By Felix
Basiime, Thembo Kahungu Misairi & Geoffrey Mutegeki Araali
PHOTO: Some of the Bakonjo who were
displaced by the clashes camp at Buhindu Primary School in Bundibugyo District.
The clashes that ensued over erection of a shrine by King Mumbere led to
destruction of property and displacement. Government has since deployed in the
area to avoid any further clashes. PHOTO BY GEOFFREY MUTEGEKI ARAALI
Posted Saturday, July 14 2012 at 01:27 (http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/The+Bakonjo++Bamba+clashes++++Looking+beyond+the+fights/-/688334/1453512/-/view/printVersion/-/nunkgk/-/index.html)
In Summary
Early indicators? During
celebrations to mark the Rwenzururu anniversary on June 30, a live broadcast of
the King’s programme was switched off on a government-owned FM radio station.
The move, although engineers said was a technical fault, was viewed by most
critics as intentional.
The recognition came after more than 20 years of stiff persuasion and cajoling, however, the kingdom today could end up in split even further than it was five years ago along the various ethnic groups that it consists of in Kasese and Bundibugyo districts.
Today, the kingdom is besieged with mind boggling conflicts to its north, west and south borders. Two weeks ago, the minority Basongora ethnic group in Kasese District crowned their own king setting a new chapter of conflict against King Charles Mumbere after land issues that divided the kingdom for so long.
This time though, another ethnic conflict has reared its head in neighbouring Bundibugyo between the between the Bamba-Babwisi – the king’s subjects and the Bakonzo – the king’s own tribe.
The two conflicts are different in that the conflict in Kasese is about Basongora creating their own kingdom while in Bundibugyo, the majority Bamba do not want the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu to use their territory and name as part of the kingdom.
The current conflict in Bundibugyo was sparked off after King Charles Mumbere visited the area on June 30 and among others set up a shrine at his father’s home area in Kirindi, Busaru, Bwamba County.
The Bamba felt that Mumbere’s actions of establishing a shrine and raising the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu flag in their area tantamounts to conquering their territory.
Ms Jane Alisemera, the former Woman MP Bundibugyo, who in 2009 led a team of Bamba elders to meet President Museveni before government recognised Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu, says: “We agreed that the word ‘Bamba’ be excluded in the Obusinga issues.
“When the Bamba succeeded from seceding from Tooro Kingdom and later got their own district, they somehow relaxed and Obusinga kept on using their name in their dealings until of late when the Bamba have said no,” she adds.
The Bamba argue that in 1962, they participated together with the Bakonzo in the Rwenzururu Movement to secede from the Tooro Kingdom which they both said was oppressing them.
On June 30, 1962, Isaya Mukirania (a Mukonzo and father to King Mumbere), Mr Peter Mupalya and Mr Yeremia Kawamala both Bamba representatives in the Tooro Kingdom walked out of the Orukurato (Tooro Kingdom Parliament) allegedly over issues of lack of equality.
The Bamba today argue that after that purpose was achieved, they abandoned the Movement but that Mumbere’s father - Mukirania - instead pursued another personal agenda of creating a kingdom out of the movement which the Bamba say they have never been part and parcel.
However, grievances between the ethnic groups were silent until July 6 when they clashed in Bundibugyo. The Bamba moved to torch Mumbere’s shrine, one person died in the melee, and several others were injured, property destroyed and hundreds, mainly Bakonjo, were displaced.
Government officials, Information and Communication Technology Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda and the Inspector General of Police visited Bundibugyo and Kasese districts to try to restore peace this week.
Political talk
During celebrations to mark the Rwenzururu anniversary on June 30, a live broadcast of the king’s programme was switched off on a government-owned FM radio station.
The Rwenzururu Kingdom spokesperson, Mr David Bradford Nguru, said: “That was the worst experience we have had in Bundibugyo as the radio was switched off under unknown circumstances midway the function. And everyone thinks it was intended although engineers said it was a technical problem.”
Some elders in both Bundibugyo and Kasese believe that the current conflict in Bundibugyo is politically motivated.
“Some of the things are politically motivated” says Ms Alisemera. She adds: “Some people have selfish motives, this issue is simple to stem off, it is a matter of dialogue, I call upon the President to come quickly to solve this.”
Chief Prince of the Rwenzururu Kingdom, Mr Christopher Kibanzanga, says: “There is something deeper in the Bundibugyo conflict than meets the eye. Therefore we must also go deeper and investigate it because the Bamba and Bakonzo have lived together and intermarried for long without any problem.”
He adds: “There is survival politics, when some politicians can’t provide roads and other services, they resort to tribal conflicts.”
An elder in Bundibugyo, who preferred not to be named for fear of persecution, believes that there is politics in the matter, adding that there are people who want to develop a political clout by mobilising clashes in the area.
Many are accusing Bundibugyo Woman MP Harriet Ntabazi as among those mobilising the Bamba to oppose the Rwenzururu Kingdom presence in the district.
“It’s the woman MP and her followers that are bringing about all this confusion in order to gain political popularity for her people,” an elder said.
The same sources say Ntabazi and her brother, Swizin Kyomuhendo, a lecturer at Makerere
University are plotting to override State minister Kamanda Bataringaya as MP for Bwamba County in the 2016 polls because Kamanda, although a Mwamba, allegedly has a soft heart for King Mumbere.
There are some Bamba in Bundibugyo who pay allegiance to King Mumbere.
It is also alleged that the same camp is fronting one Mr Gafabusa to take over from the district chairperson, Mr Jolly Tibimanya, whom they accuse of betraying the Bamba community by welcoming Mumbere in the district for the 50th anniversary of the Rwenzururu Kingdom on June 30.
