Tag Archive | "corrupt"
Posted on 28 November 2009
Tags: Asians, baganda, Buganda, collaborators, corrupt, Genocide, Indians, Kabaka, kampala, kingdom, Land, museveni, news, Occupation, uganda, Yoweri
A survey of that has been carried out by two Baganda statisticians in Kampala suggests that the Asian community in Uganda is key to Museveni’s and the NRM’s armed occupation of Buganda. They control the local banking industry, have a virtual monopoly on manufacturing and are the investment agents of choice for the biggest Balaalo and Banyrwanda money launderers in the region. According to the survey, if you leave out the NGO and Telecommunications sectors, Asians and Banyankore jointly control over 70% of all full time private sector jobs in Buganda. And it is this joint control of jobs and money by Asians and Banyankore that has made the former key to the NRM’s oppressive occupation of Buganda.
The survey reveals that although over 75% of all business activities Museveni’s Uganda are in Buganda and Baganda are a large majority within the Kingdom, Asian businesses today employee more Banyankore/Bakiga/Banyarwanda than Baganda. Many Asian businessmen are in fact starting to avoid employing Baganda altogether, in fear of appearing to support Kabaka or Buganda. In the processes, Ugandan Asians, who are primarily Indians, Pakistanis and Sri Rankans have become a critical weapon to the NRM in the mission to destroy Buganda.
The researchers found that, in general, today’s Indians and other Asians have a much higher percentage of ruthless criminal elements in their ranks than the population that was chased out by Idi Amin in the early 1970s. In fact 25% – 30% entered Museveni’s Uganda illegally. For example, in 1970 many Indians and other Asians engaged in tax cheating, sabotaged Baganda businesses and promoted bribery. However, many of them also supported the Buganda Government and generously employed Baganda. However, there were no equivalents to Museveni’s Indian mercenaries like Sudhir Ruparellia, Karim Hirji, Mukesh Shukla, Rajni Karia, Ketan Morjaria Kanathan Vellupullia and others like them.
The survey discovered that the Asians are now so assimilated to the NRM culture of crime and impunity that Museveni trusts them more than any other group except for Banyarwanda, Banyankore and Bakiga. Indeed, Museveni’s people have used Asians to launder hundreds of millions of dollars since the looting of Congo, though companies like Petro, Meera, Orient Bank, Bidco, Crane Bank, Munyonyo Resort, Golf Course Properties, Kabira Club, Shumuk Company, Kakira Sugar Works, Speke Hotel. Through these Asians, individuals like Sam Kuteesa, Janet Museveni, Amama Mbabazi and Muhoozi Kainerugaba have acquired properties worth tens of millions of dollars in the UK, the USA and South Africa. Even the Bandari Jaffa family of Fairway Hotel fame, collaborated by helping with the secret white house scholarships.
There is evidence that the deliberate integration of Asians into Museveni’s anti-Buganda campaign started in the 1990-1995 period. That is when the Ugandan warlord made clear gestures to the Indian community they wanted them as partners in crime. For example, he authorized Jim Muhweezi to free Sudhir Parelia from jail and then allow him to run a fake national lottery and later open a bank. That Bank was later used heavily by NRM and NRA officials who looted Congo to hide their ill-gotten wealth. And Sudhir had been in jail on money laundering charges. Also in the mid 1990s, Museveni ordered the police to drop a case against Karim Hirji for the murder of Gerard Kiddu, a Muganda of Mamba clan. Now, Sudhir and Karim are the largest investment partner for Mr. and Mrs. Museveni and their extended families.
The survey found no evidence that Indians and other Asians have supported Buganda or Kabaka in a substantial way. On the contrary, they have discriminated again Baganda in employment, as shown by the fact that Asians in Buganda employ more westerners than Baganda. While Asian business and criminal enterprises gross an estimated $850million minimum per year, they always contributed less than $250,000 per year to Kabaka’s programs. Mmengo tried to bring Indians and other Asians closer by recommending to Kabaka Mutebi to appoint the then Chairman of the Indian Association, Mr. Rajni Tailor, as a minister. However, according to the survey results, it appears that the Asians had already chosen to work with Museveni on Buganda issues.
The survey was carried out between September 14, 2009 and November 17, 2009. It was funded by a Mr. David Kasozi.
