SMS based Free Buganda Radio (also known as Radio Bu)  and its Ekiba Kibe program have gone to another level by getting a page on Facebook. The move to Facebook was announced by Robert  Kabuye e Boston during his evening the February 19, 2010 evening broadcast.  After getting a tip from one of the Buganda Post readers, we found  Mr. Kabuye and his Ekiba Kibe program on Facebook (www.facebook.com) under the name Kabuye Boston Robert.

In the same program, Robert Kabuye offered prayers to the Democratic Party (DP), which appears to been permanently split into two factions. Commenting on one of the factions which, according to Mr. Kabuye, is lead by Nasser Ssebagala and Norbert Mao, the broadcaster from the Ngeye clan called on all Baganda to remain focused on the noble cause of liberating Buganda.

Click on Ekiba_Kibe19Feb10B to listen toKabuye’a  February 19, 2010 Ekiba Kibe broadcast on Radio Bu.

A few months ago, Buganda Post was the victim of unknown electronic hooligans, who hacked and corrupted our databases (see  “Buganda Post Hacked By Unknown Hooligans” and “NRM Might Be Behind The Attacks On Baganda Web News Outlets“). We still do not know who did it and why but we notice that the same or similar cyber thugs are still attempting to hijack Buganda Post.

To get a long-term solution to the above problem, the Buganda Post website is undergoing a full redesign.  We expect to launch the redesigned Buganda Post site by March 2010.

The redesigned Buganda Post will be more professionally laid out and with better opportunities for Buganda citizens and others interested in the kingdom to exchange information and ideas.  We are doing our best to make sure to keep the familiar, simple look and color scheme of Buganda Post , even as we add more features. For example, we have already put Buganda Post on both Twitter and Facebook.  Another example is that Buganda Post will include a few blogs, where some of our readers will be able to freely express their opinions on issues that are important to Buganda. If you are interested in having your own blog on Buganda Post, please contact me at pnakato@bugandapost.com – only 2-4 blogs will initially be included.

A few months ago, Buganda Post was the victim of unknown electronic hooligans, who hacked and corrupted our databases (see  “Buganda Post Hacked By Unknown Hooligans” and “NRM Might Be Behind The Attacks On Baganda Web News Outlets“). Although many of our sources, including you our loyal readers, suggested that it was the work of the NRM occupation government , we still do not know who did it.

We Baganda have a saying: “Akugoba, y’akuwa ekkubo” (“He who chases you (from where you are comfortable), is the one who shows  you the way (to a better place)”. In that spirit, after painfully repairing parts of the Buganda Post website, we decided to redesign it and make and even better platform for Buganda national information to flow.

Over the next couple of months, we shall launch a redesigned Buganda Post, which is more professionally laid out and with better opportunities for Buganda citizens and others interested in the kingdom to exchange information and ideas.  We are doing our best to make sure that the familiar, simple look and color scheme of Buganda Post , even as we add more features. For example, we have already put Buganda Post on Twitter and soon it will be on facebook.  Another example is that Buganda Post will include a few blogs, where some of our readers will be able to freely express their opinions on issues that are important to Buganda. If you are interested in having your own blog on Buganda Post, please contact me at pnakato@bugandapost.com – only 2-4 blogs will initially be included.

We thank our readers who stayed with us even when some of the browsers would not work with Buganda Post because of the malware that hackers had put in the our website. Special thanks to our original sponsors and those of you who donated the funds that have allowed us to build a better website.

Check out Buganda Post on Twitter (search for bugandapost or Bu Post). Expect Buganda Post on facebook soon. And expect an enhanced website soon.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ssabasajja Kabaka Awangaale!

Patricia Nakato

A Buganda Post reader and Facebook member in the UK informed us that Kabaka Muwenda Mutebi II is on Facebook, more evidence to his subjects of how technology savvy he is. When we contacted sources close to Banda Palace, we learnt that Kabaka Mutebi has been an avid computer and Internet user since the early 1990s, “exchanging tons of emails each day and doing a lot of Web research, to keep abreast of global developments.”

Below is the message on Kabaka Mutebi’s Facebook page:

The Baganda cannot continue to mourn indefinitely for what was lost. We should not continue to labor under the burden of self pity because this self pity will destroy our soul and, therefore, our resolve to rebuild Buganda.

The number of Kabaka Mutebi’s fans is just under 1,200 at the time of posting this story. Click here to access Kabaka Mutebi’s page. If you have problems accessing the page or,  don’t know what Facebook is, or you just don’t have an account, but would like to become a fan, visit www.facebook.com and search on “Kabaka Mutebi” for more details.

The Buganda Post reader who first alerted us to Kabaka’s presence on Facebook, also pointed out that Mr. Museveni’s vice president, Gilbert Bukenya, is one of the fast growing numbers of Facebook users who are Kabaka’s fans. According to our reader: “Bukenya’s message to Kabaka Mutebi opens a lot of questions about Museveni’s VP. First, the terrible spelling of Bukenya suggests that either he is disrespectful of Kabaka or, he is a generally careless and clumsy guy or, he is a 60 year old ‘Muganda’ who cannot write Luganda or address our Kabaka properly. Second, why talk about Buganda as a region, knowing very well that the man he is talking to is the Kabaka of Buganda – a kingdom and not an NRM-style ‘region’. Is he trying to rub Museveni’s ‘central region’ concept into Kabaka Mutebi’s face?”

Dr. Bukenya’s unedited Facebook message to Kabaka Mutebi reads as follows:

Greetings to you Ssabasajja Kabaka W’Buganda. It’s a privilege to find you here. For the time I have been on, I have really appreciated the wonderful people here and all the advice and comments they give. All these are very critical for the development of our regions and the country at large. Wangala Ssabasajja Kabaka – Empologma ya Buganda.

Following Afrikaans, Swahili is the second African language to launch a Facebook page.  In the past five years Facebook use has been spreading all over Africa to become one of the most popular social networking sites on the continent. A group of Swahili scholars approached the California based Internet firm to get permission to launch the new version of the site. The organizers of the Swahili version said that they launched the new version to safe guard the future of their language.

Facebook tested the new feature for months. And they claim that 60% of users in East Africa are already using the new Swahili version. The bulk of Swahili-speakers live in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, and Mozambique.

Facebook already exists in some 60 language versions.