Concern is growing in Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom after Chief Prince (Okwiri) Eng. Fred Mugenyi Rucunya confirmed that Omukama Dr Solomon Gafabusa Rukirabasaija Agutamba Iguru I is unwell.
Rucunya said the King has not been doing well health-wise, reviving concerns over the monarch’s prolonged health condition and its impact on the administration of the kingdom.
The Omukama has previously faced serious health challenges that have affected his ability to carry out administrative duties. In October 2024, he was airlifted to Kampala for specialised medical attention after his condition deteriorated. He was later discharged after responding to treatment.
The King’s health has also been at the centre of a long-running leadership dispute within Bunyoro, with disagreements emerging over who should manage kingdom affairs when the Omukama is unable to perform his duties.
Rucunya has maintained that the kingdom’s constitutional arrangements provide for the handling of its affairs during such circumstances, saying the Omukama is mandated to champion the affairs and duties of the kingdom.
The issue has previously triggered legal and administrative battles involving the Babiito ruling clan, the kingdom’s Royal Commission and Prime Minister Andrew Byakutaga.
In 2024, the Bunyoro leadership crisis intensified after the Babiito clan, under Rucunya, moved to establish an interim administration while Byakutaga maintained that only the Omukama had authority to appoint or dismiss kingdom officials.
The health of Omukama Iguru has therefore remained a sensitive issue in Bunyoro, with his prolonged inability to perform key administrative duties contributing to a leadership vacuum.
For now, the latest confirmation from the Chief Prince has put the monarch’s health back in the spotlight, with Bunyoro subjects watching closely for further updates on the condition of their cultural leader.