On February 7, 2010, the SMS based Ekiba Kibe program which is broadcast on Free Buganda Radio reported that Beti Kamya had been endorsed by  Katikkiro JB Walusimbi to campaign for Federo. The same program then asked Ms. Kamya to explain what the Katikkiro’s endorsement means.  The presenter,  Robert Kabuye of Boston tells Ms. Beti Kamya in Luganda: “MP owa Lubaga North, … Beti Kamya, watugambye eggulo nti wagenze ewa Walusimbi Katikkiro n’akwendosiinga ogende oyigirize Federo… Katikkiro oyo yayimirira mu lukungaana lwa Baganda nagamba nti Abaganda tuleme kweyisa nga bajulizi. Kati nnyabo, MP, gwe olina bukakafu ki nti taveyo naggamba nti oleme kwefula mujulizi?” (“Lubaga North MP, … Beti Kamya, yesterday you told us that you went to Katikkiro Walusimbi and he endorsed you to go teach Federo…. That same Katikkiro told a Baganda meeting that we, Baganda, must stop sacrificing for our nation as if we want to become martyrs. Now, Ms. MP, how do we know that he will not come out and similarly tell you not to sacrifice.”

Kabuye adds: “Bino ebitu tetwelabira. Abaganda aberabira baafa!” (“On these matters, we shall not forget.  The Baganda who forget died a long time ago.”)

Click on Ekiba_Kibe07Feb10 to listen to Kabuye’s full February 7, 2010 broadcast in Luganda.

According  to the January 22, 2010 Ekiba Kibe program, broadcast on the SMS based Freed Buganda Radio, Betty Kamya, the popular Muganda politician will attend today’s Buganda liberation conference in Boston, USA.  Mr. Kabuye told his listeners that Betty Kamya,  Lubaga North MP in a Museveni’s parliament and founder of the Uganda Federal Alliance,would be the keynote speaker at the Buganda independence conference. The conference is organized by Ggwanga Mujje Boston and has attracted delegates from Canada, California, New York, Washington DC, Washington State,  Uganda, Europe and other places.

In a related development, during the above broadcast, Mr. Kabuye and his studio guest, one Mr. Lennard Muwonge Mukasa of New Jersey, told the listeners that  Brother Panas Bugembe and the  NRM’s Ruhakana Rugunda had quickly organized a “free food and drinks” party to pull away youths from Baganda meetings that are taking place in Boston and New York ( Buganda Post has seen an email indicating that the Ggwangamujje NY/NJ association general  meeting is also taking place this Saturday in the New York area).  In effect, Bugembe and Rugunda are using  Uganda taxpayer money to bribe youths with beer and food so that they stay away from Baganda events.  Buganda Post will inform our readers about the Baganda who are accepting the Bugembe/bribes bribes and attending the NRM function.

To listen to Mr. Kabuye and Mr. Muwonge in their the  January 22, 2010 Ekiba Kibe broadcast, click on Ekiba_Kibe22Jan10A. Apparently, at the time of the broadcast Mr. Kabuye and Mr. Muwonge were returning from Buganda independence demonstrations in Washington DC. Mr. Muwonge indicated that the Washington demonstrations has received strong media coverage, including from Voice of America. Another Buganda liberation demonstration will take place on January 26, 2010, the commemorate the armed occupation of Buganda by Balaalo led Ugandans. It will be at the UN headquarters in New York.

Four loyal subjects of Kabaka Muwenda Mutebi of Buganda have taken the NRM Buganda occupation government to its own constitutional court, requesting the jurists to rule the blocking of the Kabaka’s visit to Bugerere county unconstitutional. The petitioners are Omutaka Edward Kamya Lugonvu who is the Katikkiro of Mamba clan, Omutaka Dr Adam Kimala, also an elder in the Mamba clan together with Charles Ssenkungu Walugendo and Ms Sayida Najjuka who are both residents of Bugerere county (Bagerere).

