According to a Boston based improvised radio station, using multimedia SMS messages to broadcast, Kabaka Mutebi will shortly travel to South Africa on November 10, 2009, to visit his subject Betty Nambooze. The SMS broadcast, which one of our readers downloaded and emailed to us, carries the “Ekiba Kibe Program”, presented by Robert Kabuye. In a charismatic brave voice Kabuye first announces that Betty Nambooze is in terrible medical shape and appears to face certain death. Apparently, because “her intestines fast disintegrating.” Kabuye repeats what Nambooze has said for years now, that Museveni’s security people injected her with some suspicious chemical when she was in police custody.

Also in the SMS Kabuye, who keeps saying “Museveni must go” throughout his broadcast, claims that Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi will travel to South Africa on Tuesday this week, to visit Betty Nambooze Bakireke. We have not been able to independently confirm if Nambooze is facing certain death or whether Ssabasajja will indeed travel as Mr. Kabuye says. Click on this link Ekibakibe_09Sep09A.wav to listen to Mr. Kabuye.

Mr. Kabuye has made himself a name as a very effective communicator, who has mastered the multi-media SMS technology. His messages get to hundreds of Bagadna phones in the USA, Europe, Uganda and other countries. Sources also tell us that Mr. Kabuye is a very strong supporter of Frank Musisi, the former UNAA president. Indeed he intially started his SMS radio to campaign for Musisi when he was running for UNAA president. The same sources tell us that Mr. Kabuye’s energy and excellent communication skills also did a lot to get over 300 to attended the recent Emergency Buganda  Conference, organized by John Mayanja (see “Resolutions of the Buganda Emergency Meeting in Boston on October 17, 2009‏”).

In another related story, the people of Buganda were gripped by anxiety, anger and despair over the weekend after rumors spread by text messages that Betty Nambooze had died. Our source in Kayembe, near Nakasero market, told this writer: “The situation was tense and we feared that if the rumors got confirmed, anything could explode. The problem is that one could not tell where the rumor started. And because of the CBS Radio shut down we did not know who to listen to. Now, we have gotten to know that in fact the rumor was intentionally spread by ISO on instructions from Museveni’s statehouse.”

The Government of Buganda has published the press conference on the second Buganda Conference, slated for December 2009. The government is bravely taking on this challenge in the midst of a military occupation by Uganda’s NRM government, led by Yoweri Museveni. Most Buganda analysts think that it is too early to tell what Museveni will do about the conference.

The press conference, which appears on the official Buganda website, www.buganda.or.ug, is reproduced in full below:

BUGANDA CONFERENCE FOR 17TH DECEMBER 2009

Buganda Kingdom is organizing the second annual Buganda Conference to be held on the 17th December, 2009 at Hotel Africana under the theme “a Federo System of Governance for Uganda”.

The conference is an annual event graced by the Kabaka of Buganda with an aim of creating a platform for debate and interactions on the Kingdom’s issues.

According to the chairman organizing committee who also doubles as the Kingdom’s attorney general, Apollo Makubuya, the conference is expected to attract over 1000 participants from across the country.

He explained that discussion on federalism for Uganda is very important because many people have mistaken it to be an issue for only Buganda.

According to Makubuya, the conference will enlighten people within and outside Buganda that federo is not about Buganda seceding from Uganda or attaining a superior position but to grant power through the law to people in various parts of the country to work on developing their regions.

He added that the conference will also discuss the regional tier government among other issues and why Buganda Kingdom does not want it.

Makubuya reassured that the conference will be addressed by prominent scholars from various parts of Uganda and renowned international scholars on federalism from countries like Nigeria, USA and the United Kingdom among others.

He explained that unlike last year’s conference which was free of entry, this year’s event will require registration with a fee of 25000 Ugandan shillings each. He added that this fee has been set to help the organizers in the preparations of a successful event.

The conference was first held last year as part of the celebrations to commemorate the 15th coronation anniversary. However, due to the numerous problems encountered this year, the Kingdom was forced to shift the event to a later date.

Given it’s success last year, Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi was greatly impressed and resolved that the conference be held annually.

The conference which was themed “Development and Governance of Buganda in Uganda” attracted several scholars including renowned Professors Ali Mazurui and Mahmood Mamdhani among others.

It should however be remembered that last year’s conference was interfered with by the arrest of three Buganda Officials Medard Sseggona Lubega, Charles Peter Mayiga and Betty Nambooze Bakireke. Sseggona was arrested early morning before kick off of the conference while Peter Mayiga and Betty Nambooze were captured late night after the conference. The trio were held hostage and incommunicado for a week during which they were dragged into several cells in various parts of Western Uganda including Bundibujo, Masindi, Ibanda, Kabarole, Kagadi Fort Portal and Kyenjojo.

