The Attorney General of Buganda, Owek. Apollo Makubuya, told a press conference yesterday that the Kingdom of Buganda is determined to continue fighting against President Museveni’s Land Amendment Bill 2007. After several months of appearing to be in limbo, the controversial bill was brought back to the Uganda parliament in mid Novembers for scrutiny and approval. The bill seeks to some sections of the 1998 Land Act, to enable the thousands of Balaalo and other foreigners who the government has imported into Buganda from Western Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Congo to get immediate legal rights to Buganda lands which was illegally taken. Such land includes Buganda’s 9,000 square miles as well as large tracts of private Baganda land, whose owners are either overseas or powerless to protect it.

President Museveni’s key soldiers pushing the unpopular bill in parliament include Baganda Edward Sekandi (the speaker), Apollo Nsibambi, Rose Namayanja, Ruth Nankabirwa, Abraham Byandaala and James Kinobe. According to parliamentary sources, the the bill is highly likely to pass because virtually all western MP’s routinely vote for anti-Buganda bills and many Baganda MPs have been “facilitated” to toe the NRM line. The Baganda MP’s who are leading the fight on Buganda’s side include Michael Mabikke, Moses Kabuusu, Sarah Nyombi Nansubuga, Beti Kamya and Hussein Kyanjo.

At the December 8, 2008 press conference Attorney General Makubuya and Buganda Minister for Research, Daudi Mpanga, made it clear that Buganda will continue to fight the anti-Buganda bill. As he has done in the past, Makubuya pointed out that the bill amounts to a deception which was hastily put together.  “It does not address the real courses of eviction as the government claims,” he argued. On his part, Daudi calmly told the press that Mr. Museveni’s parliament could pass the bill if they want. However, it would not work in Buganda.

In a move that could be the first indication that President Museveni of Uganda might be prepared to use physical force against the Kabaka of Buganda, on October 8, 2008, Uganda’s heavily armed anti-riot police ready with teargas stopped Kabaka Mutebi from visiting the Buluuli Ssaza (county) Headquarters in Nakasongola.  Kabaka Mutebi was scheduled to preside over the 46th Buganda Independence anniversary celebrations which this year had been planned for Buluuli County. Buluuli is one of Buganda’s 18 counties. And it is in Buluuli that, a few years ago, President Museveni created  an anti-Kabaka “new” kingdom headed by a “Sabaruli”. Museveni’s current Sabaruli is called Mwogezi Butamanya.

It is not clear when president Museveni gave the final order to stop Mutebi.  However, according to a Uganda  police source who spoke on condition that her name not be revealed, Mutebi  had to be blocked because President Museveni and his people were shocked by the huge crowds of Baganda and Baluuli which greeted Kabaka Mutebi in Kakooge and Migyera towns. And because of the unexpectedly strong extremely well received speeches which Mutebi made at Migyera. There, Mutebi warned his subjects, in a very tough tone, to keep a sharp eye on and reject those who want to create confusion and divide the people of Buganda. Telling them, “It is terrible that certain individuals are working hard to divide my people, after the impressive progress we have made towards unity.”

This reporter’s police source revealed that the possibility of stopping Kabaka Mutebi from celebrating Buganda’s independence in Buluuli has been discussed by Museveni and his men for a long time.  According to him, every passing year Mr. Museveni has been getting more frustrated that the crowds at Buganda’s October 8th independence celebrations  keep swelling and his own Uganda independence event on October 9th keeps shrinking.  That is why they agreed to help Butamanya and Mukasa Muruli, former Museveni’s minister, coach Baluuli youths to organize a fake demonstration against Mutebi’s presence in Buluuli. “Mukasa Muruli and the youths were supposed to make a lot of noise, even threaten Kabaka, to give the police a pretext to stop the ceremonies if it became necessary.“ The source identifies the key plotters to include Ruhakana Rugunda, Kale Kayihura , David Tinyefuza, Buganda, Alfred Bitwire, Magara of Rapid Response Unit and minister Freddie Ruhindi plus district chairman Wandira and  RDC Masekera.  Museveni and his state house staff have been frequent briefed consulted on strategy and key decisions.

