This reporter has reliably learnt that contrary to the propaganda in the Aga Khan’s Monitor Newspaper, Kabaka Mutebi’s tour of Kayunga, in Bugerere county, was only moved back to ensure that it would take place in June when his school age subjects are home for the holidays.

A Buganda government official who spoke on condition that her name not be revealed, because she is not the official spokesperson, told us: “Abo aba Monitor babadde bamanyi since the weekend nti kyasalibwaawo Kabaka alabike e Bugerere mu June, abaana b’amasomero bafune omukisa okumulaba obulungi. Era bamanyi bulungi nti Ssabasajja akyaali mu Bulaaya ku mirimu emitongole. Naye engeri ba namawanga gye batujoogamu ennaku zino basazeezo bayunge section ku Kabaka waffe. (“Those Monitor people have known since the weekend that it had been decided that Kabaka would appear in Bugerere in June, so school children would get a chance to see him. And they also know that Ssabasajja is in Europe on official duties. However, given the tendency for foreigners to abuse us these days, the Monitor span the story to embarrass our Kabaka”).

On May 9, 2009, the public relations secretary for the committee organizing Kabaka’s visit to Bugerere, Mr. Sseruboga, announced that the tour had been moved from May 16, 2009 to June 27, 2009, after the school holidays start. Earlier, 50 people who claimed to be Banyala elders has staged a demonstration against the visit. The Uganda government mouthpiece, the New Vision, and the pro-Museveni Monitor Newspaper have all given prominent coverage to the 50 man demonstration. On May 12, 2009, the Daily Monitor went as far as writing a story with the headline, “Kabaka postpones Kayunga visit after threats by Banyala”, suggesting that Kabaka’s visit had been blocked by the 50 man demonstration.

Our contact s in Boston and New York tell us that some Baganda in the two cities are very angry about the huge leadership gap at Mmengo. The general feeling appears to be that those in charge at Mmengo seem to be obsessed with quick money given the excitement they showed over the recent Shs 350 Million grant from President Museveni. Yet Buganda’s current challenges require leadership that is not shy to protect Buganda’s national interests and integrity and listening to Baganda from all walks of life.

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Moses Musana: Abakenyi, Buganda Future, Appeal to Katikkiro

Dear BP,

I wish to tell my fell Baganda about my people and our concern about our future.  I am one of the Baganda group called Abakenyi or Abakeni. A long time ago our Baganda ancestors run away to Bugerere, Busoga and Teso because of problems with the Kabaka at that time. Over the last 10 years our elders are working to bring us back into the Baganda community and some progress has happened but not enough. But for  most of us our future is best back in Buganda because we are Baganda. That is why we are worried about the future of Buganda, because it should be our future too.

One reason why President Museveni manages to create division in Baganda is that when he bribes Banyala or Baluuli leaders to demand separation from Buganda, the Katikkiro and his government only quarrel and complain. But they should do research and show that staying in Buganda is much better. Here in Bugerere Banyala are not the majority and most even prefer to be part of Buganda. But the people in Mengo are not willing or able to get these facts and use them in public relations. They think that strengthening Baganda is taking Museveni money and giving people hoes and seeds. They don’t realize that Museveni wants them to stay on hoes and seeds while he settles Banyankore, Banyarwanda and Sudanese in places like Bugerere. When Katikiro Walusimbi brings Kabaka Mutebi to Bugerere to give out hoes and seeds, it is possible that more of Museveni’s Sudanese will get the items than Baganda (Banyala and Bakenyi included) because of local LC and police connections. Banyankore, Bakiga or Banyarwanda control most  police posts in Buganda and share bribes with local LCs.

I appeal to Katikiro Walusimbi to look in his heart and start working for the true Buganda. The true Buganda are the Baganda communities who are 95% very poor and being terrorized by Mr. Museveni’s policies on corruption, money laundering, land grabbing and giving nearly all local security control in Buganda to people from the West.  Katikiro, you should embrace all Buganda’s native communities like Banyala, Baruli, Bakenyi, Bavuma, etc. and use them as key members of  Buganda. You should also make clear what long-term future Mengo is working on for Buganda, so that all of us can know what to expect which is not Museveni’s “Buganda becomes Central Region and Kabaka Goes” future. Right now, the future you talk is only 3 months long – the next harvest of beans from the seeds Kabaka is giving out in the Omumuli program.  If the rains do not come and the beans die, what happens next? Are we not talking about who will get the feet of our cow when we kill it while thieves are running away with the whole animal?

