Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom Prime Minister, Owek. Andrew Byakutaga Ateenyi, together with Hoima Sugar Ltd officials and the Kikuube District Police Commander, yesterday inspected the Muhangaizima Cultural Site in Kyangwali ancestral land, Kikuube District.
The company agreed to return the sacred site to the Kingdom for a restoration program following reports of encroachment by individuals who had cut down trees, planted maize, and misused the land.
The restoration process will begin with opening the boundaries to determine the full extent of the cultural site, an exercise scheduled to take place in the coming days, to secure and restore the area.
In his communication to Hoima Sugar officials and the Kikuube District Police Commander, Owek. Byakutaga emphasised that Muhangaizima holds great historical and cultural significance for Bunyoro-Kitara.
Located in Kyangwali ancestral land, the site is renowned for its sacred wells and is revered as a heritage area.
The Prime Minister revealed that the Kingdom’s restoration plan will include replanting indigenous tree species with medicinal value, creating a sanctuary for traditional totems and wildlife, and preserving the environment against the effects of climate change. He stressed that crop cultivation within the sacred grounds will no longer be permitted.
The meeting also resolved that other cultural sites in Kyangwali ancestral land, highlighted in the NEMA ESSIA report—such as Nsazakateboha, Kamugamba, and others—will also be handed back to the Kingdom for similar restoration programs.
Both Hoima Sugar and the Kikuube District Police Commander welcomed the initiative, noting that it will help safeguard the sites from further encroachment and misuse under false claims of authority.
During the working visit, Owek. Byakutaga also made a stopover at Nyairongo in Kabwoya Sub-county, where he was warmly received by BKK sub-county and parish chiefs, other kingdom leaders, and hundreds of residents.
He commended the community for supporting the Kingdom’s conservation and development agenda and encouraged households to adopt coffee farming as a sustainable cash crop.
Residents expressed gratitude for the Kingdom’s leadership and requested land allocations for organised community farming projects, citing challenges in accessing land and resources.
The visit concluded with community members presenting gifts to the Prime Minister in appreciation of his efforts to preserve cultural heritage while promoting development across Bunyoro-Kitara.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by the BKK Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS), Omuny. Alex Katusabe Abbooki, the Tourism and Production Officer, Omuny. Atuha Moses Amooti, the BKK Lands Officer, Omuny. Ruyonga Elvis, and the Buhaguzi County Chief, Owek. Baleke Gerald Abwooli.