Buganda Post has reliably learnt from a source very close Dr. Gilbert Bukenya that the vice president in  Uganda’s oppressive NRM regime is fuming, after president Museveni ignored his (Bukenya’s) political enemies and counseled him to stop quarreling everyone. The Muganda source told Buganda Post: “Our man is extremely frustrated because Museveni refused to even listen to his complaints about Kahinda Otafiire, Mbabazi, state house mafia and even Tamale Mirundi. He was hoping that Mirundi would be fired but  Museveni pretended that he was not even fully aware of the feud between his VP and his press secretary, Mirundi.

“Instead, he counseled our man to stop quarrelling with every in the public when there are so many other correct forums.  He even went as far as telling Bukenya to reconcile with Mbabazi  and take photos together publically,  to show a good image.  Our man did not like that but he obliged as good team player.  What really annoyed Bukenya, though, is that after the Mbabazi thing, Museveni then told Bukenya to also reconcile with Tamale, a junior officer, whom our man was demanding to get fired. Not only was Tamale not fired, but Museveni ordered the two of them to stop attacking each other in the public.”

Our source says that, for now, Bukenya has to behave like everything is under control but, under the surface, he is fuming at Museveni, Kuteesa, Amelia Kyambadde, Mirundi, Otafiire, Saleh, Kainerugaba and several others who we know are conspiring to destroy him. The source also reveals that, after the apparent murder of his Sandhurst bound son by some of these people, Bukenya’s friends are very concerned about his  own life. The source elaborated: “These people are ruthless and they know all Bukenya’s weaknesses.  And Museveni has set  Bukenya up as an enemy of Buganda, by encouraging him to abuse Kabaka and Baganda. Our fear is that, these mafias can do something to the man and claim that it the angry Baganda nationalists who did it.”

On December 26, 2009, vice president Bukenya told the NRM mouthpiece, the New Vision, that the Museveni authorized the corrupt transaction that involved the irregular acquisition of vehicles for CHOGOM.  In the same interview Bukenya made anti-Buganda and anti-Kabaka statement, which was prepared for him by Museveni’s state house: “If Buganda wants to advance in a democratic era, it is not a matter of Mengo accepting or not accepting. It is a matter of understanding the future of Uganda. And the future of Uganda lies in consolidation of a democratic process. There is no more time for undemocratic systems of government in Uganda. Choosing a person without going into one-person one-vote is no longer acceptable. Therefore, Buganda and its cultural leadership must now begin to recognize legitimately elected members of their society like the President, MPs, district chairpersons, councilors, and other local government leaders.”

On December 30, 2009, Museveni’s press secretary, Tamale Mirundi hit back at Bukenya when he told the local press that the vice president should “stop hiding behind the President’s name” on CHOGOM because Museveni twice wrote opposing the breach of procurement rules before the tender of the supply of the 204 cars was awarded. Tamale continued: “If you are a Vice President and then you start hiding behind the President, then you cannot succeed… Was Prof. Bukenya a running boy of the President? He had the opportunity to meet and advise the President in all the meetings, what stopped him from doing so?”.

Then in an interview published on December 31, 2009 in the The Monitor newspaper, Bukenya reacted to Tamale Mirundi’s attack with full force, calling Mirundi a “small boy” who should be ignored. Bukenya reportedly went on say: “It is very interesting that a junior staff can make such comments on the second highest office in this country. I would be very interested if that person puts his comments in writing… Is it true that the President has disowned me like Tamale wants the public to believe? I am not aware, and if it is true, I wish to know it… I talk with the President every day. How comes he has never said such? Sometimes those small boys can want to make you go astray but that will not be the case.”

For days afterwards,  Bukenya tried to talk to Museveni without success, thanks to Amelia Kyambadde. It is now a public secret that Bukenya then went rouge. He started and fanned a rumor that he was ready to retire, to confuse his enemies and get Museveni’s attention. He also secretly solicited the help of other disgruntled NRMs like Mike Mukula to stage a “don’t resign” rally for him in Kakiri. According to the NRM’s New Vision newspaper,  Bukenya told the rally on January 9, 2010, that he was like Kilimanjaro and Tamale could not climb him. He added: “I am closely following Tamale Mirundi step by step. I want to know who is putting fire in him. When I get to know, I will call you here and name them.” Bukenya finally got Museveni’s attention, which eraned him the lecture to stop quarreling with everyone and the order to reconcile with Mbabazi, Otafiire and Tamale Mirundi.

