In a twist of irony, both Mmengo and president Museveni are happy about the news that the high court of Kampala has summoned New Vision Publications to file its defense in a suit filed on July 23, 2009 against it and its employees by the Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II. The employees are editor-in-chief, Els de Temmerman and reporter Barbara Among. Mmengo should be pleased because the courts appear to be acting expeditiously on their filing. On the other hand, sources close to president Museveni’s state house have told this writer that Uganda’s strong man is relieved and pleased because he was getting intelligence reports that Baganda anger was building and they were starting to look to Mmengo for direction on next steps. And now things are back to his sphere of influence.
On July 11, in a New Vision story titled “Bulange land title held over sh1bn debt”, one Barbara Among reported that Kabaka Mutebi had mortgaged Buganda’s Bulange land title for money he put to personal use. In reaction, a July 20, 2009 the Buganda Lukiiko passed 10 resolutions, including one calling upon Baganda to boycott the New Vision and the Luganda Bukedde, until they apologize to Kabaka Mutebi. Since then Bukedde readership has drastically fallen and there have been reports of people being beaten up or denied services in the counties of Buddu, Ssingo, Kyaggwe, Bulemeezi and elsewhere.
Our New York based analyst warns that, whenever you see Museveni, Nsibambi, Bukenya, Namayanja or Sekandi strongly agree with Mmengo, it is sign that bad news and disappointment for Baganda is on the way. They and several other NRM bigwigs started a campaign to push Mmengo to go to court, after reports of mounting Baganda anger last Tuesday. He adds: “In the broader picture, this kavuyo is about Museveni trying to keep Baganda and Mmengo permanently off balance, in courts, demonstrations, online discussion groups, etc. That way, they cannot get on the same page and create any roadmap for self-determination. Imagine, a few months ago is was the land act, 3 weeks ago the crisis at Mmengo was’ Kampala bamutwaala’. Then came,’ Federo will never come to Buganda’. Now it is ‘Kabaka vs. New Vision foreigners’. This one might last a few weeks and keep several Baganda going to court every day, because I am suspicious that Museveni will use the court environment to bring out a lot of Mmengo dirty linen on land titles, etc. And while we are all glued on this one they will probably pass the law to take Kampala out of Buganda and conclude the sale of Entebbe airport to their partners.”
“It has been this way since the time when Museveni shortchanged Buganda on Federo during constitution making. The question is whether the people in Mmengo are genuinely incapable of seeing Museveni’s Machiavellian tricks or whether some of them are willfully helping him by misleading Kabaka Mutebi. Only weeks ago Katikkiro Walusimbi was taking a check form Museveni to buy bean seeds, which we have not heard about again. Now, over the next few weeks, Kabaka Mutebi, our Ssabasajja will be waiting to hear how a commoner judge, appointed by a foreigner, determines the fate of his ‘complaint’. Which sane Muganda will be able to proudly tell his child that, ‘Kabaka taloopebwa’ anymore?. Museveni must be so happy, because he has Kabaka Mutebi where he wants him, pleading with his (Museveni’s) appointed commoner judges for mercy against those defaming him (Kabaka) in his own kindgom.”
Below is the report which was posted on Mmengo’s official website www.buganda.or.ug.
NEW VISION ORDERED TO SUBMIT ITS DEFENCE
By Ester Nakibuuka
The high court of Kampala has summoned the New Vision Publication to file its defence in a suit filed against it by the Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II for publication of a fabricated defamatory article about him.
The Company has been sued together with its Editor in Chief Els De Temaman and the reporter Barbara Among who wrote the defamatory article that Bulange title deed is being held by a senior cabinet minister in the central government for non payment of debts amounting to over one billion Ugandan shillings.
According to the summons signed by the Kampala high court registrar, Elizabeth Kabanda, the trio have been given 15 days within which to submit their defence.
