Stay away from politics - Museveni instructs Ugandan traditional leaders

President Yoweri Museveni has warned traditional and cultural leaders against interfering in politics, stating that their role instead should remain separate from the responsibilities of elected government officials and technocrats.

Museveni sounded the warning on Wednesday, while addressing kings and other cultural leaders during a two-day conference at State House Entebbe.

The President said traditional leaders must leave policymaking, legislation and administration to elected officials, while courts should handle judicial matters.

He added that elected leaders are accountable to voters, who can remove them from office if they fail to perform, unlike traditional leaders who inherit their positions.

"Therefore, no traditional leader should try to meddle in politics. As a cultural leader, you are a parent with grown up children. Let them run their affairs," Museveni said.

"I do not try to run Muhoozi’s or my daughters' homes. They are my children, but I do not instruct them on what to do. I did my job and raised them. Unless they come and beg me for advice, I am not available. I have my own wife to look after," he said.

Museveni also revisited Uganda's political history, particularly the disagreements between traditional kingdoms and the country's early post-independence leaders.

He said the kingdoms had made several mistakes but argued that former Prime Minister Milton Obote adopted the wrong approach when he abolished them.

"We did not agree with the methods of Obote of using deception and force, unlike (Benedicto) Kiwanuka , who told kingdoms straight what was acceptable and not acceptable," Museveni said.

"Kiwanuka was very clear on what could and couldn’t be done. But then Mengo turned against him and accused him of betraying the kingdom. They called him a Mukopi," Museveni said.

Museveni said Obote on the other hand, misled traditional leaders by initially appearing to support federalism before using force to abolish the kingdoms.

"He pretended that he would support tribal federalism (Federo) and then used force to abolish the kingdoms without discussion. That was why I disagreed with him," he said.

Museveni explained that his government restored traditional institutions after determining that they could preserve cultural identity without interfering with the country's political administration.

He said cultural leaders had to surrender certain responsibilities to allow elected officials and professional institutions to manage national affairs.

"First of all they had to withdraw from policy formulation, legislation, administration and adjudication," he said.

"This was because one cluster of responsibilities belonged to the elected leaders (policy, administration and legislation), and the other cluster belonged to the professional judges). Even I, as a president, do not judge."

Museveni questioned how citizens could hold hereditary leaders accountable if they assumed political responsibilities but failed to deliver.

"The elected leaders are accountable to the people. If they do not perform they are removed by the voters. What do you do with a traditional leader who is here by birth if he does not perform," he said.

The Cultural Leaders Conference  brought together representatives of traditional institutions from across Uganda to discuss national unity, cultural preservation and economic development.

Among those attending was the Omukama of Tooro, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, alongside representatives of Bunyoro-Kitara and other cultural institutions.

However, the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, and his Katikkiro, Charles Peter Mayiga, were absent from the meeting.