President Museveni ordered the closure of Kabaka’s CBS FM Radio after learning that the organizers of Ssabasajja’s tour of Bugerere had used it so effectively mobilize Baganda.  By Tuesday CBS the information put out on CBS by “commander” Betty Nambooze, the chief organizers of Kabaka’s tour of Bugerere has become so effective that some Mmengo officials were estimating that a few hundred thousand people would accompany Ssabasajja. When Wednesday came, the commitments exploded, especially after rumors spread that Kabaka Mutebi told Museveni off in a phone conversation.

In a clear sign that Museveni was losing control the Banyarwanda community, who are deeply entrenched in Museveni’s intelligence agencies, announced that they support Kabaka’s visit and donated twenty lorries. Similarly, Nubians, Iteso, Basoga and other communities started calling on all their members to accompany Kabaka Mutebi to Bugerere. Even FDC’s Besigye went to CBS FM to challenge Baganda who keep saying “woligwa wendigwa” to prove their commitment by going to Kayunga; promising that he was going himself. Soon Baganda analysts were estimating that about 1 million Baganda and others would be in Kayunga on Saturday.

According to state house sources, after the Kampala riots on Thursday, Museveni was advised by Robert Kabushenga and Temale Mirundi that hell would break lose by Friday if CBS Radio was left to control the news. Museveni instructed the Rwandese chairman of the Broadcasting Council, Godfrey Mutabaazi, to switch off both CBS channels,  88.8 and 89.2. The two FM stations went off the air a little after 5:30 PM on Thursday.

The local press has quoted Buganda’s  information Minister, Medard Lubega Sseggona saying that military officials had forcefully switched off the main mast that is erected at Buziga Hill in Kampala. However, the disconnection would not affect the planned Youth Day Celebrations at Kayunga. The Kayunga celebrations are scheduled for Saturday September 12, 2009.

At the time of posting this report, the organizers had gone to Plan B, using SMS messages to continue taking directions from the Nambooze committee.

We have learnt from highly reliable sources in  President Museveni state house apparatus that the Ugandan strongman may soon disown the brutal actions of Uganda police against Baganda youths in Kayunga.  According to an email message sent through an intermediary, the source says: “Ugandans are going to be surprised when Mr. Museveni will claim that he only learnt about the problems in Kayunga  on Tuesday or Wednesday. He also intends to attack people who claim that he has anything to do with the threatening letter that his minister Kirunda Kivejinja wrote, warning Kabaka not to go to Kayunga, in Bugerere county.”

Our source could not confirm when Mr. Museveni will make the public statements but speculated that he (Museveni) might do it when he meets MPs who come from Buganda on Thursday or Friday.  As for why Museveni plans to do this the source said: “Museveni has no choice this time. He fully understands that  he underestimated the Kabaka and Baganda on this issue of Bugerere. He also knows that he overestimated the influence that Katikkiro Walusimbi and his supporters still have on Kabaka Mutebi’s decisions. The only option he has, as a military man, is a tactical withdraw. And, based on his past behavior he may blame everything on  Kirunda and [Rwandese police commander]  Kale Kayihura.” The MPs are expected to ask Museveni to explain which his government is blocking Kabaka Mutebi from freely moving in Buganda simply because 22 people demonstrated with sigs that they don’t want him to visit without first consulting their leader, who happens to be an active member of the Uganda army.

In May 2009, the Aga Khan’s The Monitor newspaper printed a Uganda government sponsored story claiming that  Kabaka Mutebi postponed his planned  tour of Kayunga, in Bugerere county, due to fear that Banyala residents might demonstrate against him (see “Kabaka Will Visit Bugerere When Youths Are Home “).  This writer established at the time that the true reason was because Kabaka was traveling to Europe on official duties.  Due to conflict with another tour of Buvuma in July/August, the Bugerere trip was finally rescheduled to start on September 12, 2009.

Since Monday, the Uganda police, under the command of Rwandese refugee Kale Kayihura, has obstructed Baganda youth trying to prepare the site for Kabaka’s main ceremonies at Kayunga. They even fired teargas canisters into the car of  Mengo officials who had gone to Kayunga to oversee  the preparations. The Police also kidnapped Baganda youths who were erecting stalls and held them incommunicado for a day. Earlier, a Musoga minister in Museveni’s government, Kirunda Kivejinja wrote to Mmengo, warning that the Kabaka should not go to Bugerere without the agreement of one Baker Kimeze, the Museveni appointed first king “Bunyala”. Museveni created the pseudo kingdoms of Buruli and Bunyala within Buganda, in direct contradiction of his own Uganda constitution, which does not recognize ‘subkingdoms’ within Buganda.

