Kampala, Jinja

The Kyabazinga of Busoga Henry Wako Muloki, who died at 4a.m. yesterday at Mulago Hospital Cancer Institute in Kampala at the age of 87, was the longest-surviving traditional ruler in the country.

The news of the Kyabazinga’s death, following a long battle against cancer of the throat, was received with grief and sorrow in his kingdom and in various parts of the country.
Speaking during his on-going tour of Kanungu district, President Museveni described the late Muloki as a very “useful” man who will be greatly missed by his country.

He said: “He was a very good person. However, death is normal. What is important is how you are remembered.”
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga yesterday headed a meeting of officials from Busoga kingdom and the Central government to draw up funeral arrangements.

A programme availed to Daily Monitor by Busoga’s Youth Minister Farouk Kirunda indicated that the Kyabazinga’s body will lie in-state at Parliament today before it is driven to his Nakabango palace in the evening for a night vigil.

The body will then be taken to Bugembe; the seat of Busoga Kingdom, for public viewing.
On Thursday, it will be taken to his ancestral home at Kaliro, where it will be viewed on Friday and Saturday before burial on Sunday.

The late Muloki is survived by four sons and three daughters, two of whom live in the United States.
Princess Rebecca Muloki told Daily Monitor that her father had been in a jolly mood hours before he died. “He was talking, making jokes and he told us he was feeling better,” the tearful princess said yesterday at Nakabango palace.

“He said he wanted us to take him back home, but now he’s dead.”
The late Muloki underwent surgery in Italy last year and was admitted at Kampala International Hospital earlier this year.

He had only recently returned from a two-week stay in a hospital in India but such was the poor state of his health, he was flown in the presidential jet. According to his private physician, Dr Benon Wanume, the Kyabazinga had greatly improved when he was discharged from India.

“But surprisingly when he got here, he started losing blood again, which made him weak. We briefly managed him at the Jinja Referral Hospital but his health was deteriorating, so we transferred him here at Mulago,” said the doctor who is also Busoga’s health minister.

The Kingdom’s Deputy Prime Minister Dr William Kasango told Daily Monitor that plans had been underway to fly the fallen king back to India for more treatment. “I can’t believe this! We had planned to fly him today [yesterday],” Dr Kasongo said.

“It is regrettable that he has died at a time when we thought he had improved and only needed to be taken to India for some examination.”

Mr Martin Musumba, who served as Muloki’s prime minister for over six years, said it was the first recorded death in office of a sitting Kyabazinga. Mr Musumba said the Kingdom’s laws require that the sitting prime minister, Wilson Muwereza and the head of the 11 royal chiefs who head clan lines will run the kingdom and manage the process of electing a new Kyabazinga within a period of 60 to 90 days.

Mr Muloki has been the oldest living traditional ruler in Uganda, having descended to the throne in 1955 aged 34. He succeeded the late Sir William Wilberforce Nadiope, who ruled after his father, Ezekiel Tenywa Wako Zibondo.

He lost his kingdom in 1966 when President Milton Obote disbanded traditional institutions in the country, but regained the crown on February 11, 1996 following the restoration of the institutions.

The Kyabazingaship in Busoga is an elective post from within five of the 11 Busoga royal traditional chiefs, and it is held for a given period.

However, when he was elected Isebantu in 1996, the royal chiefs decided that Mr Muloki rules until his death, in recognition of his age and contribution to the kingdom.