President Museveni’s propaganda team were wise to bar all Uganda TV stations from broadcasting the proceedings at the NRM’s independence day celebrations on October 9, 2009 at Kololo Airstrip.  That is because, this year’s ceremony saw the smallest crowd of ordinary Ugandans in the 47 years since the British granted independence to Uganda on October 9, 2009. Leaving out the many security or government officials and about 60 boda boda’s, approximately 900 ordinary people attended. Notably, even with this small crowd, the majority wore yellow NRM party tee shirts which were given out free in poor areas to entice people to come to the event.

Conspicuously absent were foreign dignitaries from Libya and neighboring countries. Even the so called cultural leaders, who Museveni supports financially, stayed home – Omukama of Toro, Omukama of Bunyoro, Kyabazinga of Busoga, Omorimor of Teso and Rwot of Acholi. The only non-government VIPs present were a few diplomats accredited to Uganda, junior officials from Kenya, Tanzania and Southern Sudan plus Mr. Museveni’s own Ssabaluri Mwogeza Butamanya (coincidentally, it literally translates to  ”the one who speaks with ignorance”) and Sabanyala Kimeze.

State House Panic and Propaganda Plan

On October 7, 2009, Mr. Museveni’s statehouse received reliable information that over 10,000 people had greeted Kabaka Mutebi in Mityana (Ssingo county), on his way to the Buganda independence event in Mubende, Buwekula county. They knew right away that Kabaka’s crowds could embarrass Museveni at the Uganda independence celebrations on the 9th. So, they turned their attention to controlling the news about Kabaka Mutebi’s activities.

According to our sources in Mr. Meseveni’s ISO, the plan which was hatched by Tamale Mirundi, Robert Kobushenga, Kabakumba Matsiko and a certain Mafabi included 5 main elements: (a) Minimize the crowd in any pictures of Kabaka Mutebi’s crowds if shown in government newspapers. (b) Use physical barriers to force the crowd at Kololo into a relatively small but longish area just below Upper Kololo Terrace road so that the numbers can look big in photos taken from a low angle; (c) Have Mr. Museveni enter the ceremonies through the crowd area, so that we can take photos showing many people around the president, (d) force all major media outlets to broadcast the events at Kololo, using a single audio/video feed from the government’s Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), and (e) strengthen enforcement of the rules which Godfrey Mutabazi had placed on radio stations, barring any praise of Kabaka or Buganda.

The Monitor Does Not Cooperate

On October 8 and 9, New Vision and Bukedde reported on Kabaka’s tour of Buwekula but omitted any mention of Buganda Independence celebrations, only referring to bulungi bwa nsi (national service) but without translating it to English. Also, they have avoided any picture which show the huge crowds that the Kabaka attracted in Mubende or Mityana. The crowd at the main Mubende celebrations was approximately 25,000 people.

In a sign that the Aga Khan’s The Monitor newspaper editors may be starting to rethink their anti-Buganda sentiments, they defied Museveni and published a photo showing Kabaka Mutebi with thousands of his subjects jubilating around him. Furthermore, they published parts of the Kabaka’s tough “47 Years Wasted” speech, although with incorrect translation in some parts (see “Kabaka Mutebi Disowns Katikkiro’s Apologetic Tone“).

Ghost NRM Independence Day Celebrations

On October 9, Mr. Museveni’s worst fears came to pass. Despite the efforts of his propaganda people, the 900 or so crowd was to small for anyone to ignore. However, state house forced WBS TV, NTV, and NBS to suspend regularly scheduled programming and transmit the UBC TV feed from Kololo live for over 5 hours. And the UBC camera were continuously glued on the marching troops and the VIPs, skipping the miserable crowd. And in a sign that Museveni is losing confidence, he gave his shortest independence day speech ever even though the event lasted from 10:00AM to 3:30 AM.

Uncharacteristically, Museveni read his independence day speech strictly from the script, without any of his trademark long strays to abuse or threaten Baganda, aid donors and others. Also, although he had been fully briefed about Kabaka Mutebi’s statement that Buganda has gained nothing out of 47 years of independence, the Uganda warlord did not mention the subject at all (see “Kabaka Mutebi Disowns Katikkiro’s Apologetic Tone“).

Museveni’s speech included nothing he has not said over the last few years.

