On May 21, 2009 former Los Angeles, California, resident and now owner of Radio Star, NRM candidate Peter Sematimba was declared the new LCIII chairman for Rubaga after a bitter election fight marred by massive irregularities. Even the Uganda government mouthpiece, the New Vision, on May 22, 2009 reported the results under the heading “Rubaga LC3 polls marred by rigging”.  Sematimba, who moonlights as a church pastor, won with 15,799 votes. The votes which Sematimba received represent 47% of the 33,314 cast in the elections, but only  9.3% of the 170,557 voters on the Uganda Electoral Commission roll of registered voters in Rubaga. According to NRM sources, more than 900 party activists were paid to irregularly vote in Rubaga. Also, over 2,000 pre-marked ballots were successfully stuffed into boxes across the 250 polling stations. Still, the total votes, including the irregular ones, represented a voter turn-out of only 19%.

While Peter Sematimba and most of his NRM supporters are celebrating his official victory, some political analysts think that this election is evidence that President Museveni and his NRM dominated brand of democracy could be rapidly collapsing. One New York based Muganda analyst, who requested that we withold his name, told us in a phone conversation: “Museveni, Nsibambi, Amama Mbabazi, Nakabirwa, Mrs. Museveni and so many other NRM heavyweights supported Sematimba. Then Peter blanketed Rubaga with constant campaign messages on his own radio station. Add on the fact that NRM people paid voters, ferried in illegal voters and stuffed the ballot boxes with thousands of votes. After all that, failing to get a turn-out over 30% in Rubaga is a clear message that the people of are fed up with Musevenism and are thirsting for something else.

“My contacts in FDC admit that many of those who kept away are former FDC Baganda who were convinced by Kamya that Ssebugwaawo was being used by Bakiga who were as anti-Buganda as Museveni’s regime.  FDC is dead in Buganda! Others were turned off by the leadership vacuum in DP and fairly good evidence that Mr. Museveni was funding the DP candidate (Makumbi) through ex-convict and Kampala mayor Haj. Nasser Sebagala. The bottom line is that Museveni and his people should now know that only about 5% of the people in Rubaga were genuinely convinced by Sematimba, Museveni, Nsibambi, Amama Mbabazi and other NRM big wigs to go vote for Sematimba. And at least 70% of the registered voters in Rubaga are opposed to or fed up with the Museveni circus. But that situation is much worse for NRM when it comes to Baganda, especially the militant youths below 25 years. So, if Sematimba or Museveni think that NRM won big in Rubaga, Baganda nationalists should be happy because it is better to have a stupid enemy than a smart one.”

The runner-up to Sematimba was Moses Makumbi of the Democratic Party (DP) who got 9,807 votes (29 percent), followed by Joyce Ssebugwaawo of FDC (15%) and four lesser candidates receiving less than 10% each. Makumbi conceded defeat and congratulated Sematimba quickly after the results were announced, leading to speculation in some DP circles that he was paid something to legitimize Sematimba as soon as possible. On the other hand, according to FDC sources, Joyce Sebugwaawo intends to challenge the elections results in court citing massive fraud by NRM activists with the Uganda Electoral Commission looking the other way.

In a move which has left some Baganda in shock, the Katikkiro of Buganda, Engineer JB Walusimbi has included a Munyarwanda in the team to negotiate with President Museveni over the disputed amendments to the Land Act of 1998. The Munyarwanda is Fred Higiro Semajege, who serves as the deputy speaker of the Buganda Lukiiko despite complaints by many Baganda who believe that he is an agent of the Rwanda government. In an email sent to Buganda Post, one former minister at Mmengo said: “We are shocked! In taking a Rwandese to negotiate with other Rwandese and Banyankore over the rights of Baganda, Walusimbi has made it so obvious that his loyalty lies with Rwandese and Banyankore, not with Buganda. In the process, he and his friends may create the basis for long term hatred of Banyarwanda and Banyankore in Buganda. It is as if everyone involved in this nonsense is totally incapable of seeing beyond their nose. How can they take such a huge risk on a government that is collasing under the weight of its corruption?”. Earlier this month Buganda Post reported that Baganda in Masaka and Kampala were troubled by Katikkiro Walusimbi’s special attention to Rwanda (see Baganda Question Katikkiro On Flowers For Rwanda Victims).

On Monday April 20, 2009, Katikkiro Walusimbi informed the Buganda Lukiiko that he had chosen a committee of 10 to represent Buganda in the negotiations with Mr. Museveni’s government. Owek. Walusimbi and Rwandese Mr. Semajege would lead the committee, with Apollo Makubuya and Charles Peter Mayiga, the two lawyers who, along with John Katende, previously advised former Katikkiro Mulwaanyamuli Semwogerere to accept the Regional Tier deal with Museveni. Later, at Ttabamiruka ‘07 in New Jersey Makubuya apologized to Baganda, saying: “I mistakenly participated in the negotiations because I sincerely believed that we were dealing with principled and honorable people on the Uganda government side”.

The team will also include Dr. Masagazi Masaazi who earlier named as one of Mr. Walusimbi’s representatives in numerous money related secret negotiations with Mr. Museveni over the past several months (see Uganda Government Names Katikkiro’s Co-conspirators). Another member of the team is Haji Abdul Nadduli, best known for being disqualified from running for Luweero district chairman after forging his academic qualifications which later lead to his imprisonment. Additional members of the committee are Mr. William Matovu, Naalinya Beatrice Namikka, Mrs. Joyce Mpanga and Retired Bishop Wilson Mutebi of Mityana.