Within hours after a lecture from president Museveni’s chief censor, the management of foreigner owned Capital Radio issued a memo announcing new anti-Buganda policies. Rwandese Godfrey Mutabazi, Museveni’ airwaves enforcer visited Capital Radio and, using his infamous talking points (see “Rwandese Godfrey Mutabazi Censures Uganda Radios, His Talking Points“), specified what the station could and couldn’t broadcast. There was no resistance from the owners, who after a brief discussion, instructed the deputy general manager to implement.

Sources in Kampala tell us that members of the Baganda youth population have taken careful note of Capital FM’s eagerness to collaborate Buganda occupiers.

The memo which Capital Radio management sent to all its presenters, to implement the new anti-Buganda policies is shown below.

To: All Capital Radio Limited Presenters

Cc: Caroline Mukidi Wandera, Derick Nkajja, Jared Mokobo, George Manyali, Patricia Okoed Bukumunhe, Gloria Nakiyimba

Date: 29^th September 2009

Re: BUGANDA CONTENT

Following a meeting with the Broadcasting Council today concerning certain forms of on air content on Beat FM that can be deemed inciting and may have potential to inflame public sentiments, we are required to make key adjustments to our content broadcast on both Capital Radio and Beat FM.

All content relating to Buganda-the Buganda Kingdom and the institution of the Kabaka-will not be aired on both stations, unless as positive stories run in the New Vision or Bukedde newspapers covered in our press review. The stories which are positive are those that enhance the relationship between the Central Government and the Buganda Kingdom and do not incite the public into violence. In this context we shall not however give opinion but report them as fact.

More specific to Beat FM, we shall:

(a)  Stop all talk and promos in support of Buganda Certificates.

(b)  Stop all talk and promos in support of the Buganda Football Tournament Cup finals Amasaza Cup this Saturday

(c)   Stop all songs about Buganda and in some cases those about Buganda ’s quest for federo or those eulogizing the Kabaka and SeKabaka’s.

(d)  Stop all traditional drums and shakers that introduced the evening drive interspersed with homage to the Kabaka.

(e)  Stop any other comment that promotes the Buganda Kingdom or the Kabaka.

(f)   Stop all news coverage about Mengo or the Kabaka.

We shall only focus on lifestyle and entertainment content throughout our broadcasts.

For any future changes on this policy, I will duly communicate

Joel IsabiryeDeputy
General Manager
Programme Controller
Capital Radio Limited

A source in the Namirembe Diocese of the Church of Uganda (Church of Buganda) has confirmed to this writer that the new bishop of the diocese received a letter warning him of a conspiracy by foreigners to steal church property. The new bishop is Wilberforce Kityo Luwalira, who was consecrated on May 31, 2009. Our source, who spoke on condition anonymity for fear of reprisals, also confirmed that the letter is supposed to have come from one Asumani Balwaana Kaama of the Union of Councils for Ggwanga Mujje. However, the source could not verify if the letter received is identical to the one which Buganda Post had received around the same time.

The version which was sent to Buganda Post congratulates Luwalira on his advancement to become the head of the Anglican Church of Buganda. Then begs him resist all expected attempts by President Museveni to compromise him, starting with a personal car gift. Then it warns him of coming pressure from Archibishop Orombi of Uganda to use Buganda church land for “projects” and to place Banyankore and other foreigners into key positions within the Church of Buganda. Finally, the Union of Councils for Ggwanga Mujje pleads with the bishop to immediately stop allowing political speeches in Buganda Anglican churches, which demeans the institution and serves to divide and divert Baganda from their common national interests.

The Luganda letter which Buganda Post received is reporoduced below without translation.

 
Namirembe Diocese
P.O.Box 14297
Kampala, Uganda
 
June 11, 2009

Ssebo Omulabirizi Kityo Luwalira,

N’obuwombeefu tukwaniriza era tukukulisa okutuuka ku bukulembeze bwe Kanisa mu bwakabaka bwa Buganda. Obwesigwa e Kanisa, Ssaabasajja, n’Endiga za Katonda bwebakutaddemu kintu kikulu nnyo ekye’kitiibwa nga ate kya buvunanyizibwa.

Ebiro bino abalabe ba Lutikko beyongedde obungi. Era ssebo gy’otabadde e Kanisa yaffe kata bagitwaale, abantu bano ab’obulabe ekigendererwa kyabwe tebanakivaako. Twagadde okukozesa omukisa guno nga wakatandika obuvunanyizibwa bwo nga Omulabirizi we Namirembe tukusibire entanda:

1. Omukulembeze wa Yuganda Yoweri Museveni oba abaleebesibe bajja kugezaako okukugulirira – ekintu kino Museveni yakitandika na kusuubiza nga bwajja okukugulira emotoka. Ssebo gakuwebwa munno! Emotoka eyo togikkiriza nga ggwe omuntu – Bishop Wilberforce Kityo Luwalira. Olukukwasanga emotoka eyo, kaada yayo nga etekebwa mu mannya g’obulabirizi bwe Namirembe. Era tusaba nawe okirangirire lwattu mu Kanisa Lutikko nti Gavumenti ya Yuganda yatonedde obulabirizi bwe Namirembe emotoka; obanyonnyole nti emotoka si yiyo.
 
