The Kyabazinga of Busoga William Nadiope Gabula IV, will on September 19, celebrate 12 years on the throne.
The celebrations will be held in Mayuge District, the home district of his wife, Ms Jovia Mutesi Nadiope, according to Busoga Kingdom prime minister Joseph Muvawala.
In the 12 years of King Nadiope’s reign, Busoga has registered some successes, which his subjects say have transformed the region.
The minister for Kyabazinga affairs, Ms Yudaya Babirye, said unity is one of the key achievements of Nadiope’s 12-year reign.
She said Busoga was previously characterised by fights, but the situation has since improved under Nadiope’s leadership.
‘Busoga Kingdom was greatly divided, but with Nadiope’s ascension to the throne, conflicts ended,’ Ms Babirye told this publication at the weekend.
Ms Babirye added that unity among residents has improved the kingdom’s image and boosted their sense of pride and self-esteem.
She observed that Busoga Kingdom now owns a modern palace, which she described as one of the achievements of Nadiope’s 12-year reign.
Ms Babirye attributed the decline in teenage pregnancies in Busoga to initiatives championed during Nadiope’s reign. She also noted that the Kyabazinga launched a campaign dubbed ‘Men are the pillars’ (Abasadha Mpango), which teaches men to avoid relationships with young girls to prevent teenage pregnancies.
‘I can confirm that teenage pregnancy figures have declined in Busoga since the Kyabazinga openly condemned men, who pursue young girls. He keeps reminding them that they are the pillars of society,’ Ms Babirye said.
She said the Kyabazinga has also encouraged parents to educate their children in order to improve literacy levels in the region.
She emphasised that the Kyabazinga pursued further studies in the US, where he obtained a Master’s degree in Global Studies, as an example to his subjects of the importance of education.
Ms Babirye said the Kyabazinga has also offered land for vocational institutions, where his subjects can acquire skills at subsidised fees, enabling many to gain qualifications and sources of livelihoods.
‘As I speak, about 40,000 people have obtained various vocational skills through the Busoga Royal Foundation, an initiative of the Kyabazinga to improve people’s livelihoods. They are using these skills to participate in the money economy,’ Ms Babirye said.
She said the programmes initiated by the Kyabazinga over the past 12 years are bridging unemployment gaps in Busoga.
The Bunya Chiefdom Lukiiko representative in Mayuge, Mr Mathias Mutatyama, said the Kyabazinga provided land for the establishment of a solar power plant in the district, which he said has generated revenue.
He added that the Kyabazinga also supported the establishment of Mayuge Sugar Factory, which has created jobs and provided livelihoods for many residents.
‘Mayuge Sugar Factory is one of the biggest employers in Mayuge District. This is one of the achievements attributed to the Kyabazinga,’ Mr Mutatyama said.
He urged government to leave landing sites under the management of cultural leaders so that local communities can continue using them as they did before soldiers were deployed to guard the sites.
Mr Mutatyama, however, said government failure to return the kingdom’s properties, has crippled cultural leaders’ ability to implement more programmes and achieve greater progress.
He appealed to government to fulfil its pledges, including the construction of the kingdom headquarters.
The former Bulamogi Chiefdom Issabalangira in Iganga, Prince James Naita, said King Nadiope’s reign had also led to rearrangement of clans across Busoga.
‘We now have proper clan structures from the village to the chiefdom level. This is one of the achievements of the Kyabazinga’s reign,’ Prince Naita said.
He said the Kyabazinga had also revived sports in the kingdom through the Masaza Cup. Prince Naita hailed King Nadiope for reviving the Busoga Lukiiko (parliament), saying it has strengthened the kingdom’s administration and governance over the past 12 years.
Prince Naita credited Kyabazinga for rotating coronation functions in different chiefdoms, which has increased the kingdom’s visibility.
He also praised the Kyabazinga for promoting agriculture by encouraging residents to grow food crops to improve food security and reduce poverty.
Tackling poverty
The Bugweri Chiefdom prime minister and former deputy executive director of the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos), Mr Godfrey Nabongo, said the Kyabazinga’s initiatives had reduced poverty in Busoga.
‘Ubos showed that poverty levels have declined in Busoga and this can be attributed to the Kyabazinga’s encouragement of residents to engage in agriculture and other productive activities,’ Mr Nabongo said.
The Bukooli Chiefdom prime minister in Bugiri, Mr Kaawo Kawere Naay, said many children were given bursaries and scholarships by the Kyabazinga.
‘More than 15,000 children have benefited from bursaries since King Nadiope ascended to the throne,” he said.
Mr Naay welcomed government’s offer of vehicles to royal chiefs during Nadiope’s reign.
Mr Joseph Sooka, the state minister for information in Bukono Chiefdom in Namutumba, said the private palace of the Nkono Royal Chief of Bukono was constructed during Nadiope’s reign, describing it as one of his achievements on the throne.