On January 28, 2010, Buganda Post received several emails in connection with a portfolio of six images showing Ugandans in a demonstration.  Some of the emails were simply forward the images to us to let us know that they (the images) existed.  However, more were about the inscription “UN DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST MUSEVENI’S REGIME JANUARY 26, 2010 Ugandan In Diaspora International, Inc” which appeared on the images. Some of the emails accused Ugandan In Diaspora International, Inc (UIDI) of deception and dishonesty because it did not have any active role in organizing the demonstration  shown in the images.

We can report that UIDI was not directly involved in organizing the “Okununula Obuganda” (”Buganda Liberation”) demonstration at the UN on January 26, 2010. The permit for the meeting, as well as all the promotion was done by Mr. Robert Kabuye and Mr. Mukasa Muwonge.  The problem is that the photographer, one Mr. Muganga, put the inscription on the images to suggest that UIDI was responsible for the New York demonstration. This act by UIDI is what has attracted accusations that the young organization is engaging in deception to advance its members’  political and financial interests. The principals in UIDI include Lt. Frank Musisi, James Kabonge, Michael Muganga, James Semakula, Kawunde Miti  and Fred Kambugu (Kabonge’s cousin). It is not yet clear to us  if UIDI has other members.

Sources in Washington DC have confirmed to us that UIDI was started in response to the September 2009  NRM engineered election fiasco at UNAA Chicago. The organization was reportedly conceived by Kabonge around the time he wrote a scathing email to the UNAA Washington DC organizers, stating: “I am going to work to see a change in Uganda , and NRM government extension worldwide, and I ask peace and non corrupt Ugandans to join me in this mission”  (see “Questions About 2010 Uganda American Conferences As UNAA Starts DC Plans”). Since its establishment late in 2009, UIDI  has reportedly organized two demonstrations in  Washington DC, including one on January 22, 2010.

UIDI has also been linked to the website http://www.musevenimustgo.com. The  website’s main page says that it was, “launched by Ugandans in the Diaspora known as Dictator Museveni Must Go Revolution”. The website also requests visitor to donate online to what they call the Museveni Must Go Fund.  It does not specifically state where the money will go.  Notably, the website also subtly associates itself with the Buganda Emergency Conference, which took place in Boston on October 17, 2009. That conference was organized by Ggwangamujje Boston.

Sources have also told us that UIDI principals are working closely with Uganda politician, Dr. Olara Otunnu, and his surrogates to obtain political recognition and financial support in the USA.  We could not confirm if UIDI is a restart of earlier efforts by Olara Otunnu to recruit and use prominent Baganda in America to manipulate Kabaka’s subjects (see “UPC’s Olara Otunnu Enters ‘Mukago’ With America Baganda“).  The involvement of Otunnu’s people in UIDI, however, has raised the alarm again that  a few individuals are trying to manipulate Baganda in the diaspora to serve foreign interests.

On November 4, 2009, one Caroli Mpoza sent an email to the Uganda Community in Washington DC, inviting them to the first meeting on UNAA Washington DC 2010. Mr. Mpoza identified himself as UNAA DC Planning Committee Chairman. For those who needed further information Mr. Mpoza suggested that they contact him or Omulangira Fred Kalema-Musoke or Omulangira Michael Kimbugwe (Kalema’s son). Fred Kalema is the Kabaka’s representative in the Washington DC area.

Mpoza’s email did not sit well with a large section of Baganda in the Washington DC area, who do not recognize Mr. Moses Wilson as the fairly elected president of UNAA because they insist that he beat Lt. Frank Musisi with the help of NRM style vote rigging. James Kabonge, a long-term resident of Washington DC represented some of these upset Baganda when he responded to Mpoza’s invitation with a tough “shut up already” email on November 5, 2009. Not mincing words, Kabonge said, “I am disappointed in all of you who are supporting the current UNAA-NRM administration, and even helping them to plan 2010 convention,” in reference to Moses Wilson’s administration. Kabonge further promised:  ”I am going to work to see a change in Uganda , and NRM government extension worldwide, and I ask peace and non corrupt Ugandans to join me in this mission.”

