In a statement issued after their meeting of March 20, 2010, members of Abazzukulu ba Buganda warn that leaving Buganda in Uganda is courting disaster for the kingdom. They explain that when Kasubi was burned Buganda  paid  a similar price to that in 1996. However, in the future, Buganda may pay an even much higher price.

Abazukkulu revealed that in the recent past they hard to fight tooth and nail to stop certain Buganda government official in Bulange who wanted to remove the thatching on the recently burnt Kasubi tombs and replace them with iron sheets. According to the statement, the Buganda officials did not stop until they has replaced some of thatching on the small buildings around the tombs with metal sheets. Only Muzi Azaala Mpanga managed to escape without being disturbed.

Abazzukulu are concerned that now that Muzibu Azaala Mpanga has been burnt down those who wanted to destroy the ancient and world admired Buganda architecture with a metal roof. They claim that the Katikkiro intentionally announced that official mounring would start a week after the fire, in order to weaken the patriotism and energy of Baganda.

Members of Abazzukulu argue that it is common sense that the unique thatching techniques used by Baganda at Kasubi give the place a special stature and is the main reason it is internationally known.  They then appeal to all the people of Buganda to fight the following:

1. Using metal roofs on the Kasubi tombs and surrounding cultural buildings
2. Putting foreigners like UNESCO in charge of the repairs and caretaking. Buganda must know that this is part of the conspiracy to detroy all symbols of an independent kingdom of Buganda.
3. Using even one inch of the Kasubi tombs land for any other unrelated purpose. Because that land is only 76 acres and we Baganda believe that out kingdom shall exist until God ends this earth. We are concerned that in future the land might not be enough.

Below is the full Luganda statement which was signed by the chairman of Abazzuklul ba Buganda, M. Jjunju – Kamulali:

OLUKIIKO LW’ABAZZUKULU BA BUGANDA

20. 03.2010

AKABENJE MU KABENJE K’AMASIRO E KASUBI

Tekikyaliko kubuusasbuusa nti Buganda okugireka mu Uganda, tulina okukisasulira omuwendo munene nyo nyo nga bwetwakisasulira mu 1966 na guno bwetukisasulidde mu Masiro ekasubi. Kiyinzika n’okuba nti bwetutaliva mu Uganda lumu tugenda kukisasulira ekisingawo.

Nga tuli mu maziga n’ekyobeero ky’e Kasubi nga tusala entotto ku ky’okuzzaawo Kasubi ng’entunnunsi y’obuwangwa bwaffe, ate wasituseewo olutalo olulala wakati wa Bulange n’Obuganda bwonna. Gyebuvddeko abazzukulu baalwanyisa Bulange effungamyeemu abalembewazi nga baagala amasiro gonna bagagyeko essubi bateekeko ebibaati. Olutalo lwagenda okukkakkana ng’Enyumba ensitaamirizi bazitaddeko ebibaati. Muzibu-azaalampanga n’asigalawo nga yeesumaalise.

Kati ekyagudde ku Muzibu azaala mpanga Bulange kigiwadde omukisa okuttukiza obutaliimu bwayo obw’okugiteekako ebibaati. Owek Katikkiro ky’asookeddeko kw’ekumalamu Obuganda amaanyi n’obujjumbize bwe yalangiridde okukungubaga kutandike kumpi luvanyuma lwa ssabiiti namba.

Era alangiridde ng’ayimiriza Obuganda obuli mu kaweefube w’okuleeta ebizimbisibwa nti bugira buleka mbu enteekteka zimale okukolebwa. Kino kitegeeza nti, ayagala atandike obutaliimubwe obwebibaati n’ebirala ng’Obuganda bubivuddeko era nga tebukyaaliwo.