On behalf of the their clients Balikuddembe and Co Advocates and Godfrey Lule Legal Consultants, petitioned the Uganda constitutional court to rule that in barring the Kabaka and his Katikkiro Eng. John Baptist Walusimbi from visiting Kayunga in Bugerere County on September 12, the government contravened various provisions of the Constitution, including Article 21 which outlaws discriminatory acts.

Dr. Adam Kimala is a leading Muganda conservative intellectual. He and his lawyer, Godfrey Lule, were among the closest supporters and advisors to former Katikkiro Daniel Muliika as he (Muliika) taught Mmengo and Buganda how to “wake up” and resist the occupation.

Omulongo Kamya submitted an affidavit t stating that, among other things, while the Baganda, including those in the Diaspora are not compelled to pay allegiance to the Kabaka in any way, loyalty is rendered on their “own free will” and to prevent the kingdom’s people from associating in their diverse cultural norms “violates” their constitutional right to freedom of association.

The Attorney General of the NRM occupation government, Kiddu Makubuya, has up to 14 days within which to formally respond to the petition.

The current Uganda constitution was enacted in 1995 against the wishes of Baganda, the most influential and wealthiest of Uganda’s many ethnic groups. According to the Odoki Commission which surveyed Ugandans for input into the  new constitution, 90% of Buganda residents demanded federal form of government.  However, with support from Norway, Denmark and Sweden, Museveni’s NRM froced an arbitrary “decentralization form of government” into the constitution . Despite heavy promotion by Museveni co-conspirator at the time, Jaberi Bidandi Ssali, Baganda rejected Museveni’s decentralization and immediately started to agitate for the federal (federo) constitution. It is the 10 years of Buganda agitation for federo and Museveni’s brutal response that led to the huge demonstrations of September 10-11, 2009 and Museveni’s massacre of 30 Baganda. Over 65% of Uganda’s armed forces are now stationed in Buganda, 20% of the size, which puts the kingdom under armed occupation by the NRM government and its Banyankore, Bakiga, Banyarwanda and other collaborators.

Uganda’s ruling political party, the NRM, which is also Buganda’s occupation force, is planning to hold its 2009 gala in Boston on Saturday September 27, 2009. And an estimated 500 to 1,000 Baganda from the North East United States are expected to be there to demonstrate against the occupation of Buganda, the restrictions place on their Kabaka and the state of emergency conditions that have been imposed in Buganda. On the receiving end will be an estimated 50-100 of what the Baganda demonstrators call loyal members of the murderous NRM party and their collaborators.

As we reported yesterday though, barring a last minute change on Friday, the NRM master, president Yoweri Museveni of Uganda is expected cancelled his attendance at the NRM Gala after enduring an unpleasant time at the UN general assembly (see, “Kabaka, Obama, Foot Pain, and Baganda Demos Force Museveni To Leave USA“). At the time of posting this story, we had not confirmed if the Uganda warlord had left the USA. According to our sources in both New Jersey and Boston, the Baganda demonstrators do not care whether Museveni is present or not. They believe that they will still achieve their goals.

One source sent us an email which said that: “Our goals are simple. One, to send a message to the Munyarwanda that he triggered the beginning of his end when he touched Magulu Nyondo, Nyanja Temanyiirwa, Musota. There is no going back for him and his collaborators; he may win small battles like closing CBS but he lost the war the day he publically told Ssabasajja what to do and not to do. Goal number two is to maintain our campaign against the genocidal NRM Buganda occupiers and collaborator. We are tired and very angry and the Kalembas and Kalemas of this world will, with time, find out how dumb it is sell one’s soul to a crook for a few pieces of silver.”

The NRM Gala, mostly funded by the Uganda embassy in Washington DC, will be held at the Marriott Copley Place Hotel, downtown Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The address is 110 Huntington Avenue, Boston MA 02116. The organizing committee includes only Banyankore/Bakiga and Baganda as follows:

• Charles T. Kampororo
• Frank Mwebesa
• John Nuwamanya-Matsiko
• Sania Mutegyeki
• Kenneth Mutegyeki
• Paul Rumunye
• Mugume P. Kalyegira
• Elizabeth S. N. Musazi
• Dorothy N. Ssebakka
• Male Kamya
• Stephen Kasirye

