When Museveni ordered his prime minister Apollo Nsibambi and the speaker of his parliament, Sekandi, to introduce the controversial Land Amendment Bill 2007, he set a trap for NRM MPs. Sources close to the Uganda warlord’s state house tell us that Museveni is using the land bill debate for many reasons. The source told us: “On some level, the president was annoyed that Kabaka Mutebi ruled out any deal between the two of them when they met one-on-one in September 2009 and he wants to punish him as the biggest land owner around. However, the most important reasons are strategic. First, it is now over a year since Museveni and his akazu (secret kitchen cabinet) decided that a bill like this would break the back of the Muganda. Equally important, Mr. Museveni wanted to use this bill to force Buganda MPs to choose between him and Buganda. He knows that some of them are now exposed to serious dangerous but that does not bother him. In fact he likes it that way because now they have nowhere to go except to him.”

Our state house source agreed with the general information in the MP poll that appeared in the November 22, 2009 Observer newspaper but gave us some clarifications. For example, he clarified that the NRM MPs who claim to be undecided are really jokers who are simply positioning to get paid more money for their votes than the others.  

Below is the list from Observer updated with new information from our statehouse source. The Observer news paper is at www.observer.ug.

Uganda’s iron fisted dictator, Yoweri  Museveni, is in the middle of a hurriedly arranged tour of Buganda under the pretext of promoting  ”Bona bagagawale” (”prosperity for all”).  However, Mr. Museveni has attracted such small audiences that his state house has banned all newspapers from publishing photos from the rallies. The decision was taken as soon as Museveni’s handlers observed that when Museveni went to Kyaggwe, in the Kisoga area, he received  crowds that were substantially smaller crowds than the ones his opponent, Kiiza Besigye, had attracted  a few weeks earlier. To further complicate matters for Uganda’s warlord, his crowds tend to be dominated by village idlers and pickpockets and are not always friendly.

One email from a source close to Museveni’s state house says: “The state house simply had no choice but to stop everyone from printing pictures when the crowds in Kyaggwe and Rakai do not even come to even 20% of what Kabaka would attract. And they are also clearly smaller than what Besigye gets. To make things worse, when Kabaka goes places, people roll themselves in the dust on the road asking him to walk over their back. When  the president goes anywhere, people ignore his length speeches and as soon as he finishes start complaining  about everything from terrible roads, land grabbing by ‘foreigners’ and drunkard husbands. In a couple cases he has been asked to explain why he does not leave Kabaka alone.”

In a related development, another Uganda government source who is in contact with Mr. Museveni’s convoy in Rakai, Kooki county, sent us an email to say that Mr. Museveni is spending two days in the area to have more time with his local spies regarding the deteriorating security situation in both Buddu and Kooki counties. And, reportedly, to dish out bribes to local NRM operatives and other locals with a long-term goal of undermining  both Omutaka Kabumbuli and the Kabaka in Kooki.  Museveni reportedly gives out the bribe money  during secret night meetings and, while in the Kooki area, he is sleeping only about 3-4 hours a night.

The Observer Newspaper, where Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the man who made Museveni sweat on TV (see “Semujju Nganda Made Museveni Sweat On TV“) works, has translated the full text of the speech that Kabaka Mutebi made when opening the Lukiiko on August 24, 2009. As is customary, the Kabaka made his speech in Luganda, the national language of Buganda. The Observer’s loose translation is as follows:

BUGANDA’S WELCOME

We first of all want to thank God for the good He has done for us and console all those who have encountered problems in the past.

We greatly thank Buganda for showing us such great joy during the 16th coronation anniversary since the installation of the kingdom.

Buganda has spent more than 300 years welcoming people to prosper as a nation and by the mid 19th century, Buganda was the most powerful kingdom in central Africa.

To date, Buganda is still welcoming people. But we would not like the people Buganda has welcomed to create and build their own nations here in Buganda. Buganda’s boundaries are well outlined in Uganda’s constitution.

Therefore, it is very painful to the Baganda if other kingdoms are formed in Buganda. We beg that the welcome we extend to everyone should not be abused.

RETURN MORE EBYAFFE

In these 16 years, there are some things the government has returned to Buganda, and for that we are very grateful; and there are many others that haven’t yet been returned.