2. Ssaabalabirizi w’eKanisa mu Yuganda Henry Luke Orombi oba abatume be bajja kujja bakusabe ettaka ly’eKanisa eryagiweebwa Ssabasajja; katugambe nga bagamba nti baagala bateekeko “projects” ate bave awo ettaka eryo baliteeke mu manya ga “project” – oba ebintu ebifananako bwebityo ebinaabasobozesa okubba ettaka lye Kanisa ya Buganda. Ssebo tukusaba ettaka ly’ekanisa mu Buganda olikuume butiribiri.
 
3. Tukimanyi nti Yoweri Museveni n’abatume be bajja kutuukilira nga baagala osooke okulonda oba okussa Abanyankole oba abantu abalala aba NRM mu bifo eby’obuvunanyizibwa munda mu Kanisa ye Namirembe. Tukusaba oleme kwesembereza nkola g’eno. Buli omu akimanyi nti tewali muganda ayinza kuweebwa mulimu mu makanisa g’eMbarara, Toro, Busoga, e.t.c. N’olwekyo olina okulaba nga Namirembe tasenserwa bannabyabufuzi oba abagwiira abagenda okugisekeeterera nga basinzidde munda mwayo. Bajjajjafe balwaana nyo okukuma Namirembe okuviira ddala mu 1890, nawe ky’ovude osobodde okugisangawo. Tukusaba ojjukirenga nti Namirembe Kanisa ya Buganda era n’ebyobugagga byonna (ttaka, bizimbe, masomero, mayumba, malwarilo, e.t.c) bya Namirembe so ssi Church of Uganda.
 
4. Tuli benyamivu lwa nsonga nti tutandise okulaba omuze gw’okufuula Lutikko akadaala k’ebyobufuzi. Namirembe atandise omuze gw’okuddira ba naby’obufuzi nemubakkiriza okwogerera ku kituuti mu Kanisa nga bwebagala. N’obuwombeefu, tukusaba gwe nga Omulabirizi omuze guno gukome. Teguweesa Kanisa kitiibwa, okujjako okwawulayawula mu ndiga za mukama. Tewali nsonga yonna lwaki ab’ebyobufuzi basinziira mu Kanisa yaffe okukuba pokopoko wabwe, aleeta enjawukana mu bantu ba Ssaabasajja. Tukusaba olabe nti omuze guno gukoma.

Ssebo omulabirizi tukwebaza emirimu gy’okoledde e Kanisa n’Obuganda. Naye wootaali, olutalo luno twalulwaana okulaba nti tebatusiba balabirizi betutamanyi nsibuko zaabwe. Ebbaluwa yaffe gyetwawandiikira Ssaabalabirizi Orombi ku saawa yakazzigizzigi nga n’omukulembeze Yoweri Museveni yafunako, yiiyo wansi gyesomere.

Tuli bamalirivu era twewaddeyo okutunula omuntu yenna mu munnye anagezaako okukyusa obwanannyini bw’ebintu bya Namirembe ne Buganda nga Ssaabasajja awamu n’Obuganda nga tebasiimye. Okwo kuba kulya lukwe mu Bwakabaka bwa Buganda. Ekibonerezo kyomusango ng’ogwo kimanyiddwa buli Muganda.

Awangaale Ssaabasajja Kabaka wa Buganda.
Asumani Balwaana Kaama
Union of Councils for Ggwanga Mujje

Louise Edwards
Programme Officer – Access to Justice (East Africa)
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, New Delhi

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Professor Philip Alston, presented his detailed report on Kenya at the recent 11th Session of the UN Human Rights Council.  In an extraordinary week of political maneuvering, reinforcing the internal tension that plagues Kenya’s Grand Coalition Government, the Kenyan delegation responded with an oral statement to the Council that contradicted their earlier written response. Having initially denied Professor Alston’s accusations of the widespread and systematic use of extrajudicial killings by the Kenya Police Force, the delegation conceded that there is a problem, but stopped short of acknowledging Government complicity.

The proceedings and outcomes at the 11th Session have received much local and international press.  Now, two weeks later, the focus must shift to action taken by the Kenyan Government to address the issues raised by Professor Alston and the fall out from the publication of his report, which included the killing of two human rights defenders that had previously cooperated with his mandate.  Despite the eventually positive response from the Kenyan delegation in Geneva, early signs of action are not necessarily promising.

