had planned a protest which prompted Police to halt the match until the two sides negotiate. In 2018, Buganda Premier Charles Peter Mayiga was blocked at Masaka, from going to Kooki as he promoted a project dubbed “Emmwaanyi Terimba.” He was however, later released after about eight hours, upon reaching a mutual agreement, but with additional security to protect him from the angry Bakooki who had already staged demonstrations protesting his visit.

Buganda’s Masaza Chairperson Ismael Ssejjengo was last year arrested at Rakai Police station after he attempted to forcefully access the playground in Lwanda Sub County, unsuccessfully insisting that the match between Gomba and Kooki would be played. Last month, the Kooki Premier Iddi Kiwanuka, while addressing journalists at the Royal Park Gardens in Rakai district, warned all Buganda loyalists not to host any Masaza match because they are not ready to entertain them.

Kooki was started as a Kingdom in the 1700’s by a Mubiito (Prince) Bwoohe, son of Duhaga, King of Bunyoro by then. Kamuswaga Apollo Isansa Kabumbuli II Lwampanja is currently the 13th hereditary ruler who insists there is no agreement made between the two leaders of Buganda and Kooki as the former alleges, that the same made Kooki a county under Buganda.

This was revealed by His Royal Highness (HRH) the Kamuswaga of Kooki, Apollo Isansha Kabumbuli II, while Speaking at the Operation International gala in USA recently. “This school in our area is the first of its kind in East Africa. An international boarding school, the Steve Patterson international school owned alongside our kingdom.”

The international school is one of the many beautiful and success stories through international partnerships His Royal Highness (HRH) the Kamuswaga has had and enjoyed with his Kooki people. It’s an international initiative he has dedicated his stay on, through the Operation International (OI) via their theme – Medical volunteers, saving the world. OI in this Kooki world has, and continues to change people’s lives every day.

Many lives have been saved, and thousands of children now have shelter, food, clothes, shoes, and more importantly, education. At the gala from which he returned home a fortnight ago, HRH thanked Dr. Allam and the Board of Directors of Operation International, especially Mr. Jack van Dee Wetering, for extending the invitation to him on the night that highlighted their generosity and support to his Monarchy.

When profiling the Obwa Kamuswaga relationship with Operation International, and what their work has done to his community, the Kamuswaga said he first heard of these partners in 2017. “In 2017, I heard that a USA team from a charity team called Operation International was planning to visit our town in 2018, to provide free medical care in our hospital. I didn’t know what to expect, we’ve heard about other teams in Uganda that come with few boxes of medications to give to patients and they leave. But shortly after the news about this Charity team arrived, a whole container arrived full to the brim with equipment and supplies.”

An elated Kamuswaga added; “That was something new to us, something we haven’t seen before.” Consequently, the team from New York arrived and they got to work right away. They worked day and night for long hours, and in one week, they had changed lives and the lives of everyone they had touched. Other Charity teams continued to pour in the Kingdom arriving in batches as they treat eye problems, women health related issues and major operations like goiter, among other health problems.

These teams have not only treated the patients, but also donated equipment and trained medical staff. They have also rebuilt the Rakai main Hospital as they have continued to improve the community in Rakai and surrounding areas. With the dilapidated and despair Rakai infant orphanages, Operation International teams went into action to change the entire situation around the facilities, rebuilding the entire compound, installed solar panels, and built new wash rooms with running water and proper septic system.

At the orphanage, the children there now have food every day, uniforms for school, shoes on their feet, and well-trained teachers hired to educate them. A new orphanage project was started from scratch, naming the same after Kamuswaga’s own friend Jack. These orphanage projects and the Glory School in Dwaniro have continued to really change hundreds of kids’ lives in Kooki in so many ways, and given them hope and meaning in life.

In conclusion, Kamuswaga was thankful to his subjects, Kooki’s partners (both local and International), for their generosity, thanking everyone from the bottom of his heart, and, wishing them the Almighty God’s endless blessings. Today, the 30-member team is concluding this year`s last visit to Kooki and, over 300 patients have been operated on in a space of just two weeks.