Despite Museveni’s threats and brutal police actions, Kabaka Mutebi instructed his trusted officials like, David Mpanga, Lubega Ssegona, Betty Nabooze, Kabuuza Mukasa and several others, especially in Nkoba za Mbogo, to spearhead “Operation See You in  Kayunga”.   Through these ‘warriors” Kabaka Mutebi informed his subjects that he was determined to go to Kayunga and not allow a repeat of what happened in Buruli.  According to information from the operational command post, headed by Betty Nambooze,  tens of thousands of Baganda are expected to descend on Kayunga on Saturday, based on contacts with Gombolola and Miruka chiefs across Buganda. President Museveni’s internal security organization has informed their boss of these facts. The main reason why Museveni is backing down is because he has no confidence that his police can handle the situation if they try to stop the Baganda.

According to an unaccredited news story on the Buganda Government official website, Buganda’s Central Civic Education Committee has resumed its campaign against the campaign anti-Buganda policies and laws by the NRM government. Its scope has, reportedly, been redefined to put more emphasis on the Federo system of governance.

The committee, which was personally appointed by Ssabasajja Kabaka Muwenda Mutebi, is credited for awakening Baganda to the reality that Mr. Museveni and his NRM are committed to destroy Buganda through unjust and discriminative laws such as the Land Act. It is chaired by the indefatigable and exceptionally popular Betty Nambooze.

Frustrated by the effectiveness of Kabaka’s Central Civic Education Committee, president Museveni ordered the kidnap and torture of Betty Nambooze and two other Buganda officials, Peter Mayiga and Medard Lubega Ssegona in August 2008 (see “Museveni Quietly Retreats On Fake Nambooze and Lubega Case“). After several days of police torture and depravation, Mr. Museveni ordered the release of all three Baganda under pressure from human rights groups, United States and other foreign aid donors and a defiant Baganda population.

The article on the official Buganda Government website is reproduced below.

CENTRAL CIVIC EDUCATION COMMITTEE RESUMES DUTIES

By Our Reporter

Buganda’s Central Civic Education Committee has resumed its duties and this time it will put much more emphasis on the essence of a federo system of governance to every one across Buganda and Uganda in relation to Ssaabasajja Kabaka’s call for truth and justice.

The committee started with a one day sensitization workshop for all its members in which it was agreed that the theme “truth and justice” is quite extensive and require absolute attention.

Committee members further agreed that with truth and justice in place, the Kingdom will live in harmony since most of the injustices will be dealt away with.

The workshop was opened by an official for community mobilization in the office of the 1st deputy Katikkiro, Ssewava Sserubiri who also emphasized that where there is justice, there is likely to be no encroachment on other people’s land and no oppression from anyone which will lead to fundamental development in the Kingdom.

The Member of Parliament for Kampala Central, Erias Lukwago who is also a committee member advised that Buganda should come out and put to task all the members of parliament from this region to show their stand on the issue of federo. Lukwago argued that this will help the Kingdom to determine the support for federo in the Ugandan parliament and be able to vote wisely in the forth coming elections.

The chairperson of the committee, Betty Nambooze Bakireke announced a new system of mobilization whereby telephone contacts of everyone in Buganda will be obtained and various messages on various issues will be sent to every one in Buganda for development purposes.

The workshop was closed by the minister of state for research in Buganda Kingdom, David Mpanga who said that the recess period has been so useful because members have been able to identify their weaknesses which have been ironed out and are ready to face their prey with no major obstacles.

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.

On March 9, 2009, Buganda Post carried an exclusive story describing how Katikkiro JB Walusimbi and president Museveni had reached secret agreements on strategies towards clipping Kabaka Mutebi’s power concentration (see Katikkiro Walusimbi Dodges Talks, Leaves Museveni Holding A Bag Of Stones). To protect our sources, we did not name Mr. Walusimbi’s co-conspirators. However, only one day after our story, Mr. Museveni’s Luganda mouthpiece, Bukedde, not only confirmed the substance of our story but named some of  Mr. Walusimbi’s co-conspirators.

According to the March 10, 2009 edition of Bukedde Mr. Walusimbi’s point man is Mr. Jolly Lutaaya, minister of local government in the Buganda government. The others named are Ahmed Bamweyana, Kaddu Kiberu, Dr. Masagazi Masaazi, Omutaka Ssevvume Musoke and Kyadondo county chief, Toferi Malokweza.