Omuntu yenna ali mu kutegeerakwe okutuufu akiraba bulabi nti ekitiibwa ky’amasiro e Kasubi kiva ku ssubi eryo lyenyini era lyelisomboola abantu bonna okujja okuliraba. N’olwekyo Obuganda bwonna tubukubira omulanga bulwanyisize ddala:

1. Eky’okuteeka ebibaati ku Muzibu-azaalampanga wamu n’Enyumba ensitaamirizi
2. Eky’okukwaasa abagwiira nga UNESCO amasiro okugaddaabiriza n’okugalabirira ng’obuganda tebunasaanawo. Obuganda basaanidde okumanya nti  luno lwe lukwe olwasalibwa okuzikiriza buli kabonero konna akayinza okulaga nti waali wabaddewo ko Obwakabaka bwa Buganda obwefuga
3. Eky’okukozesa ettaka ly’Amasiro, wadde inch emu ku Kintu ekirala kyonna ekitakwatagana nakyaliteekesaawo. Newankubade ettaka eryo ziri Accres 76 zokka, Abaganda tukimanyi era tukikkiriza nti Obwakabaka bwaffe bwakubeerawo okutuusa Katonda lwalizingako ensi eno. Tuli na beeraliikirivu nti gyebujja terijja kumala Masiro ago.

Wangaala Buganda

Awangaale Ssabasajja Kabaka

M. Jjunju – Kamulali

(Sentebe)

Most Baganda in North America have reached one conclusion about the fire that gutted Buganda’s national shrine, Amasiro ge Kasubi, the royal cemetery where 4 late kings (Bassekabaka) and many other royals are buried. They put the blame squarely on president Yoweri Museveni and his NRM government. And their suspicions were strenghtned by reports that on Wednesday, scores of Baganda were shot by NRM military police because they gave a hostile audience to Museveni. Museveni went inspect the ashes in the place where the royal tombs once stood. Based on the emails we have received from all over the world, it appears that a huge majority of Baganda view Museveni’s visit as a case of the criminal returning to the scene of the crime.

According to the March 17, 2010 Ekiba Kibe broadcasts, Baganda held big Ggwangamujje mourning gatherings in Boston, New Jersey and Los Angeles on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mourning is expected to go on for sometime but no end dates have been announced.  On the same program, the Chairman of Ggwangamujje Boston describes the various ways Museveni has impoverished, robbed and even killed Baganda. As examples, Mr. Mayanja mentions the young virgins of Budo Primary School who were sacrificed in a ritual dormitory fire, other school fires, the destruction of Buganda agriculture, the closure of CBS, the theft of Buganda’s native lands and the murder of ordinary Baganda. Mr. Mayanja announced more mourning meetings, indicating that in America Baganda might mourn for the Kasubi tombs for longer than the one week which Mmengo wants for Buganda.

Click on Ekiba_Kibe17Mar10C and on Ekiba_Kibe17Mar10D to listen to the Ekiba Kibe programs of March 17, 2010.

March 16, 2010 will be a day to remember for all future generations of Buganda; it will be a day of mourning. The much revered Kasubi tombs were burnt to the ground by unknown arsonists around 8:30 PM. According to eyewitness reports, the grand structure which housed the remains of four Buganda kings (Bassekabaka) and other members of the royal family, was set alight by people who intended to finish it. Interestingly, the two NRM government fire trucks which responded to the fire, turned out not to have any water , making them useless. This, combined with the fact that Uganda government security men tried to disperse the crowd of Baganda who tried to bring water in buckets, has left many of Kabaka’s subjects bitter.

Four Kabakas (Bassekabaka) are buried at Kasubi tombs, namely:

1.  Muteesa I (1835-1884)

2.  Basamula Mwanga II (1867-1903)

3.  Daudi Chwa II (1896-1939)

4.  Fredrick Walugembe Muteesa II (1924-1969)

Although there is no word yet on who set the sacred Baganda royal cemetery to fire a vast majority of Baganda lay the blame squarely on Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni.  Many point out that Mr. Museveni has laid siege on Buganda since 2009, putting travelling restrictions on Kabaka Mutebi,  shooting dead  over 30 Baganda who protested when the Kabaka was stopped from visiting Kayunga (Bugerere), closing Radio Buganda and persecuting many of the Kabaka’s officials.

