Omusinga Mumbere criticises those rumoring about his health

KAMPALA-UGANDA/NEWSDAY:  Charles Wesley Mumbere, the King of Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu kingdom has criticized those using social media to destabilize the community of the Rwenzori Region.

In a recorded message broadcast on the Kasese based Messiah Radio on Saturday night, Mumbere said that he is shocked by the information circulating on social media claiming that he is critically sick and has been denied treatment by the government.

Information has been circulating on social media for this entire week indicating that the cultural leader is critically ill and in need of specialised medical attention.

However, in his message Mumbere noted that is doing fine and under the good care of the government and security agencies.

“I want to show you that I am well and healthy and I was also shocked to see this news circulating on social media that am sick and in a coma and that the government had denied me access to medical services. That was misinformation,” Mumbere literally said.

Mumbere said that the kingdom has gone through wars in the past years as a result of preplanned moves orchestrated by elements that are against the monarchy. He asked his subjects to rely on information shared through television and radio stations in their region.

In the message, Mumbere also asked politicians to stay away from his court case, arguing that the situations that birthed his arrest and that of over 100 royal guards were non-political. “If that was a political case, that case can attract the attention of any politician to make a complaint,” Mumbere said.

Mumbere also revealed that he had visited the royal guards who are still incinerated in Nalufenya and Luzira prisons and established that they are well.

Mumbere shared his Easter message and asked his subjects to embrace government programs aimed at eliminating poverty, promoting peace and desisting from all ethnic tendencies. This is the second direct message from Mumbere to his subjects since the police and army raided his palace in 2016.

In April last year, Mumbere issued a message criticizing persons who set fire to the remaining portion of the royal palace. More than one hundred royal guards lost their lives during the joint security raid while a similar number was picked up together with Mumbere and charged with among others treason, murder, attempted and robbery.

Mumbere, his Prime Minister, Johnson Tembo Kitsumbire and six minors made bail in 2017. As part of his bail conditions, the court barred Mumbere from accessing Kasese, Bundibugyo and Kabarole districts for fear of interfering with the investigations. In January last year, the Jinja High court released 132 royal guards on bail.