Through his lawyers Masembe, Makubuya, Adriko, Karugaba and Ssekatawa Advocates, the Kabaka stated that the article published on Sunday the 12th July, 2009 titled “BULANGE TITLE HELD“, was false and malicious against him despite the fact that he has always been held in high esteem as the Kabaka of Buganda and a cultural leader of over 6 million people. He added that the article injured his credibility and reputation in the eyes of right thinking members of his society.
The suit further stated that the published article referred to his majesty Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II because he is the only sitting Kabaka of Buganda, adding that some sections of the article even mentioned his son Prince Crispin Jjunju which made a large number of people who read the article to identified him as the person referred to in the article.
The Kabaka further stated that the article defamed him extremely since it implied that he had betrayed the trust embedded in the office of the Kabaka of Buganda and meant that he is grossly reckless and negligent in his conduct of affairs of the Kingdom as trustee.
The Kabaka stated that the article implied that he is dishonest as portrayed by his use of the Kingdom’s properties in his personal businesses. He added that the article portrayed him as an indebted person who has failed to pay off his debts and therefore in the process of selling off Buganda’s land to unscrupulous people for his personal gains.
In the suit, the Kabaka assured that hearing of the case will help him prove that he has never pledged, mortgaged or otherwise disposed of the certificate of Bulange title deed to any minister in government or to any one at all.
He further sated that the minister being referred to as coming from Sembabule district, Sam Kuteesa has already come out publicly to deny ever lending any money the Kabaka or being in possession of the said title deed.
He also stated that the hearing will help him prove that he has never personally borrowed any money from any other senior cabinet minister and that he has never transferred the titled into the names of Rexba limited, as it was alleged in the article.
The Kabaka stated that the publication had a motive to malice him because all the information in regard to the mentioned land titled is in his possession and went further to explain that if they had bothered to contact him before publishing the defamatory articles, the matter would have been cleared once and for all.
The Kabaka therefore wants court to order the New Vision Publication to retract the defamatory article and publish a front page apology to him as well as to the people of Buganda who were most affected by the story.
He also wants the apology to be published in both English and Luganda and also air special announcements on both the English and Luganda FM stations, owned by the New Vision Publications.
The Kabaka further wants an order from court that the false story be withdrawn from the New Vision website and also be rendered invisible, so that it is not read over and over again.
The Kabaka also wants court to order the New Vision to pay him damages worth his status for damaging his image.
The case will be presided over by Justice Kibuuka Musoke before the high court of Kampala.
July 27th, 2009 at 7:39 am
It is difficult forone to understand why smart lawyers like Makubuya, Mpanga and Lubega would advise Ssabasajja to take this giant risk ate nga boycott zibadde zikola bulungi nnyo.
Problems zaava ku M7 kufuba kwonona Kabaka waffe mbu Alina omululu ggwa sente. Abakulu baffe e mengo babaziza batya okusalawo nti Kabaka bwaloopa abayaaye nga asaba kooti emuwe sente, M7 talabike nga omuluvu?
This is bad door which has been opened. Muno Omulalu Mwogeza Butamanya si mwanayita okutuusa Sbasajja mu kooti za M7? I am afraid that maybe Kabaka Mutebi was not even briefed in detail on the full implications or even whether he gave official approval nti omusango gugende mu kooti za M7. Katulinde naye nze ndi munyivu nnyo.
Awangaale Ssabasajja
David Kasozi
July 27th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Kabaka yakoze kituufu nnyo nnyo, era mu kino abakungu be balaze amagezi age kitalo okuloopa abankuseere abo ba musenze alanda mu makooti gaabwe. Buli abanalinnya mu kooti eyo okwogera ebyo bulabe ku Buganda. Okuva kwaako akakazi ka Temmerman okutuuka ku ka Among. Bugende bulye sente zaabwo zebabusasudde nga bukyasobola. Buli ku ttaka lyafe kwebatumanyirira. Baveeyo bonna naba Rwanyakitara bonna baatule mu nsi ekibi kyetwabakola okubasenza, okubakkiriza okubeera wamu naffe ku ttaka lyaffe. Tewali dirty linen yonna Museveni gyagenda kujjayo nga wano aswaala nokwogera ani amuzaala era yamuzaalira wa. Tetujja kuvunamira bagwiira mu nsi yaffe nga bwetubavunamira ku mawanga. Eno okitegeera nti tuli bagenyi, ewaffe ffe banyinimu, era ffe tutannama. KATI TEWAKYAALI MULALA YENNA KUTANNAMULUKUKA MU NSI YAFFE.