There is land at the counties and sub-counties headquarters in the whole of Buganda and buildings that haven’t been returned.

Right now there are Baganda nomads because they don’t have land yet the land that was returned to us by the colonialists in 1962 and later grabbed in 1967 is yet to be returned. The Baganda want the land that was forcefully grabbed returned to Buganda.

STOP THE LAND KILLINGS

There is another thing that is worrying us here in Buganda. Every other day people are killed over land wrangles, particularly between landlords and tenants.

There was a time here when mailo land owners lived in harmony with the tenants on that land.  We pray that that harmony and peaceful co-existence returns. Blood should not be shed because of land; if in the past there was peaceful co-existence, then it is also possible now.

Now there is no harmony between the land owners and the tenants; none of them can use the land, they are both in fear. A solution to this must be found so that peace returns to Buganda.

God bless you.

For a related Buganda Story go to “Kabaka Concerned, Museveni and Mirundi Promoting Landlord Murders“. To visit the Observer Newpaper online go to www.observer.ug.

Samwiri Mukasa
Buganda Nationalist
USA

I found the arrogance in Mr. Museveni’s “Guidance to Banyoro Bafuruki question” letter, posted in Buganda Post on August 1, 2009, unacceptable. Click on “Tired, Drowning Museveni Blames Baganda For Bunyoro Land Violence” to see the letter. I cannot understand how a man who became president on the backs of Baganda can go so far in abusing us and our Kabaka. I had to do something about it. My late father used to tell us that, if you want deal with a stone-throwing mad man, throw a few rocks at him too. So, I chose to throw my own 9 so called principles at Museveni, blow by blow, here on Buganda Post. Mr. Museveni’s “stones” (poor spelling is his) are shown in regular text and my “rocks” in bold.

Guidance on Baganda vs Guidance on Banyoro

Having thought about all this for a long time, I am proposing the following principles to be part of the solutions.

After reading president Museveni’s letter and thinking about it for a short time, I am proposing the following principles to be part of the solutions.

1.     Ring-fencing the LC 5 positions in the whole of Bunyoro region for the indigenous people; and also ring-fencing the sub-county leadership in the whole of Bunyoro.

1. Ring-fencing all politics in the Kingdom of Buganda for native Baganda people (the Bataka and appropriate community leaders will sort out the details of how to put Baluuri, Banyala, Bakenyi and even certain Bajjwa on the path to full recognition as citizens of Buganda, and integrating some of their unique customary practices in Baganda culture)

2.    Ring-fencing the positions of Member of Parliament in the whole of Bunyoro region for the indeginous people except for the special constituencies created around Rutete (Lutete) and Kisita resettlement schemes. Number and two will in the spirit of article of 9 and article 10 of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda. They were also envisaged by article 32 of the constitution of Uganda which talked about affirmative action in favour of marginalized groups by reason of history or otherwise for the purpose of redressing imbalances that exist against them.

2. Abolishing the bogus 1995 Museveni Constitution since it is a “weapon of Buganda occupation”. Over 90% of Buganda’s people publically protested it because they preferred a federal form of government and Mr. Museveni responded with threats  to use force. The same happened in 1998 when Baganda demonstrated against the Land Act; Mr. Museveni threaten to start a new guerrilla war. Even more importantly, our Kabaka has publically stated, “Tuli mu buwambe” (”we under occupation”) – the Kabaka cannot lie!

3.    All the indigenous people that were on the Mailo land in 1964 should be granted ownership and the absentee landlords should leave the land. All the indeginous people that have been on public land should get titles ownership of that land. The Bafuuriki in the settlement schemes already have their land and should get titles if they do not have them. The Bafuuriki who bought land legally should have their rights recognized.

3. All Baganda who, in 1986, were on land that was later acquired irregularly by non-Baganda (using stolen government funds, drug money, laundered funds, land grabbing, etc.) shall be granted ownership and titles. Proof of income and tax records will be required to support claims of legal acquisition by the non-Baganda. Anyone who bought stolen property (abaagula ebibbe) will automatically lose it as required by ancient Buganda Laws.

4.    All the illegal encroachers in forest reserves should be evicted without compensation as the normadic cattle keepers of Buliisa are being settled in Buganda.