Posted on 22 October 2009
Tags: baganda, betty, Boston, Buganda, corrupt, corruption, Dan, demonstration, dictator, Dictatorship, elections, emergency, federal, Federalism, human, human rights, james, Kabaka, kingdom, medical, Meeting, Muliika, Mutebi, nambooze, nation, new york, news, political, Regional, regional tier, resolution, resolutions, rights, semakula, Tier, Ugandan, UN, washington
The organizers of the Buganda Emergency Meeting, which took place on October 17, 2009, in Boston USA, have published the resolutions from the event (see “Muliika And Frank Musisi To Headline Boston Buganda Emergency Conference“). We first received a copy of the resolutions at around 4:00 PM Boston time but it took us until 7:30 PM to verify that it was genuine. That is when a highly reliable source confirmed to us that the document was being circulated on the top Baganda discussion lists by Mr. James Semakula, one of the organizers.
Buganda post is preparing a story, together with in depth analysis, on the Buganda Emergency Meeting to be published over the weekend.
The resolution document is reproduced in its entirety below:
Resolutions of the Buganda Emergency Meeting in Boston on October 17, 2009
Preamble:-
Aware that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICFSCR), guarantee the right to self determination of all people;
Convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the NRM government has violated fundamental human rights;
Saddened by the gross, unjust and inefficient governance inflicted on the people of Uganda by the NRM regime;
Realizing that Unity is essential to achieving our collective objectives;
Determined to rid Uganda of bad governance, dictatorship, and corruption;
Condemning strongly the NRM government’s continued interference in the running of independent institutions and intrusion into the running and electoral process of organizations of Ugandans in the Diaspora;
We hereby earnestly resolve as follows:-
1. Establish structures to analyze and determine the resources needed to achieve our objectives.
2. Advise the Kabaka not to directly negotiate with Museveni, his government, or agents of the NRM regime.
3. Take appropriate steps to fundraise in order to finance the necessary activities to lead to change and the establishment of genuine democracy in Uganda.
4. Pursue all legal channels that are useful in achieving our objectives including, but not limited to, international legal action.
5. Educate the International community about the true political situation in Uganda through demonstrations on a regular basis and lobby work at the New York UN headquarters, Washington DC, and other major cities in the world.
6. Boycott, effective immediately, all government media and other anti-Buganda entities.
7. Intensify civic education of the people about the problems and possible solution to the problems being faced by Buganda.
8. Reach out to other Ugandan ethnicities and groups with a view to making alliances to advance the cause of Democracy and Federalism.
9. Expose government spies, informers, and traitors– and record their illegal activities within and outside Uganda for the purpose of future prosecution.
10. Seek better Medical treatment for Mrs. Betty Nambooze Bakireke.
11. Reject (unanimously) the Regional Tier as a form of governance in Uganda.
12. Agree that Museveni and his regime must go; and resolve to establish a mechanism for free and fair elections
Posted on 20 October 2009
Tags: baganda, betty, Betty Nambooze, Buganda, clan, club, corrupt, Ganda, Genocide, Gilbert, Gilbert Bukenya, illegal, JB, Kabaka, Katikkiro, kayunga, Kenya, king, kingdom, Lukiiko, Ministers, murder, museveni, Mutebi, nambooze, NRM, ronald, security, torture, UK, Walusimbi, Yoweri
A source close to Eng. JB Walusimbi has told us that the 65 year Katikkiro of Buganda has is losing interest in position and could be looking for ways get out of the 4-year contract with the kingdom. The source, who is a member of the Katikkiro’s Magunda sub clan (ssiga) of the Ffumbe (civet cat) clan, said: “Since even before the Kayunga riots, Engineer Walusimbi has been facing pressures to leave the office from all sides, even our clan elders, or show more that he is loyal to the Kabaka. Even we his own brothers and sisters have been pressuring him in our own ways because he is shaming our whole clan. By the way, when he was appointed Katikkiro, many of us who are insiders tried to oppose because we knew his background but we were not properly consulted.”
Our source told us that since the Kayunga riots, it appears that Engineer JB Walusimbi has been rethinking his part time job as Katikkiro. She says: “First, it looks like JB realized during the riots that Baganda youth might one of these days kill him or some of his 6 children because of the image that he is on Museveni’s side. As a person, he wants to be Katikkiro but it is impossible for him when he is much closer to Gilbert Bukenya and Museveni than he is to Kabaka Mutebi. And the way that Baganda youths are attacking him, is giving him high blood pressure. That is why he is really losing interest, because no one trusts him. Not even most of us members of his Magunda ssiga.”
