The Babiito clan, the ruling clan of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, has ordered Kingdom Prime Minister Andrew Byakutaga to vacate office by mid-October 2026, renewing a dispute over his tenure that has persisted since 2024.
The fresh ultimatum was issued by the Chief Prince (Okwir), Eng. Fred Mugenyi Rucunya, who said Byakutaga was occupying the position illegally because his term had expired.
Rucunya issued the directive while addressing journalists at his home in Rukooge Cell, Hoima City, according to reports by The Observer and Uganda Radio Network.
Byakutaga was appointed Prime Minister by Omukama Solomon Gafabusa Rukirabasaija Agutamba Iguru I on January 15, 2018. His initial term was due to expire in October 2023 but was subsequently extended to June 30, 2024.
Rucunya said the extension did not provide a basis for Byakutaga to continue serving beyond the expiry of the term.
The latest directive is not the first attempt by the Babiito to remove Byakutaga. In September 2024, the clan issued him a one-week ultimatum to leave office, arguing that his tenure had expired.
The 2024 dispute escalated after the Babiito clan moved to establish an interim cabinet headed by Dr Baltazar Kyamanywa Kasirivu as interim prime minister. The interim cabinet was sworn in on September 15, 2024, at the residence of the Chief Prince in Hoima.
Byakutaga, however, rejected the move at the time, arguing that the appointment of the interim cabinet was illegal and that only the Omukama had authority to appoint or dismiss Kingdom officials. He also challenged the authority of the Okwir to act on behalf of the King.
The leadership dispute subsequently continued, with reports in December 2024 indicating that the interim cabinet had been denied access to some Kingdom offices while Byakutaga remained associated with the position of prime minister.
Rucunya’s latest directive therefore revives the unresolved contest over the Kingdom’s administration and the status of Byakutaga’s tenure.
The Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom is a traditional institution recognised under Uganda’s Constitution, with the Omukama serving as its cultural leader. The kingdom’s internal administrative authority and the respective roles of the Omukama, royal clan and other institutions have been at the centre of the dispute over Byakutaga’s tenure.
Byakutaga’s response to the latest ultimatum was not included in the reports reviewed for this story.
The Babiito have now given him until mid-October to vacate the office, setting the stage for another confrontation over the leadership of the kingdom.