The Ekiba Kibe program on the SMS based Free Buganda Radio is now announcing Kabaka’s birthday at least two times a day. The presenter Mr. Robert Kabuye e Boston makes sure to remind his listeners to get ready to celebrate the birthday of the Lion of Buganda, Ssabasajja Kabaka, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II.  Buganda Post has received reports from Baganda in places like United Arab Emirates, Durban South Africa, and different parts of the USA and Europe saying that they get Ekiba Kibe and it keeps Kabaka’s birthday in their minds.

Ssabasajja Kabaka wa Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Walugembe Mutebi II  was born at Mmengo  Lubiri on April 13, 1955. The Lion of Buganda (Emplogoma ya Buganda) is the  son of  Ssekabaka (past Kabaka)  Edward Frederick William David Walugembe Mutebi Luwangula Muteesa II, who reigned between 1939 and 1969. His mother was Omuzaana Sarah Nalule, Kabejja, of the Nkima (monkey) clan. He was educated at Budo Junior School, King’s Mead School in Sussex and Bradford College. He then entered Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he read Law.

Click on the following links Ekiba_Kibe14Mar10A,  Ekiba_Kibe14Mar10B,  Ekiba_Kibe14Mar10C or Ekiba_Kibe15Mar10A and to listen to four different Ekiba Kibe broadcasts from March 14 and March 15, 2010.

The NRM government newspaper Bukedde of March 10, 2010, published a story showing that vote buying in school prefect elections is the norm in Uganda schools. At the swearing in of Shafina Nangobi as the headgirl at Pic Hill Primary School in Kawempe, the young lady openly said that she had spent about US$1 ,500 on her campaign. Shafinah Nangobi explained that she spent most of the money buying snacks and food for student voters. She then offered the runner-up in the election to be her deputy.

Shafina is the daughter of a Ugandan celebrity, Sylvia Namutebi, better known as Maama Fiina. Ms. Namutebi attended her daughter’s swearing in ceremony. She told the students and teachers that this is the beginning for her daughter. The plan is for Shafinah to compete for a seat in the Uganda national parliament when she grows up. Then Maama Fiina bought lunch for everyone present.

For the last more than 10 years, becoming a class monitor or dormitory prefect in Ugandan schools involves serious political campaigns. The NRM government encourages politics in schools, claiming that it teaches democracy to the youngest Ugandans. The problem is that now children buy votes to become primary school prefects or class monitors and parents and teachers encourage it. Children are learning corruption at at the same time as addition and multiplication.

Ssabasajja Kabaka wa Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Walugembe Mutebi II  was born at Mmengo  Lubiri on April 12 13, 1955. The Lion of Buganda (Emplogoma ya Buganda) is the  son of  Ssekabaka (past Kabaka)  Edward Frederick William David Walugembe Mutebi Luwangula Muteesa II, who reigned between 1939 and 1969. His mother was Omuzaana Sarah Nalule Kisosonkole, Kabejja, of the Nkima (monkey) clan. He was educated at Budo Junior School, King’s Mead School in Sussex and Bradford College. He then entered Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he read Law.

Omulangira (prince) Mutebi became Kabaka on November 21, 1969, upon the death of Ssekabaka Muteesa II.  However,  all Baganda cultural practices for his coronation were not completed until July 24, 1993 at Naggalabi, Buddo, Busiro county of Buganda. He assumed the titles of Ssabasajja, Cucu, Namunswa, Magulunyondo, Musota, Ssabalangira, Ssabataka, Ssabalongo, Baffe, Beene and many others that Baganda traditionally bestow on their Kabaka.  In recent times, young Baganda have added new hip titles for their Kabaka, including Landiloodi, Mutakwaata Ssimu and Mutateesa to show their appreciation for his uniquely brave and dignified stance when his kingdom is under occupation.

NOTES: Many thanks to Abasajja ba Kabaka Mambo and Arthur George Kamya for correcting our mistakes in this story. Awangaale Ssabasajja!