The sale of invitation cards to the public shall be announced very soon.

In a sign that president Museveni is can no longer push Baganda around, his government is quietly abandoning the fake case they filed against Buganda’s state minister for information, Medard Lubega Sseggona and the Chairperson of the Central Civic Education Committee, Betty Nambooze Bakireke. The case resulted after president Museveni ordered the kidnap and illegal imprisonment of the two Buganda officials plus Minister for Cabinet affairs, Peter Mayiga, one year ago. The main reason Museveni gave for the order is that “annoyed” him as president.  It is not very clear why Mayiga was never charged, given that the facts of the case were made up after Museveni was pressured by Baganda youths and aid donors to release or charge the popular Kabaka’s officials.

Nakawa chief magistrate permanently stayed hearing of the case on the basis that it is illegal to continue trying a matter which is still before the constitutional court following a submission by the lawyers of the accused that court needs to give a longer adjournment pending constitutional court pronouncement. Mr. Museveni’s prosecution happily agreed.

A source close to Mr. Museveni’s statehouse has told us that July has been a terrible month for the Uganda strongman.  For the first time since 1986 he was forced to reverse himself on strong anti-Buganda and anti-Kabaka public statements he had made. According to the source: “His excellence feels really bad that he had to ask Tamale Mirundi to do damage control on the ‘No Federo’ statement made on WBS TV and, even worse, that he had to tell Kabushenga to publically apologize for the New Vision attacks on Kabaka. But it also appears that the president does not have the energy to fight so many battles. Think about it, in 1997 HE would be sharp even though he slept only 2-4 hours a day. Now, even when he sleeps 6 hours in a day, you can see him half-dozing, confusing facts and always in a quarreling mood.”

A more detailed report on the case from the Buganda Government website is shown below.

COURT STAYS CASE AGAINST MEDARD AND NAMBOOZE

By Ntale Yunusu

Nakawa chief magistrate, Deo Ssejemba has permanently stayed hearing of the case against Buganda’s state minister for information, Medard Lubega Sseggona and the Chairperson of the Central Civic Education Committee, Betty Nambooze Bakireke.

The two together with information minister, Charles Peter Mayiga were arrested from Kampala in July last year and taken to various police cells in Western Uganda for a full week.
Charles Peter Mayiga was later released unconditionally while Medard Sseggona and Betty were both charged for uttering seditious statements against the person of the president.

The charge sheet asserts that the duo uttered statements on CBS fm radio programmes Twejjukanye, Agafa e Mengo and Cross fire in March 2008 which it claims were aimed at causing hatred and disaffection against the president.

Prosecution further claims that Medard Lubega Sseggona during a cross fire programme on 8th March, 2008 said that Museveni’s war against Mengo is truly a war against Buganda Kingdom and the Baganda which prosecution says caused hatred among the public against the president.

The charge sheet further stated that during the Agafa e Mengo programme, Sseggona wondered why the recent school fires were targeting Buganda region and therefore urged people in Buganda to develop their own resolutions to stop the fires if government does not find a lasting solution to the matter.

The magistrate ruled that it’s illegal to continue trying a matter which is still before the constitutional court following a submission by the lawyers of the accused that court needs to give a longer adjournment pending constitutional court pronouncement.

He went further to pronounce that there is a pending matter before the constitutional court protesting constitutionality of the articles of sedition which was filed by the accused and another one by a city journalist Andrew Mwenda.

After the ruling by the Nakawa Magistrate, Medard Lubega speculated that the state seems to have lost interest in the matter which is dismay to rule of law and freedom of speech maintaining that the seditious charges are vague as one cannot assume what might annoy the president.

He added that they are set to continue demanding for Buganda’s interests and warned that actually charges should be opened up against those who wrongfully sanctioned prompt up charges against the officials.

Betty Bakireke Nambooze has promised her listeners that the fight by her Civil Education Committee for Buganda’s land and human rights will soon be stepped up. She explained that the relative quiet that followed the illegal kidnap and captivity of herself, Lubega Sseggona and Peter Mayiga was only a tactical withdraw. The Civic Education Committee was appointed by Ssabasajja Kabaka, Muwenda Mutebi, with Nambooze as its chairman.

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.

BUGANDA EMERGENCY RESPONSE COMMITTEE
PRESS RELEASE

July 20th, 2008

The Kingdom of Buganda has set up the Buganda Emergency Response Committee to provide a reference point on matters regarding the arrest of members and an official of the Buganda Government.