As president Museveni’s press secretary, Tamale Mirundi is answerable to the Ugandan life president and his principle private secretary, Amelia Kyambadde. Historically, Tamale Mirundi never makes any statement without getting clearance from Museveni or Amelia. It therefore seems that Bukenya’s threats to name who is putting fire in Tamale Mirundi could have brought him to is current situation.

A reliable sources close to president Museveni’s state house tells us that, before leaving for the September UN session in New York, the Ugandan warlord got Robert  Sebunya to reactivate a program that would use financially stressed Buganda royals to spy on or undermine Kabaka Mutebi. The source told us: “The president has been using Kabaka Mutebi’s uncle, Prince Simbwa to keep Ssabasajja off balance. However, Tamale Mirundi and Robert Sebunya advised him that other royals, either misguided or desperate for money, should be recruited. Tamale also recommended that recruitment of Balangira and Bambejja in the Diaspora might be the easiest because it is harder for Kabaka to track their activities. In fact, when His Excellency went to the USA in late September, a meeting with princes and princesses in Boston was put on his agenda. He did meet them in Boston as planned only because of the Baganda demonstrations.”  The source speculated that the money intended for the princes and princesses was probably left with Ruhakana Rugunda, “since he is more in tune with how Ugandan things work than Kamunanwire in Washington DC.”

Our source explained that the campaign is getting accelerated with assistance from Robert Kabushenga who is launching a media blitz where negative and contradictory stories on Buganda royals will appear in Bukedde, New Vision and  the Monitor, to demoralize Baganda and Kabaka Mutebi. Some stories will talk positively about Kabaka Mutebi while others will question his legitimacy. And others will show that there are divisions within the Buganda royal family. Yet others will claim that the Kabaka and Museveni now like each other.

The source explained: “The period between now and December, when huge numbers of Baganda come for Christmas, is critical to Mr. Museveni. Expect him to use it to keep Kabaka and Mmengo confused with a barrage of mixed messages, including friendly but fruitless negotiations, public abuses, court cases against Nambooze and Lubega Sseggona, making impossible demands on CBS Radio and maintaining confusion around Kabaka’s personal security. The recruitment of at least 4 or 5 youthful grand children of Ssekabaka Chwa to undermine the Kabaka is attractive to the president because he is starting to believe that the back of Baganda youth has been weakened. The key is to deny the Kabaka and his loyal adviser, who are part-time, in a reactive mode all the time between now and January or February next year.”

In a related development, unconfirmed reports from  Boston tell us that at least 4 or 5 princes and princesses from Texas and North East USA were in Boston on September 26, 2009. And some were eager to meet Museveni. If Museveni left money with Rugunda to buy Buganda royals, as our state house source asserted, then  the campaign may already be in full swing.

For several days this week, a letter has been circulating on Baganda Internet discussion lists, allegedly written by Peter Sematimba, offering the NRM advice on how to weaken CBS FM Radio.  The alleged letter, which was supposed to be highly confidential, is addressed to the minister for Security in the NRM occupation government, Amama Mbabazi. It refers to a previous discussion on the subject with David Mafabi of Museveni’s state house.

Our state house sources most familiar with the activities of David Mafabi were not aware of any specific contacts between Sematimba and Mafabi. However, they confirmed that,  since the Kayunga civil disturbances, Mafabi has gotten more involved in activities to subdue Baganda. The source said: “Since the Kayunga riots, even Museveni now knows that Kabaka Mutebi could take him down, if he had enough bright and brave people in Mmengo to support him (Mutebi).  Because state house staff know that Museveni was shaken,  each one is trying to show that they have the best idea about how to isolate the Kabaka, scare the few bright and loyal Mmengo officials, strenghthen JB Walusimbi and disorganize the Baganda youth and Diaspora movements. In this environment, it would not be surprising if two money hungry people like Sematimba and Mafabi cooked up juicy deal along the lines of this letter. But I have no information to confirm it.”