Elizabeth Musaazi is a daughter of pioneer Muganda politician Ignatius Kangave Musaazi.  Nakku Senkeeto says that she is a granddaughter of Jolly Joe Kiwanuka and a great granddaughter of former treasurer (Muwanika) of Buganda Serwano Kulubya. And Edirisa Kironde claims to be first nephew to former Uganda President Yusuf Kironde Lule. The three are leading the effort to recruit American Baganda into NRM, at Uganda taxpayer expense, to extend Mr. Museveni’s direct political power to America. Sources close to the Uganda state house have told us that Mr. Museveni’s government is still interested in UNAA and Ggwangamujje but they think that their best investment is NRM USA where they can directly control the leaders and the political message.  Some of the NRM USA leaders, including Twaha Bukenya, Edward Wanda and Edirisa Kironde were on the list of alleged Uganda Government spies which was widely circulated on Internet discussion groups in 2007.

In 2008 NRM USA held major event in Washington DC with direct financial and logistical support from Uganda ambassador to USA, Perez Kamunanirwe. This year their event will be at the Marriott Copley Place Hotel in Boston on September 26, 2009 and president Museveni is expected to attend.  A prominent Muganda lawyer in North East USA has told us that it is probably illegal in the US for NRM, a foreign ruling political party, to promote its government policies on US soil. He pointed out that, according to the www.NRMOBoston.com website, their objective is to “shed light on the economic, political and other matters of interest to many Ugandans both in Uganda and in the Diaspora” and expected attendees include “Uganda Government Officials and Policy makers.” The legal expert concluded: “In my humble opinion, what NRM is doing in the USA could well be in contravention of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).  And if Baganda victims of NRM policies take this on seriously with the Obama administration, Musaazi’s daughter and her friends could be in serious trouble. They are blindly trying to adopt NRM arrogance here in the USA and that cannot work for long. And, curiously, not single member of the prominent Banyankore or Balaalo family benefiting so much from the NRM rule is involved in this highly risky effort.”

Sources in Mr. Museveni’s state House tell us that from the time of Dan Muliika’s term as Katikkiro President Museveni authorized serious investment in USA organizations controlled by Baganda. He was concerned that if the nationalism which Muliika planted  here in Buganda spread to American and European Baganda, his plans for Buganda could fall apart. Baganda who still believe in Mr. Museveni’s style of democracy for Uganda were in control at the Uganda North American (UNAA) and the plan was to ensure that the organization leadership is dominated by NRMs. The bigger challenge was the Ggwangamujje Baganda who, by definition, focus on Buganda interests.

UNAA Baganda are divided between those who support Mr. Museveni’s regime, those who promote opposition parties (DP, FDC, JEEMA, etc.) and those who do not care about the parties but, like the others, have full faith that the current Ugandan democracy is good enough to work with. Uganda state house believes that at least 85% of UNAA members are Baganda, explaining why Mr. Museveni supports and funds UNAA. The president prefers that his candidates win the UNAA elections but even if they lose, he feels confident that he can manipulate and influence the majority of UNAA members.

Ggwangamujje Baganda reject the current political order in Uganda and insist on Federo or even independence if other Ugandans continue to violate Buganda rights and interests. Their major branches are in Boston, New York/New Jersey and London.  According to NRM sources, Mr. Museveni does not expect to control Ggwangamujje activities but aims are using plants to simply destroy them from within.  Ggwangamujje Boston is by far the largest branch. But some observers also believe that it is the one which Mr. Museveni’s agents have already infiltrated, as shown by the NRM-style atmosphere at its elections two months ago – the elections had to be cancelled. Ggwangamujje NY/NJ is smaller but believed to be the most serious after successfully organizing Ttabamiruka ’07 and Ttabamiruka ’08. As Beti Kamya has said on FM radios several times, she started her current campaign for a new federal style political system for Uganda after “getting enlightened at Ttabamiruka ‘08″. However, the fact that there is no word about Ttabamiruka ’09 up to now has left many Ggwangamujje Baganda all over the world concerned about the health of Ggwangamujje NY/NJ.

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.

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.