• He boasted of his record on education and raised eyebrows when he interpreted the rampant unemployment in Uganda as a sign of his successes, saying: “We no longer have to be frustrated by these people who don’t want to work. You find a problem person somewhere, you act, get rid of that person and get another one because they are many here now.”
• He pledged, as he has done numerous since 1986, that he will fight corruption. But immediately warned that the war on corruption, which is now much worse now than in 1986, will not be won overnight but through a protracted struggle. This time, he spared judges and the police and blamed accountants, auditors and accounting officers for the persistent corruption. However, he promised his outwardly bored audience that he has new army of young “clean” accountants and auditor to lead the war on graft. He did not mention where the got their education or earned their professional experience.
• He made the “obvious” observation that recent oil discoveries would increase self-reliance and make Uganda less dependent on foreign aid.
• Mr. Museveni (once again) revealed that problem of theft of drugs is a serious problem in the health sector. He did not mention the status of the corruption charges against his ministers and NRM stalwarts Michael Mukula and Jim Muwhezi.

Museveni’s Colonel’s on Empty Stomachs

The otherwise dull event could not end without typical Ugandan breakdown. The man in charge of the parade at the very long ceremonies, UPDF’s Col. Peter Ekweru, fainted and fell on his face due to hunger and exhaustion. Sources could not confirm how a whole colonel could command an important national parade on a empty stomach.

Two independent sources with connections to the Uganda President’s state house have sent emails to this writer revealing Mr. Museveni’s plan to use the current confusion around the Kyabazinga elections and create 11 separate  minor kingdoms out of Busoga. According to the more detailed source, Mr. Museveni decided to personally interfere with the Kyabazinga  elections to make sure that the Basoga clans do not agree on a single clan head to lead Busoga.

“Mr. Museveni cannot allow a strong Kyabazinga to emerge in Busoga at this time since it would create the risk of Basoga developing nationalistic tendencies and maybe even starting thinking in a block like Baganda. That is why he intends to give a new car to  each of the warring clan leaders who declares his county a separate kingdom. Like his Sabanyala and Sabaluuli in Buganda each minor king would also get a monthly payment of 5 million shillings ($2,610).

The strategy is to create 11 weak minor kingdoms in Busoga who owe their survival to Mr. Museveni. Then connect them to Sabanyala and Sabaluuli to more effectively fight Buganda nationalism in the long term. In the short term, it would also disorganize DP and  FDC and other opposition structures in a  Busoga that is no more.”

According to the sources, Mr. Museveni was visibly happy over the weekend after he met Basoga clan leaders for the second time in less than two months. The meeting is supposed to have agreed to hold a re-run of the  Kyabazinga elections which took place on October 31, 2008. However, Mr. Museveni is reportedly very confident that the Basoga will never agree and that is why he is preparing to help each of them create his own kingdom, making today’s Busoga history.

The Busoga monarchy was created by British colonialists in 1906 out of  a collection of small municipalities, each with its own hereditary ruler. The throne to the resulting Busoga kingdom is supposed to be held by a descendant of one of the municipalities on a rotating basis. The sitting Busoga king is called the Isebantu Kyabazinga. The first ruler of a united Busoga was a Muganda called Semei Kakungulu, of Mmamba clan. Kakungulu’s regime lasted from July 1906 to January 1914 when he handed over to a Musoga, Isebantu Kyabazinga OBODHA.

The last Kyabazinga of Busoga, Henry Wako Muloki, died on September 1, 2008 at the age of  87. On October 31, six clan leaders  elected Edward Columbus Wambuzi Muloki to replace his late father, Henry Wako Muloki. The remaining 5 boycotted the elections, calling them illegal under Basoga culture. It is this conflict which gave Mr. Museveni the opening to interfere even though, according to his own Uganda constitution, as a politician, he is not supposed to interfere with cultural issues such as the election of a Kyabazinga.

In addition to giving the late Kyabazinga of Busoga Henry Mulooki a state funeral and declaring a public holiday in his honor, President Museveni has dished out at least 11 cows to each of the eleven hereditary Busoga chiefdoms: Bugabula, Bulamogi, Kigulu, Luuka, Bukono, Busiki, Bugweri, Bukooli, Bunya, Bunyole and Butembe. Mr. Museveni “generosity” has excited many Basoga, who now are among the poorest and most backward populations in Uganda. At the same time, it has upset the more educated ones who, like most political analysts in Uganda, see it as a transparent case of mass bribery and arrogance.

One banker, a staunch supporter of FDC’s Abdu Kantuntu (MP for Bugweri), told this reporter that many educated Basoga in his circles are outraged that, after impoverishing Basoga to the bone, President Museveni is exploiting the death of their leader to dupe them into supporting his schemes. The engineer accused Mr. Museveni of using Mulooki’s death as an excuse to bribe heavily in Busoga,  ahead of the 2011 elections.  He also alleged that Museveni also has a program, spearheaded by Kirunda Kivejinja, to get  a new Kyabazinga who is willing to work with Bunyoro two create a Bunyoro-Ankole-Busoga axis against Buganda. “If you listen to the Government controlled media you will soon start hearing about Basoga and Banyoro being the same people. All in the name intimidating Buganda”, the banker claimed.