Awangaale Sabasajja.

Moses Musana
8 May 09

Badru Kazibwe: Thanks and Praying for Buganda

Dear Sir/Madam,

I want to thank you very much for making the chance for Baganda to say what they feel without censuring. The English and Luganda newspapers is Uganda today will never print a letter from if it deeply talks about what Baganda must do to become free. They only allow letters praising Museveni or making the usual weak complaining about land, 2011 elections and federo. 

I pray that many Baganda will use the chance to tell everyone about the way Museveni and his people have robbed our country Buganda which now has nothing. Also, that you will be able to have Kabaka Mutebi and Owek. Walusimbi to read these letters and know live what is really going on with Baganda.

Wangaala Ssabasajja.

Badru Kazibwe, Boston.

On March 14, 2009 a conference of so called Uganda’s kings sponsored by president Museveni’s govenment resolved to support anti-Buganda laws such as Regional Tier. More than 50 kings, cultural leaders and chiefsand their prime ministers, and ministers, who met at Masindi Hotel under the chairmanship of he Omukama of Bunyoro, Solomon Gafabusa Iguru. Prominently present were Mr. Museveni’s recently created “minor kings” in Buganda, the Isaabaruuli of Buruuli, Mwatysansozi Mwogeza Butamanya Omubwijwa,  The Isaabanyala of Bunyala Capt. Kimeze Beeka Mpagi Byarufu. Wisely, Ssabajja Kabaka Muwenda Mutebi and the Buganda Mmengo were not involved at all.

According to the press statement circulated by the Press Secretary to the Omukama of Bunyoro,  Henry Ford Miirima, the European Community and the United States government, through the USAID, got directly and actively involved in activitites that appear to aim at dismantling the Buganda Kingdom.  Mr. Miriima’s statement says that the European Union “has pledged to give financial backing to the Kings Forum as long as the body is impeccably transparent” and USAID “assisted” the forum.

The Uganda kings’ forum report is reproduced in full below:

UGANDA KINGS’ FORUM REPORT

Uganda’s kings, cultural leaders and chiefs establish a uniting Forum at a one-day conference at Masindi Hotel March 14, 2009

A congregation of more than fifty of Uganda’s kings, cultural leaders and chiefsand their prime ministers, and ministers, who met at Masindi Hotel March 14, resolved to establish a legal Kings’ forum with a fully fledged Secretariat, based at Kabuusu, Kampala.

Chaired by the Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara, Solomon Gafabusa Iguru, the one-day conference attended by nearly all of Uganda kings and cultural leaders except the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, resolved to transform their forum into a registered legal entity with a permanent Secretariat located at Kabuusu in Kampala on a land which was donated by the Kamuswaga of Kooki, His Highness Apolo Isansa II.

To kick-start the Kings Forum their majesties contributed nearly fifteen million Uganda Shillings. While the Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitasra chaired the conference, the Master of Ceremonies was Bunyoro-Kitara’s Speaker of the kingdom’s Parliament, Orukurato Orukuro orw’obukama bwa Bunyoro-Kitara, Rev. Fr. Bonevantura Kyaligonza.

The Speaker informed the Forum that the European Union, which is already organizing another large Cultural Heritage conference in Bunyoro-Kitara in May this year, has pledged to give financial backing to the Kings Forum as long as the body is impeccably transparent and has in place qualified and highly responsible officials to manage the funds of the Forum. Other bodies to assist the Forum are the Uganda Ministry of Gender and USAID.

Noting the absence of the Buganda kingdom delegation, the Kamuswaga of Kooki, Apolo Isansa proposed, and the proposal was adopted, the Forum  send a high-powered delegation to Buganda Kingdom Government to explain the kingdom the benefits and objectives of the Kings’ Forum and how it is intended to uplift the economic, cultural and social well-being of the population in their regions.

