A New Jersey Muganda resident and United States citizen sent us an email on November 4, 2009, proposing a pledge of allegiance for Baganda all over world. The email says: “No question about it, the Kabaka and his subjects in Buganda are in captivity today. Buganda is in a constant state of emergency. Since we are under constant attack by the enemy, it is time for every loyal Muganda to openly declare their full allegiance to the Kabaka and our other institutions. And for those who have their allegiance elsewhere, like Nsibambi or Bukenya or Sekandi, to be officially exposed.”
The Muganda explained that: “Having a simple pledge like this, which even school children and old people can recite every day shall help us to stay on focus until our nation is rescued.”
Below is the text of proposed Buganda Pledge of Allegiance . The author admits that it is about 90% based on the United States pledge of allegiance . He also hopes that Buganda Post readers who know good Luganda can properly translate the pledge to Buganda’s national language and suggest changes.
BUGANDA PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
I pledge allegiance to the institution of Kabaka, the Baganda clans, and the Buganda Kingdom for which they stand, one nation, indivisible, under God, with liberty and justice for all.
[Editor: Please include any suggested changes or translations in comments under this story.]
November 7th, 2009 at 4:17 am
Great idea, folks!
I had personally already began a tradition of reciting a similar oath of allegiance by all members of my homestead before every breakfast and bed time!
Awaangaale nnyo Baffe Cuucu Ssabasajja Kabaka Muwenda Mutebi II!
November 8th, 2009 at 8:46 am
First of all, what is a pledge of Allegiance?
The Pledge of Allegiance to the United States is an oath of loyalty to the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Francis Bellamy in 1892. The Pledge has been modified four times since then, with the most recent change adding the words “under God” in 1954. The Pledge is predominantly sworn by children in public schools in response to state laws requiring the Pledge to be offered. Congressional sessions open with the swearing of the Pledge, as do government meetings at local levels, meetings held by the Boy Scouts of America, and some sporting events.
The current version of the Pledge of Allegiance reads:
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands: one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
According to the United States Flag Code, the Pledge “should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform men should remove any non-religious headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.”
We come from a very wise stock. Seems like everything we think of today as concerns out nation, has been well thought of hundreds of years before. If only we’d been applying all these traditions, they were meant to guard our nation from situations like we find ourself into in this era. That’s why invaders and successive occupying powers and their puppets have done a good job to try make our people forget who they are and where they are coming from. In so doing, they’d lose sense of direction, and then these wicked would carry us away in an ending captivity.
Listen to Semakula’s song, Njagala nyimbire Omutanda, there is a pledge of allegiance in there. “Waligwa Wendigwa” or like somesay it’s supposed to be “Wendigwa Waligwa” is part of that pledge of alliance. Like Mpagi wrote, in the old days part of the morning and evening greeting were a pledge of allegiance e.g(Katonda N’Obuganda Omwoyo Gumu N’Emeeme Emu)- Which is also the motto of Buganda. And finally that’s what “okulanya” – citing ones ancestral line is about! Except maybe we coud talk about shortening it and making it more suitable for general occassions. Then we could just take the lat few sentences and make someting like this;
Ndi Muganda Kaswa, ayagala ennyo era Omuwulize eri Obuganda. Ndi Musajja (Muzaana) wa Kabaka ddala. Awangaale Ssabaasajja Kabaka alamule Obuganda ne Nabageraka agerekere Obuganda.
November 8th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Ssebo Mambo,
I think that you have your facts together. I am not very young and I know you are very correct about our earlier pledges of allegiance like “Woligwa Wendigwa” or even the kulanya. Also, as you say the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States is an oath of loyalty to the republic of the United States of America.
Yes, we come from a very wise stock. The problem we face is that despite our wisdom and long history that includes pledges, a bunch of Balaalo have messed us up so much that they can even stop our Kabaka from travelling within his own kingdom.
Staying on the subject of the allegiance, I think that our older versions are too weak and imprecise to deal with the current situation. Your proposal is a significant improvement. However, it still reads like something even a traitor like Bukenya or Nsibambi would be happy to recite with his right hand on his heart. Because it focuses on self-praise/identification, followed by well wishes (not even loyalty) to Kabaka and Nnabagereka.
I am still studying what the New Jersey no-name suggested but I like that it is a clear “oath”. The fact that it copies the USA is not a big deal to me because we cannot afford to reinvent wheels. Remember that America had over 100 years of experience of being ruled under oppressive laws. By the way, even the Federo we are fighting and dying for is 100% a foreign idea which the British imported from USA and Switzerland and imposed on Buganda in 1962. And it failed in 1966 only after less than 4 years in operation.
Once again, webale nnyo ekiteeso kyo. Nze nange neyama okuleeta ekyange mu nnaku ntono. Nkayagala kulaba bewkisoma mu English ne mu Luganda.
Awangaale Ssabasaja!
Kasozi