On March 9, 2009, Buganda Post carried an exclusive story describing how Katikkiro JB Walusimbi and president Museveni had reached secret agreements on strategies towards clipping Kabaka Mutebi’s power concentration (see Katikkiro Walusimbi Dodges Talks, Leaves Museveni Holding A Bag Of Stones). To protect our sources, we did not name Mr. Walusimbi’s co-conspirators. However, only one day after our story, Mr. Museveni’s Luganda mouthpiece, Bukedde, not only confirmed the substance of our story but named some of Mr. Walusimbi’s co-conspirators.
According to the March 10, 2009 edition of Bukedde Mr. Walusimbi’s point man is Mr. Jolly Lutaaya, minister of local government in the Buganda government. The others named are Ahmed Bamweyana, Kaddu Kiberu, Dr. Masagazi Masaazi, Omutaka Ssevvume Musoke and Kyadondo county chief, Toferi Malokweza.
Mr. Jolly Lutaaya and Mr. Kaddu Kiberu are among the longest serving Buganda Government ministers, having been appointed in the early 1990’s with strong support from then Katikkiro Mulwaanyamuli. At the time of Kabaka Mutebi’s wedding, Mr. Lutaaya was forced to leave Mmengo after being caught red handed by Kabaka’s guard (abambowa) while stealing building materials, donated by Baganda, from Mmengo Lubiri. To many Kampala Baganda, the theft from Kabaka was viewed as proof of earlier allegations that he started his contracting business with large scale embezzlement from one of the major oil companies in Kampala were true. Like Katikkiro Walusimbi, Mr. Lutaaya’s main source of income are government “deals” secured through Engineers Nasaasira and Muganzi in ministry of works
Our Mmengo sources claim that Mr. Kaddu Kiberu has one of the cleaner records when it comes at Mmengo finances. For many years, Mr. Kiberu generously donated to various Mmengo and clan (Mmamba) causes. However, the sources also say that during the heat of the battle for Federal vs. Decentralization he was widely suspected to be the NRM’s most active spies at Mmengo because he used to hold secret one-on-one meetings with Bidandi Ssali at least 2 to 3 times a month. Curiously, the meetings were mostly at public events like funerals, if possible, or on Kampala streets in an old car with tinted windows. Mr. Kiberu’s primary business, Peacock Paints is currently facing some financial challenges and frequently relies on government tenders.
Mr. Ahmed Bamweyana, a former senior clerk at the Uganda High Commission, in London, is currently the Financial Controller in President Museveni’s Education Service Commission. Most Baganda who are familiar with Mmengo, especially those in North America and Europe, would best remember Mr. Bamweyana as the man who sabotaged Betty Nambooze’s visa to Ttabamiruka ’08 in the USA. He allegedly cheated Baganda of millions of shillings by convincing them that they had to go through him to get Ttabamiruka invitation letters (see Nambooze, US Embassy Victims of Bamweyana Visa Scam.) As punishment for this corruption Katikkiro Walusimbi moved Mr. Bamweyana from Chief of Protocol to a deputy minister position.
Our sources tell us that Dr. Masagazi Masaazi, Omutaka Ssevvume Musoke and Kyadondo county chief, Toferi Malokweza carry little or no political weight in Buganda issues. However, like many other Baganda usually targeted by Museveni, they are all known to face “financial problems”. And they are eager to do business with Ms. Kyambadde if supporting Mmengo negotiations with Museveni can ease their financial stress.
One Muganda political analyst has told this writer that the involvement of Amelia Kyambadde and Sebunya with Katikkiro Walusimbi’s dubious representatives validates the Buganda Post story of March 9, 2009 that the Museveni/Walusimbi secret negotiation were about using money to isolate Kabaka Mutebi. He insists that: “Sebunya is the primary handler of Baganda officials and clan leader who spy for Museveni on fellow Baganda . And Amelia Kyambadde holds Museveni’s cash box. What could they all have been secretly negotiating about other than bribes?”
