By George Murumba

8^th Oct 2012:

King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru’s Toro Kingdom has officially petitioned President Yoweri Museveni over what the Kingdom considers to be the government’s “…grievous threats to Toro, to her heritage, (and) to her…citizens.”

In a petition dated August 23, which this newspaper has seen, Toro Kingdom pointed out a number of incidents that have caused it to believe that its very survival is at stake.

Environmental degradation:

In particular, the Kingdom cited what it called “…the uncontrolled and rapid environmental degradation of beautiful Toro”, something that one analyst who spoke to Uganda Correspondent believes to be a veiled reference to the activities of the foreign oil companies drilling for oil in Toro Kingdom.

Indeed, the Kingdoms petition says, “…although the NRM government has spearheaded environmental protection laws and policies, it has watched on as Toro’s natural resources are being destroyed at an uncontrollable and rapid rate”, adding that, “…no wonder the suspicion (is) that government agencies are directly or indirectly involved in the barbaric act inflicted on the Itwara-Kyarusozi, Matiri-Rwibale, Kazizi-Mukonomura and Mpanga forests”.

Illegal ‘Bafuruki’ settlements:

The other issue of concern pointed out by the Kingdom in the petition is “…the illegal, mysterious, and unquestioned settlement by foreigners” within Toro Kingdom.  Toro Kingdom’s use of the word “foreigners” is not understood to mean non-Ugandans, but rather, Ugandans from other tribes (a.k.a. ‘bafuruki’) who have settled in Toro Kingdom.

In the run up to the 2011 general elections, President Museveni himself controversially raised the ‘bafuruki’ issue by suggesting that some elective seats should be reserved for indigenous people – notwithstanding that the country’s constitution expressly allows Ugandans to stand for election in any part of the country.

Disappearance of Fr Tony Kiiza:

The Kingdom’s petition also drew the president’s attention to the “…mysterious disappearance of Fr Tony Kiiza and the apathy that tainted the investigations” into his disappearance.  Father Kiiza, a Catholic Priest from Fort-Portal, disappeared mysteriously on 27^th July 2007.

In its petition, Toro Kingdom says “…search attempts made after Fr Kiiza’s disappearance alluded to a possible kidnap and murder.”  The Kingdom further complained that, “…to the contrary, every effort to investigate the case has often been stalled by…the agents of a government that Father Kiiza struggled to bring into power.”

Brig. Mayombo’s death:

Not for the first time, Toro Kingdom also expressed concern and dissatisfaction over the suspicious circumstances that surrounded the sudden death of the powerful former Defence Ministry Permanent Secretary, Brigadier Noble Mayombo.

Mayombo’s death, the Kingdom said, “…was not only sudden, but mysterious and therefore needing thorough inquiry.”  At Brig. Mayombo’s funeral service, President Museveni promised to conduct a thorough investigation into his former ADC’s death.

The Mayombo death probe team appointed by the president completed its investigations and reported back to the president.  However, to date, the report findings have never been made public – raising fears that there may have been foul play in Mayombo’s death.

In the petition, Toro Kingdom says “…the people of Toro have been waiting on President Museveni to share his findings with the people of Toro”, adding that, “…five years is not too early for the people of Toro to lose our patience, politeness and humility to demand for an immediate redress on the matter.”

Suffocation of Toro:

The final issue raised in the petition is what the Kingdom called “…the political, social and cultural suffocation of Toro’s indigenous cultural groups.”  The cultural groups named are the Batoro, Bamba, Babwisi, Bakonjo, Basongora, Batagwenda, Banyabindi, and Batuku.

The Kingdom says these indigenous groups “…welcomed, accommodated and supported new settlers” like the Bakiga in the Kamwenge area – a fact that ensured peaceful co-existence.

In the last 25 years of President Museveni’s reign however, the Kingdom says “…this peaceful co-existence has…been disrupted by a systematic political, social, and cultural suffocation of the indigenous cultural groups.”

Toro Kingdom also believes the situation has been getting progressively worse.  “…In the last ten years, these threats have reached an alarming level such that our survival instinct has prompted us to plan a series of actions that we hope will avert the trend”, the preamble of the Kingdom’s petition reads in part.

The petition then ends with a series of demands which include a demand that the governments engages Toro elders, evicts encroachers, verify the citizenship of new settlers and repatriate illegal immigrants from Rwanda and Congo, and among other things, that President Museveni declares “…the whereabouts of Noble Mayombo’s assassins”.  END.  Login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories mid-week for our updates

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