Buganda Kingdom has issued a firm warning to Gideon Tugume, the executive director of the Human Rights Defenders Association, over allegations of corruption directed at Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga. The Kingdom is demanding a public apology and retraction of the claims, threatening legal action if Tugume fails to comply.
The allegations, made in a viral video, accuse the Katikkiro of distributing coffee seedlings worth UGX 47 billion from the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) without any corresponding budget allocation by the Kingdom. Tugume also claimed that funds from the Buganda Kingdom Royal Treasury (Nkuluze) were misappropriated for personal use and shared with members of the Buganda Parliamentary Caucus.
Buganda Kingdom’s Response
In a letter dated November 14, 2024, the Kingdom dismissed the accusations as "false, malicious, and baseless," emphasizing that they were made with reckless disregard for the truth. The Kingdom clarified that:
The Katikkiro’s legal team has challenged Tugume to provide evidence supporting his claims, stating:
"If you believe your allegations to be factual, we challenge you to provide substantive evidence supporting each of your claims. Absent this, we will proceed under the assumption that your statements were made with reckless disregard for the truth or with malicious intent."
Legal and Social Implications
The Kingdom accused Tugume of tarnishing the Katikkiro’s reputation and undermining its leadership. It warned that failure to retract the statements would result in both civil and criminal proceedings.
This dispute comes amidst Buganda’s efforts to drive socio-economic development through initiatives like Mwanyi Terimba, which supports farmers and agricultural productivity. The Kingdom emphasized that such baseless allegations could erode public trust in its transparency and accountability.
As of now, Tugume has not responded to the legal notice. The Kingdom, however, has reiterated its readiness to pursue all legal options if its demands are not met.
