Rwenzururu Minister calls for collective action on climate change

4 September 2026, 9:34 am

By Kyamanduma Patrick,

The climate change in the Rwenzori keeps change season by season and because of this local residents have always been urged to conserve the environment.

The Rwenzururu Kingdom Minister of Cultural Heritage, Native Administration and Veteran Affairs, Hon. Aganatiya Katya, has called for thorough consultations among scientists, cultural and religious leaders, as well as local authorities, to address increasingly harsh weather conditions in the Rwenzori region.

His remarks follow concerns raised by Mr. Nelson Baghuda Thembo, the LC One Chairperson of Bubothyo Village in Ihandiro Sub-county, who called for closer collaboration among leaders at all levels to address the effects of the changing climate.

Speaking to Banya Rwenzururu during memorial celebrations for the late first Rwenzururu King, Isaya Mukirania held at Bulemba in Ihandiro Sub-county, Kasese District, this week, Hon. Katya called for what he described as strategic interventions that would bring together Kingdom subjects, leaders and scientists to discuss harsh weather patterns that are not only threatening crop and livestock production, but are also putting human lives at risk.

Representing the Chief Warden of Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Senior Warden Mr. Asasio Kato warned Banya Rwenzururu against deforestation, noting that the national park is providing communities with access to seedlings of various tree species that can help improve the environment and build resilience against climate change.

Meanwhile, Mzee Asanairi Muthahinga Marahi, an elder from the area, shared his memories of the death of the first Rwenzururu King; describing the death of King Isaya Mukirania as a shock that plunged the community into what he remembers as a dark moment.