In a July 20th statement, Bunyoro Prime Minister, Norman Lukumu accuses, Senior Presidential Advisor, Major Roland Kakooza Mutale of besieging the King and engaging in provocative activities against the cultural institution.
Court found that the Minister was involved in voter bribery.The Masindi Municipality MP, Ernest Kiiza also Bunyoro Affairs Minister vows to appeal against the verdict.
Ambrose Mwesigye, the Deputy Hoima Resident District Commissioner confirmed that Security had disagreed with Mutale on grounds that his facts were wanting.
Hoima Resident District Commissioner, Isaac Kawooya, the chairperson of the newly constituted committee, says their work is to implement the recommendation from the General Oketa committee report.
An official at Airtel who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not the company spokesperson confirms that the mast was switched off due to disagreements between the landlord and council authorities. The source says arrangements are being made to relocate the mast soon.
Ronald Isagara, the Bunyoro Kingdom Deputy Premier and Information Minister, denies claims that the Kingdom has sold the land, adding that they have only partnered with the Sugar Company to use Kingdom land for cane growing. The contested land measures about 8000 hectares. Last month, the National Forestry Authority blocked Hoima Sugar Limited from clearing the disputed land in preparation for cane growing.
The six-kilometer walk, from Nsozi to Kyangwali Sub County headquarters, was aimed at raising community awareness on the need to conserve Bugoma, a protected tropical forest southwest of Hoima district in Bunyoro sub region.
Energy and Mineral Development Minister Engineer Irene Muloni told journalists after the meeting that timelines have now been set to have the pipeline front-end engineering design launched in October this year. Muloni added that land acquisition and project funding equally need to be fast-tracked.
Johnson Kusiima, the Hoima District Inspector of Schools admits that private schools had not taken fire safety measures a priority as they concentrate on academics. He however, reveals that since last year, the department has been doing assessment of private schools to pave way for their licensing.
Irene Asiimwe, a farmer from Munteme in Kiziranfumbi Sub county planted two acres of maize. Asiimwe explains that the dry season set in when her crops were flowering, which affected them.
Kadir Kirungi, the LC V chairman acknowledges that Kikuube and other county and sub county land in Bunyoro belongs to the Kingdom. Kirungi explains that the district is in the process of writing to the king to request for land hosting all sub county headquarters and other district establishments.
13-year-old Abibu Wamani, a P 7 Pupil at Wambabya Primary School in Kiziranfumbi Sub County, says he has so far planted 20 eucalyptus trees at home and plans to plant more. Wamani says on top of conserving the environment, he hopes to earn income from his private forest in future.
A group of more than 1000 farmers petitioned Ernest Kiiza, the then Minister of Bunyoro Affairs calling for his intervention into the matter. Although the Minister pledged to discuss the issue with the Ministry of Trade, the suspension of the tobacco company has not been lifted, yet farmers are harvesting.
Geoffrey Komakech, the Buseruka LC5 Councilor says communities along the Lake Albert shores continue drinking unsafe water and defecate in the open due to lack of latrine facilities. He says the fragile soils in the area make it difficult for residents to sink pit latrines.
Godfrey Sserwanja, the Hoima District Education Officer, says the abrupt fall in performance compared to the previous year is of much concern to his office. He reveals that in 2014, Hoima district registered 184 first grades, adding that more than 100 of those were from government aided schools.
Wetlands and forests in the district are gradually becoming nonexistent as a result on massive encroachment and human activity. Bugoma, Kasongoire and Bujaawe forests have all been taken up by veterans and other residents in search of land for settlement and farming.
In his speech, the Omukama Solomon Gafabusa Iguru said the poor working relationship between the two institutions has cost the region. Iguru accused some of the former district council leaders of failing the return of some of the kingdom land titles. Speaking in his native Runyoro, Iguru also claimed that some of the officials even plotted to kill him.
Bunyoro residents say that the decision was unfair to Bunyoro considering that the region overwhelmingly voted for president Museveni in the February 18 general election. President Museveni scored 72 percent of the vote in Bunyoro Sub-region, ranking second best after Karamoja.