The two emails from Caroli Mpoza and James Kabonge are reproduced at the end of this story.

In the meantime, Flex Kabuye, who was a distant third in the UNAA vote for president, went ahead and formed his own breakaway alternative to UNAA by early October,2009. According to sources in Texas, Kabuye, who is widely called “Seya” due to his weak command of the English language, has already started plans for his own Uganda conference in September 2010. The conference is reportedly planned for Atlanta, Georgia and further details are expected to appear on his website www.flexkabuye.info.

Although Kabonge did not reveal if and where he and his supporters might hold a Uganda conference, many Baganda in North America and Europe are raising questions about 2010 Ugandan conference in North America.  It is not clear how many Ugandan conferences will be held and what  issues they will focus on. Becuae the political situation in Uganda is also very volatile, it is difficult even to guess how much the NRM will invest to influence or scatter any of the Uganda meetings.

Based on the emails we have received about the UNAA split, it appears that a growing number of Baganda are losing faith in the ability of UNAA, FDC, DP or UPC or the Uganda Parliament to help Buganda out of  NRM “captivity”. For example, one email said: “In Chicago I thought that Buganda issues were at last getting some attention. But after seeing over 100 NRMs, DPs and UPC from Uganda come to influence the vote, I think that neither UNAA nor DP or FDC can deal with my interests as a Muganda.”

In a related development, on November 14, 2009 the organizers of Ttabamiruka distributed an email promoting the Buganda Conference on December 17, 2009. The email also said that Ttabamiruka ‘10 “will build on the outcome of the Buganda Conference.” More details about Ttabamiruka ‘10 are found on their website at www.ttabamiruka.com.

EMAIL BY CAROLI MPOZA

From: caroli nsambumpoza <bsam15@hotmail.com>
Sent: Wed, Nov 4, 2009 8:29 pm
Subject: UNAA WASH DC MEETING NOV 14th

Dear Members of the Ugandan Community in the Washington Metropolitan and surrounding areas as organizing Chairman
for UNAA Washington DC 2010 I invite you to our first General Meeting which will be held on Nov 14th at 3pm at the Gaylord
National Resort and Convention Center located 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD 20745 in the Baltimore 1 room.
Topics for the afternoon consist of reinstating local chapter, seeking volunteers to assist in planning of convention, updating the
community on the progresses that UNAA has made in moving forward with the preparation of UNAA 2010 and lastly
to answer any questions that the community may have in regards to the planning of the convention. For those of you
who plan to attend cer parking is located across the hotel in the public garages with rates starting at $3 dollars
for the first hour and $1 each additional hour. Hope to see you all there.

P.S. If you would like to take a tour of this magnificent hotel please come early.

For additional info you may contact;

Caroli Mpoza
UNAA DC Planning Committee Chairman
240-304-2325

Micheal Kimbugwe
Vice Chairman
202-359-1199

Fred Kalema-Musoke
Committee advisor
240-505-6406

EMAIL BY JAMES KABONGE

—– Forwarded Message —-
From: “jkabonge@aol.com” <jkabonge@aol.com>
Sent: Thu, November 5, 2009 4:19:57 AM
Subject: Re: UNAA -NRM WASH DC MEETING NOV 14th

Mr. Mpoza
UNAA RNM Fruad and Corrupt
DC Planning Committee Chairman

It is an insult to me and a lot of Ugandan to legitimize the current UNAA-NRM Administration and even to make it worse, to support them in planning a UNAA-NRM convention in my backyard.

We are fighting corruption, fraud and democracy, and yet we are supporting UNAA-NRM Chicago corrupt and fraud administration.

I am disappointed with friends, and people I know nation wide, who are claiming that they want to see a change in Uganda and yet they are the key supporters or participants of UNAA-NRM DC convention and their agents. Museveni/NRM is laughing at us.

How can we change Uganda if we are supporting what went on in Chicago ? How can we complain about Museveni’s corruption and voter fraud and yet we allowed the fraud that he exported from NRM in Uganda to Chicago convention?

