‘’He is dreaming, I cannot vacate office,’’ Byakutaga hits back at Bunyoro Chief Prince
“He is dreaming and I cannot hand over my office to him because I was appointed by the Omukama, not Okwiri,” Byakutaga said.
Masindi: The Prime Minister of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, Andrew Kirungi Byakutaga, has rejected a directive by the Chief Prince of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, Eng. Fred Mugenyi Rucunya, commonly known as Okwiri, to vacate office, insisting that only the Omukama has the authority to remove him.
Okwiri recently declared that Byakutaga’s tenure had expired and gave him until October to vacate office, saying the Babiito ruling clan had resolved that he should leave.
However, Byakutaga dismissed the directive, saying Okwiri is not the appointing authority. “He is dreaming and I cannot hand over my office to him because I was appointed by the Omukama, not Okwiri,” Byakutaga said.
He made the remarks on Thursday, September 17, 2026, while launching Alfred Kyamanywa’s Coffee Demonstration Farm in Kyatiri, Buruli County, Masindi District.
Byakutaga said there was an individual within the kingdom who had ordered him to vacate office and hand over his responsibilities, including matters concerning clan heads.
“There is someone we work with at the Kingdom who had ordered me to vacate office and hand it over to him. He seems to have taken over my responsibility, including that of clan heads. Everyone has his office, so let everyone play his responsibility,” he said.
He said kingdom offices should not be handed over at an individual’s discretion, arguing that appointment and retirement of officials should follow the established authority of the Omukama.
Byakutaga also called for unity and respect for institutional structures within Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, particularly amid the ongoing leadership disagreements.
Okwiri gives Byakutaga until October
Okwiri, while addressing the media at his residence in Rukooge Cell, Hoima City, on Monday, September 14, 2026, said Byakutaga’s tenure had expired and that he should leave office.
He said the Babiito ruling clan had held an emergency meeting attended by 68 clan heads, who resolved that Byakutaga should vacate office.
Okwiri also referred to his earlier appointment of Dr Baltazar Kyamanywa Kasirivu Atwooki as interim Prime Minister for three years, together with a new cabinet that was sworn in before a Commissioner for Oaths.
He said Omukama Solomon Gafabusa Iguru I has been indisposed for a long time and is currently receiving treatment, which he said prompted the decision to give Byakutaga one month to leave office.
Okwiri further challenged the authority of the Royal Commission chaired by Dr Fred Kallisa Kabagambe to extend Byakutaga’s tenure.
“The Royal Commission has no powers to extend the tenure of the Prime Minister,” Okwiri said.
He also said the Babiito ruling clan mandates him to manage the affairs of the kingdom whenever the Omukama is indisposed.
Okwiri warned that failure by Byakutaga to comply with the directive would lead them to engage relevant government agencies to enforce the decision.
Leadership dispute
The latest disagreement is part of a longstanding leadership dispute within Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom.
In September 2024, Okwiri announced an interim cabinet led by Dr Baltazar Kyamanywa Kasirivu Atwooki after clan heads resolved to establish an alternative administration.
Byakutaga rejected the interim administration and maintained that only Omukama Solomon Gafabusa Iguru I had the authority to remove him from office.
Byakutaga’s term expired in October 2023 and was later extended until June 30, 2024.
Museveni did not directly intervene in the dispute, maintaining that government should not interfere in the affairs of cultural institutions.
The leadership wrangle also led to increased security around the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom headquarters along Rukurato Road in October 2024.
Albertine South Region Police spokesperson Julius Allan Hakiza said the deployment was intended to maintain law and order amid fears of possible disturbances.
“This is just normal security provision,” Hakiza said.
“We had to deploy security because we anticipated trouble due to the leadership dispute. We will not tolerate any chaotic behaviour at the palace,” he said.
Byakutaga urges Bunyoro farmers to embrace coffee
Meanwhile, Byakutaga has urged people in Bunyoro to embrace coffee growing and other food crops to improve their livelihoods.
He said the kingdom was encouraging its subjects to take up coffee because of its local and international market, compared to sugarcane.
Byakutaga argued that if sugarcane had sufficient market demand, farmers would have accumulated more wealth, adding that sugar is mainly consumed locally while coffee has a wider international market.
Patrick Wobusobozi, the Masindi District LCV Chairperson said many farmers had benefited from sugarcane growing in the past, but the situation had changed because of declining market demand.
Wobusobozi advised farmers with small plots of land to consider other income-generating activities, including coffee growing, crop and livestock integration and apiary.
Alfred Kyamanywa, who owns a 120-acre coffee plantation, said he invited leaders to the induction training to mobilise communities, households, institutions and investors to embrace commercial coffee farming.
He said the initiative is also intended to help farmers access agricultural extension services, quality planting materials, financing opportunities and reliable markets.
Kyamanywa appealed to leaders to address infrastructure challenges that make it difficult for farmers to transport agricultural inputs and produce to and from their farms.
More than 100 leaders from the Bunyoro sub-region attended the induction training on coffee growing.
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