Their Majesties made it very clear that the Kings and all Traditional and Cultural leaders need the participation of Buganda Kingdom in this Forum.

Conspicuously present and seated next to the Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara, were The Isaabaruuli of Buruuli, Mwatysansozi Mwogeza Butamanya Omubwijwa,  The Isaabanyala of Bunyala Capt. Kimeze Beeka Mpagi Byarufu.

The Traditional Rulers of Acholi, Alur, Bamasaaba, Tororo, Teso, attended in person.

Nine resolutions adopted.

The Forum which consisted of Kings, Traditional rulers and cultural leaders, chiefs and their Prime ministers, Principal Private Secretaries, and other ministers, all totaling over fifty, passed the following nine  resolutions:

1. All kings, cultural leaders and chief to speak with one strong voice.
2. The Forum to urge the Uganda Government to speed up the formation of the Regional Ties system which was agreed upon by Uganda’s Parliament.
3. The Forum to urge the Uganda to resume the policy of paying royalities to kings and cultural leaders as it was in the past.
4. The Forum to support Bunyoro-Kitara’s demand for the Uganda Government to redress the historical wrongs and injustices in the form of the seven lost counties which were donated and annexed to Buganda kingdom to reward Buganda for her role in assisting British colonizers to colonise Uganda.
5. To register the forum as the National Kings, Cultural leaders and chiefs Forum so that it acquires legality.
6. To streamline the cultural institutions so that there is no consideration of anyone of them as being on top of the others.
7. To strongly advocate and initiate policies to develop, promote and teach our cultural languages and begin examining them from infant schools up to University level.
8. The Forum Secretariat to organize regular press conferences in order to create good, brotherly, and friendly relations with the press. At these press conferences all issues will be addressed by Forum officials either from the Secretariat or as the Forum will see fit.
9. To advocate for the unity of all the people of Uganda and African in general.

While all participants were given a chance to contribute ideas, the key note speech was given by the chairman of the Forum, His Majesty Rukirabasaija the Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara.

Omukama Iguru said, in part,

“We must, as kings, traditional rulers, and cultural leaders convey our collective gratitude to the Government of Uganda for creating an enabling climate for the kingdoms and cultural institutions, and chiefdoms to thrive and serve the people of Uganda with commitment to the sovereign state of Uganda.

“We resolved to speak with one voice but over the last year the kings, traditional rulers and cultural leaders have not been audible enough advocating  for critical, social and cultural development needs for their mutual benefits and the befits of our subjects.

“We decided to  open and facilitate a secretariat for the Forum of Kings, Traditional rulers and cultural leaders in Uganda to handle the day to day activities including transformation of the Forum into a legal entity.  This has not yet been done.

“There is need to urge the Government of Uganda to implement the Regional Tier that parliament has already enacted into law.  The delay has not been explained to our satisfaction. Our collective voice must be heard loud and clear.

There is need to call upon all stakeholders to know the value of land, to protect their rights on it, to correct all historical errors related to land and to secure appropriate legal rights.

There is need for collective mobilization for development of all our subjects that willingly pay allegiance to kings and traditional rulers and cultural leaders. Our subjects must see opur functional value.

After our last meeting came the Lira Declaration that we all signed and have a duty to implement through collective development programmes for cooperating kingdoms and chiefdoms of Uganda and together seeking development partners to fund them and in particular the European Union and other  willing partners. We cannot afford to lose this opportunity.

It is a felt need  in all our institutions that we must ask the Government of Uganda to resume payment of royalties to kingdoms and chiefdoms on forests, game reserves, plantation agriculture and minerals/oil and gas and other natural resources in the various kingdoms and chiefdoms and to lobby members of Parliament in the various kingdoms and chiefdoms to support related changes in the constitution and laws of Uganda.

It is now obvious that we must work together to promote the unity  of Uganda, Eastern Africa, and the entire continent of Africa.

We must call upon development partners to identify themselves with the Forum of Kings, Traditional Rulers, and Cultural Leaders and to support their collective programmes and activities.

