According to the email, the land in dispute is about 300 acres big and is owned by daughter of a former Buganda minister of finance (Omuwanika), Amos Kalule Sempa. Her names are Nakitto Sempa, her brother Rodnie Sempa and and other siblings who live in the United Kingdom. The villagers who live on the land are insist that Ms. Sempa and her brothers have never sold their land but some one in Kampala is manipulating the title that some wealthy Banyankore want can add it to their vast land grabs on Masaka Road. The villagers urgently want Ms. Nakitto and her siblings to do what their father would have done.  Defend their property and Buganda from being destroyed by arrogant Banyankore.

The email includes some strong political allegations: “The St. Lawrence schools which most people think as owned by Mukiibi are in fact property of wealth Balaalo who rule Uganda. Mukiibi is only a partner/manager and he does not even control how many Banyankore and Banyarwanda children are admitted. He is not even told when stolen O-Level and A-Level exam answers are shown to Balaalo children to help cheat in exams. Now they need a university to add to Mukiibi’s schools on Masaka Road because although they own Kampala International University, it is not secure for Balaalo and Banyarwanda children in case of and uprising.”

If you know Ms. Nakitto Sempa or anyone of her siblings, relatives or friends in the United Kindgom please draw her attention to this story. She can also contact this writer at info@bugandapost.com.

Traditionally, Buganda is divided into 18 counties or masaza: Buddu,  Bugerere, Bulemeezi, Buluuli, Busiro, Busujju, Butambala, Buvuma, Buweekula, Gomba,  Kabula, Kooki, Kyaddondo, Kyaggwe, Mawogola, Mawokota, Ssese, Ssingo. Each ssaza is then divided into a variable number of sub-counties or gombolola(s) and each gombolola is then divided into parishes called miluka (singular: muluka). Two or more villages make up on muluka. In his wisdom, Kabaka Mutebi has over the last 15 years given the reestablishment and strengthening of Buganda’s administrative institutions a very high priority.

The purpose of this and other similar articles which will follow is to educate our readers about the great counties of Buganda and to showcase the huge success that Kabaka Mutebi and his officials at Mmengo have achieved in their reestablishment. Kabaka Mutebi has appointed hundreds of chiefs to the various official positions and many have been operational for years. As many as possible will be identified.

Kyadondo is the most central of all Buganda’s 18 counties. Mmengo, Kampala, Lubiri, Kasubi Tombs, Kireka and Banda are all in Kyadondo. Also in Kyadondo are Ntinda, Luzira, Bweyogere, Muyenga, Gayaza, Kiwenda, Kawempe, Nateete, Kagoma, Matugga, Namulonge, Kyambogo.

VITAL STATISTICS

Leadership
Chief’s Title: Kaggo
Current Chief: Tofiri Malokweza
Deputy Kaggo in Charge of Kampala (Kibuga): Hajji Badru Bunkeddeko
Deputy Kaggo, General: Walusimbi Ssengendo

Headquarters
Kasangati – about 14 Kilometers (nearly 9 miles) on Kampala/Gayaza Road.
Contact: 0752-732571

Bordering Counties
Busiro (South, West and North), Bulemezi (North), Kyaggwe (East)

Gombolola Information

Next to come will be Kyaggwe county. Send comments or questions to info@bugandapost.com.

]]> http://www.bugandapost.com/main/archives/250/feed 3 http://www.bugandapost.com/main/archives/211 http://www.bugandapost.com/main/archives/211#comments Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:31:41 +0000 Special Reporter http://www.bugandapost.com/main/?p=211 Under international law, an agreement is legal only if the associated transaction is legal. On Tuesday October 28, 2008, President Mwai Kibaki dragged Kenya into Museveni’s long illegal campaign to give away Buganda land without authorization from Parliament, City Council or Baganda. Kibaki and Museveni signed a protocol that would give the Kitante Courts land on Yusuf Lule Avenue to the Republic of Kenya. However a prominent Ugandan historian told us that the public land in Mulago area, including the piece that Museveni gave away to Kenya, is owned by Buganda and only under lease to Kampala City Council, according to agreements made in the 1950s and before. The Kitante Courts land is currently occupied by President Museveni’s notorious and dreaded Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) organization.

If Kenya takes up Museveni’s offer, then she will be joining what many Baganda believe to be Mr. Museveni’s conspiracy to import and offer stolen Buganda land to so many foreigners that Baganda are overwhelmed and rendered too weak to fight back. Only last year, Museveni tried to take the Kitante Courts land for himself and his family by gifting it to one of his closest business associates, Sudhir Ruparelia but he dropped the transaction after it became too controversial. Mr. Museveni not only insists that Kampala is not part of Buganda but he is also pushing plans to expand it by at least 5 times in area.