Abantu okuteesa ku internet kintu kirungi nnyo ddala, kubanga kyongedde Abaganda okutegeragana nokussa ekimu. Temugeza kukivumirira. Abantu bagende mu maaso okwogera era nokuteesa. Abaganda tuli bantu bateesa. Kati tewali mulala ayagala kuteesa naffe mu Uganda, tutule tweteese ffeka, TUJJA KUWANGULA. Kubanga Katonda wa mazima. Era yenna amwesiga awangula.
Yye mwaategedde? NRM nga eyita mu Elbert Bogere ne Aloysius Bbaale yaguddewo Website ewagira Museveni nebyakola nga basinziira mu Munich ekyo0mu German. Bagamba baali tebamanyi nti ensi erina potentail!! Naye basaba kati abantu begatte bakozese resources. Kitebeerezebwa ekyo bogera ku OIL nebyobugaga ebirala. Katusubire nti balina obutuuze e German.
July 27th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Mw. oba Muky Mambo,
Nze ndowooza kitufu okugamba nti whenever M7 and his operatives support something about Buganda it is signal nti there is a dirty trick involved. That doesn’t mean that whoever support Kabaka waffe okutandiika okulopaanga eri abakopi aba muntu wa M7.
What I want to know is what you suggest as plan B if Kabaka loses in M7’s courts? Or if wins big and the Munyarwanda starts using the case for propaganda? Aja kutandiika okugamba Abaganda nti buli alina ekizibu tewrwanaako, labira ku example ya Kabaka eyaloopa nafuna bilions.
We need to think soberly about ebintu bya Buganda.
David Kasozi
P.S. Mambo babeera ba Swayiri. Gwe musajja wa Kabaka osibuka wa?
July 27th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Bwaana Kasozi ssebo nange nkulamusizza. Ndi musajja wa Kabaka nnyo eri ndi Mulyannaka. Okudda ku mulamwa, mu buwangwa bwaffe Kabaka tawawabirwa, naye tewali wekigambibwa nti kimugaana yye bwaaba ayagadde okuwaaba. Kisoboka okuba nga ekyo bakirekawo olwa ba jjajja, ne Katonda.
Nga Abaganda tekiteekwa kutukwaatako oba omusango Abarwanyakitara
bagweddiza oba nedda. Ekisooka Obulange tebuli era tebubangako bwa kutunda. Byonna ebyabaawo nebitabaawo tebitukwatako, Obulange bwa Buganda. Buganda ya Baganda. Awo emboozi wekoma. Ebyo byonna byebogera bitwongera bumalirivu mu kulwanirira ebintu bya Buganda. Ekigendererwa kyaabwe kutwawula ku Kabaka waffe , ako akakodyo kabaddira nga boomerang. Abaganda beyongera kwekwaata kitole na kwagala Ssabasajja.
Mukulu Kasozi ggwe ogamba omusango bwebagusinga, oba bwebagamba nti kubanga Kabaka yerwanako nabuli ayagala yerwaneko nga tubawuliriza nga tugendera kweebyo? Nga lwaki bitukwaatako nnyo byebogera? Tetulabye byonna byebafubye okukola okusaanyawo Obuganda? Tetubasubiramu kyonna kirungi, bya bulabe byokka. Bajja kwogera bingi ebibi, kubanga emitima gyaabwe gijjude obukyayi, obujja eri Obuganda. Naye muleke omusango guwozebwe, kyongere okutangaaza embeera zabantu abo. Kubanga wakyaliwo nabatannategeera kabenje Buganda keerimu.
Awangaale Ssabasajja Kabaka wa Buganda.