There is need for cultivate productive partnership between the press and Kings, Traditional Rulers nd /cultural leaders in Uganda for mutual benefit to replace current malicious publication and sensational reporting by a section of the press.

We need to workd together to promote peace, reconsilitation and ethic co-existence and reverse the historical distortions and errors that have led to ethnic strife emanting from colonial rule.

We need to pool resources to promote and support research, documentation and preservation of culture, arts, languages, customs and our entire cultural heritage and encourage cultural exchange and sharing of experience through inter-kingdom exchanges and meetings.

Finally, it is with great pleasure that I invite you to Hoima to participate in the Europe-Uganda Cultural Village scheduled to be mounted at Hoima in May 2009.

Ends the key note address by Omukama Soloomon Gafabusa Iguru.

Report by;

Henry Ford Miirima
Press Secretary of the OMukama of Bunyoro-Kitara

Two independent sources with connections to the Uganda President’s state house have sent emails to this writer revealing Mr. Museveni’s plan to use the current confusion around the Kyabazinga elections and create 11 separate  minor kingdoms out of Busoga. According to the more detailed source, Mr. Museveni decided to personally interfere with the Kyabazinga  elections to make sure that the Basoga clans do not agree on a single clan head to lead Busoga.

“Mr. Museveni cannot allow a strong Kyabazinga to emerge in Busoga at this time since it would create the risk of Basoga developing nationalistic tendencies and maybe even starting thinking in a block like Baganda. That is why he intends to give a new car to  each of the warring clan leaders who declares his county a separate kingdom. Like his Sabanyala and Sabaluuli in Buganda each minor king would also get a monthly payment of 5 million shillings ($2,610).

The strategy is to create 11 weak minor kingdoms in Busoga who owe their survival to Mr. Museveni. Then connect them to Sabanyala and Sabaluuli to more effectively fight Buganda nationalism in the long term. In the short term, it would also disorganize DP and  FDC and other opposition structures in a  Busoga that is no more.”

According to the sources, Mr. Museveni was visibly happy over the weekend after he met Basoga clan leaders for the second time in less than two months. The meeting is supposed to have agreed to hold a re-run of the  Kyabazinga elections which took place on October 31, 2008. However, Mr. Museveni is reportedly very confident that the Basoga will never agree and that is why he is preparing to help each of them create his own kingdom, making today’s Busoga history.

The Busoga monarchy was created by British colonialists in 1906 out of  a collection of small municipalities, each with its own hereditary ruler. The throne to the resulting Busoga kingdom is supposed to be held by a descendant of one of the municipalities on a rotating basis. The sitting Busoga king is called the Isebantu Kyabazinga. The first ruler of a united Busoga was a Muganda called Semei Kakungulu, of Mmamba clan. Kakungulu’s regime lasted from July 1906 to January 1914 when he handed over to a Musoga, Isebantu Kyabazinga OBODHA.

The last Kyabazinga of Busoga, Henry Wako Muloki, died on September 1, 2008 at the age of  87. On October 31, six clan leaders  elected Edward Columbus Wambuzi Muloki to replace his late father, Henry Wako Muloki. The remaining 5 boycotted the elections, calling them illegal under Basoga culture. It is this conflict which gave Mr. Museveni the opening to interfere even though, according to his own Uganda constitution, as a politician, he is not supposed to interfere with cultural issues such as the election of a Kyabazinga.

According to a news report on the Buganda Kingdom website Buganda citizens from Bugerere county who are called Banyala visted with the Katikkiro of Buganda, Owek. JB Walusimbi in his offices at Bulange Mengo on Friday afternoon. The report adds that they “distanced themselves from the Ssaabanyala institution.  They emphasized that the institution is being forced on to them by individuals who have their own selfish needs and that their head has always been known as Nkojjo who is answerable to the Kabaka of Buganda and not to any one else.

“The group went ahead to say that, they also have a clan leader called Nsamba Fred and said that they will always oppose the Ssabanyala institution.

“The Katikkiro later promised them that he will work hand in hand with other Kingdom officials to further look into their concerns which he said should be not mixed with the Buluuli issues.”