Many Baganda were incensed with the statement that Katikkiro Walusimbi issued after the “gun on your head” Kabaka Mutebi was forced to have with Uganda warlord, Yoweri Museveni on September 30, 2009 (see “Katikkiro JB Walusimbi Praises Gunpoint Meeting Between Kabaka and Museveni“). Since then, Katikkiro Walusimbi, has all but abandoned making pro-Buganda public statements or associating himself with the hundreds of Baganda who were murdered or continue to be arrested and tortured by the NRM government. The Katikkiro is even low key on the arrests and continuing harassment of Kabaka’s officials by Museveni’s security forces. He reportedly avoided assisting Kabaka’s official ,Betty Nambooze, with her medical problems, for fear of annoying Museveni who hates her. According to local press reports, Kabaka Mutebi was forced to personally get involved in Nambooze’s case, working through other obedient ministers to provide her with much needed medical care.
If it is true that Engineer Walusimbi is losing interest his position as Katikkiro, there is evidence that he could be developing a new interest. Over the last two weeks, Katikkiro Walusimbi’s high profile engagements were closing the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) trade show and presiding over the Rotary Club announcement of free medical operations program for the poor. At the UMA event, Owek. Walusimbi surprised many in the audience when he promised that Buganda would never reclaim the 9,000 square miles from its illegal occupiers but only partner with them to generate income from the land. The subject of how the 9,000 miles would be administered has never been discussed by the Buganda Lukiiko. Many of Engineer Walusimbi’s critics are also upset that this “Kabaka ow’ebweeru” was giving attention to Rotary Club medical operations instead of putting priority on getting Betty Nambooze the urgent surgery she needs.
Posted on 13 October 2009
Tags: baganda, Balaalo, Boston, Buganda, corrupt, court, dc, demonstration, dictator, forum, Gadaffi, Genocide, Government, ISO, Kabaka, kingdom, Muganda, museveni, music, Mutebi, new york, news, NRM, occupied, police, President Museveni, Prisoners, ronald, safe house, state house, UN, virginia, washington, Yoweri
Posted on 10 October 2009
Tags: 2009, baganda, Balaalo, Boston, Buganda, change, corrupt, court, dc, demonstration, forum, Gadaffi, Genocide, Government, ISO, Kabaka, kingdom, maryland, Massachusetts, Muganda, museveni, Mutebi, new york, news, NRM, occupied, police, President Museveni, Prisoners, ronald, Rugunda, Ruhakana, state house, UN, virginia, washington, Yoweri
Posted on 10 October 2009
Tags: acholi, baganda, Banyala, boda, Buganda, Bukedde, bunyoro, Busoga, corrupt, corruption, donor, Genocide, independence, Kabaka, Katikkiro, Kenya, kingdom, Kyabazinga, Libya, Ministers, mityana, Monitor, mukula, murder, museveni, Mutebi, muwhezi, news, oil, police, President, President Museveni, security, Tanzania, torture, Ugandan, UPDF, Video, Yower
President Museveni’s propaganda team were wise to bar all Uganda TV stations from broadcasting the proceedings at the NRM’s independence day celebrations on October 9, 2009 at Kololo Airstrip. That is because, this year’s ceremony saw the smallest crowd of ordinary Ugandans in the 47 years since the British granted independence to Uganda on October 9, 2009. Leaving out the many security or government officials and about 60 boda boda’s, approximately 900 ordinary people attended. Notably, even with this small crowd, the majority wore yellow NRM party tee shirts which were given out free in poor areas to entice people to come to the event.
Conspicuously absent were foreign dignitaries from Libya and neighboring countries. Even the so called cultural leaders, who Museveni supports financially, stayed home – Omukama of Toro, Omukama of Bunyoro, Kyabazinga of Busoga, Omorimor of Teso and Rwot of Acholi. The only non-government VIPs present were a few diplomats accredited to Uganda, junior officials from Kenya, Tanzania and Southern Sudan plus Mr. Museveni’s own Ssabaluri Mwogeza Butamanya (coincidentally, it literally translates to ”the one who speaks with ignorance”) and Sabanyala Kimeze.
State House Panic and Propaganda Plan
On October 7, 2009, Mr. Museveni’s statehouse received reliable information that over 10,000 people had greeted Kabaka Mutebi in Mityana (Ssingo county), on his way to the Buganda independence event in Mubende, Buwekula county. They knew right away that Kabaka’s crowds could embarrass Museveni at the Uganda independence celebrations on the 9th. So, they turned their attention to controlling the news about Kabaka Mutebi’s activities.
