Mike Mukula faces backlash over portrait gift to Tooro King

Former Soroti Municipality MP and businessman Capt Mike Mukula  is drawing criticism on social media for presenting a framed portrait of himself to the newly installed King of Tooro, Omukama Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I, during a visit to his Kampala residence.

Mukula hosted the monarch and his wife, Queen Rebecca Amoding Rukidi, at his home in Bugolobi, where they held discussions in what he described as an atmosphere of friendship and cultural appreciation.

However, photographs shared by Mukula on X sparked debate after one showed him and the King holding a framed pencil portrait of the businessman.

Several social media users questioned why Mukula had presented his own portrait to the monarch instead of offering a gift associated with Tooro's culture or royal traditions.

Mukula had earlier expressed excitement about hosting the royal couple, describing the visit as a special honour.

He said he was "exceedingly humbled and deeply honoured" to receive Their Majesties for an afternoon of warm conversations marked by friendship, mutual respect and cultural appreciation.

The portrait, however, attracted more attention than the visit itself, with critics accusing Mukula of failing to observe the dignity associated with traditional leadership.

Social media commentator Denis Jjuuko questioned the purpose of the gift.

"You gave the king your portrait? Is he expected to hang it somewhere in the palace?" Jjuuko asked.

Another user, Bushenyi Bouy, expressed similar surprise.

"Wait, you gave the king your portrait?" he wrote.

Hussein Kashillingi suggested that Mukula should have considered a more traditional gift.

"My dear friend Flying Mike, please give them gifts of cows not a portrait," he wrote.

Vastinah Ndahura argued that although the monarch's willingness to interact with ordinary citizens deserved praise, the photographs could affect public perceptions of the kingdom.

"While the King's engagement with ordinary citizens is commendable. These photographs project a narrative that is far from flattering to the Toro Kingdom and risk undermining the dignity and institutional stature the monarchy ought to embody," Ndahura wrote.

Another commentator, Kamuhanda, accused Mukula of disregarding the respect due to the monarch.

"While hosting the King of Tooro is a respectful gesture, making His Majesty pose while holding your framed portrait is deeply disrespectful, tone-deaf, & completely undermines true cultural dignity of Tooro," he wrote.

Some social media users, however, defended the interaction, arguing that the King should be free to maintain personal friendships and receive gifts without every gesture becoming a matter of royal protocol.

Others suggested that the criticism was excessive because the visit took place at Mukula's private residence rather than during an official kingdom function.

Nyabongo I, a former television news anchor and cousin of the late monarch, was crowned at Karuziika Royal Palace in Fort Portal on September 29, 2026, during a ceremony attended by President Yoweri Museveni

Since assuming the throne, Nyabongo I has held meetings with political, religious and cultural leaders as part of efforts to strengthen relations between the monarchy and different sections of society.

He has also pledged to promote unity, fight poverty and expand opportunities for the people of Tooro. 

Mukula, a former state minister for health and longtime National Resistance Movement politician, remains an influential figure in Uganda's political and business circles.