In a statement, Mr. Museveni’s minister for security Dr Rugunda blames it all on Kabaka Mutebi. He claims that it is Katikkiro JB Walusimbi who first expressed fears about the safety of Kabaka Mutebi in Buluuli to government. Then he (Rugunda) had confirmed that the threat was real and serious and communicated it to Walusimbi. By press time, this reporter had not confirmed if Rugunda is, this time, telling the truth. The situation has been more confused by reports in a foreign owned, Uganda government censored local paper that JB Walusimbi along with Buganda Attorney General Apollo Mabuya met with Ruhakana Rugunda, Freddie Ruhindi and Kale Kayihura on Monday, where the Mmengo officials were ordered to call off Kabaka Mutebi’s trip to Buluuli.

If Walusimbi and Makubuya met Ruhakana and Kayihura as reported, it is clear that their meeting was made irrelevant by Mutebi when he bravery decided to drive to Buluuli, in a convey of 40 motor vehicles, some carrying mattresses and other presents for his impoverished subjects. Most Baganda are strongly opposed to the frequent and often secret meetings that Katikkiro JB Walusimbi holds with President Museveni and his point people.

On Tuesday, September 9, 2008, the Libyan ambassador to Uganda, Abdallah Bujeldin made it clear that the alleged fallout between his boss and President Museveni was nothing but a hoax. In a telecast speech to mark the 39th anniversary of the Libyan so called Green Revolution. Bujeldin said, “The President [Museveni] has done very excellent work.”  The diplomat folded his thumb to show four fingers, signifying the fourth term, and added, “Revolutionaries like President Museveni do not need to be changed because they fought for a major cause.” He campaigned, “To all Muslims in Uganda, remember 2011 is coming. You must remember to support President Museveni.”

Libya’s entry into Uganda politics on the side of President Museveni came hours after a Buganda delegation led by Prince Kassim Nakibinge Kakungulu and including Katikkiro J.B. Walusimbi returned from the Green Revolution celebrations in Libya. The all expenses paid invitation to Libya was sold to Baganda as participation in an African cultural conference. The Buganda delegation also included Apollo Makubuya, the Buganda Attorney General, and others. Before the Libyan trip, Katikkiro Walusimbi had touted, both in cabinet and at Nook Bar, the plan “to exploit the rift between Museveni and Gaddafi and get the Libyan leader to fund Bulange Plaza and other construction projects.”

It is not clear what the Buganda delegation achieved on their 2 week trip. However, Libya’s decision to make such strong political statements in support of Museveni appears to be a message to Mengo that Gaddafi and Museveni have no serious rift for Mengo to exploit. On arrival back home, the Buganda delegation indicated that Gaddafi had agreed to Lubiri developments. If this is true and Walusimbi and Gaddafi follow through with it, it could be seen by some Baganda as proof that Museveni, Gaddafi and Walusimbi, along with other prominent Baganda, are all in a conspiracy to grab the Lubiri from Buganda.

Libya’s president Gaddafi has no history of liking of honoring monarchies. He came to power an armed overthrow of King Idris of Libya in 1969. On the other hand, in the late 1990s, after an introduction by President Museveni, Gaddafi developed a close personal relationship with the queen mother of Toro, Best Kemigisha. Over the next few years, Gaddafi rebuilt the Toro palace and bought a London home for Kemigisha’s family. In the meantime, Toro’s queen mother commuted between Uganda and Libya on Libyan government jets, for private visits. The relationship apparently run out of steam in the early 2000s and Mr. Gaddafi stopped helping Kemigisha and the Toro royal family. The Omukama of Toro is now in a dire financial situation, with court brokers threatening to sell off the Toro palace due to cash shortages. Toro’s friend, Gaddafi, has moved and found another Ugandan kingdom eager to listen to his promises.