According to our sources in Mr. Meseveni’s ISO, the plan which was hatched by Tamale Mirundi, Robert Kobushenga, Kabakumba Matsiko and a certain Mafabi included 5 main elements: (a) Minimize the crowd in any pictures of Kabaka Mutebi’s crowds if shown in government newspapers. (b) Use physical barriers to force the crowd at Kololo into a relatively small but longish area just below Upper Kololo Terrace road so that the numbers can look big in photos taken from a low angle; (c) Have Mr. Museveni enter the ceremonies through the crowd area, so that we can take photos showing many people around the president, (d) force all major media outlets to broadcast the events at Kololo, using a single audio/video feed from the government’s Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), and (e) strengthen enforcement of the rules which Godfrey Mutabazi had placed on radio stations, barring any praise of Kabaka or Buganda.
The Monitor Does Not Cooperate
On October 8 and 9, New Vision and Bukedde reported on Kabaka’s tour of Buwekula but omitted any mention of Buganda Independence celebrations, only referring to bulungi bwa nsi (national service) but without translating it to English. Also, they have avoided any picture which show the huge crowds that the Kabaka attracted in Mubende or Mityana. The crowd at the main Mubende celebrations was approximately 25,000 people.
In a sign that the Aga Khan’s The Monitor newspaper editors may be starting to rethink their anti-Buganda sentiments, they defied Museveni and published a photo showing Kabaka Mutebi with thousands of his subjects jubilating around him. Furthermore, they published parts of the Kabaka’s tough “47 Years Wasted” speech, although with incorrect translation in some parts (see “Kabaka Mutebi Disowns Katikkiro’s Apologetic Tone“).
Ghost NRM Independence Day Celebrations
On October 9, Mr. Museveni’s worst fears came to pass. Despite the efforts of his propaganda people, the 900 or so crowd was to small for anyone to ignore. However, state house forced WBS TV, NTV, and NBS to suspend regularly scheduled programming and transmit the UBC TV feed from Kololo live for over 5 hours. And the UBC camera were continuously glued on the marching troops and the VIPs, skipping the miserable crowd. And in a sign that Museveni is losing confidence, he gave his shortest independence day speech ever even though the event lasted from 10:00AM to 3:30 AM.
Uncharacteristically, Museveni read his independence day speech strictly from the script, without any of his trademark long strays to abuse or threaten Baganda, aid donors and others. Also, although he had been fully briefed about Kabaka Mutebi’s statement that Buganda has gained nothing out of 47 years of independence, the Uganda warlord did not mention the subject at all (see “Kabaka Mutebi Disowns Katikkiro’s Apologetic Tone“).
Museveni’s speech included nothing he has not said over the last few years.
- He boasted of his record on education and raised eyebrows when he interpreted the rampant unemployment in Uganda as a sign of his successes, saying: “We no longer have to be frustrated by these people who don’t want to work. You find a problem person somewhere, you act, get rid of that person and get another one because they are many here now.”
- He pledged, as he has done numerous since 1986, that he will fight corruption. But immediately warned that the war on corruption, which is now much worse now than in 1986, will not be won overnight but through a protracted struggle. This time, he spared judges and the police and blamed accountants, auditors and accounting officers for the persistent corruption. However, he promised his outwardly bored audience that he has new army of young “clean” accountants and auditor to lead the war on graft. He did not mention where the got their education or earned their professional experience.
- He made the “obvious” observation that recent oil discoveries would increase self-reliance and make Uganda less dependent on foreign aid.
- Mr. Museveni (once again) revealed that problem of theft of drugs is a serious problem in the health sector. He did not mention the status of the corruption charges against his ministers and NRM stalwarts Michael Mukula and Jim Muwhezi.
Museveni’s Colonel’s on Empty Stomachs
The otherwise dull event could not end without typical Ugandan breakdown. The man in charge of the parade at the very long ceremonies, UPDF’s Col. Peter Ekweru, fainted and fell on his face due to hunger and exhaustion. Sources could not confirm how a whole colonel could command an important national parade on a empty stomach.