The late Kyabazinga of Busoga who died on September 1, 2008, was given a state funeral  by President Museveni.  And the date of the funeral, Monday September 8, 2008 was declared a public holiday at a short notice, inconveniencing scores of business and citizens. These actions seemed illogical to many Ugandans this reporter spoke to because the Kyabazinga was not a national leader and Mr. Museveni is on record, many times, saying that African traditional leaders are of little value.

In an apparent jab at Kabaka Mutebi, President Museveni’s primer minister, Apollo Nsibambi praised the late Kyabazinga of Busoga, Henry Mulooki for “following the national constitution and not engaging in politics, like other cultural leaders I will not mention.” Nsibambi was representing Mr. Museveni’s government at the Sunday funeral services for the late Kyabazinga at the Church of Uganda cathedral in Bugembe, outside Jinja.

Early in 2007, Ssabasajja Kabaka, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi rejected Mr. Museveni’s planned amendments to the Land Act of 1998, which would, among other things, enable Banyankore, Bakiga, Rwandese, Indians and others to permanently take 9,000 square miles of Buganda native lands. The Kabaka also instructed his subjects to oppose the draft bill. Frustrated that Baganda are massively obeying their Kabaka and opposing the proposed law amendments, Mr. Museveni and his assistants accuse Kabaka Mutebi of playing politics and breaking the constitution. In July 2008, Mr. Museveni’s government kidnapped three Kabaka’s officials who have spoken out against Mr. Museveni’s land reforms and illegally tortured and held them in captivity for nearly a week. They were later charged with sedition but the cases appear to have been abandoned by Mr. Museveni.

Prime Minister Nsibambi’s veiled attack on Kabaka Mutebi took place in the presence of the Kabaka’s wife the Nnabagereka of Buganda, Sylvia Nnaginda and Deputy Katikkiro of Buganda, Emmanuel Ssendaula. Nsibambi is himself a Muganda, of Ffumbe (civet cat) clan and used to be a highly respected Kabaka’s official before being appointed Prime Minister by Mr. Museveni.

The late Kyabazinga of Busoga who died on September 1, 2008 will be given a state funeral, the government of Uganda has announced. Yesterday, the Uganda Parliament paid tribute to the Kyabazinga of Busoga, Henry Wako Muloki, for his contributions to Uganda. Uganda government has declared the burial date, Monday, September 8, 2008 a public holiday. President Museveni is expected to attend. The Kyabazinga’s casket is expected to be covered in the Uganda flag and to be escorted by the police convoy.

The Kyabazinga’s body is lying in state at Parliament from September 3, to September 4, 2008 before leaving for other ceremonies in Busoga late Thursday. While in Parliment government officials, dignitaries and the public have had the opportunity to view the body and sign a condolence book.

In the meantime, Busoga officials announced on Wednesday that the Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Mr Wilson Muwereza, will act as the Kyabazinga for a period of 90 days after the burial of Muloki. After this temporary period the clan leaders of Busoga will start the process of selecting the next Kyabazinga.

The 87 year old monarch died yesterday of cancer of the esophagus and the spinal cord at Mulago Hospital, Kampala. The cancer, which troubled the Kyabazinga for about 10 years, has kept him in and out of hospitals in Germany, India and Uganda.

The Kyabazinga of Busoga, Henry Wako Muloki is dead. The 87 year old monarch died yesterday of cancer of the esophagus and the spinal cord at Mulago Hospital, Kampala. The cancer, which troubled the Kyabazinga for about 10 years, has kept him in and out of hospitals in Germany, India and Uganda.

Muloki gained the Busoga the throne in 1995 after a bitter wrangle with rival Kiregeya and in October of the same year, the Uganda Government formally recognized him as the official Kyabazinga (equivalent to king) of Busoga. The deceased was born in 1921 and attended King’s College Budo in Buganda. His wife, Inebantu Alice, passed away in November 2005.

The Busoga monarchy was created by British colonialists in 1906 out of  a collection of small municipalities, each with its own hereditary ruler. The throne to the resulting Busoga kingdom is supposed to be held by a descendant of one of the municipalities on a rotating basis. The sitting Busoga king is called the Isebantu Kyabazinga. The first ruler of a united Busoga was a Muganda called Semei Kakungulu, of Mmamba clan. Kakungulu’s regime lasted from from July 1906 to January 1914 when he handed over to a Musoga, Isebantu Kyabazinga OBODHA.

Funeral arrangements started on Sunday and are expected to be completed before Wednesday. Preliminary drafts suggest the ceremony will be held on Saturday September 6 or Sunday or September 7, 2008. There is no word yet if the Kyabazinga will be given a Uganda state funeral.