The Kyabazinga of Busoga, His Royal Highness William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope IV, has issued a decisive directive requiring all ministers in the Obwa Kyabazinga Bwa Busoga (OBB) who intend to contest in the 2026 general elections to resign by April 30, 2025.
The directive, delivered through Prime Minister Dr. Joseph Muvawala, seeks to preserve the Kingdom’s core principle of political neutrality and reinforce its role as a unifying cultural institution.
“The Obwa Kyabazinga Bwa Busoga is a cultural institution that brings together all people within its jurisdiction, regardless of political ideology or belief,” read a memo dated April 7 and addressed to all cabinet ministers.
The Kingdom leadership acknowledged the constitutional right of every Ugandan to participate in national politics, but emphasized that OBB cabinet members must step aside from Kingdom roles before engaging in partisan politics.
“Any member of the OBB Cabinet desirous of direct participation in partisan politics shall be required to tender in his or her written resignation… not later than the 30th April 2025,” stated Dr. Muvawala.
The announcement has triggered spirited debate across the Busoga region, where political affiliations within the cultural cabinet have long blurred institutional boundaries.
Among those expected to be affected are David Isabirye Aga, Jinja North MP and State Minister for Information in the Kingdom; James Mukembo, Youth Affairs Minister and former Jinja District Youth Council chairperson; and Veronica Kagona, the Kingdom’s State Minister for Youth Affairs, reportedly gearing up to challenge Kamuli Woman MP Rebecca Kadaga in 2026.
Kadaga recently voiced frustration, accusing the Kingdom of backing her political opponents, despite her past support for the Kyabazinga’s enthronement.
“I worked so much to make Gabula the Kyabazinga of Busoga because President Museveni didn’t like him. But I am surprised the Kingdom is fronting people to stand against me,” she said during a radio interview in Kamuli.
Insiders suggest Kadaga’s criticism may have spurred the Kyabazinga’s move, amid rising concerns about the Kingdom’s perceived political entanglements.
The directive is also being interpreted as a prelude to a long-awaited cabinet reshuffle. Since his installation in 2013, Kyabazinga Gabula has yet to conduct a significant shake-up of his ministers, many of whom have become inactive or taken on civil service roles, including appointments as Resident District Commissioners.
“Some ministers have been redundant in office, and a reshuffle is long overdue,” noted a Busoga resident in a local WhatsApp forum.
As Uganda approaches the 2026 elections, the Kyabazinga’s firm stance is being hailed as a defining moment for both cultural leadership and regional political dynamics.
With the April 30 deadline fast approaching, the coming weeks could see a major shift in the composition of Busoga’s royal cabinet—possibly ushering in a new era of cultural clarity and institutional reform.