Posted on 05 October 2009
Tags: Buganda, corrupt, dictator, feet, foot, forced meeting, Kabaka, kidnap, limp Genocide, museveni, Mutebi, news, Ssabasajja, TV, uganda, walk
Posted on 29 September 2009
Tags: 2009, baganda, Balaalo, Boston, Buganda, change, corrupt, court, demonstration, forum, Gadaffi, Genocide, Government, ISO, Kabaka, kingdom, Massachusetts, Muganda, museveni, Mutebi, new york, news, NRM, occupied, police, President Museveni, Prisoners, ronald, Rugunda, Ruhakana, state house, UN, Yoweri
Museveni’s NRM USA organization will, until it collapses, remember September 26, 2009 as a bloody day. Pressure from American Baganda forced their primary funder, Uganda’s ruler, Yoweri Museveni keep away from their 2009 NRM Forum in Boston. The pressure came from the widely publicized plans by Baganda to demonstrate at the venue and the persistence of the same Kabaka’s subjects who came to the venue even after mixed messages about Museveni’s attendance. The Baganda came from New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Canada and elsewhere.
An estimated 200 Baganda , under the eye of the Boston Police, stood across the street from the entrance to the Marriott Copley Place Hotel and loudly demonstrated from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM. They held up placards that, among other things, accused Museveni of genocide, stated that Buganda is an occupied country and demanded the release of Baganda political prisoners. Throughout the over 5 hours of demonstration, Baganda kept singing “Kitiibwa kya Buganda”, praising Kabaka Mutebi and chanting slogans like “Akaalo ka Buganda keeko, akalo kaliko nannyiniko”, “Tulina Kabaka, tulina ennyondo”, “We want change, Museveni must go!” and so on. Curious car drivers kept honking and showing ‘V” signs, which kept the demonstrators energized.
Our contact within NRM USA admitted that the Baganda demonstration caused the NRM Forum to flop but would not comment of where Museveni was hiding. Speaking on condition anonymity the source told us that between 25 and 30 people attended the event. And when pressed, the source admitted that this number included over 15 organizers, government officials and spouses. Interestingly, the source, who is usually very defensive of Museveni, said “no comment” when asked if the Uganda president has been scared away by the Baganda. However, the source agreed that Buganda Post was “in the ball park” when we reported that president Museveni had decided to leave early and skip Boston, and then changed his mind. When we brought up the feet pain issues, the source only asked: “Where do you get that nonsense from?”.
A prominent Muganda analyst based in New York told us that there is no doubt in his mind that Baganda demonstrators in New York and Boston combined with the Obama snub shook up Museveni. The analyst explained: “You have to remember that throughout the Bush years, Museveni enjoyed open access to the US State House. For some reason he has not gotten used to the idea that Bush left, so he assumed that Obama would meet him personally. Thanks to Johnny Carson’s [US Undersecretary of State for Africa] intimate knowledge of Museveni’s regime, Obama administration put together a well-planned snub, which included ensuring that Obama’s TV images showed him speaking to the Uganda’s corrupt strongman for less than 5 seconds and immediately turning his back to him.
Our analyst adds: “In meeting Moammar Gadaffi, Museveni was hoping to make America jealous. Now, if Obama’s administration fell for I would be shocked. I understand that Museveni had some meetings with Balaalo students under the secret state house scholarship and got a briefing on the progress of a program by Ruhakana Rugunda and his wife to recruit Baganda women in the USA. However, the only thing he seriously looked forward to was holding court at the NRM Forum in Boston. In scaring Museveni away from Boston and sabotaging the forum, the USA Baganda exposed his cowardice. However, very much like a man who gets fired from his job and runs home beat his children, expect the sulking Museveni to return to Uganda and take his frustration on Kabaka and Baganda, to revenge the humiliation he has suffered. The interesting part is that Buganda will get even stronger as no one can claim the ‘twebaka ku tulo’ and ‘Tumukwaate mpola’ crap.”
Posted on 05 September 2009
Tags: abataka, baganda, Boston, Buganda, bugandapost, change, corrupt, corruption, Diaspora, failed state, Genocide, Government, Kabaka, Kaluma, kingdom, Muganda, museveni, Mutebi, news, NRM, Occupation, President Museveni, Tendo, Ttabamiruka, Ugandan, UNAA
Send you letters to letters@bugandapost.com as a text email or MS Word document. They must not exceed 500 words in length. If you want us to withhold your name, write WITHOLD next to it.
If you have an image, audio or video to accompany your letter we will also include it, provided it meets our standards for copyright protection. Send it as an attachment or as a URL link.
