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We recently celebrated our king’s 60th birthday with lots of pomp. For the uninitiated, Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II is the venerated ruler of the Buganda Kingdom.
We threw him a lavish party and gave him Masengere Plaza as a gift.The subjects of Buganda all over the world have been collecting etoffalli (mchango) towards boosting our kingdom’s net worth.
All the land in Buganda belongs to the king and we his subjects are merely holding custody.
H.E. Yoweri Museveni also generously gave our king a brand new Land Cruiser V8 as a birthday present to assist him in touring the kingdom.
The lavish event was, however, overshadowed by the rants on social media over how the King of Tooro Rukirabasaija Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru comported himself on the occasion.
Omukama Oyo is the world’s youngest ruler, and at 22 years perhaps needed to be taken in hand ahead of the festivities.
He has done most of his growing abroad and when he returns hardly spends time in Fort Portal, Western Uganda the seat of his kingdom.
Inculcating manners
Buganda is a very traditional kingdom, very big on etiquette and many of us are at a loss why he had never attended the Nabagereka’s Kisaakate programme, which is known for inculcating manners in youngsters.
The young King attended a traditional event dressed in a suit when even the Bazungu had worn kanzus and gomesi.
Lack respect
He then proceeded to strike a ‘swaggerific’ pose and crossed one lanky leg over the other on the dais.
The whispers and murmurings of the other guests did not faze him, and when the Katikirro – the Prime Minister and Kabaka’s representative came to greet him he did not show any respect.
The rants escalated on social media with a picture of him in his pose going viral.
Had he been schooled by the Queen of Buganda, he would know how men behave in public or in the presence of their elders.
He would also know how to greet elders and peers, and would not have grabbed the Kabaka by the shoulder like a hommie.
Most of all he would know it is uncultural to sit with legs crisscrossed in public.
The young King should have taken a leaf from the other dignitaries or the Kabaka himself, and kept his feet firmly on the ground as the posture is quite unhealthly and may deter him from getting an heir in the future.
He also seems to forget that the people of Bunyoro can kick him off the throne when they deem that he is not performing to the people’s expectations; he can be disowned and the family tossed out of the darn palace.
Fostering prosperity
While the young Omukama is chilling in Kampala, Prince David Kijanangoma, a cousin, has denounced him and declared himself King of Tooro.
He has accused King Oyo of spending too much time in a foreign kingdom (Kampala is in Buganda Kingdom) and also of falling short of administering the kingdom and fostering prosperity of his subjects.
I don’t blame him as the Tooro palace is a drab place especially when compared to Bulange – the seat of Buganda. The Game of Thrones in Uganda continues.
