Vote Of No Confidence: Busoga King Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope Overthrown
By Uganda Online Media
President Yoweri Museveni has appointed Maj Tom Magambo who has been in the Internal Security Organisations(ISO) as the new police Criminal Investigations Director.
“President Museveni has promoted Private Tom Magambo to the rank of Major and appointed him Director Criminal Investigations of the Uganda Police Force,” the acting UPDF spokesperson, Lt Col Ronald Kakurungu said in a statement.
Kampala: Busoga Kingdom King William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope 1V has been overthrown and replaced with Edward Columbus Wambuzi.
This has been revealed via public notice and declaration inked on the 3rd of January 2022 by the undersigned Hereditary Saza Chiefs Royal Council of Obwa Kyabazinga Bwa Busoga.
The notice partially states, “WHEREAS the Chiefs Royal Council in accordance with Article 8 Clause 2 (f) of the Constitution of Obwa Kyabazinga Bwa Busoga unanimously with a quorum of eight (8) Hereditary Royal Saza Chiefs moved a vote of no confidence in HRH William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope IV, thereby removing him as the Isebantu Kyabazinga of Obwa in Kyabazinga Bwa Busoga.”
The notice adds that under Article 8 Clause 6 of the Constitution of Obwa Kyabazinga Bwa Busoga, the chiefs royal council retains the running affairs of the Obwa Kyabazinga Bwa Busoga.
“Aware that it is in the best interest of the Obwa Kyabazinga Bwa Busoga to at all times have a reigning Isebantu Kyabazinga elected by the Chiefs Royal Council in accordance with the Constitution of Obwa Kyabazinga Bwa Busoga from among the Eleven (11) Chiefdoms,” adds the notice.
It’s from the above background that the Royal Council replaced Nadiope with Columbus; “Now therefore the Chiefs Royal Council upon removal of HRH William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope IV as seating Issebantu Kyabazing, unanimously reaffirm and declares HRH Edward Columbus Wambuzi Muloki!, The Zibondo of Bulamoji as the newly elected Issebantu Kyabazinga of Busoga as it were on 31st October 2008.”
However, some of Nadiope’s subjects say they’ll not respect ‘Kiro Kitwala Omunaku’. “How can we respect Kiro kitwala omunaku? We’re working normally here at the palace there’s nothing like a change of King here. The document is of no consequence,” a source said.
In fact, another source attributes all this saga to inner fights between Nadiope and Columbus;
”The last Busoga Kingdom Kyabazinga who was Muloki was from the house of Muloki, so Columbus can’t succeed because our King is supposed to come from among the five princesses of Bunyoro. That’s why even the Busoga Kingdom’s Kyabazinga when he is being inaugurated the King of Bunyoro has to come and carry out some rites so this time it took so long because of those fights between Columbus and Wilberforce but eventually, even the council of elders realized it had to go back to the house of Nadiope which rightfully did, and it went back to HRH Gabula Wilberforce. So this current Kyabazinga Nadiope is genuine and should be right there instead of fighting him.”
Busoga is a kingdom and one of four constitutional monarchies in present-day Uganda.
Busoga means “Land of the Soga”, and is the kingdom of the 11 principalities of the Basoga or Soga (singular Musoga) people. Its capital is Bugembe, near Jinja. Busoga comprises eight districts: Kamuli, Iganga, Bugiri, Mayuge, Jinja, Luuka and the new districts of Kaliro and Busiki.
Busoga is ruled by the Isebantu Kyabazinga, who is (said to be overthrown) William Kadhumbula Gabula Nadiope IV, the Gabula of Bugabula, and grandson to Wilberforce Kadhumbula Nadiope, former vice president and also Kyabazinga of Busoga Kingdom.
In 1995, the government restored monarchies in Uganda in Article 246(1) of the constitution of Uganda. On 11 February 1996, Henry Wako Muloki was reinstated as Kyabazinga Isebantu of Busoga. He served until 1 September 2008, when he died of esophageal cancer at the Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala at age 87.
In a condolence message, Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni described Muloki as “a great cultural leader and father” who was “generous and kind”. Museveni noted that since his re-installation, Muloki was a unifying factor in Busoga:
“The Government has had the privilege of working with Isebantu Muloki in developing our nation”. Referring to the Kyabazinga as “a strong pillar”, the president said that although Busoga was one of the youngest kingdoms, under Muloki’s leadership it had become strong:
“Uganda mourns not only one of her esteemed traditional leaders but a national who put development and the welfare of the people of Busoga at the helm of his reign”.
Although the Royal Chiefs of Busoga at first elected Edward Columbus Wambuzi, Muloki’s son, as Kyabazinga of Busoga, the election was contested due to lack of quorum (at least eight chiefs) and thus electing later Gabula Nadiope IV with ten out of eleven chiefs and was crowned on 13 September 2014.