As an interim measure pending an emergency Cabinet Meeting tomorrow, the following are designated as spokespersons for the Kingdom of Buganda:

1. Owek. Daudi Mpanga, Minister of State for Research Tel: 0772 700660
2. Owek. Mathias Mpuuga, Minister of State for Youth Tel: 0772 418504

The Current Situation:

Two Ministers of the Buganda Government and the Chairperson of Buganda’s Central Civic Education Committee were arrested by plain clothed security operatives on Friday July 18th 2008. The individuals are:

1. Owek. Charles Peter Mayiga (Minister of Information and Cabinet and Lukiiko Affairs, Buganda Government);
2. Owek. Medard Lubega (Minister of State for Information, Buganda Government); and
3. Omuk. Betty Nambooze Bakireke (CCEC, Buganda Government).

The arrests came on the day of the successful inaugural Buganda Conference, held at Hotel Africana.

The Buganda Government has not yet been officially informed of the charges being preferred against the detainees but according to a statement attributed to the Inspector General of Police, Major General Kale Kayihura, the charges are:

1. Promoting sectarianism;
2. Inciting violence;
3. Sedition; and
4. Terrorism.

We have reliable information that the detainees have been transferred to Bundibugyo, Ibanda and Kyenjojo, respectively. The reason given for this unusually cruel and degrading action is to purportedly charge the individuals in the area where the crimes were allegedly committed. However it is clear that the true intention must be to continue to deny the detainees their rights to bail, access to next of kin, and access to legal representation.

We wish to state unequivocally that the charges are a complete fabrication and point directly to a hidden agenda of intimidation and humiliation of the people of Buganda. These people are being charged for no reason other than that they are Baganda who are speaking out on the issues that are of concern to the people of Buganda. They are therefore nothing more than Prisoners of Conscience, detained because of their unwavering promotion of the culture, cultural institutions, language and traditions of the Baganda.

Baganda and the people of Uganda will recall that our history of political and constitutional instability as well as confrontation with forces of tyranny, oppression and exploitation began with unnecessarily heavy-handed and illegal actions taken by the Central Government against the Kingdom of Buganda. The escalation we see today brings back unhappy memories of times when people were sent into internal exile or simply disappeared because of their cultural identity or their political beliefs.

Immediate Actions:

1. The Katikiro Owekitibwa John Baptist Walusimbi has been and is actively engaged in negotiations with senior members of Government and the security services to try and secure the release of the detainees and is keeping the Ssabassajja Kabaka fully informed;
2. An emergency Cabinet meeting has been called for 9:00am 21st July 2008 to discuss the situation and resolve on the way forward;
3. A co-ordination desk will be established at Bulange, Mengo, to provide timely and accurate information as the situation unfolds however, in the interim co-ordination and information shall be provided by the above named designated spokespersons; and
4. Legal representation is being arranged for the detainees by the Kingdom in conjunction with the Uganda Law Society.

The Detainees Physical Wellbeing and Welfare:

The Kingdom of Buganda and the families of the detainees will do their best to ensure that the detainees have access to food, clothing and medical care, it should not be in any doubt that responsibility for the physical wellbeing and welfare of the detainees rests squarely with the Government of Uganda.

Call to Action:

We call upon all Ugandans, Religious Bodies as well as human rights and civil society organizations to join the Kingdom of Buganda in denouncing this heavy-handed and illegal action and to engage the Government of Uganda to abide by the Constitution and to cease and desist from the needless persecution of people who are engaged in lawful and democratic debate.

OWEK. APOLLO MAKUBUYA
Attorney General and Minister for Research/
Chairperson Buganda Emergency Response Committee

BUGANDA EMERGENCY RESPONSE COMMITTEE
EKIWANDIIKO EKY’AMAWULIRE

20 July 2008

Obwakabaka bwa Buganda butaddewo akakiiko, Buganda Emergency Response Committee, akanalondoola era n’okwanaganya ensoga ezikwatagana nokusibwa kwa ba minisita ba Gavumenti ya Ssabasajja ababiri awamu n’omukungu wa kakiiko akasomesa ebyettaka.

Embeera kaakano:

Baminisita: Owek. Charles Peter Mayiga, owebyamawulire, n’omumyukawe Owek. Medard Lubega Ssegona Akalya Amagwa n’omukungu Omuky. Betty Nambooze Bakireke bakatibwa kulwokutaano, nga 18 July 2008 olunaku Buganda lweyatuuza olukiiko (conference) tabamiruka okuteesa kunsonga eziruma Obuganda.

Akakiiko kano kateredwawo okutuusa olukiiko lwenkya (Monday 21st July 2008) saawa satu ez’okumakya Akakiiko Akafuzi (Cabinet) lwekanatuula e Bulange Mengo.

