Tooro King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru has suspended the Kingdom Constitution.
Addressing the Kingdom Parliament (Orukurato) on Friday at the Kingdom’s Mucwa Council Chambers in Fort Portal, Oyo said that the constitution is disbanded with immediate effect, until another constitution is put in place.
King Oyo spoke for three minutes in the local language, Rutooro. This was the first he has spoken in the local language in public. In the past, he has used English to address his subjects or kingdom officials have spoken on his behalf. This has always disappointed members of the public, who eagerly waited to hear him speak in the local language.
During the parliament session, Oyo also directed the committee he appointed last year to amend the constitution to speed up the work. Oyo said that he is disappointed that the committee has never completed its work.
Last year, the king appointed an eight member committee to amend some sections of the constitution, but didn’t specify particular areas that should be amended.
King Oyo however said that the abolishment of the constitution will not affect the Kingdom Parliament. He said that the Parliament and other kingdom offices like the appointments and land committees should continue operating.
Here is a translation of King Oyo’s address:
“I have disbanded the constitution which was drafted in 1999, until another one is put in place. The Kingdom parliament and other committees should continue operating. The committee that I appointed to amend the constitution should finish its work soon, so that we have a constitution which will protect the values of Tooro.”
The directive was received with loud cheers from more than fifty members of the kingdom parliament who include Kingdom cabinet ministers, clan heads, county chiefs and members of the Tooro Royal family.
Some members of the public who were in the public gallery also clapped.
The Kingdom constitution was drafted in 1999 and it spells out how the Kingdom should be administered.
Some of the major contents in the constitution include the election of the Kingdom parliament, appointment of Kingdom cabinet ministers, regents, and operation of the different committees like the Land Board and appointments committees among others.
Last year, members of the Tooro Kingdom Clan Council dragged Oyo to court for not following the very constitution that he has disbanded.
The King had sacked William Nyakatura, the then kingdom premier and replaced him with Apollo Karugaba; an act the clan council said was illegal.
During the meeting, King Oyo also directed that all land leases which were obtained when the Kingdom land board wasn’t operating, should be cancelled and people made to re-apply.
This follows reports that some people in the kingdom especially businessmen have been obtaining the leases at a cheaper price.
