In a move which has left some Baganda in shock, the Katikkiro of Buganda, Engineer JB Walusimbi has included a Munyarwanda in the team to negotiate with President Museveni over the disputed amendments to the Land Act of 1998. The Munyarwanda is Fred Higiro Semajege, who serves as the deputy speaker of the Buganda Lukiiko despite complaints by many Baganda who believe that he is an agent of the Rwanda government. In an email sent to Buganda Post, one former minister at Mmengo said: “We are shocked! In taking a Rwandese to negotiate with other Rwandese and Banyankore over the rights of Baganda, Walusimbi has made it so obvious that his loyalty lies with Rwandese and Banyankore, not with Buganda. In the process, he and his friends may create the basis for long term hatred of Banyarwanda and Banyankore in Buganda. It is as if everyone involved in this nonsense is totally incapable of seeing beyond their nose. How can they take such a huge risk on a government that is collasing under the weight of its corruption?”. Earlier this month Buganda Post reported that Baganda in Masaka and Kampala were troubled by Katikkiro Walusimbi’s special attention to Rwanda (see Baganda Question Katikkiro On Flowers For Rwanda Victims).

On Monday April 20, 2009, Katikkiro Walusimbi informed the Buganda Lukiiko that he had chosen a committee of 10 to represent Buganda in the negotiations with Mr. Museveni’s government. Owek. Walusimbi and Rwandese Mr. Semajege would lead the committee, with Apollo Makubuya and Charles Peter Mayiga, the two lawyers who, along with John Katende, previously advised former Katikkiro Mulwaanyamuli Semwogerere to accept the Regional Tier deal with Museveni. Later, at Ttabamiruka ‘07 in New Jersey Makubuya apologized to Baganda, saying: “I mistakenly participated in the negotiations because I sincerely believed that we were dealing with principled and honorable people on the Uganda government side”.

The team will also include Dr. Masagazi Masaazi who earlier named as one of Mr. Walusimbi’s representatives in numerous money related secret negotiations with Mr. Museveni over the past several months (see Uganda Government Names Katikkiro’s Co-conspirators). Another member of the team is Haji Abdul Nadduli, best known for being disqualified from running for Luweero district chairman after forging his academic qualifications which later lead to his imprisonment. Additional members of the committee are Mr. William Matovu, Naalinya Beatrice Namikka, Mrs. Joyce Mpanga and Retired Bishop Wilson Mutebi of Mityana.

On March 9, 2009, Buganda Post carried an exclusive story describing how Katikkiro JB Walusimbi and president Museveni had reached secret agreements on strategies towards clipping Kabaka Mutebi’s power concentration (see Katikkiro Walusimbi Dodges Talks, Leaves Museveni Holding A Bag Of Stones). To protect our sources, we did not name Mr. Walusimbi’s co-conspirators. However, only one day after our story, Mr. Museveni’s Luganda mouthpiece, Bukedde, not only confirmed the substance of our story but named some of  Mr. Walusimbi’s co-conspirators.

According to the March 10, 2009 edition of Bukedde Mr. Walusimbi’s point man is Mr. Jolly Lutaaya, minister of local government in the Buganda government. The others named are Ahmed Bamweyana, Kaddu Kiberu, Dr. Masagazi Masaazi, Omutaka Ssevvume Musoke and Kyadondo county chief, Toferi Malokweza.

Mr. Jolly Lutaaya and Mr. Kaddu Kiberu are among the longest serving Buganda Government ministers, having been appointed in the early 1990’s with strong support from then Katikkiro Mulwaanyamuli. At the time of Kabaka Mutebi’s wedding, Mr. Lutaaya was forced to leave Mmengo after being caught red handed by Kabaka’s guard (abambowa) while stealing building materials, donated by Baganda, from Mmengo Lubiri.  To many Kampala  Baganda, the theft from Kabaka was viewed as proof of earlier allegations that he started his contracting business with large scale embezzlement from one of the major oil companies in Kampala were true.  Like Katikkiro Walusimbi, Mr. Lutaaya’s main source of income are government “deals” secured through Engineers Nasaasira and Muganzi in ministry of works

Our Mmengo sources claim that Mr. Kaddu Kiberu has one of the cleaner records when it comes at Mmengo finances. For many years, Mr. Kiberu generously donated to various Mmengo and clan (Mmamba) causes. However, the sources also say that during the heat of the battle for Federal vs. Decentralization he was widely suspected to be the NRM’s most active spies at Mmengo because he used to hold secret one-on-one meetings with Bidandi Ssali at least 2 to 3 times a month.  Curiously, the meetings were mostly at public events like funerals, if possible, or on Kampala streets in an old car with tinted windows. Mr. Kiberu’s primary business, Peacock Paints is currently facing some financial challenges and frequently relies on government tenders.

Mr. Ahmed Bamweyana, a former senior clerk at the Uganda High Commission, in London, is currently the Financial Controller in President Museveni’s Education Service Commission. Most Baganda who are familiar with Mmengo, especially those in North America and Europe, would best remember Mr. Bamweyana as the man who sabotaged Betty Nambooze’s visa to Ttabamiruka ’08 in the USA. He allegedly cheated Baganda of millions of shillings by convincing them that they had to go through him to get Ttabamiruka invitation letters (see Nambooze, US Embassy Victims of Bamweyana Visa Scam.) As punishment for this corruption Katikkiro Walusimbi moved Mr. Bamweyana from Chief of Protocol to a deputy minister position.

Our sources tell us that Dr. Masagazi Masaazi, Omutaka Ssevvume Musoke and Kyadondo county chief, Toferi Malokweza carry little or no political weight in Buganda issues. However, like many other Baganda usually targeted by Museveni, they are all known to face “financial problems”. And they are eager to do business with Ms. Kyambadde if  supporting Mmengo negotiations with Museveni can ease their financial stress.

One Muganda political analyst has told this writer that the involvement of Amelia Kyambadde and Sebunya with Katikkiro Walusimbi’s dubious representatives validates the Buganda Post story of  March 9, 2009 that the Museveni/Walusimbi secret negotiation were about using money to isolate Kabaka Mutebi. He insists that:  “Sebunya is the primary handler of Baganda officials and clan leader who spy for Museveni on fellow Baganda . And Amelia Kyambadde holds Museveni’s cash box. What could they all have been secretly negotiating about other than bribes?”