4. All the illegal encroachers in forest reserves, wetlands and cultural sites shall  be evicted without compensation and the nomadic cattle keepers will be repatriated to their home countries, using Tanzania’s successful experience as a model.

5.    The towns and trading centre should be exempted from these affirmative action measures. They should be free for all Ugandans. This is the healthy integration. The totally integrated Uganda should have its nucleus in the urban centers, factories, the hotels, the shops, the real estate etc. in oreder to promote healthy integration, industrialization should be promoted to pull redundant population from rural areas to the urban areas. Here there should be no regulation beyond ensuring that the workers are Ugandans.

5. Land ownership by genuine non-Baganda investors and residents will follow international norms, using countries like Japan, Korea and Israel as models. There will be a limit to the amount of land these non-Baganda investors and residents may own outside urban areas – to be set by the Great Lukiiko.

6.    The indigenous people who get land should be prohibited from selling the land for 20years and also leasing it.

6. The indigenous people who get land shall be free to sell their land to other Buganda or to non-Baganda through Buganda Land Board and according to the laws governing Buganda land.

7.    A program of sensitising the Banyoro and Bafuuriki should be promoted.

7. A program of sensitizing all Baganda and residents of Buganda about the historical and cultural importance we put on our land and environment shall be promoted.

8.    Government should have a special program for developing Bunyoro using money provided by the central government including the British funds.

8. Ssabasajja Kabaka’s Government shall have a comprehensive strategy and several programs to develop the kingdom’s people at a rapid rate, relying on the resources of Kabaka’s people all over the world – Kabaka does not “beg”.

9.    Finally there should a sunset clause to terminate or cause a review of this policy after 20years.

9. Finally, there is no sunset clause to terminate or reduce the rights of Baganda to determine how their God given land in the 18 counties shall be administered.

All this is a consequence of the colonial policies also supported by the traditional chiefs like of Mengo in Uganda, of discouraging the use of Swahili as a national language. If the people of Bunyoro-the Banyoro or the Bafuuriki were using Swahili, their differences would be submerged. It is the use of vernacular that provokes, in part, these contradictions. I like the indeginous languages, in fact I am about to complete a dictionary in Runyakore-Rukiga. However, I see these vanaculars not as an end in themselves. I see them as a source of enriching Swahili. That is why NRM promotes Swahili. We included it in the constitution; we use it in the army etc.

The committee, should, therefore, look at the principles I have mentioned above and see them work. You should also identify any other problems that I have not identified and propose solutions. You should propose any solutions you feel are useful in the areas for which I have suggested solutions.

All this  is a consequence of failure on our part, the Baganda,  to recognize that Uganda has needed us way much more than we did. And, that the relationship is now irreparable, especially since Uganda is a certified failed state, run by common thieves. How would one otherwise explain why the president’s office cannot not use an English spell-checker on Mr. Museveni’s letter?

Awangaale Ssabasajja!

Samwiri Mukasa

Buganda political rights firebrand and Uganda MP for Lubaga North has warned of disaster if President Museveni’s government takes over the Kampala City administration. In a press statement she released on Sunday 5, 2009, Ms. Beti Kamya debunked the government’s claims that the city council should be replaced by a government minister because the city is too dirty for the Uganda’s national image.

Kamya challenges Mr. Museveni to provide a single piece of evidence that Uganda government is capable of maintaining any major institution. She cites the dilapidated national hospitals, schools and training colleges as a basis to question why taxpayers should have any hope that Mr. Museveni’s government will do a better job looking after Kampala than the city council.

As to why Kampala is in a mess Kamya says (in Luganda): “I believe that the primary reason why Kampala city is in a crisis is underfunding by government. For example, Kampala has a population of about 3M people but last year it received government aid of only 25 billion shillings (US$12.5M). By comparison, Bushenyi district [located in Museveni’s ethnic homeland of Ankore] has a population of 800,000 but it received 27 billion shilling (US$13.5M), which is more than Kampala’s.”

