Tooro Kingdom: Premier calls for unity among subjects
FORT PORTAL-The newly appointed Prime Minister of Tooro Kingdom, Steven Kiyingi has called on the subjects to unite if the kingdom is to develop.
Kiyingi’s recent appointment by King Oyo has left the people of Tooro divided on the basis of ethnicity.
“The first thing I want to focus on is causing unity in Tooro. Being a half cast, my colour has caused some confusion among certain people,” Kiyingi said on Thursday while addressing journalists at Tooro Kingdom Parliament in Mucwa Fort Portal city.
He addressed the media in the company of clan leaders, saaza chiefs and the Kingdom ministers.
Kiyingi said people in the kingdom should not look at his colour but focus on how they can work together to take Tooro Kingdom forward.
He said Tooro has the second largest number of half casts in Uganda followed by Buganda, Busoga and Kigezi and therefore said the Bakyotera in Uganda are recognised members of the society.
“In my case, I don’t know how His Majesty Oyo Nyimba decided to pick me. I am a retired civil servant. I have worked for 35 years in government. I just retired last year,” he said.
Kiyingi added: The king surprised me when he called me and asked me to be the Prime Minister of Tooro. I accepted, I never solicited for it and I want to thank him for that.”
Kiying said his major focus will be unity, education, health; environment, tourism and agriculture which he said are the main pillars of any society.
He said he will ensure he does the little he can the ensure he improves the standards of our education in the Kingdom of Tooro.
“Education doesn’t mean just formal education; I intend to have skilling as part of the major concentration. To that end, I will use every opportunity I can find to bring good willing people and ambassadors in Tooro who can contribute in kind and in material to be able to form skilling projects around the seven districts of Tooro,” he said.
He said Tooro has been recognised in Uganda to be able to have a critical mass of the youth taking advantage of the opportunities in tourism such as making artworks to sell to tourists.
He promised to work hard and leave a mark in Tooro Kingdom.
He finally invited the people of Tooro and beyond to come and celebrate Oyo’s 27th coronation anniversary slated for September 12, 2022.
Background
On Friday last week,King Oyo Nyimba kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV appointed Kiyingi as the prime minister following resignation of Bernard Tungakwo.
However, Kiyingi’s appointment was not welcomed by some of the supreme council members creating division among the subjects.
Most of the supreme council members rejected his [Kiyingi] appointment arguing that he is not a Mutooro and therefore his appointment is not constitutional.
There has since been rounds on social media about the issue and some Batooro said they will boycott all the kingdom’s activities until Kiyingi is dropped. Others said they would storm the palace in protest.
However, the kingdom’s cultural official said the issue of the colour of the new prime minister should cause disunity but rather should be seen as a blessing.
“Much of the things we have as Tooro Kingdom were as a result of missionaries who were not Africans. The traditional schools like Nyakasura, St.Leos’ college Kyegobe, Kyebambe Girls among others, hospitals to mention, but a few were built by missionaries who were white,” he said.
According to an elder, Tom Mboijana, this is not the first time Tooro Kingdom has had a non-Mutooro as prime minister. Mboijana said the fourth prime minister of Tooro was a Muganda, Yosiya Sewaali, appointed in 1934.
A section of clan leaders and ministers have promised to work with Kiyingi to take Tooro Kingdom to the next level.
https://thecooperator.news/tooro-premier-resigns-king-oyo-appoints-successor/
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