“These people want to create anything that can excite the Bamba community so that they gain political popularity in the build-up to the 2016 general elections. But that’s not how politicians build their profile,” the elder reasoned.
But Ntabazi, who also confirms that there is political motivation behind the Bamba-Bakonjo clashes, denies any involvement. “I partly believe there is politics in this confusion, although the Obusinga is not a political organisation but people are having different minds here in Bundibugyo. To me, the fight has something hidden in it and I am not a ring leader as people claim,” Ntabazi says.
Oil factor
Ntabazi, a Mwamba herself who is married to a Mukonzo with five children, says the Bamba are not fighting for a kingdom.
According to her, the Bamba feel that the 1962 walk-out from Tooro Kingdom was not aimed at creating another cultural institution but to come out of oppression.
The legislator believes that the confusion among the Bakonjo and Bamba is fuelled by former political contestants who failed in the 2011 elections.
“All these fellows want to gain cheap grounds in disguise,” Ntabazi says, adding: “Actually this problem is all about politics of the area because there is no one claiming to be a king in Bundibugyo.”
Some officials in the Rwenzururu Kingdom believe that the new conflict in Kasese and Bundibugyo is a reflection of the changing economic fortunes of the kingdom occasioned by the rich natural resources in the region.
Rwenzori region is being earmarked for oil and gas as exploration already going on in Ntoroko District and more studies being carried out in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kasese District.
The Rwenzururu Kingdom officials suspect that there might be links between the Bamba, Basongora and other minority tribes to take control of the Rwenzori region in quest to take a great benefit of the economic potentials.
“It is likely that these tribes may be building a liaison aimed at capturing the area on the flat lands and push the Bakonzo up hills hence taking over control of the resources. But this is unacceptable and it cannot happen” a kingdom official says.
The UPDF Second Division Commander, Brig. Patrick Kankiriho, says the tribal clashes in Bundibugyo are not acceptable because they contribute to insecurity in the district that borders the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The people of Rwenzururu Kingdom should solve their problems amicably because any fighting contributes to insecurity. But such fights cannot be a chance for the enemy to recruit because what motivation do they have for someone who is fighting for cultural benefits?” Brig.Kankiriho asks.
Need to reconcile
Mr Peter Kamba Mupalya, 87, the only living member of the founding team of the Rwenzururu movement that successfully seceded from Tooro kingdom says: “We started the Rwenzururu
Movement to secede from Tooro in 1962 after they denied us the position of premiership to rotate among them and us.”
“Last year, I was asked by King Mumbere to work as an ambassador for Rwenzururu to create a new relationship with Tooro and other areas. I am coordinating activities of people within the region to work on repairing relationships,” Mupalya says.
He adds: “For example I am an elder in Tooro Kingdom Elders Forum and I love the King of Tooro, we are looking forward to seeing people in the region reconcile because now we want unity and peace.”
Mupalya says the establishment of the shrine should not embroil the residents into clashes for they (Bamba) are not forced to pay allegiance to the king of Rwenzururu.
He adds: “The king (Mumbere) hails from here, Bwamba County, his father Mukirane was born here. I don’t see the reason why this should raise dust. He is free to do anything on his land. My argument is that let those who support Obusinga do it and those who don’t should not disturb peace.”
He urged the Bamba-Babwisi Elders Development Association members to use the right procedures not through fighting and inciting others.
“They should let the king (Mumbere) visit his subjects in Bwamba, even the other Kings (Oyo) can come and visit Bundibugyo,” Mupalya reasons.
“This conflict (in Bundibugyo) cannot be won by Bakonzo or Bamba because we are so intermarried, we need Africans not ethnicity,” says.
Christopher Kibazanga, adding, “We (sons and daughters from Kasese and Bundibugyo both Bakonzo and Bamba living in Kampala) are sending a team to the area to investigate the conflict and come up with solutions”
Although President Museveni is expected to meet the conflicting parties in Rwenzori any time, the conflicts in Bundibugyo and Kasese if mishandled or neglected or handled late, can result in severe clashes.
“Government has nurtured ethnicity especially in Kasese District and will pay dearly for it. How can they for a example issue land at 3:1 ratio between minority Basongora and majority Bakonzo respectively?” Kibazanga asks.
He adds: “The Bakonzo struggled for over 20 years to recognise their kingdom while the Basongora got it on a silver plate.” However, Mr Jimmy Kagoro Muzoora, the Spokesperson of the Busongora King, thinks the reconciliation move may be dented with flesh moves like taking away their royal drum and flag on Wednesday at Muhokya.
“Such dirty moves dent the reconciliatory programme in which the president was asked by Mumbere to meet a delegation of the Bakonzo, Basongora and Bamba,” he says.
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About the Bakonjo and Bamba
In the early 20th century, the Bakonjo and Bamba tribes were integrated into the Tooro Kingdom as a political manoeuvre by the British colonialists: the neighbouring Bunyoro monarchy was anti-colonialist and rose up in arms in what was known as the Nyangire rebellion.
The British wished to strengthen the pro-British Tooro Kingdom then.
The Bakonjo and Bamba initially accepted being arbitrarily made subjects of the Tooro monarch but asked the Uganda Protectorate to provide them with their own district in the 1950s, separate from Tooro District.
They successfully seceded from Tooro Kingdom on June 30, 1962.
After a long struggle that was affected by different mind sets, including the pro-Obusinga and anti-Obusinga, government of President Museveni finally recognised the Rwenzururu Kingdom on October 19, 2009.
The Rwenzururu Kingdom claims to be stretching to the Eastern DR Congo with a big delegation always crossing borders for the cultural functions every year.
