HOIMA – Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom (BKK) Prime Minister, Andrew Byakutanga and his Finance Minister, Robert Owagonza and others have been indefinitely suspended from office over misconduct and abuse of office.
According to the letter dated 30th of January 2022 and signed by the Head of the Babito ruling clan, the Chief Prince (Okwiri) Engineer Fred Mugenyi Ruchunya indicated that the decision to sack them was reached on 29th of January 2022 during a Babito general assembly held at Karuzika Palace No5 in Hoima town.
According to the letter, the officials are accused of lack of transparency and accountability for the kingdom resources, fraudulent and dubious withdrawals and expenditure of Kingdom finances without any approved policy and activity planned in the palace.
According to Ruchunya, in 2018, the government accepted to give the Kingdom its share from Kinyara Sugar Works worth Shs33 billion, Shs1.25 billion is paid quarterly and government has been paying this money for two years.
He further says, they have demanded Byakutanga and his members to give accountability in vain.
In his letter, Ruchunya noted that they made investigations in Equity Bank where the kingdom opened accounts and got banks statements and found out that colossal sums of money were withdrawn by Byakutanga and signatories.
According to him, on 21-4-2021, Shs 400 million was withdrawn, on 24-12-2019, Shs 250 million was withdrawn, and on 3rd-3-2020, Shs 250 million was withdrawn and money was given to the law firm of a one Kabega.
It is also indicated that on 20-5-2019, Shs 765 million was withdrawn, 26-5-2019, Shs 370 millions was withdrawn, again on 26-5-2019 Shs 90 millions was withdrawn and all this money was paid to a law firm called PORD.
On 20th-8-2019, Shs 205 million was withdrawn and on 26-6-2020, Shs 296 million was withdrawn and all the money was paid to a law firm called GAUFF.
Ruchunya said, the Kingdom has not been having court cases that would cost such sums of money adding that this money was taken by individuals for their personal interests.
He also accused the Prime Minister and his members for mismanagement of Kingdom assets and property, involvement in the sale of the Kingdom land, insubordination and disrespect of the Babito ruling clan among others.
He noted that basing on these actions, Ruchunya said, the meeting of Babito resolved that the Prime Minister (Byakutaga) and his ministers step aside from office and hand over offices to their deputies immediately to pave way for investigations and forensic Audit.
“The meeting observed these actions tantamount to gross abuse of office as Prime Minister of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom and its leadership before their subjects. Therefore, in the interest of its continued smooth existence and growth of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, the meeting resolved and mandated Okwiri to direct you (Byakutanga) and the two cabinet Ministers to step aside from your voluntary services to the Kingdom with immediate effect to pave way for investigations and forensic audit,” the letter reads in parts.
However, in his response to the letter dated 30th of January 2022 and signed by Byakutanga, he disregarded Ruchunya’s orders and described it as baseless.
He noted that Okwiri Ruchunya has no power, whatsoever to appoint or to dismiss any official of the Kingdom, either as an individual or by virtue of the authority he holds in that office.
He noted that Omukama of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, Dr. Solomon Iguru Gafabusa is the only appointing authority of the Kingdom and the only one who can replace officials of the Kingdom as he pleases.
“Whereas I respect the Office of the Okwiri, as the head of the Babito clan in the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, I would like to categorically state that the purported author of the document has no power, whatsoever to appoint or to dismiss any official of the Kingdom, either as an individual or by virtue of the authority he holds in that office,” Byakutanga explained.
But Okwiri Ruchunya in his letter said, his appointment gives him power to take action against any errant kingdom official.
“You are aware, the Babito are the ruling clan and we derive our authority from the statute of 1993 that reinstated cultural leaders and who are mandated to administer their kingdoms, chiefdoms and the subjects. We also derive our authority from article 246 of the constitution of the republic of Uganda and as amended in 2011, explained in the letter. I also derive authority from my appointment instructions in which Omukama mandated me to take any appropriate action against any official of the kingdom in case the Babito general assembly and clan executive central committee or Okwiri himself has a cause to believe that there is a crime or misconduct committed or about to be committed,”
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