Pallisa, Uganda: The Bukedi Kingdom Steering Committee has launched a campaign to harness the power of social media in promoting regional unity, cultural heritage and development by bringing together more than 60 bloggers, influencers and digital content creators from across North Bukedi.
The strategy meeting, held on Wednesday at Pallisa Garden Hotel, marked the Kingdom’s first formal engagement with online communicators drawn from Pallisa, Kibuku, Budaka and Butebo districts as officials intensified mobilization efforts ahead of seeking official government recognition.
The meeting was chaired by the Head of Protocols for the Bukedi Kingdom Steering Committee, Mr. Tenywa Alexander, who urged participants to use their digital platforms responsibly by promoting factual information, peaceful coexistence and development instead of hate speech and division.
“Government has the Parish Development Model. NGOs have projects, and Bukedi Kingdom is here. But if the people don’t hear about them in the right way, nothing will change. Your phone is your microphone. Use it to unite, not to divide Bukedi,” Tenywa said.
He challenged the young communicators to move away from tribal politics and online hostility by telling positive stories about the diverse communities that make up Bukedi, including the Itesot, Jopadhola, Banyole, Samia, Bagwere and others.
Mr Tenywa emphasized that social media has become one of the most influential tools in shaping public opinion and should instead be used to promote peace, cultural identity and socio-economic transformation.
Addressing concerns raised about the proposed Bukedi Kingdom, Tenywa said the initiative was not intended to interfere with or replace existing cultural institutions within the region.
He assured leaders of recognized and aspiring cultural institutions that the Kingdom would complement rather than compete with them.
“We shall not alter the operations of existing cultural institutions. Those still pursuing government gazettement should continue with the process because Bukedi Kingdom is a different entity that seeks to unite the entire region,” he said.
The Chairperson of the North Bukedi Bloggers Association, Kabirizi Ismail, welcomed the Kingdom’s decision to engage young people through digital platforms. “Most of our youth are online 24/7. If we can use that energy for development instead of insults, the whole of Bukedi will benefit,” he said.
TikTok content creator Margret Mbwali from Pallisa, who has more than 30,000 followers, described the engagement as timely. “We have been posting blindly. Now we have direction. We want to show the world that Bukedi is not just about poverty and working for the stomach. We have culture, food, and smart youth,” she said.
Kingdom outlines roadmap
Tenywa also briefed participants on the Kingdom’s ongoing activities as it seeks official recognition from the government.
These include documenting cultural heritage sites, royal tombs and traditional regalia, establishing the Bukedi Kingdom SACCO, continuing mass mobilization across the sub-region, organizing health outreach programmes, preparing for a Bukedi Cultural Festival, and engaging the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development on the process of obtaining a certificate of recognition.
He noted that after consultations with local government leaders, elders and leaders of existing cultural institutions, the Kingdom is now focusing on youth, who constitute the majority of the region’s population.
The meeting resolved to establish a WhatsApp coordination platform to facilitate timely dissemination of verified information about Kingdom activities, combat misinformation through fact-checking before publication, strengthen efforts to counter online hate speech, and partner with media houses to train digital creators in content production, fact-checking and digital monetization.
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