Mr. Jolly Lutaaya and Mr. Kaddu Kiberu are among the longest serving Buganda Government ministers, having been appointed in the early 1990’s with strong support from then Katikkiro Mulwaanyamuli. At the time of Kabaka Mutebi’s wedding, Mr. Lutaaya was forced to leave Mmengo after being caught red handed by Kabaka’s guard (abambowa) while stealing building materials, donated by Baganda, from Mmengo Lubiri.  To many Kampala  Baganda, the theft from Kabaka was viewed as proof of earlier allegations that he started his contracting business with large scale embezzlement from one of the major oil companies in Kampala were true.  Like Katikkiro Walusimbi, Mr. Lutaaya’s main source of income are government “deals” secured through Engineers Nasaasira and Muganzi in ministry of works

Our Mmengo sources claim that Mr. Kaddu Kiberu has one of the cleaner records when it comes at Mmengo finances. For many years, Mr. Kiberu generously donated to various Mmengo and clan (Mmamba) causes. However, the sources also say that during the heat of the battle for Federal vs. Decentralization he was widely suspected to be the NRM’s most active spies at Mmengo because he used to hold secret one-on-one meetings with Bidandi Ssali at least 2 to 3 times a month.  Curiously, the meetings were mostly at public events like funerals, if possible, or on Kampala streets in an old car with tinted windows. Mr. Kiberu’s primary business, Peacock Paints is currently facing some financial challenges and frequently relies on government tenders.

Mr. Ahmed Bamweyana, a former senior clerk at the Uganda High Commission, in London, is currently the Financial Controller in President Museveni’s Education Service Commission. Most Baganda who are familiar with Mmengo, especially those in North America and Europe, would best remember Mr. Bamweyana as the man who sabotaged Betty Nambooze’s visa to Ttabamiruka ’08 in the USA. He allegedly cheated Baganda of millions of shillings by convincing them that they had to go through him to get Ttabamiruka invitation letters (see Nambooze, US Embassy Victims of Bamweyana Visa Scam.) As punishment for this corruption Katikkiro Walusimbi moved Mr. Bamweyana from Chief of Protocol to a deputy minister position.

Our sources tell us that Dr. Masagazi Masaazi, Omutaka Ssevvume Musoke and Kyadondo county chief, Toferi Malokweza carry little or no political weight in Buganda issues. However, like many other Baganda usually targeted by Museveni, they are all known to face “financial problems”. And they are eager to do business with Ms. Kyambadde if  supporting Mmengo negotiations with Museveni can ease their financial stress.

One Muganda political analyst has told this writer that the involvement of Amelia Kyambadde and Sebunya with Katikkiro Walusimbi’s dubious representatives validates the Buganda Post story of  March 9, 2009 that the Museveni/Walusimbi secret negotiation were about using money to isolate Kabaka Mutebi. He insists that:  “Sebunya is the primary handler of Baganda officials and clan leader who spy for Museveni on fellow Baganda . And Amelia Kyambadde holds Museveni’s cash box. What could they all have been secretly negotiating about other than bribes?”

On Thursday February 26, Katikkiro JB Walusimbi stood up president Museveni of Uganda when he did not turn up for the much publicized land negotiations between Mmengo and Museveni.  According to our sources, Walusimbi could not go because key members of his cabinet overruled him. They insisted that Mmengo must not negotiate with Museveni about giving up anything to him on his proposed Land (Amendment) Bill, 2008. They argued that it would be disobedience to Kabaka Mutebi who had publicly called it a bad bill and told all Baganda to oppose it. Equally important, they insisted that while talking to Museveni was alright, it must be about full restoration of all Buganda’s property and political rights – not begging.

The problem for Walusimbi is that he had already assured Museveni that he could bring Mmengo to the table to negotiate the contentious Land (Amendment) Bill, 2008. So when the loyal Baganda ministers put their feet down he was left in a fix. And he opted to simply hide from Museveni. One source close to Museveni’s state house told us that: “Museveni is very annoyed that Walusimbi failed to turn up.  The president was made to look like a man who was promised some gold by Congolese con men and left holding a bag full of stones. He has been asking people near him, ‘What is wrong with Baganda?’ ”

It has been widely reported by the local Buganda press that Museveni and JB Walusimbi have been engaged in secret negotiations over Buganda issues since July 2008. What we can exclusively report from a highly reliable source very close to the Katikkiro is that the negotiations primarily focused on how to soften what Museveni, Walusimbi and other NRM big wigs think is Kabaka Mutebi’s excessive power today. Mr. Museveni and the Katikkiro had reportedly reached agreements the following key areas by January 28, 2009:

1. Museveni had convinced JB Walusimbi that if Kabaka Mutebi continued to accumulate so much power over Baganda it could lead to a show down where Baganda like him (Walusimbi) were going to lose lives and their businesses. And the way to control the Kabaka’s escalating influence was to remove Nambooze, Mpanga and Ssegona from CBS Radio and give the Katikkiro more control over Mmengo.
2. Walusimbi had convinced Museveni to pay off government rent arrears owed to Mmengo and authorize another 8 billion shillings to: (1) complete Bulange Plaza, (2) complete Twekobe, (3) pay some salary arrears for Bulange employees, (4) to facilitate (bribe) key Buganda officials and certain key Bataka (clan heads) for support, (5) to settle the debt that state house owed the Katikkiro’s Associated Consulting Engineers company, and (6) to buy support from Baganda peasants by giving them money through an NRM style program called Omumuli which Walusimbi designed with Gilbert Bukenya’s support.
3. The two sides had agreed that to soften Kabaka Mutebi it was important to isolate him more from the Baganda youths who are getting more dangerous, starting with the removal of Betty Nambooze from CBS. Curiously, the two sides had also agreed that the removal of Nambooze could be made simpler if it was accompanied with the firing of highly unpopular Baganda like Tamale Mirundi or Minister Kinobe or even Nsibambi.

What Museveni and Katikkiro Walusimbi could not control are the leaks about their so called secret talks over the months. For example, rumors of Museveni’s willingness to fire Tamale Mirundi or even Nsibambi to appease Baganda first surfaced in early January 2009. Apparently the many leaks helped the intended victims to plan and execute necessary counter moves.

A New York based Muganda thought leader told this reporter that it is the leakages which probably led Museveni to panic and hold that bizarre press conference on February 10, 2009. He said:  “I think that the leaks reached the intended victims at Mmengo Bulange and they fought back with rapid fire on CBS FM radio. Indeed, my contacts tell me that after getting an ISO briefing on the public response to the February 7th Mambo Baado presentation by Mpanga and Nambooze, Museveni decided to temporarily withdraw his Land (Amendment) Bill, 2008.  In effect, ISO people told him that Nambooze and Mpanga had mobilized Baganda youth to a point where public violence was inevitable if the land bill was read in parliament. In fact, in a slip of the toungue, Museveni admitted the role Nambooze and Mpanga in his panicky decision when he told the press conference:  ‘Don’t allow anyone to mislead you that we are withdrawing the bill because of the lies told by Nambooze and Mpanga on CBS radio’.”

Another Ttabamiruka ’08 conference video has surfaced on Youtube. Last time it was Hussein Kyanjo. This time it is the “intellectual iron lady” Beti Namisango Kamya spitting fire at president Museveni’s practice of shamelessly passing laws which are blatantly anti-Baganda. Beti’s video is over 7 minutes long, where she camly and intellectually challenges Baganda to ask themselves why their kin are being driven by Government out of Bunyoro while the same government is flooding Buganda with Balaalo.

It is not clear if more is to come, how much and when. Or even from who, except that the person doing it used the name “ttabamiruka”.  Click here to see and listen to Beti Kamya speak!.

Ttabamiruka ‘08 conference was concluded on September 1, 2008. According to a press release issued by the organizers, the conference hailed the courage of the three Buganda officials who were recently arrested in Uganda. The conference, in its final resolution, declared that cowardice and self-effacement are now taboo in Buganda affairs, and that Buganda’s right to internal autonomy is non-negotiable.

The conference, which was opened by an official Message from Ssabasajja Kabaka Muwenda Mutebi II, was focused on the future political options of Buganda. The highlights of the two day meeting were addresses by retired Katikkiro Dan Muliika and members of Parliament Beti Kamya and Hussein Kyanjo. The hugely popular trio were frequently interrupted by tumultuous applause and standing ovations.

The conferees resolved that Buganda must take a new political direction based on direct discussions with the other peoples of Uganda to forge a New Deal. The political order of the last 42 years whereby the central government has had unlimited powers was declared a failure for having bred injustice, poverty and strife. The conferees asserted that the 14 Ugandan nationalities whose symbols were engraved on the walls of Uganda’s Parliament and which agreed to the 1962 independence constitution are still the legitimate base of Uganda as a country.