Ofwono Opondo, the government’s spokesperson, said Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo got carried away when he spoke disparagingly about the Buganda Kingdom and the Kabaka.
The government spokesperson, Ofwono Opondo has said Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo got carried away when he uttered contradicting statements about the Buganda Kingdom and the Kabaka.
While appearing on NBS TV’s frontline program on Thursday, Opondo said the CJ was filled with grief following the death of his close friend Hon Jacob Oulanyah to the extent that he raised statements that he had not made full research about.
“As a result of grief, he was forced to say things he didn’t have facts about. It is a good learning curve for us all. He (Chief Justice) has been moving with a one-man army. I think he got carried away. Even if the President had lent the jet, he wouldn’t have wanted him to talk about it,” Opondo said.
This comes at a time when CJ on Thursday paid a courtesy visit to Buganda Kingdom Headquarters in Bulange Mengo to officially pass on his apology to the kingdom.
Dollo who arrived at Bulange in the company of former Uganda People’s Congress party President Olara Otunu said the meeting was very fruitful and vital in revamping the relationship that was seemingly beginning to fall out.
“This meeting was meaningful. We leave here knowing we’re more close together than hitherto,” the chief justice stated.
On Buganda’s side, the Katikkiro commended the CJ Owiny-Dollo for being courageous enough to come out and apologise. He said he (the CJ) is now a close brother to the Kingdom.
“Many times we do wrong, but it is not easy to come out and apologise. In Buganda we say that, ‘omukwano guva mungabo (literally translated as friendship comes after a fight),” Mayiga said.
“The Chief Justice has come as a friend and he is going to leave as a brother. I urge all Ugandans to leave all that was said behind us,” he added that despite the regional differences the Acholi and Baganda are all Ugandans who face similar problems.
“There are no drugs in hospitals, education system that still needs attention exists in both areas. We have intermarried and above all we are all Ugandans. These are the things that should unite us,” Mayiga added.
Speaking about the same, however, FDC’s Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda said he was shocked when the CJ made the statements about Buganda but he raised he was happy he sought forgiveness.
“I was shocked when he said what he said, and I was happy when he apologized,” Ssemujju said.
On his side, DP’s Norbert Mao said the CJ’s apology did not come because of social media attacks but it was expected for a man of his character.
“CJ is not weak-minded that he can be affected. I have abandoned political correctness. It is time for straight talk.
I salute the Chief Justice for his move. I think it was not because of the social media attacks but because of the statement made by Katikkiro. They engaged on that level,” Mao said