A Muganda international law expert that we contacted explained that the legality of this transaction is tricky but it also smells corruption. “The smart thing for Buganda and others who may have an interest in this land to do would be to publicly register their opposition to the transaction. In particular they should petition the Kenyan government to desist from concluding this transaction ‘because the involved is stolen native lands’. And copies should be given to the UN Secretary General, members of the UN Security Council, Tanzania, etc. The question is, do Walusimbi and Makubuya have the spine to risk annoying Museveni?”

Kenya and Uganda are among the most corrupt countries in the world, according to Transparency International. Both Mwai Kibaki and Yoweri Museveni remain presidents in their respective countries thanks to massive election fraud that was proven in courts of law. And the presidents of the two countries, especially Uganda, are known to be surrounded by legendary corrupt officials. In Uganda, Mr. Museveni’s closest confidant, Patrick Amama Mbabazi is in the middle of a special investigation by Parliament where overwhelming evidence has emerged that he illegally sold his land to Uganda’s National Social Security fund so he could strengthen his own personal bank. Yes, his personal bank where his partners include the Governor of Uganda’s central bank Tumusiime Mutebire and the minister of finance Ezra Suruma.

There are not enough details on Museveni’s Kenya land giveaway yet to indicate if Mr. Museveni and Mr. Kibaki will personally benefit from the multimillion dollar transaction. It is also not clear if Kenya’s Prime Minister, Oginga Odinga, known to be friendly to Buganda, supports the controversial deal despite its potential to alienate Baganda round the world.

Kenya’s Government can be reached via the following government officials: gowuor@mfa.go.ke  or mnyambura@mfa.go.ke or jbahemuka@mfa.go.ke. or kenrep@mweb.co.za.

Andrew Kasirye is a principal in Kasirye and Byaruhanga, Advocates. His company made its name in the hey days of huge real estate transactions where President Museveni’s government was supposed to be returning properties that Idi Amin’s government illegally confiscated from Asians in 1972. At the time, many of Kampala’s most prominent lawyers today were accused of conniving with a few Asian crooks to fraudulently take ownership of buildings where Idi Amin’s government had already paid compensation.

The Uganda Law Council is responsible, among other things, for the  general supervision and control over legal practice and education in Uganda. It  was established under the Advocates Act in 1970. Its Disciplinary Committee, which is expected to hear the complaint against Kasirye, is responsible for disciplinary control over advocates and their clerks. The Council has, however, built itself a reputation of corruption because it occasionally bends to political pressure from the Uganda in obvious ways.

Nambooze made the remarks last Tuesday on the weekly CBS Radio FM talk show program Kiriza oba Gaana (Agree or Disagree). Earlier this week Buganda Post carried an exclusive report about the financial challenges the Nambooze and her committee were facing in continuing their work. During Kiriza oba Gaana, Nambooze said that they had made the tactical withdraw to give the Government campaign to sell the Land Act amendments fail by itself. She said (our translation), “We have given the other side a chance to sell their story but most people can see, no one is buying. So we are coming back soon to bring the truth to you again, and teach you what it really going on.”

Nambooze’s statements came only days after similar declarations by another Buganda official who was kidnapped and kept in captivity in August, 2008, Medard Lubega Sseggona (Lubega Sseggona Vows To Keep Fighting for Buganda). It is still not clear if there is any connection between the statements by the two popular Buganda rights advocates and the evidence that CBS Radio management is taking its orders from President Museveni’s government.

About a month earlier CBS Radio management and Katikkiro Walusimbi tried to discontinue Betty Nambooze’s programs, only to be stopped by Ssabasajja Kabaka himself. More recently, CBS management caved to the demands of Museveni’s minister, Amama Mbabazi, and refused to air live a program where his political opponents Jim Muhweezi and Kahinda Otafiire were to appear on September 28, 2008. Katikkiro Walusimbi has even appointed a special “internal censor” of CBS programs, Cambridge University trained Haj. Mustafa Mutyaba, to make sure that Mr. Museveni’s expectations are generally met by what is broadcast.

On August 6, 2008 Mr. Museveni’s government kidnapped Nambooze, together with Peter Mayiga, Buganda Minister of Information and Lubega Sseggona, Buganda Deputy Minister of Information. The three were illegally held for nearly a week until a judge ruled the detention to be illegal captivity. Originally the government claimed that the trio, together with others, had plotted to prosecute war against Uganda but when take to court, they were only charged with sedition.

According to the sources that this reporter spoke to, “Once it became clear that  Kabaka Mutebi  was on the side of the younger and more nationalistic Baganda in Mmengo, the Katikkiro and his supporters decided that the only way to fight against Mutebi was, quietly, through the Kingdom budget. And over the last 6 weeks they have refused to fund, and all but killed, the activities of  Kabaka Mutebi’s Central Civic Committee. The reality is that, so long as Nambooze and her committee depend on Mmengo for their fuel and other expenses they better stop wasting their time.

