In the latest statement, the Bunyoro Kingdom Chief Prince said the Prime Minister had been given an ultimatum to produce a report, apologise and resign.
The leadership dispute in Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom has intensified, with Chief Prince (Okwiri) Fred Mugenyi Rucunya signalling imminent changes in the kingdom’s administration as Omukama Rukirabasaija Agutamba Solomon Gafabusa Iguru I continues to be indisposed.
In a statement, the Chief Prince called on the people of Bunyoro and Uganda to continue praying for the King, saying his condition has affected his ability to perform his official duties.
The statement comes amid an ongoing dispute over the leadership of the kingdom, particularly the position of Prime Minister (Omuhikirwa) Andrew Byakutaga Ateenyi.
The Chief Prince said that when the Omukama is unable to perform his duties, the authority to ensure continuity of the kingdom rests with the Okwiri, a position he said he is exercising in consultation with the Babiito clan.
According to the Chief Prince, the Babiito have remained silent while observing what he described as activities by the Prime Minister that were detrimental to the kingdom.
He alleged that kingdom property had been sold or leased and complained about what he described as a lack of accountability to the kingdom. These allegations have not been independently established.
The latest statement follows a renewed dispute over the tenure of Byakutaga. In September 2024, the Chief Prince declared the Prime Minister’s position vacant and appointed a new premier, arguing that Byakutaga’s term had expired. Byakutaga, however, disputed the move and maintained that only the Omukama could terminate his tenure.
The dispute has resurfaced in recent days. A September 15, 2026 report said the Chief Prince had again maintained that Byakutaga’s tenure had expired and that changes in the kingdom administration were being considered.
In the latest statement, the Bunyoro Kingdom Chief Prince said the Prime Minister had been given an ultimatum to produce a report, apologise and resign.
He added that, after the ultimatum, a new Prime Minister would be unveiled to oversee the smooth running of the kingdom’s affairs.
The development is likely to further deepen the leadership dispute within Bunyoro, where questions surrounding the exercise of authority during the Omukama’s illness have previously generated competing interpretations.
Byakutaga was appointed Prime Minister by Omukama Iguru in January 2018 and was subsequently reaffirmed by the King in June of the same year.
The Bunyoro Kingdom administration has historically operated under the Omukama, supported by a Prime Minister and other organs of the kingdom.
The Chief Prince concluded his statement by calling for continued loyalty to the Omukama and the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, urging subjects to “Hangiriza Agutamba, Hangiriza Omwebingwa, Hangiriza Entale ya Bunyoro.”
The latest developments leave the kingdom facing renewed questions over who should exercise administrative authority while the Omukama remains indisposed.