Professor Alston’s report articulated what concerned local and international organisations have been saying about the Kenya Police Force for many years and which the Government failed to acknowledge until their oral statement to the Council – that extrajudicial killings are part of the policing landscape in Kenya. The oral statement also contained a public acknowledgement of Kenya’s weak police oversight mechanisms, the need to establish a local independent police commission and assurances that no human rights defenders would be intimidated or harassed as a result of their cooperation with the UN Special Procedures mandate-holders.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether the promising outcomes in Geneva will translate into credible action in Nairobi.  Successive promises of reform articulated in a number of strategies and processes over the past 10 years have not been completed or sustained by the Kenya Government.  Kenyans continue to be policed by an organisation that lacks sufficient accountability structures, fails to protect or uphold basic human rights and is continually subject to illegitimate political interference.  Millions of dollars have been invested in the development and publication of commission reports, task force findings and reform strategies without any genuine steps by the Government to implement systemic reform.

The concerning state of policing in Kenya has received significant national and international attention over the past 18 months.  The police response to the 2007 post-election violence brought the issue of political partisanship, impunity and brutality to the fore.  The Waki Commission report into the violence strongly recommended comprehensive reform of the Kenya Police Force and Administration Police and Professor Alston’s report reinforced the brutal and corrupt practices that have been permitted to flourish by the unreformed, colonial policing model. 

Police reform is a daunting and long term process.  It requires substantial law reform, a radical shift in policing culture from one of impunity to accountability and the restoration of trust between police and the community.  None of these urgent reforms will happen in Kenya without the political and financial commitment of the Government to undertake reforms of this scope.  The recent establishment by the President of a special Police Reform Task Force represents a positive step towards delivering credible advances.  However, the Government must translate the Task Force’s recommendations into actual reform that goes beyond improving operational capacity to address governance, accountability and legal structures.  Otherwise the Task Force, for all its good intention, will become another failed reform vehicle.

Drawing on the previous recommendations and those foreshadowed to appear in the current Task Force findings, the Government should implement the following minimum reforms:

• Constitutional and legislative amendments that clearly separate the operational control of the police from the direct control from the political Executive and provide for transparency in monitoring police performance and conduct,
• Strengthening internal and external oversight mechanisms, including the enactment of legislation and budgetary allocation to give full effect to the Police Oversight Board plus the establishment of an independent complaints mechanisms,
• Establish a clear demarcation between the role of the Kenya Police Force and the Administration Police,
• Improve police human rights training and resourcing to strengthen human rights compliance and operational effectiveness in the prevention, detection and investigation of crime, and
• Establish clear legislative guidelines on the use of force, torture and adherence to basic due process that accord with Kenya’s existing obligations under international law.

If the Government is serious about reforming the police, a commitment to implementing past and current recommendations is not enough.  It must also take immediate steps that both demonstrate its firm commitment to reform and restore public confidence in the reform process.  A positive first action should be the investigation, prosecution and punishment of those police officers who commit or acquiesce to illegal acts including, but not limited to, those responsible for the 2007 post-election violence and the perpetrators of extrajudicial killings.

Other immediate steps must include measures to implement the Government’s guarantee of protection to individuals who have been intimidated or subject to retribution for their cooperation with the UN Special Procedures mandate-holders.  Human rights defenders, including members of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights have been subject to threats and some have been forced to flee Kenya.  The high profile execution of two prominent human rights defenders, who cooperated with Professor Alston, and the failure by the police and Government to identify those responsible, highlights the inadequacy of protection and security for human rights defenders.  While Kenya has a witness protection programme, reform is urgently required to ensure the integrity of its internal processes (including accountability, Executive control and information storage and sharing) before those who are most in need of protection will have confidence in the systems that are designed to deliver it. 

The 2007 post-election violence, followed by the findings in Professor Alston’s report, and the tragic consequences for human rights defenders who cooperated with his mandate, have kept the problems with Kenyan policing firmly in the international spotlight.  Whether the political will to commit to genuine reform is present in the Grand Coalition Government remains to be seen, but what is clear to the international community is that the need for police reform is more crucial than ever.

The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) is an independent, non-partisan, international NGO working for the practical realisation of human rights in the countries of the Commonwealth.
www.humanrightsinitiative.org

The family of the late Freda Lule, daughter to former Uganda president, Yusuf Lule, accuse flamboyant Kampala lawyer, Andrew Kasirye of land fraud. Led by William Blick, the family has filed a complaint against Kasirye with the Uganda Law Council, accusing him of fraudulently selling their land to two different people and pocketing the loot. According to the complaint, Kasirye first sold the land on their behalf to one Mugalaasi, as contracted, before selling it a second time to one Ntaganda.

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

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