We are condemning Museveni, yet we are supporting his agents and their actions, in my poor understanding of life ” that is double standard”

As one of the founding member of UNAA, I am disappointed in all of you who are supporting the current UNAA-NRM administration, and even helping them to plan 2010 convention. Some of you have been in New York , Boston , and DC demonstrations against Museveni’s Government for corruption, fraud, and democracy and, yet you are supporting his Government extension in America which UNAA-NRM, THIS IS WRONG.

In the demonstrations, some of had signs saying that MUSEVENI MUST GO, yet you are now  saying MUSEVENI WE LOVE SO MUCH AND WE ARE SUPPORT YOUR UNAA-NRM  GOVERNMENT EXTENSION HERE IN USA, ” this is wrong and we are watching.

I am going to work to see a change in Uganda , and NRM government extension world wide, and I ask peace and non corrupt Ugandans to join me in this mission.

Charity begins at home, let us start with UNAA-NRM administration, and end up in Lwakitura.

MUSEVENI MUST GO, AND MUSEVENIS’S EXTENSION GOVERNMENTS MUST GO.

Mr. Mpoza please take me off your UNAA-NRM FRAUD CORRUPT DOUBLE STANDARD CONVENTION PLANNING MAILING LIST, IT IS AN INSULT TO ME TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE GROUP.

Good Luck, the world is watching

James Kabonge

Former Buganda Katikkiro, Daniel Muliika, and past president of the Uganda North American Association (UNAA), Frank Musisi will be the headliners at the October 17, 2009 emergency conference in Boston, USA. The official organizers are Ggwangamujje Boston. The organizaton has had no active executive since its elections failed elections in November 2008 (see ” November 9th Ggwanga Mujje Meeting Similar to Uganda and Kenyan Elections“).

After the September disturbances, however, the community elected Mr. Buwembo Mayanja to be the caretaker leader and see the association through the troubled times until a new executive is elected. So, Mr. Mayanja is the key decision maker, assisted by several other community members. It is Mr. Mayanja who announced the Emergency Buganda Conference shortly after Lt. Frank Musisi lost the UNAA presidency to Moses Wilson. This writer was there at the Chicago UNAA when, within minutes after Musisi lost the vote, he publicaly declared that he had been cheated and he was now going to focus on leading the Buganda cause in America. He made these statements in the presence of  Omulangira Wasajja and Buganda ministers Nakiwala Kiyingi and  Peter Mayiga who came to represent Buganda.

According to the Buganda Emergency Conference poster that the organizers have been cirulating over the last few weeks, the objectives of the event are (a) To examine the current conditions in Buganda and (b) to find ways to get out of the dire situation. However SMS messages which have been broadcast over Baganda cell phones by one of the organizers, Robert Kabuye, explain that the meeting will choose someone to be Buganda’s candidate against Museveni in the 2011 elections. The SMS messages have  led to some Bganda to suspect that the real goal of the Boston emergency conference may be to “crown” Musisi. This suspicion was strenghtned when Musisi told a Baganda meeting in Los Angeles last weeked that he had been “blessed” as the new leader of all Baganda in America. He never explained the process through which he had been chosen or whether either the Kabaka or the Katikkiro were part of it. And our efforts to confirm through Baganda American leaders if Mmengo or Kabaka appointed Musisi were unsuccessful.

Our sources both in Boston and Washington DC have confirmed that Mr. Mayanja is a strong Musisi supporter, as are several other Boston Baganda. The sources also say that other key Musisi promoters, including Mr. Kabonge and Mrs. Flavia Magoba of Washington DC, Mr. Male of California and Mr. James Semakula also of California. We have not been able to establish if Owek. Dan Muliika came to the meeting to promote Lt. Musisi or simply to present his opinions on the situation in Buganda. However, the former Katikkiro’s position should become clear today, after the true conference agenda is revealed and presentations are made. Robert Kabuye has announced that Mr. Muliika will be the keynote speaker.

Lt. Musisi is a member of the USA army who came to America with the help of his cousin and promnient anti-Buganda kingdom Museveni aide, the late Col. Serwanga Lwanga. The late Col. led the campaign to block the return of the Bulange to Buganda, claiming that Buganda has sold its majestic office building to Milton Obote of Idi Amin.