Kampala is the business and commercial capital of Uganda and is located in Kyadondo county of the Buganda kingdom. Kampala is the home of the official and private palaces of the Kabaka (king equivalent) of Buganda. And Mmengo, a suburb of the city, is the seat of the Kabaka’s government. The conference which wrote Uganda’s latest constitution in 1995 voted to designate Kampala as “outside Buganda”, a move which was strongly opposed by the natives of the city and an overwhelming majority of Buganda residents. To many Baganda the “majority rules” decision by the natives of other regions of Uganda has been regarded as forceful occupation. Since 1995, the democratically elected Kampala City Council has been dominated by Baganda, who get more votes.  Then just over a year ago Mr. Museveni declared the city council incompetent and ordered the drafting a new law which turns the administration of Kampala over to government and extends its size into Buganda native lands by more than twice. A move which many Baganda view as another sign that Mr. Museveni and his supporters are determined to destroy Buganda.

According to Transparency International, Uganda is one of most corrupt countries in the world. Over the weekend a top Western diplomat in Uganda said on a local broadcast program that the donors are frustrated by the fact that the aid they give is intended for the masses but ends in the hands of a few at the top. He gave notice that the some donors are re-evaluating its aid policy in Uganda, in light of the global economic and the high rate of corruption. At least 5 immediate members of Mr. Museveni’s family are also members of this administration. Notably, his wife Janet is Minister for Karamoja where Uganda’s main gold deposits are located, his half-brother Salim Saleh is Presidential Advisor on security and his son Muhoozi Kainerugaba is commander of the army’s special forces.

Under international law, an agreement is legal only if the associated transaction is legal. On Tuesday October 28, 2008, President Mwai Kibaki dragged Kenya into Museveni’s long illegal campaign to give away Buganda land without authorization from Parliament, City Council or Baganda. Kibaki and Museveni signed a protocol that would give the Kitante Courts land on Yusuf Lule Avenue to the Republic of Kenya. However a prominent Ugandan historian told us that the public land in Mulago area, including the piece that Museveni gave away to Kenya, is owned by Buganda and only under lease to Kampala City Council, according to agreements made in the 1950s and before. The Kitante Courts land is currently occupied by President Museveni’s notorious and dreaded Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) organization.

If Kenya takes up Museveni’s offer, then she will be joining what many Baganda believe to be Mr. Museveni’s conspiracy to import and offer stolen Buganda land to so many foreigners that Baganda are overwhelmed and rendered too weak to fight back. Only last year, Museveni tried to take the Kitante Courts land for himself and his family by gifting it to one of his closest business associates, Sudhir Ruparelia but he dropped the transaction after it became too controversial. Mr. Museveni not only insists that Kampala is not part of Buganda but he is also pushing plans to expand it by at least 5 times in area.

A Muganda international law expert that we contacted explained that the legality of this transaction is tricky but it also smells corruption. “The smart thing for Buganda and others who may have an interest in this land to do would be to publicly register their opposition to the transaction. In particular they should petition the Kenyan government to desist from concluding this transaction ‘because the involved is stolen native lands’. And copies should be given to the UN Secretary General, members of the UN Security Council, Tanzania, etc. The question is, do Walusimbi and Makubuya have the spine to risk annoying Museveni?”

Kenya and Uganda are among the most corrupt countries in the world, according to Transparency International. Both Mwai Kibaki and Yoweri Museveni remain presidents in their respective countries thanks to massive election fraud that was proven in courts of law. And the presidents of the two countries, especially Uganda, are known to be surrounded by legendary corrupt officials. In Uganda, Mr. Museveni’s closest confidant, Patrick Amama Mbabazi is in the middle of a special investigation by Parliament where overwhelming evidence has emerged that he illegally sold his land to Uganda’s National Social Security fund so he could strengthen his own personal bank. Yes, his personal bank where his partners include the Governor of Uganda’s central bank Tumusiime Mutebire and the minister of finance Ezra Suruma.

There are not enough details on Museveni’s Kenya land giveaway yet to indicate if Mr. Museveni and Mr. Kibaki will personally benefit from the multimillion dollar transaction. It is also not clear if Kenya’s Prime Minister, Oginga Odinga, known to be friendly to Buganda, supports the controversial deal despite its potential to alienate Baganda round the world.

Kenya’s Government can be reached via the following government officials: gowuor@mfa.go.ke  or mnyambura@mfa.go.ke or jbahemuka@mfa.go.ke. or kenrep@mweb.co.za.