July 30th, 2009 at 8:21 am
David,
The Baganda have a saying nti “nga tonatta kibe osoka kukikenenya ndusu”. The Baganda, their Kabaka and Kingdom are currently going through pretty much trying times as a consequence of uncalled provocations by the Serwajjaokwotas. The Kabaka of Buganda is pretty much revered by the majority of his subjects largely on account of his exemplary character and poise. He talks far too few words and communicates far too wide even beyond the borders of Uganda.While there is a possibility that M7’s cadre courts and judges could deliver a “Ramathan Magara’s” verdict of “manslaughter” in place of “murder” which was done in broad day light and which he himself did not deny, we [the Baganda]can first explore all legal and peaceful ways of challenging such uncalled for provocations as this one presented by Kabushenga/Teman in their Bukedde/New Vision dailies. From what transpires in the public glare of the cadre courts and judges, we can explore other avenues of getting justice. Abaganda sibasiru nga M7 and his proxies ala Kabushenga etal think. They will be in for a rude shock of their lives!
I don’t also agree with you when you say that Owek. Daudi Mpanga, Owek. Makubuya and Owek. Lubega are “small” lawyers. As a matter of fact, if it were not for the complimentary legal brains and counsel of these and other young lawyers which they loyally render to His Majesty Ssabasajja Muwenda Mutebi II, things would have been worse for Buganda considering that Mengo still has people who still want okulya mululime n’emuluziise.Dig this, David?
Awangaale nnyo Ayi Ssabasajja!
A
July 31st, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Tara,
You made a mistake when reading my post. Owek.Daudi Mpanga, Owek. Makubuya and Owek. Lubega bakoze an invaluable job okutangira abalabbayi ba M7 abaja e Mengo okutunda Obuganda. I called them “smart” lawyers and NOT “small” lawyers. It is because I respect their brains that I was disappointed that they were not able to see or stop (may be they tried) this dangerous precedent of Kabaka okuloopa abakopi abamuwalampa mu kooti za ba namawanga.
By the way nnyumirwa nnyo engeri gyosengekamu ensonga zo ku bya Buganda. Lwaaki togamba Omulongo Nakato nakuwa your own weekly section?
Sabasajja Awangaale!
August 1st, 2009 at 11:41 am
Apologies, David.
I do realise the mix-up of the two words. I also appreciate your commendations for me about my postings. It is indeed the duty of all of us to defend Buganda and our Kabaka with all the resources God endowed us with. Well, I will take your advice with good measure to talk with Mulongo about it. But I still think that I can still continue to contribute towards my nation Buganda with these humble contributions.
Apropos, I have just gathered from on-line news that New Vision has offered an “apology” to His Majesty the Kabaka. But my reading between the lines of this so-called apology is that it has been technically designed and written to give the Kabushengas of that Banana Republic called Uganda an escape route out of the mess they created for themselves. The so-called apology, save for appearing in the New Vision, does neither acknowledge the source of its authorship nor the signature of its originator. It is like a kilokitwara omunaku (anonymous) and not prominently placed to show the seriousness of the matter. I would personally advise our people at Mengo, particularly the legal minds advising our Ssabasajja and the Katikiro, to treat that so-called apology with a pinch of salt. That so-called apology is not at all legally-binding to the authors of the current tensions in Buganda at New Vision and can easily be legally challenged by the very people who are now purpoting to have issued it.
Finally, as events unfold at New Vision, it can be evidently seen that this was a pretty obvious case that the Kabushengas of that dictatorship in Kamapala did not have a case to raise even in the M7’s own cadre courts. And I guess the young legal minds at Mengo could have seen easily through the Kabushenga’s foolish attempts to malign our Kabaka for them to attempt to make a legal case against those hoodlums and s**m**gs. Excuse my French, but I am just so pissed off by those guys down there!!
Awangaale nnyo ayi Ssabasajja Kabaka!
