Buganda Kingdom has issued a stern warning to Gideon Tugume, Executive Director of the Human Rights Defenders Association, following his allegations of corruption against Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga.
The Kingdom has demanded a public apology and retraction of the claims, threatening legal action if Tugume does not comply.
The accusations, made in a widely circulated video, claim that the Katikkiro misappropriated coffee seedlings worth UGX 47 billion from the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) without a corresponding budget allocation from the Kingdom.
Tugume also alleged that funds from the Buganda Kingdom’s Royal Treasury (Nkuluze) were misused for personal gain and shared with members of the Buganda Parliamentary Caucus.
Buganda Kingdom’s Response
In a letter dated November 14, 2024, the Kingdom strongly rejected the allegations, describing them as “false, malicious, and baseless.” The letter stated that the claims were made with reckless disregard for the truth, and the Kingdom clarified the following points:
Between 2016 and 2019, UCDA supplied coffee seedlings valued at UGX 8.4 billion, not the UGX 47 billion claimed by Tugume.
No budget allocation exists for such an amount in the 2024/2025 fiscal year or any previous years.
Funds intended for agricultural development have been directed towards key initiatives, including clean water projects, the purchase of tractors, and support for cooperatives, trade, and fisheries.
The Katikkiro’s legal team has demanded that Tugume provide concrete evidence for his accusations, asserting, “If you stand by your allegations, we challenge you to provide verifiable evidence. Without this, we will assume that your statements were made recklessly or with malicious intent.”
Legal and Social Consequences
The Kingdom has accused Tugume of deliberately tarnishing the Katikkiro’s reputation and undermining the leadership of Buganda. It has warned that failure to retract the statements would lead to both civil and criminal proceedings.
This dispute comes at a time when Buganda is focused on promoting socio-economic development through initiatives like Mwanyi Terimba, which supports farmers and enhances agricultural productivity.
The Kingdom emphasized that baseless allegations could damage public trust in its transparency and accountability.
As of now, Tugume has yet to respond to the legal notice. However, Buganda Kingdom has reiterated its readiness to pursue all available legal avenues if its demands are not met.