Members of the Baganda nationalist organization named Abazukulu ba Baganda have expressed fears that the overtly cozy relationship between Katikkiro J.B. Walusimbi and Uganda government leadership seems to be aimed at resurrecting the Regional Tier arrangement which Baganda rejected under Katikkiro Dan Muliika.

During a news conference that Abazukulu held last week at Musolooza, near Mmengo Bulange, their leaders claimed that, “Baganda rejected the regional tier government and the decision was final. There is nothing new or different to be expected from the new discussions, especially when the same people who engineered the original Regional Tier are the ones involved now. The only difference is that they have painted themselves another color.”

Abazukulu ba Baganda is made up of conservative vocal advocates of Federo and Buganda national issues. They are opposed to any negotiations between Mmengo and the Uganda government over Buganda lands other properties that the Uganda government confiscated from Mmengo in 1966. This opposition has, over the years, put them at odds with most Mmengo governments, with the exception of the one led by Katikkiro Dan Muliika.

The Regional Tier government was agreed on by Katikkiro Ssemwogerere, John Katende, Peter Mayiga, and Apollo Makubuya on behalf of Buganda and President Yoweri Museveni on behalf of Uganda. It called for the Katikkiro to be elected by all people living in Buganda and gave the President of Uganda the right to temporarily take over the Buganda Government if the person occupying the position of Katikkiro was proven to be a poor performer.

On January 27, 2008, Sekanyolya requested Katikkiro Walusimbi to "drop" Gilbert Bukenya and start to lead. This was when newly appointed Walusimbi had jointly appeared at ceremonies with Museveni’s Vice President Bukenya, where he publically advocated for negotiations between Kabaka Mutebi and Mr. Museveni. The events that have unfolded in Buganda over the last ten days seem to confirm that Sekanyolya’s legal advisor was corrrect after all when he said "“I know J B well but we must wait before we can say whether he has the guts and strategic skills to match even 50% of Muliika." Sekanyola’s full posting of January 27, 2008 is reproduced below:

Katikkiro Walusimbi Urged To Drop Bukenya And Start Leading

The word on Ganda Street is that, based on first impressions, Katikkiro J B Walusimbi needs to change gears fast if he is to allay Baganda’s fears that he might too politically naïve to deal with the extermination war that Museveni is waging against Buganda. One Makerere Nkoba za Mbogo student echoed the feelings of most in Sekanyolya’s favorite Nakulabye joint when he said, “The problem with Walusimbi is that he does not understand that images matter. It was a disgrace that, he chose to announce his new plans for Buganda in the company of Gilbert Bukenya, a Museveni boot licker. Bukenya represents the most negative things about Baganda and has no use for us 80% of Baganda who are younger than 30 years, poor, unemployed, being chased off their land, and helpless.” Sekanyolya’s Kampala legal consultant, who is a fixture in the Nakulabye joint, went as far as accusing Sekanyolya of misleading Baganda that Walusimbi will not disappoint them as Katikkiro (See “Kabaka Appoints Highly Credible Muganda Katikkiro and Brings Muliika Back to Mmengo”. He said, “I know J B well but we must wait before we can say whether he has the guts and strategic skills to match even 50% of Muliika. The only major things that Walusimbi has done so far is say that he wants Baganda to stop talking and start working but he also wants to negotiate with Museveni. Is he trying to tell Baganda that he is the only one allowed to talk – with Bukenya and Museveni – the way Katende, Mulwaanyamuli, Mayiga and Makubuya did? If I could, I would urge J B to shift gears away from Mmengo’s old focus on Museveni and his men. If he wants Baganda to work then he must first assure them that he is a solid leader capable of resisting Museveni’s conspiracies. But he cannot do that when his favorite hobby is hanging out with Museveni’s Bukenya, schoolmate and fellow Catholic or not.”