August 1st, 2009 at 11:47 am
Buganda and Baganda folks,
Have you read the following M7’s crazy letter to the Banyoro and his wishes to deliberately settle his Balalo tribesmen from Bunyoro to Bugandaland?? Just read on …
MUSEVENI’S LETTER: Guidance on Banyoro Bafuuriki question
PO/16.34
15TH July, 2008
Copy received Office of the minister of internal affairs
To the Minister in charge of the Presidency
Hon Beatrice Wabudeya, Minister of the Presidency
RE: Guidance on Banyoro Bafuuriki question.
This is to guide you in the tasks you are to handle in the matter of the Banyoro-Bafuriki question in Bunyroro Region. You should, first of all, define the problem. What is the problem? The problem, obviously, is the modus vivendus between the Banyoro and the Bafuriki in terms of land, and political rights.
This is on top of the old problem of the British Colonialists and Mengo sub-imperialists that grabbed land from Banyoro and engaged in a genocide in the region, resulting into the depopulation of the area. This means, essentially, three elements in the problem.
●The land grabbed by the British colonialists and their Mengo-sub imperialists and turned into Mailo land.
●The land currently being occupied by the Bafuruki that was part of the former public land including the forest reserve, beyond the original settlements of Luteete (Rutete) and Kisiita that were promoted by the government without foreseeing the consequences; and
●The resultant threatened political marginalization of the indigenous groups of the area-The Banyoro, the Bagungu, the Bachope, the Baruuli, Banyara, and the Bahiima.
We, the NRM members, being nationalists and panafricanists, cannot undermine our vision and program by associating ourselves with the vulgarized versions of “national integration.”
Genuine national integration must include scrupulous respect of everybody’s rights to the land of their heritage, politics, and culture. To do otherwise, is, actually, to undermine our vision and program. It is to make the threatened groups resent or even resist, legitimately, our invaluable vision. In any situation, we should always ask ourselves “where is justice in this case?” The NRM must always fight of justice –for just causes. I am not, for instance, a monarchist. The area of Ankole, where I come from, is, obviously, thriving without a monarchy. Nevertheless, you remember that I spearheaded the restoration of monarchies in the parts of Uganda that wanted them. This was part of my nationalism and part of my panafricanism eventually.
Therefore, in the case of the Bunyoro Region, it is clear that the Banyoro are legitimately there because that is their origin. The Bafuuriki are also legitimately there because some were settled there by the central government, or, the Late Sir Tito Winyi while others have, subsequently, bought land from the original Bafuuriki, the Banyoro, or the absentee Mengo landlords. If the indigenous Banyoro had not been bled by colonialism and Mengo sub-imperialism, such an infusion of Bafuuriki would not have caused disequilibrium.
The Ankole-Mpororo area (Ankole, Rukungiri and Kanungu) is such an example. There, the Bafuuriki were settled in the amahamba (unoccupied wilderness) but the indigenous population remained in the core part of the area in large numbers. The Bafuuriki in such cases are, actually, an advantage for the areas. There can only be some minor problems like those affecting the Banyabutumbi a sub-group of the Banyakore Bahororo that used to live in Imaramagambo forest. The issues of such groups should also be addressed in a conscious way using administrative actions before they become radicalized.
The vulgarized version of integration goes like this: “We are Ugandans and we all have equal inherent rights in all parts of Uganda”-right to property, all political rights such as competing for political offices. That is correct as long as you ensure that in exercise of those inherent rights, you do not fundamentally damage the legitimate inherent rights of others- especially of those indigenous to the area. If that happens, the central government must come in to regulate the enjoyment of the inherent rights of the respective groups so that disequilibrium does not develop or become entrenched.
To throw more light on the incorrectness of the vulgarized version of integration, I would like to pose some few questions.
(i) If the Bafuuriki dominate political space in the area to which they migrated, where do the indigenous people of the area find another political space?
(ii) If the Bafuuriki were more nationalistic, why could they not find some person among the indigenous people and vote for them?
(iii) Can some people from indigenous groups successfully compete, politically in the areas of origin of the Bafuuriki? If not, is this not unequal relationship?
