UGANDA, Bunyoro | Real Muloodi News | A land dispute has erupted among members of the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom’s royal family over a 286-acre property in Hoima City.
The contested land, located in Kasiro and Parajwoki Cells within the Hoima West City Division, has become the centre of a growing conflict among relatives of the late Prince Herbert Kimera Rwakiswaza.
The royal family land clash involves multiple claimants, each asserting ownership over the vast piece of land. While specific details regarding legal ownership remain unclear, the dispute has drawn attention due to its impact on the affected parties and the wider community.
This land conflict is part of a series of disputes that have emerged within the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom in recent years. Similar disagreements have arisen over land ownership and allocation, often involving residents, businesses, and the kingdom’s leadership.
In a previous land conflict in 2021, kingdom officials and regional security agencies intervened in a dispute between Hoima Sugar Limited and residents in Kikuube District.
More than 500 residents from villages such as Rwenkobe, Kanyegaramire, Nyirongo, and Rwembaho alleged that Hoima Sugar Limited had encroached on land they had occupied between 2001 and 2005.
The residents claimed that the land had originally been allocated to them by the Omukama (King) of Bunyoro.
At the time, the kingdom’s Prime Minister, Andrew Byakutaga, acknowledged the residents’ concerns and called for a thorough investigation.
“The residents claim that this land had earlier in 2001 and 2005 been given to them by the kingdom, and actually, they claim that the king himself went there and granted them this land. So, we had to sit down and see how to resolve this matter,” he said.
The royal family land clash in Hoima City is the latest in a series of disputes that highlight ongoing challenges related to land governance within the kingdom.
Beyond land issues, internal tensions have also been evident in the administration of the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom.
In October 2024, the Omukama, Dr. Solomon Gafabusa Iguru I, was airlifted to Kampala for medical treatment after a reported deterioration in his health.
Around the same time, internal disputes escalated within the kingdom’s leadership, particularly between the ruling Babiito clan and Prime Minister Byakutaga.
The Babiito clan removed Byakutaga and appointed an interim cabinet, a move he strongly opposed, stating that only the Omukama had the authority to appoint or dismiss officials.
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