We are not obligated to publish any letter. We shall only publish letters that we consider appropriate and suitable for our readership. Click here to see the About page for more information on our terms regarding the content on Buganda Post.
Boston, USA: Ttabamiruka, Where NRM has Become a Dirty Word
Fellow Ugandans,
The country now more than ever is in dire need for independent minded thinkers to get us out of the quagmire of corruption, self destruction, unemployment and to improve the delivery of services in all sectors of our government albeit from a pool of the unencumbered, foresight third eye of the country.
The diaspora is made up of many disenfranchised capable hands, not so easily corruptible and with the potential to transform our nation, as long as that threshold of trust is reached without breach or violation as witnessed in these UNAA campaigns.
Some here have argued that President Museveni has surrounded himself with many yes men and women, who simply allow his continued sailing without alarm, stiffness or warning of looming danger from policies pursued; the president of UNAA should not to be in the same camp.
UNAA is one of the remaining organizations where civil exchange and honest to God, dialogue regarding deferred hopes, aspirations and expectations for tangible progress can still be heard uncensored.
Muzzling this discourse of reason and dissent, while desperately searching for a tenable position of development can only have dire consequences for our beloved country.
This obsession to sniff out and snobbishly infiltrate an organization with the desire to take over, despite repeated pleas, not to meddle, will spoil the effectiveness of such organs to provide venting space for those disgruntled and disenchanted with the way things have been handled in the country for the last twenty some years.
There are many among us in the diaspora who question the genius and preoccupation of buying men simply to make them blind followers rather than to seek them out for more erudite matters of thought and skill.
NRM strategists, ought to know that many of us in the diaspora tend to pear behind the rosy façade, often exposing the party line for what it is.
Further more we have acquired an appetite for verifiable honesty in dialogue and that is what we expect from our leadership.
We cringe when we see the out muscling of ordinary folks to impose non-progressive figure heads with blinders, bent on killing the free will and spirit of Ugandans, thus alienating those who might have added value to the development of the country.
The reality of the matter is: NRM needs the diaspora to inject not just cash but added wisdom to change the course of our nation. However, many in the diaspora want to work with honest brokers, those with a serious willingness to address and resolve critical issues that have dogged us for decades.
If such rules of engagement are not established, a Ttabamiruka, like scenario, where mention of the NRM-has become a dirty word, will ultimately ensue, resulting in a more parochial approach to development.
I would much rather see the prevalence of cool heads and practical dialogue, especially among the southerners, where lately there has been too much posturing of grown up men, baited and preoccupied with matters irrelevant to progress, put to the forefront by enemies of the state for purposes of disagreement.
Such agents of confusion have to be recognized for what they are, and I will repeat this call for a tribal ombudsman to bring a cessation to the polarization of Ugandans along tribal lines.
Remember, It is not how you get to the top, it matters most who you get there with.
Tendo Kaluma
Ugandan in Boston
Posted on 15 July 2009
Tags: africa, Amin, baganda, Barack, Boston, Buganda, california, corrupt, corruption, Diaspora, Gilbert, Gilbert Bukenya, james, justice, Kabaka, kampala, lugira, Massachusetts, mayanja, Milton, miria, museveni, Mutebi, news, Nsibambi, Obama, Obote, political, Politics, President, secret, sectarianism, security, semakula, ssemakula, uganda, Ugandan, Yoweri
Following in the footsteps of Milton Obote and Yoweri Museveni, UPC’s Olara Otunnu has, over the last 6 months, secured a deal (“mukago”) with respected foreign based Baganda to promote his presidential candidacy. According to a press release dated July 11, 2009, Mr. Otunnu, an Acholi, has been joined four USA based Baganda men, James Ssemakula (California), John Mayanja (Massachusetts), Mubiru Musoke (Massachusetts) and Aloysius Lugira (Massachusetts) to form the Campaign for Democracy and Justice in Uganda (CDJ). According to our sources in New York, this is a major step in Mr. Otunnu’s plan to sell himself as the next savior for Baganda – following Obote, Amin, Okello and Museveni.
All Mr. Otunnu’s Baganda partners, with the exception of James Ssemakula, are long-term DP activists and it is not yet clear how their new relationship with UPC’s designated 2011Uganda presidential candidate might affect their politics. Additionally, Otunnu’s Baganda partners are all old men over 50 years old who have lived out of Uganda for decades. Interestingly, Mr. Otunnu has not included any of his many American based fellow Acholi’s in this group. Yet his UPC political and security infrastructure in Uganda is getting constructed exclusively by Acholis and anti Miria Obote Langis.
