For the first time, the western region of Bunyoro, which houses virtually all of Uganda's oil reserves, will have its own minister in Uganda's government. The problem for authorities of the Bunyoro kingdom, however, is that the newly-named minister, Saleh Kamba, doesn't hail from the region but from the south east, and more specifically the district of Kibuku. Retiring from the army in 2005 with the rank of lieutenant, Kamba was elected as MP for Kibuku under the banner of the ruling NRM party in 2006 and then again in 2011. He's a staunch backer of president Yoweri Museveni and actively campaigned for Museveni's election to a new term in office earlier this year. The top man in the administration of the traditional kingdom of Bunyoro, Yabeezi Kiiza, publi-cally voiced his disapproval when Kamba was named minister for Bunyoro, claiming that somebody who didn't come from the region couldn't properly defend the interests of its inhabitants, and particularly with regards its future share of oil revenue. With the government tightening its grip on the area, the Bunyoro kingdom is pinning its hopes on a move by Parliament on June 1 to challenge Kamba's appointment on grounds he lied about his academic qualifications. Bunyoro is hoping that will prevent him from taking up his post.
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