BUSOGA, UGANDA: His Majesty the King has apportioned a piece of land in Eswatini for the King of the busoga people as a sign of goodwill aimed at strengthening the relations between the kingdoms and the republic of Uganda.
The king said this is land that King Nadiope IV may use to keep the herd of cattle that formed part of the gift for his visit to the kingdom recently.
This was disclosed by His Majesty during a visit to the Busoga kingdom yesterday where he was a special guest to the Busoga king in honour of an invitation extended to His Majesty recently.
“As a sign of brotherhood, we presented the Busoga king with gifts of cattle when he was in Eswatini as we found it befitting for a dignified guest of his stature. In taking into consideration that he had come from afar, we arranged that he be given a portion of land to keep his cattle there, so that now and again he will pay us a visit and get to check-up on his cattle. This will bring us closer together,” said the Ingwenyama to round of applause.
His Majesty said the delegation was happy to be there and extended greetings on behalf of the queen mother, Inkhosikati and the people of Eswatini.
He recalled that not long ago the Busoga King paid a visit to the Kingdom and was guest during the celebration of an important occasion of promoting our culture through the Ingwenyama Cup.
“As you have listened to the praise singers, this forms part of our culture, which is important for preservation for the benefit of our future generations. We were also celebrating and promoting sports among our young people, as we have a population dominated by the youth who need to be given various opportunities for growth,” said His Majesty.
He added: “Failing to attend to this need may have negative repercussions for our country. We need to invest in sports to create livelihoods through talent while aiming at achieving goals like bringing home the African Cup of nations trophy and then the World Cup. “
In thanking Ugandan president for extending an invitation to visit Uganda, His Majesty informed the gathering that when he received an invitation from President Museveni to visit the country, he shared about the Busoga king’s visit and the desire to build good relations between the Kingdoms, Uganda and Eswatini.
“This visit is blessed by the heavens as it has rained. When we have such occasions and it starts raining, this is a sign that ancestors and God are with us. Before coming to the arena, the King expressed concern that the ceremony would be washed away by the rains. However, I assured him that this was a good sign and that God and the ancestors will be with us. Now it has cleared.”
“We commend the warriors for braving the rain, as they are receiving blessings. Back home, no rain or thunder can cause us to run away as that would be a sign of weakness. The rain is also a sign that there will be prosperity in the Busoga area. Rain is important for us all as we seek to achieve food security, especially to irrigate our agricultural crops. I have no doubt that the Busoga kingdom will reap a great harvest,” said His Majesty.
He emphasized that the visit was also aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation, build ties, identify areas of increased cooperation.
“As members of the African Union (AU) which yearns to improve the standard of living of our people on the continent, we have an obligation to work together to identify opportunities to achieve these goals from both sides. We must promote business, create entrepreneurs, find linkages and build partnerships,” he urged.
KING HAILED AS EXEMPLARY LEADER
BUSOGA, UGANDA: His Majesty the King has been described as an exemplary leader for spearheading the preservation of tradition and culture.
This recognition was accorded to the king by King of the Busoga, His Majesty William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope IV, during a reciprocal visit to the Busoga kingdom by the Eswatini delegation led by King Mswati III accompanied by Inkhosikati LaMashwama.
The King of Busoga was recently in the country and was a special guest during the Ingwenyama cup awards ceremony.
He said their kingdom was privileged to host the Ingwenyama at Begembe Royal palace in Jinja
“Today marks ta special day in history of the Busoga as we strengthen relations with the mighty kingdom of Eswatini. This event form part of safeguarding the present and future generations by promoting our culture and heritage,” he said.
He thanked Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni for establishing relations between he two countries from which we important brotherly relations that have potential to unite Africa and its people can be forged.
King Nadine IV extended appreciation to His Majesty for allowing a delegation from the kingdom to honour his wedding ceremony, as well as the hospitality he received while in Eswatini. The ambassador to Eswatini and honorary consul, were also appreciated for facilitating these visits.
“We have great admiration and good wishes for your kingdom. We applaud you for your exemplary leadership that has preserved the cultural heritage of your people. Our kingdoms have a lot in common.”
“We have young populations, have a reliance on agriculture, tourism and diversity, which gives greater meaning towards the need for strengthening the brotherhood which has culminated in opportunities for development programmes through unity and purpose,” said King Nadiope IV.
The event saw an exhibition of Busoga traditional dances and praise singing that as throughly entertaining and enjoyed by the guests, comprising of top government and traditional leaders as well as royal family members.
KING PRAISES UGANDA FOR ELECTRIC BUS MANUFACTURING
BUSOGA, UGANDA: His Majesty the King yesterday called for support of the Ugandan electric bus manufacturing project, Kiira Motors.
This was after a tour of the facility yesterday.
He said he was highly impressed with the fact that it was 100 per cent locally owned. “We were impressed with this product and its features that comprise WiFi, TV screens, washrooms and a host of other hi-tech features.”
“I said to those making the buses that many people will benefit from this investment and I trust that these buses will be well taken care of. The WiFi will also keep business moving as people travel. However, the most important feature of all is that that the plant is fully managed by Ugandans,” he said.
The king said in line with the call for countries to work together, Eswatini had taken a decision to help market these buses and set up a hub for distribution to the Southern Africa region.