In a related develolpment, we can report that Mr. Museveni’s government still hasn’t fully paid Katikkiro Walusimbi’s company for work done on his state house in preparation for the Kampala Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (CHOGOM).

The NSSF contracted Geomap Surveyors to survey the land prior to completing the deal. Musungu informed the committee that after surveying the land, he had warned the NSSF that the land was mostly a swamp. However, according to him, NSSF officials told him that the swamp and marsh was OK since they could serve as a green belt in their housing projects.

The controversial land sale by Nzeyi and Mbabazi to NSSF is under investigation by parliament because of allegations that it was rife with corruption and influence peddling, especially by influential Banyarwanda and Bakiga government officials. Mbabazi is a Mukiga from Rukungiri in Kigezi. According to the evidence presented so far, bidding for the land was not open, thus violating the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDA) law. Ezra Suruma, another Mukiga, Minister of Finance and co-owner of a commercial bank with Mbabazi, is reported to have authorized suspension of the PPDA law.  A government valuer also reported claims that the land was grossly overvalued, especially since much of it is swamp and marshes.

In another twist, President Museveni jumped into the fray earlier this week. Museveni intervened to support Amos Nzeyi, referring to him as a private businessman who cannot be blamed for simply selling his property. One Kampala political analyst sees Museveni’s support for Nzeyi expected in these times of unlimited government arrogance. He told this reporter, “Museveni and Nzeyi go way back over 10 years when they worked together to cheat Ugandan share holder in the Pepsi Cola bottling company and take it over without investing anything. On that, add the fact that he is a Munyarwanda.”

Military strongman and Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura has created a special police unit to protect bibanja-holders (tenants) from alleged unlawful evictions by landlords. The unit will be under the police’s legal department and based at Central Police Station (CPS). According to the Major General, who has no training in police work, “When we get information that people somewhere are threatened with eviction, we go there to protect them. We have prevented several evictions in various parts of the country.”

The bibanja-holders protection unit has been created in the wake of an apparent failure by President Museveni to create a movement of bibanja-holders’ associations around the country. On July 12, 2008 Mr. Museveni launched the Jagala Kavule Bibanja Holders (Tenants) Association in. However, thanks to a furious education campaign by Betty Nambooze, Mr. Museveni’s effort failed to take off. Since a majority of evictions are known to be carried out by senior Uganda government officials, high ranking army officers, and so called balalo (pastoralists) it is not clear what the new unit’s primary function will be.

At the beginning of August, Amama Mbabazi told The Independent magazine that he and Nzeyi sold land to NSSF to generate funds for buying out partners in the National Bank of Commerce, formally named Kigezi National Bank. Banking sources have told Buganda Post that the NSSF land sale was motivated by two major objectives. First, they wanted to take their money out of Buganda land because they are convinced that it is becoming too risky as the stand-off between the Kabaka and Museveni continues. Making a tidy profit through the NSSF deal was only a bonus. Secondly, they wanted to eliminate Kenyan and other untrusted shareholders so they can maintain maximum secrecy over who keeps money in their bank.

The National Bank of Commerce was originally called the Kigezi National Bank. It was started in the mid-1990s, when large scale money laundering and big stake corruption was taking root in Uganda. The initial investors in Kigezi National Bank included Ruhukana Rugunda, Tumusiime Mutebire (Bank of Uganda Governor), Amos Nzeyi, Sam Kuteesa, and others. Members of the banking community allege that for over five years, Kigezi National Bank has served as a vehicle for the owners and their friends to launder Congo and other ill gotten funds until around the year 2000 when they took on Kenyan partners and renamed it National Bank of Commerce. Total secrecy about the customers and transactions at National Bank of Commerce will give Mbabazi and his partners maximum flexibility to clean and legally move their massive wealth, including outside Uganda, without detection.

Mbabazi and Nzeyi are not the only wealthy Banyankore and Rwandese who are holding back on or exiting land investments in Buganda. Based on transactions at the Uganda Land Office, overall purchases of Buganda land by Banyankore, Bakiga and Banyarwanda have drastically fallen off since 2006.

The Public Accounts Committee had heard evidence that residents of the disputed land were contesting Mr. Museveni’s claim of ownership, charging that it was a ploy to defraud them of their communal grazing land. And that they had already petitioned the district land tribunal which had given them a favorable ruling against President Museveni. The chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Nandala Mafabi, said, “It is improper for State House to pursue this land, yet President Museveni is supposed to be fighting for the landless. This land should be left to the local people since the government’s job is to empower them to benefit so Bonna Bagagawale (prosperity for all) by using land as a means of production.”

The land dispute between State House and poor Banyoro peasants comes at a time when President Museveni appears determined to enact Land Act amendments which he claims will protect squatters from eviction by land lords. Political analysts in Kampala explain this contradiction by pointing out that the contested land is located in Buhanguzi County, close to the Albertine Valley where evidence of significant oil deposits were first discovered in geological surveys dated as early as the 1970s.