UGANDA NATIONAL PEOPLES’ RIGHTS ASSOCIATION
-LONDON SEAT-

PRESS RELEASE BY UNAPERA LONDON SEAT
Friday, 10th October 2008

VIOLATION OF CULTURAL RIGHTS OF THE BAGANDA PEOPLE BY THE UGANDAN GOVERNMENT

The London Seat of the Uganda National Peoples’ Rights Association (UNAPERA) has carefully studied the Uganda Government’s action of barring the Kabaka of Buganda, His Majesty Ronald Muteebi, from going to Nakasongola to kick start Community Voluntary Work (Bulungi Bwa Nsi) and to preside over the 8th October Buganda Independence celebrations.

What was carried out by the Government was nothing else but gross violation of the Cultural Human Rights of the Baganda People, of the Baganda-Baluuli Community and of the Kabaka, in his personal and official capacity as the Cultural Leader of the Baganda National People, of the Baganda-Baluuli Community and of the Buganda Kingdom.

It has to be remembered that Article 15 (1a) of the International Covenant On Economic, Social And Cultural Rights 1966 recognises that the Baganda as a National People, Baganda-Baluuli Community People and the Kabaka have, individually and collectively, a cultural human right to “take part in cultural life.” Uganda is a signatory to this Covenant. In that respect, the Government contravened this Article and violated this cultural human right by barring the Baganda National People, the Baganda-Baluuli Community and the Kabaka from socially and culturally celebrating the Buganda Independence Day at Nakasongola of the Buganda Buluuli County.

UNAPERA notes that violating the above cultural right by the Uganda Government even contravened the current Uganda Constitution, not forgetting that that Constitution oppresses all the National Peoples of Uganda by denying them to enjoy their human right to internal democratic self-determination.

Chapter IV Section 37 of the Uganda Constitution recognises that every Ugandan has a right to belong to, enjoy, practise, profess, maintain and promote any culture, cultural institution, language and tradition in community with others. While trying to direct the Baganda-Baluuli Community not to identify with the Kiganda culture and the Kabaka cultural institution, the Uganda Government violated the cultural rights of the Baganda-Baluuli Community to belong, enjoy, practise, profess, maintain and promote the Kiganda culture, Kabaka cultural institution, Luganda language and tradition.

It is in the spirit of fighting for respect of the cultural human rights and of the right to internal democratic self-determination of all the Ugandan national peoples that UNAPERA wants Ugandans and people of good will to understand that, the action of barring the Kabaka of Buganda Kingdom from going to Nakasongola by the Government, amounted to a gross violation of cultural human rights of the Baganda-Baluuli Community, of the Baganda as a national people and of the Kabaka. What that calls for is knowing one’s rights and solidarity so as to defend the rights at stake.

Ricardo Mulinda                                                   Dr. Obonyo Benjamin
UNAPERA Global Involvement Co-Chair               Vice Esteemed Peoples’ Rights Defender – (For the Diaspora)

+ 44 – (0) 7950887315
rmulinda@hotmail.com
www.unapera.com