On Thursday February 26, Katikkiro JB Walusimbi stood up president Museveni of Uganda when he did not turn up for the much publicized land negotiations between Mmengo and Museveni.  According to our sources, Walusimbi could not go because key members of his cabinet overruled him. They insisted that Mmengo must not negotiate with Museveni about giving up anything to him on his proposed Land (Amendment) Bill, 2008. They argued that it would be disobedience to Kabaka Mutebi who had publicly called it a bad bill and told all Baganda to oppose it. Equally important, they insisted that while talking to Museveni was alright, it must be about full restoration of all Buganda’s property and political rights – not begging.

The problem for Walusimbi is that he had already assured Museveni that he could bring Mmengo to the table to negotiate the contentious Land (Amendment) Bill, 2008. So when the loyal Baganda ministers put their feet down he was left in a fix. And he opted to simply hide from Museveni. One source close to Museveni’s state house told us that: “Museveni is very annoyed that Walusimbi failed to turn up.  The president was made to look like a man who was promised some gold by Congolese con men and left holding a bag full of stones. He has been asking people near him, ‘What is wrong with Baganda?’ ”

It has been widely reported by the local Buganda press that Museveni and JB Walusimbi have been engaged in secret negotiations over Buganda issues since July 2008. What we can exclusively report from a highly reliable source very close to the Katikkiro is that the negotiations primarily focused on how to soften what Museveni, Walusimbi and other NRM big wigs think is Kabaka Mutebi’s excessive power today. Mr. Museveni and the Katikkiro had reportedly reached agreements the following key areas by January 28, 2009:

1. Museveni had convinced JB Walusimbi that if Kabaka Mutebi continued to accumulate so much power over Baganda it could lead to a show down where Baganda like him (Walusimbi) were going to lose lives and their businesses. And the way to control the Kabaka’s escalating influence was to remove Nambooze, Mpanga and Ssegona from CBS Radio and give the Katikkiro more control over Mmengo.
2. Walusimbi had convinced Museveni to pay off government rent arrears owed to Mmengo and authorize another 8 billion shillings to: (1) complete Bulange Plaza, (2) complete Twekobe, (3) pay some salary arrears for Bulange employees, (4) to facilitate (bribe) key Buganda officials and certain key Bataka (clan heads) for support, (5) to settle the debt that state house owed the Katikkiro’s Associated Consulting Engineers company, and (6) to buy support from Baganda peasants by giving them money through an NRM style program called Omumuli which Walusimbi designed with Gilbert Bukenya’s support.
3. The two sides had agreed that to soften Kabaka Mutebi it was important to isolate him more from the Baganda youths who are getting more dangerous, starting with the removal of Betty Nambooze from CBS. Curiously, the two sides had also agreed that the removal of Nambooze could be made simpler if it was accompanied with the firing of highly unpopular Baganda like Tamale Mirundi or Minister Kinobe or even Nsibambi.

What Museveni and Katikkiro Walusimbi could not control are the leaks about their so called secret talks over the months. For example, rumors of Museveni’s willingness to fire Tamale Mirundi or even Nsibambi to appease Baganda first surfaced in early January 2009. Apparently the many leaks helped the intended victims to plan and execute necessary counter moves.

A New York based Muganda thought leader told this reporter that it is the leakages which probably led Museveni to panic and hold that bizarre press conference on February 10, 2009. He said:  “I think that the leaks reached the intended victims at Mmengo Bulange and they fought back with rapid fire on CBS FM radio. Indeed, my contacts tell me that after getting an ISO briefing on the public response to the February 7th Mambo Baado presentation by Mpanga and Nambooze, Museveni decided to temporarily withdraw his Land (Amendment) Bill, 2008.  In effect, ISO people told him that Nambooze and Mpanga had mobilized Baganda youth to a point where public violence was inevitable if the land bill was read in parliament. In fact, in a slip of the toungue, Museveni admitted the role Nambooze and Mpanga in his panicky decision when he told the press conference:  ‘Don’t allow anyone to mislead you that we are withdrawing the bill because of the lies told by Nambooze and Mpanga on CBS radio’.”