Samwiri Mukasa
Buganda Nationalist
USA
I found the arrogance in Mr. Museveni’s “Guidance to Banyoro Bafuruki question” letter, posted in Buganda Post on August 1, 2009, unacceptable. Click on “Tired, Drowning Museveni Blames Baganda For Bunyoro Land Violence” to see the letter. I cannot understand how a man who became president on the backs of Baganda can go so far in abusing us and our Kabaka. I had to do something about it. My late father used to tell us that, if you want deal with a stone-throwing mad man, throw a few rocks at him too. So, I chose to throw my own 9 so called principles at Museveni, blow by blow, here on Buganda Post. Mr. Museveni’s “stones” (poor spelling is his) are shown in regular text and my “rocks” in bold.
Guidance on Baganda vs Guidance on Banyoro
Having thought about all this for a long time, I am proposing the following principles to be part of the solutions.
After reading president Museveni’s letter and thinking about it for a short 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.
1. Ring-fencing all politics in the Kingdom of Buganda for native Baganda people (the Bataka and appropriate community leaders will sort out the details of how to put Baluuri, Banyala, Bakenyi and even certain Bajjwa on the path to full recognition as citizens of Buganda, and integrating some of their unique customary practices in Baganda culture)
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.
2. Abolishing the bogus 1995 Museveni Constitution since it is a “weapon of Buganda occupation”. Over 90% of Buganda’s people publically protested it because they preferred a federal form of government and Mr. Museveni responded with threats to use force. The same happened in 1998 when Baganda demonstrated against the Land Act; Mr. Museveni threaten to start a new guerrilla war. Even more importantly, our Kabaka has publically stated, “Tuli mu buwambe” (”we under occupation”) – the Kabaka cannot lie!
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.
3. All Baganda who, in 1986, were on land that was later acquired irregularly by non-Baganda (using stolen government funds, drug money, laundered funds, land grabbing, etc.) shall be granted ownership and titles. Proof of income and tax records will be required to support claims of legal acquisition by the non-Baganda. Anyone who bought stolen property (abaagula ebibbe) will automatically lose it as required by ancient Buganda Laws.
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.
4. All the illegal encroachers in forest reserves, wetlands and cultural sites shall be evicted without compensation and the nomadic cattle keepers will be repatriated to their home countries, using Tanzania’s successful experience as a model.
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.
5. Land ownership by genuine non-Baganda investors and residents will follow international norms, using countries like Japan, Korea and Israel as models. There will be a limit to the amount of land these non-Baganda investors and residents may own outside urban areas – to be set by the Great Lukiiko.
6. The indigenous people who get land should be prohibited from selling the land for 20years and also leasing it.
6. The indigenous people who get land shall be free to sell their land to other Buganda or to non-Baganda through Buganda Land Board and according to the laws governing Buganda land.
7. A program of sensitising the Banyoro and Bafuuriki should be promoted.
7. A program of sensitizing all Baganda and residents of Buganda about the historical and cultural importance we put on our land and environment shall be promoted.
8. Government should have a special program for developing Bunyoro using money provided by the central government including the British funds.
8. Ssabasajja Kabaka’s Government shall have a comprehensive strategy and several programs to develop the kingdom’s people at a rapid rate, relying on the resources of Kabaka’s people all over the world – Kabaka does not “beg”.
9. Finally there should a sunset clause to terminate or cause a review of this policy after 20years.
9. Finally, there is no sunset clause to terminate or reduce the rights of Baganda to determine how their God given land in the 18 counties shall be administered.
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.
All this is a consequence of failure on our part, the Baganda, to recognize that Uganda has needed us way much more than we did. And, that the relationship is now irreparable, especially since Uganda is a certified failed state, run by common thieves. How would one otherwise explain why the president’s office cannot not use an English spell-checker on Mr. Museveni’s letter?
Awangaale Ssabasajja!
Samwiri Mukasa
August 6th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Bwana Mukasa,
It is not only Baganda who are tired. Do you think the Bakiga or even the Banyoro are not victims? In any case, what if you are throwing the rocks and we innocent Banyankore get hit? Mind you some of us are with your Kabaka and Federo interests so long as they don’t take back to 1966.
Finally, it unfair to call us Banyamawanga. Many of us came to Buganda very young. Also many of us like Kuteesa, Mbiire and Bitatule have taken seriuos “makula” to His Majesty. So you also need us in little.
Please drop this tone otherwise banji tujja kutegeera Abaganda mwagala kutugoba. Federo gymukabla tebeela mu trouble?
JM
August 7th, 2009 at 2:57 am
Musinguzi,
I guess you need to get your facts right and stop applying your hopeless old-styled Chakamuchaka Siasa of the NRM tribalism. Buganda as a nation and Kingdom has not just began with your NRM and Museveni in 1986. It has been here for the last 800+ years. Buganda’s expansion to the size and might it had up to the dawn of colonialism was not as a result of the M7-type of exclusionist and tribalistic politics but rather on account of its inclusive political theory and practice. That is why we the Baganda have a saying to the effect that as long as your father is a Muganda, it does not matter which ‘tribe’ or nationality your mother comes from. The other norm and practice is to the effect that as long as a non- Muganda respects the norms, traditions and culture of the Baganda, whether one is a Muhindi, Mzungu, Munyarwanda, Munyankole, etecetra, a Muganda will warmly welcome you with all the hospitality you will deserve. That has been the practice in our great civilization and it continues to be so. It is only recently during this M7’s most horrifying trabalsitic militaty regime that we have began to hear crazy and idle talk from him that some Baganda are not actually Baganda but Banyara, Bakooki, Baruuli, etecetra!!!!!! This is sheer madness of the highest degree!! It is this dangerous tribalistic profiling of Ugandans from within their own nationalities and other areas of their social and professional lives that we have continued to witness unprecedented tribalism in the army, police, ISO, ESO, U.R.A, just name it, being unashemadely practiced by M7 and his cabal of fellow tribal politicians in the NRM that we get to hear that some people in Bunyoro are called “Bafuruki” and are,therefore,not supposed to stand for any competitive political office in Bunyoro. Kati naffe e Buganda tutandike okuboola all non-Buganda from holding any elective office?? Is that what you are implicitly saying?? Kati SSebo Mukulu Musinguzi, do you want to tell us that it is the Baganda who wrote that most horrifying tribalistic letter from your M7 friend on his behalf?