(iv) Suppose we were to infuse 100,000 Bafuuriki into Acholi or Karamoja, what would be the reaction? If the Acholis and Karamajongs were to react violently, would it mean that they are not Ugandan enough or would it be that the policy was wrong?
Horizontal rural migration by peasants after they have exhausted land in one area is not a progressive way of creating national integration. The more correct way is vertical migration, from the farm to the factory. That is why the factories should be detribalization centres through the use of Swahili on the work site.
Some people confuse normal individual migration with the mass insertion of big groups into an already enfeebled population on account of history. These are easy to distinguish from what we are talking about in Bunyoro. In 1955 the Banyankore (through their Ishengero) elected Hon. Kapa an immigrant from Rwanda as their first MP along with Hon. Katiti. This was positive and, besides, Kapa was a munyakorenised mufuuriki. He was, therefore, capable of defending the multidimentional interests of the Banyakore groups that is economic, political and cultural. Is this not different from a situation where two significant but different cultural groups are precipitately juxtaposed with each other? Is the situation in Bunyoro unique or otherwise?
Having thought about all this for a long time, I am proposing the following principles to be part of the solutions.
1. Ring-fencing the LC 5 positions in the whole of Bunyoro region for the indigenous people; and also ring-fencing the sub-county leadership in the whole of Bunyoro.
2. Ring-fencing the positions of Member of Parliament in the whole of Bunyoro region for the indeginous people except for the special constituencies created around Rutete (Lutete) and Kisita resettlement schemes. Number and two will in the spirit of article of 9 and article 10 of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda. They were also envisaged by article 32 of the constitution of Uganda which talked about affirmative action in favour of marginalized groups by reason of history or otherwise for the purpose of redressing imbalances that exist against them.
3. All the indigenous people that were on the Mailo land in 1964 should be granted ownership and the absentee landlords should leave the land. All the indeginous people that have been on public land should get titles ownership of that land. The Bafuuriki in the settlement schemes already have their land and should get titles if they do not have them. The Bafuuriki who bought land legally should have their rights recognized.
4. All the illegal encroachers in forest reserves should be evicted without compensation as the normadic cattle keepers of Buliisa are being settled in Buganda.
5. The towns and trading centre should be exempted from these affirmative action measures. They should be free for all Ugandans. This is the healthy integration. The totally integrated Uganda should have its nucleus in the urban centers, factories, the hotels, the shops, the real estate etc. in oreder to promote healthy integration, industrialization should be promoted to pull redundant population from rural areas to the urban areas. Here there should be no regulation beyond ensuring that the workers are Ugandans.
6. The indigenous people who get land should be prohibited from selling the land for 20years and also leasing it.
7. A program of sensitising the Banyoro and Bafuuriki should be promoted.
8. Government should have a special program for developing Bunyoro using money provided by the central government including the British funds.
9. Finally there should a sunset clause to terminate or cause a review of this policy after 20years.
All this is a consequence of the colonial policies also supported by the traditional chiefs like of Mengo in Uganda, of discouraging the use of Swahili as a national language. If the people of Bunyoro-the Banyoro or the Bafuuriki were using Swahili, their differences would be submerged. It is the use of vernacular that provokes, in part, these contradictions. I like the indeginous languages, in fact I am about to complete a dictionary in Runyakore-Rukiga. However, I see these vanaculars not as an end in themselves. I see them as a source of enriching Swahili. That is why NRM promotes Swahili. We included it in the constitution; we use it in the army etc.
The committee, should, therefore, look at the principles I have mentioned above and see them work. You should also identify any other problems that I have not identified and propose solutions. You should propose any solutions you feel are useful in the areas for which I have suggested solutions.
Yoweri K. Museveni.
President
Copied to VP, PM, all Members of Cabinet Subcommittee of Bunyoro Issues, Head of public service, P.S/ Office of the President. The letter was read of the radio. So you can imagine what is going to happen in Kibaale; a possible genocide like Rwanda. 6 pages.