By Sylvia
The former Tooro kingdom speaker, Owek Saul Mugasa has blasted the kingdom premier Steven Kiyingi over the kingdom constitution.
Constitution regarded Useless on Tooro Kingdom
Two weeks back, during the swearing in of the newly appointed kingdom ministers by his majesty King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru rukidi IV at the Palace Karuzika,Kiyingi disclosed that Tooro kingdom does not operate under the constitution.
Kiyingi further stated the cultural institution, runs on its own norms and rituals but not on the constitution.
The prime minister, was responding to some subjects who have dragged the kingdom in court over his appointment, and his speaker whose appointment was subscribed as illegal.
It’s from this background, that the premier made it clear for those who claim that Tooro Kingdom is operating outside the constitution, that they are the very ones that sat and drafted their own constitution.
Respect the Constitution – Mugasa
However, speaking to our reporter, Saul Mugasa noted that Kiyingi and the group should remember very well that the kingdom has ever been sued over the kingdom constitution.
In 2014, a section of people in the Tooro kingdom sued King Oyo for illegally suspending the constitution.
In the affidavit to court, they argued that Oyo suspended the constitution without the consultation and approval of the kingdom parliament, [the Orukurato], that had earlier approved the same constitution in 1999.
The king, was also accused of appointing the kingdom premier by then illegally without the constitution.
Mugasa, narrates that after suing the king, the king came to court and asked to settle the matter outside court and later they signed a consent judgment.
After signing the consent judgment, the king agreed to reinstate the constitution and the case was withdrawn, So I wonder how kiyingi gets the capacity of saying that the kingdom does not operate under the constitution.
The former speaker, also wonders if Kiyingi’s appointment followed the required rituals.
Meanwhile, our efforts to get more comments on the matter from Kingdom officials were turned down when the cultural minister refused to speak about the matter after being contacted by our reporter.
