The Prime Minister of Tooro Kingdom, Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki, has pledged to prioritise reconciliation, youth empowerment, agriculture and financial accountability following his retention in the position by King Edward Rukiidi Nyabongo I.
Rwomiire said his continued appointment was a renewed call to serve the King and the people of Tooro rather than a personal entitlement.
He said his administration would focus on addressing outstanding staff arrears at Muchwa and strengthening the Kingdom’s systems, policies and structures to improve efficiency and accountability.
The Prime Minister said completing youth empowerment incubation hubs would also be an immediate priority.
He said the hubs would be developed into centres for skills development, enterprise, agriculture and economic opportunities for young people and communities.
He added that the King had agreed to visit and inaugurate the hubs during his forthcoming Masaza visits.
Rwomiire said the administration would also strengthen the Masaza system by supporting the King to visit communities, listen to people’s concerns and understand their development needs.
He said the Kingdom would engage the Ministry of Gender on ways of strengthening and facilitating the work of the Masaza, including transport and welfare.
On youth empowerment, Rwomiire said the Kingdom would explore ways of allowing young people to access Kingdom land through appropriate lease arrangements for productive agriculture.
He said the proposal would be developed with legal advice and safeguards to protect Kingdom land from encroachment and misuse.
According to Rwomiire, organised youth associations could use the land to create employment, increase agricultural production and generate household incomes.
He said agriculture would remain a key priority, with the administration seeking to improve production, access to markets and value addition.
Rwomiire said he had engaged Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze, who agreed to support the Kingdom with seedlings, fertilisers and other agricultural inputs.
He also listed completion of the remaining Masaza Cup games among the administration’s priorities, saying sport would help bring together young people and strengthen unity.
Rwomiire said he had proposed that the King formally affirm the Kingdom Strategic Plan to provide a clear framework for the administration’s work.
He said the plan would set out targets, timelines and measures for assessing progress.
The Prime Minister also pledged to strengthen engagement between the Kingdom and the Government of Uganda.
He said the administration would engage ministries, departments and government agencies to identify areas of cooperation in youth empowerment, agriculture, education, healthcare, infrastructure, tourism, cultural heritage and enterprise development.
Rwomiire said the Kingdom would also strengthen financial discipline by ensuring that resources are properly managed and that programmes have clear responsibilities, oversight and measurable results.
He said accountability would be critical to restoring confidence and attracting support for the Kingdom’s development programmes.
The Prime Minister, however, said reconciliation would be central to the new chapter of the Kingdom.
He called on Tooro leaders, clans, institutions and subjects to put aside differences and work towards peace and unity.
Rwomiire also apologised for what he described as mistakes he made following the death of former King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
He said some of his actions, decisions or omissions may have caused misunderstanding and pledged to rebuild trust through action.
He also called for proper induction of new office bearers to ensure they understand their roles, authority and responsibilities.
Rwomiire said the administration would also support a mentorship project initiated by the Queen, known as Girls for Girls.
He said the project would form part of the transition and broader efforts to support young people.
Rwomiire said the priorities had been presented to King Edward, who agreed with them and directed the administration to proceed with implementation.
He said he would soon present to the King the team he intends to work with to implement the priorities.
“Let us get to work,” Rwomiire said, reaffirming his commitment to serving the King and the people of Tooro.