Secondly, I do not know how old you are, which in itself is not a big deal since you are able to read facts on record regarding Buganda’s first experience with Federo in the 60s. Ssebo, is anywhere recorded that during Buganda’s Federo exepience in the 60s, Baganda discriminated against non-Baganda?? If not, why then do you want to smear Buganda’s indelible mark of great civilization in all areas of its peoples lives that when the Baganda get Federo the 2nd time, they will kugoba non-Baganda from Buganda Kingdom?? That is really cheap and lousy talk, bwana Musinguzi. If you guys have the Bahiima vs. Bayiru/Tutsi vs. Hutu type of politics in your areas of origin, please do not bring it here into Buganda because that type of primitive politics is really long antiquated as far as Buganda is concerned.Matter of fact, that kind of primitive politics has never been here; the more reason many Baganda supported M7 a non-Muganda to wage his bush war in Buganda whereas many of the Banyankole who are praise-singing and bootlicking M7 disowned him in the 80s.
Thirdly, it is good to know that you and your other fellows you have mentioned in your posting take to His Majesty the Kabaka “Amakula”! But the one thing you guys should also learn from the Baganda is that while that be the case, it is abominable for anyone who donates to His Majesty the Kabaka to go around bragging about it. Obwo buba bukopi, Ssebo! Kabaka yenannyini nsi eyitibwa Buganda and so you do not have to go around telling people how you have donated to the Kabaka this or that cow, goat, etecetra. Again, even if you donated to the Kabaka one million cows from Ankole or wherever, it becomes meaningless if you began to disrepect/undermine him or his people on account of the fact that you have made a big donation to him or his people.
Finally, how comes that when you guys call us Baganda we do not get offended but when we call you Banyankole, Bakiiga, Balalo, Banyarwanda, etecetra, you get offended??? I just do not understand this!!! Is it a reflection of an identity crisis or what??? Are you also aware that you guys also have equivalent terms of “Banamawanga = people of other nationalities/non-Baganda” in Ankole, Bunyoro, etectra for the Baganda?? How come the Baganda do not take issue that??? Is “Bafuruki” a Luganda term for non-Baganda??? Cheap shot, huh???
Awangaale nnyo Ayi Ssabasajja Kabaka, Cucu, Musota, Nyanja Temanyirwa!
August 7th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Oh, how I love both Mukasa and Busagwa! Brilliant pieces you both guys posted!!!! See, when you are a sheep and live amongst wolves, you need to turn into a wolve in order to survive. The Baganda have for long been taken for granted by Mw. Museveni thinking that they were god damn daft! But with that secterian letter from Mr. Museveni coming on the heels of his secterian schemes in Buganda Kingdom with Kabaka’s subjects in Buruuli and Bugerere, I do not think that the Baganda’s approach to politics and relations with other Ugandan nationalities will remain the same. It is really sad that the man whom the Baganda sacrificed so much for in terms of trheir own blood, flesh and property was all along fake; that he was a vitrolic bigot and tribalist. We just pray to God that Mr. Museveni’s political and military schemes do not bring Ugandans at the threshold of an Intarehamwe genocide. God forbid!
Tukwagala nyo Kitaffe Ssabasajja Kabaka!
August 13th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
I think you have all missed the point.
1. This is not tribal this is politics.
2. M7 always used smokescreens when he is up to something.
3. When you look at yourselves in terms of tribes, you play his game. NOONE can be a mufuruki in their own country.
4. Every tribe has its past and we were all victims of some kind of brutality
So what is it you are missing?
1. M7 always gets us to butt our heads together when he has not concrete-ized his plan.
2. He comes in to bring you together when it is already too late.
3. By that time, NRM is left with a “we have no choice” situation.All other parties honestly just don’t make the big leagues.
4. All leaders are at each others throats because he has engineered it in such a way where the general public just has to stop and say “Boy do we have useless leaders”
Have you ever stopped to think about all these stories and who benefits from all of them? ID card scam, Nakku, Mafia, Temangalo, Rexba etc and always one saviour?
5.The sun HAS set on all kingdoms and actually with the high baby rates M7 goes not need Buganda. There are only 200,000 voter difference with Western Uganda.Northern will never combine with Buganda. Eastern go with the stronger candidate.
6. People are too suspicious of FDC and always remember the hammer.
7. A NATION DIVIDED CAN NOT STAND.
He is playing you all and unless you wake up out of this tribal stupor, he is all but set to be President in 2011.
Hahaha, you are all a laughable lot. I see the “holy” people with fake degrees and Gucci shoes bought out of GAVI money standing at the pulpit, using 380 thread count handkerchiefs bought from your taxes swearing in.
Will you still see yourselves in your tiny-winy tribes?