Abogeezi abatongole aba Buganda abikiseera bebano

1. Owekitiibwa Daudi Mpanga (minisita omubeezi w’okunonyereza)
2. Owekitibwa Mathias Mpuuga (omumyuka wa minisita wabavubuka)

Gavumenti ya Ssabasajja tenategezeebwa nsonga eyakwasiza abakungu bano mubutongole. Naye ekiwandiko ekigambibwa nti kyafulumizidwa omukulu wa Polisi Kale Kayihura kigamba nti abakungu bano bagenda kuvunanibwa emisango jino wamanga:

1. Okusosola mumawanga (Promoting Sectarianism);
2. Okukuma mubantu ogutaaka (Inciting Violence);
3. Okutyoboola omukulembeze w’egwanga (Sedition);
4. Okukolagana n’ebibiina by’abayeekera (Concealment of treason); ne
5. Obutujju (Terrorism).

Ensonda ezesigika zitutegezezza nti abantu baffe bano bajuludwa mu ttumbi budde n’ebatwalibwa ebunaayira. Betty Nambooze ateberezebwa okuba nga ali Kyenjojo mu Toro, Medard Ssegona nga ali Ibanda mu Ankore ate ye Charles Peter Mayiga nga ali kunsalo Uganda ne Congo e Bundibugyo.

Ensonga eyatwazizza abantu bano ebunayiira mumbeera embi ennyo, mbu kugezaako kubavunanira mubitundu gyebadiza emisango gino newankubadde nga mubitundu bino tukimanyi nti tebalinyangayo. Ekyo kiraga nti ekigendererwa kwekubatulugunya nga babaremesa okw’ogera ne bannamateeka ba’bwe wamu nabenganda zaabwe ekintu ekimenya amateeka.

Twagala okutegeeza egwanga lyonna nti ebisango ebiteredwa kubantu baffe bijingirere ebiraga nti waliwo entekateeka enekusifu eyokujolonga era n’okufebya era nokulinyirira Ababaganda. Bantu baffe bano balangwa kw’ogera kunsoga eziruma Abaganda. Kino kiraga nti bano basibe abemyeyo (prisoner of conscience) abalangwa olulimi lwebogera, ebyobuwangwa byabwe nensi yabwe Buganda.

Abantu ba Ssabasajja nebanaUganda ffenna tujukira bulungi nti ebiseera ebya kazigizigi mu gwanga lyaffe byatandikibwawo ebikolwa ebyekizigu ebyokulumba Obuganda ebyakolebwa abaali mu gavumenti eyawakati.

Ekutulugunya abakungu ba Ssabasajja kitujukiza mbeera eno eyenyiike banaUganda bwebawangangusibwa nga mugwanga munda nga batwalibwa ebunayiira nga e Karamoja oba okubuzibwawo olwensibuko oba enzikiriza yabwe.

Ebikoredwa:

1. Owekitibwa Katikkiro John Baptist Walusimbi ali munteseganya nabakungu ba gavumenti eyawakati okulaba nga abantu baffe bano bayimbulwa era Ssabasajja bulimbeera eriwo emutegezebwa;
2. Akakiiko akafuzi aka Buganda (Cabinet) kayitidwa bunambiro okutuula enkya ku Monday ssawa satu ez’okumakya kakubaganye birowoozo kunsonga eno ennene;
3. Wajja kutekebwawo ofiisi ekwanaganya ensonga zino e Bulange Mengo okuva olunaku lwenkya. Eno no ye ofiisi enetunulira ere nebateegeza embeera nga bwenetambula;
4. Ba puliida (lawyers) abanaawolereza abasibe bamaze okuyungurwa gavumenti ya Ssabasajja wamu ne kitongole kyabanamateeka mu gwanga (Uganda Law Society).

Embeera y’abantu ba Ssabasajja:

Gavumenti ya Ssabasajja n’oBuganda bwonna saako nabomumaka gabasibe bajja kola ekisoboka okutwalira abasibe emmere, engoye n’obujanjabi. Naye ababasibye tebeyibala kubanga obuvunanyizibwa nabuli kalonda akwatagana kubulamu bwabantu baffe ali mumikono gyabwe. Era tubatunuulide n’eriiso ejjogi.

Tukubiriza banna Uganda mwenna, abakulu bamadiini, abalwanirizi be dembe okutwegatakko mukuvumirira embeera eno eyobumenyi bwamateeka nobusibira mubbwa. Era ffena wamu tuteekwa okujukiza gavumenti yawakati nti etekwa okugondera ssemateeka era nokukomya mbagirawo okutuntuza abantu bonna mugwanga abakubaganya ebirowoozo kunsonga yonna.

Owekitibwa Apollo Makubuya
Ssabawolereza wa Gavumenti ya Buganda era akulira okunonyereza
Ssentebe Buganda Emergency Response Committee