Ambrose Kibuuka

MY STATEMENT TODAY First and foremost, I thank Almighty God for the gift of life, His grace and for His guidance. I am deeply humbled and honoured by the decision of His Majesty King Edward Rukiidi Nyabongo I to retain me as Prime Minister of the Tooro Kingdom. I thank His Majesty for the privilege, the honour and, most importantly, for the confidence and recognition he has placed in me. I accept this responsibility with humility. I do not see it as a personal entitlement, but as a renewed call to service; service to the King and service to the people of Tooro. I also wish to recognise and thank the team with whom I have had the privilege of working. We have worked through difficult circumstances, learned many lessons and, together, laid foundations upon which we can now build. I also pay tribute to the memory of our late King, His Majesty King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. His passing brought an important chapter of our history to a close, but it must not bring an end to the work he began. I believe we now have an opportunity to honour his memory by continuing his legacy, completing the work he started and building a stronger, more united and more prosperous Tooro. I had the privilege of meeting His Majesty King Edward today and presenting to him the priorities that I believe we must address as an administration. I am grateful that His Majesty considered these priorities, agreed with them and instructed me to ensure that they are implemented. Our first priority is our people. We need to address the outstanding staff arrears at Muchwa that have accumulated over the years. Our staff keep the Kingdom functioning, and we must find a sustainable way of dealing with these obligations while putting better systems in place to prevent such problems from recurring. Our second priority is to strengthen the systems and structures of the Kingdom. We need clear policies, procedures and systems to guide how the Kingdom operates. We must also ensure that our cultural norms, traditions and established ways of working are properly understood and respected. This will give the Kingdom a stronger foundation and help us work in a more organised, professional and accountable way. Our third priority is to complete the youth empowerment incubation hubs. These hubs are intended to create opportunities for our young people and communities. We must ensure that they become productive centres for skills, enterprise, agriculture and economic opportunity. His Majesty has agreed that this should be an immediate priority and intends to visit and inaugurate the hubs during his forthcoming Masaza visits. Our fourth priority is the Masaza. His Majesty must be able to visit his people, meet them in their communities, listen to their concerns and understand their needs and aspirations. We will organise and support the Masaza visits as an important way of connecting the King with his people and strengthening the role of the Masaza in the development of the Kingdom. My administration will also engage with the Ministry of Gender to explore how we can strengthen these important roles and better facilitate their work, including their transport and welfare. Our fifth priority is our youth and the productive use of our land. Our people are our greatest asset, and our young people are the majority. Our land is also one of our greatest resources, yet much of it remains underused. I have therefore proposed to His Majesty that we explore, with the necessary legal advice and proper safeguards, how our young people can organise themselves into associations and access Kingdom land through appropriate lease arrangements for productive agriculture. This can create employment and income for our young people and communities, increase agricultural production and help protect Kingdom land from encroachment and misuse. If we organise our youth well, these associations can also become platforms for other areas of development beyond agriculture. 1/3