The CDJ leadership is clearly dominated by Baganda who are known to put Buganda and Kabaka first. However, their press release does not even include the word “Buganda”. Some Buganda watchers might interpret this as a sign that, like Nsibambi, Gilbert Bukenya, Sekandi and Kiddu Makubya, the CDJ Baganda members fear that direct promotion of Buganda interests would be “tribalistic” and embarrassing.
The press release announcing the formation of Mr. Otunnu’s CDJ is reproduced in full below:
—
PRESS RELEASE
Ugandans Launch Campaign for Free and Fair Elections
Kampala, Boston, London, Toronto
11th July, 2009
Today a broad spectrum of Ugandans launched a major national and international campaign for free and fair elections in Uganda. This collective patriotic mission is called Campaign for Democracy and Justice in Uganda (CDJ).
The interim president of CDJ, Mr. John Mayanja, stated: “Previous elections conducted by the Museveni regime, which has been in power for 24 years, were massively rigged and manifestly lacked a level playing field. We must absolutely change this. This is the primary reason for the formation and launching of CDJ.”
CDJ will campaign for the following norms and standards:
. genuinely free and fair elections;
. transparent democratic practice and process;
. the rule of law and accountability;
. justice and equity for all Ugandans;
. national unity.
These norms and standards constitute the foundation for democracy and good government in Uganda and worldwide.
CDJ is not a political party. It is a non-partisan advocacy project committed to advancing the norms, principles, and standards set out above. CDJ is not affiliated with any particular political parties in Uganda; it is a broad-based network of Ugandan patriots, within the country and in the Diaspora, of diverse political affiliations and persuasion.
A particularly important date is approaching on the Ugandan political calendar. The country is preparing to hold national elections in 2011. CDJ will not support any parties or candidates in the forthcoming electoral contests. Its preoccupation is to mount a vigorous campaign for genuinely free and fair elections, with a level playing field for all.
The interim chairman of CDJ, Olara A. Otunnu noted: “Today, Uganda is a country in the throes of a grave national crisis and distress. The best way to combat this malaise is the institution of genuine democratic practice and process, beginning with free and fair elections. This would allow the Ugandan people to freely choose and shape their own destiny. It would ensure that leaders are held fully accountable for their actions before the law and the electorate. Democratic process also is the best way to prevent resort to violent conflict.”
CDJ calls on Ugandan patriots of all hues, both within the country and in the Diaspora, to come together and mount a robust campaign for free and fair elections in 2011. The interim secretary, Professor Aloysius Lugira stated: “The norms and standards for free and fair elections are now universally accepted. Uganda must not continue to be a perennial exception to universally accepted standards”.
This campaign is in support of the demands for electoral reforms which have been jointly tabled by the political parties in Uganda. The campaign is being launched today on the occasion of President Barack Obama’s speech in Accra; we are inspired by his seminal message, in particular on free and fair elections, accountability, anti-corruption, anti-ethnic sectarianism, anti-nepotism, and equitable opportunity, as indispensable components of democratic governance. Significantly this campaign also echoes and is in line with observations and recommendations made in 2006 by all election observers, including the European Union, the Commonwealth, and Ugandan civil society led by the Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC) and the ruling of the Supreme Court of Uganda.
2011 must inaugurate a new era for Uganda–an era of free and fair elections, with a level playing field. Ugandans demand, deserve and will accept nothing less. As President Barack Obama stated today, “History is on the side of these brave Africans.”
Signed by:
Mr. Olara A. Otunnu (Interim Chairman)
Mr. James Ssemakula (Interim Deputy Chairman)
Mr. John Mayanja (Interim President)
Mr. Mubiru Musoke (Interim Treasurer)
Professor Aloysius Lugira (Interim Secretary)
For further information, contact:
Mr. Jude Mbabaali
Foundation for African Development [FAD]
P.O. Box 2326, Kampala
Tel: 041 4510 486/041 4269 562
Mobile: 0772 444 663
Email: mbabaalij@yahoo.com; fad@infocom.co.ug
Professor Aloysius Lugira
Tel: 617-552-3539 or 781-439-3875.
Email: lugira.cdj@gmail.com; lugira@bc.edu