Oil, agriculture and cultural restitution took centre stage on Wednesday as a delegation of European Union ambassadors met Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom leaders in Hoima City.
The high-level visit was led by EU Ambassador Jan Sadek and included envoys from Austria, Denmark, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden. They were received by Kingdom Prime Minister Andrew Byakutaga Ateenyi, Principal Private Secretary to the Omukama Prince Richard Kitehimbwa Atwoki, and Royal Commission Secretary Yolam Nsamba Atwoki.
The delegation included Austria’s Dr. Katja Yvonne Kerschbaumer, Denmark’s Signe Winding Albjerg, France’s Virginie Leroy, Ireland’s Margaret Gaynor, the Netherlands’ Frederieke Quispel and Sweden’s Maria Håkansson.
Speaking for Omukama Solomon Gafabusa Iguru I, Byakutaga called the visit a sign of deepening ties between Europe and the Kingdom.
“This visit is not only an honour to the Kingdom, but also a strong symbol of friendship, mutual respect and international cooperation between the people of Europe and the people of Bunyoro-Kitara,” he said.
Byakutaga recalled that Bunyoro-Kitara was once one of the most organized kingdoms in the Great Lakes region, known for governance, military strength, agriculture, trade and iron smelting. He said the Kingdom suffered heavy losses during colonial confrontations and the Kabalega wars, including the loss of cultural artifacts.
He renewed the Kingdom’s appeal for European countries to help trace, document and possibly return artifacts taken during the colonial era.
“The artifacts remain important symbols of identity, spirituality and the Kingdom’s historical memory,” Byakutaga said.
He added that modern Africa-Europe partnerships should “embrace cultural healing, historical justice and mutual respect.”
Agriculture dominated much of the discussion. Byakutaga described it as the backbone of Bunyoro’s economy and the main livelihood for most people.
“Bunyoro has enormous opportunities for partnership with Team Europe in modern irrigation systems, coffee and cocoa value chains, agro-processing industries, farmer cooperatives, climate-smart agriculture and agricultural mechanization,” he said.
He invited European partners to support youth involvement in agriculture, agricultural research, export promotion and dairy farming, noting the region’s fertile soils, good climate and water resources.
Prince Kitehimbwa Atwoki stressed that Bunyoro’s people must actively engage in agriculture to benefit from oil and gas opportunities.
“Bunyoro’s fertile soils make the region suitable for agriculture and capable of achieving economic transformation if the sector receives adequate support,” he said.
The Kingdom also sought cooperation in tourism and cultural preservation through museum modernization, cultural tourism, hospitality training and digitization of heritage.
Oil, gas and sustainability
With Bunyoro at the centre of Uganda’s oil and gas industry, Byakutaga said the Kingdom wants development that benefits locals.
“We advocate for sustainable development, environmental protection, local participation, transparency and skills development for our people so that communities can benefit meaningfully from the oil and gas sector,” he said.
He welcomed partnerships on environmental conservation, infrastructure, renewable energy, technology transfer and responsible investment.
Speaking for the delegation, Ambassador Sadek praised the Kingdom’s heritage and said the visit aimed to understand opportunities and challenges in Bunyoro and the Albertine region.
“We are impressed by the rich history and cultural heritage of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, and we look forward to future collaboration especially in agriculture, coffee production and other sectors that can improve livelihoods,” Sadek said.
Royal Commission Secretary Yolam Nsamba Atwoki called for more European support for education.
“Scholarship opportunities and student exchange programs are important because they empower young people with education, skills and international exposure needed for the future,” he said.
The visit comes as Bunyoro undergoes rapid change driven by oil and gas, infrastructure projects and growing investment in agriculture and tourism. Kingdom officials said they hope the talks will open new partnerships to improve livelihoods and support sustainable development.