On Sematimba’s part, he declined to reply to our email message, sent to the address he uses for business, info@superfmstation.com, inquiring if he could confirm or deny the letter. Calls to his radio station numbers 041- 272777 / 0782-222885 also got a “Boss is not in office” response.

On reading the anti-Buganda letter, a leading Buganda analysts based in New York,  claimed that serious Baganda should only be happy when Buganda’s enemies are exposed like this. He explained: “Many so called intelligent Baganda are still subconsciously slaves to the belief that a foreigner like Museveni or Besigye will save them. Others are equally delusional by thinking that some fast talking Muganda president of Uganda, like Abedi Bwanika or Samuel Lubega or Frank Musisi will help. Such Baganda are either ignorant or afraid to face the fact that Museveni and his Banyankore and Rwandese kin have ransacked the Uganda experiment. It  is a failed state! So, what does Uganda have to offer to Buganda anymore?”

The analyst continued: “What would stop Bwanika or Musisi from becoming a Sematimba once he gets power? The more intelligent Baganda know that a Muganda president of Uganda will have to go anti-Buganda, in order to maintain support from the other groups, who are uniformly anti-Buganda. This letter by Sematimba, is good for demonstrating that, Mulondo, Nsibambi, Bukenya, Mulwaanyamuli, Katende, Sekandi and Tamale Mirundi were not the last to betray Buganda. More like Bwanika, Musisi and Lubega are coming, only they might even be worse than Muwanga. The only way out is independence for the Buganda Kingdom. Fortunately, the younger Baganda who are the majority seem to instinctively understand it and that is why they are 100% behind Kabaka Mutebi.”

The controversial letter is reproduced in full below:

TO: The Minister for Security

Cc; David Mafabi O/P

Date: 2^nd/October/09

 RE: INPUT ON THE IMPACT OF THE CLOSURE OF FMs AND THE WAY FORWARD.

     Honorable minister, we discussed with Mr David Mafabi (office of the president) regarding the closed Radio stations, and i raised several issues with him which I present to you and may as well share with the powers that be at an appropriate time.

 First, I wish to express my reservations for the Broadcasting council for not doing enough to forestall the mess in the electronic media especially the fm stations more so in view of what befell the country .

  As much as we have endeavored to set standards at Super fm, we have been let down by our competitors who either out of fear for positive competition or deliberately for failing fulfill the requisites of professional broadcasting.

 With regard to the three closed stations, its my belief that the major protagonists are CBS and AKABOOZI while SUUBI FM is a nonentity in this jigsaw. It’s my conviction that you critically focus with CBS and AKABOOZI given their burgeoning presence in the FM industry.

Both FMs are a sister act especially with regard to violating the ethical code of conduct as per the press and journalist act 1995 and electronic media statute 1996 as well as the broadcasting council guidelines put in place for the electronic media to adhere to.

 We at Super FM can use this time of relative normalcy before the closed FM stations  are re-opened to fix the situation both on behalf of Government and the party as well as check on the activities of the broadcasting council on their part.

  Action Plan

I request that through your office you create a special desk where you can identify NRM cadres who can ably articulate party/ Gov’t issues on the air waves.

If this is implemented, am ready to offer a weekly program preferably during the day in fulfillment of this mission.  This will help us mobilize.

 Honorable, we are aware of the imposing status of these two stations and the expected new sense of belonging upon re-opening I think that there is a need to covertly reduce their influence in the industry.

 The stations will re-open with a bang and every listener will naturally want to associate with them after all this time in suspension. Its against this that if  no advance counter measures are put in place the bubble will bust  and you might not achieve the goal of their closure.

  For instance you can do this by demanding that they unconditionally shuffle various presenters in unfamiliar programs, i.e. from presenters to newscasters and vice versa.

  By so doing, you can institute an “independent” survey to rate FM stations and am positive that  the programs will be rating low after some time or/ and even most of the presenters will be disenchanted by the new set up  and may end up thinking twice.

Through this scheme, we can make amends by promoting those stations that are on the same page with the system

(e.g Super FM) and by the time they re-organize it will be after months when we have steadily set off.

  Alternatively, like we discussed with Mr. Mafabi, we can sweet talk a couple of presenters and draw them to the realization of not risking their careers and instead switch to the operating radio such as Super FM.

Personally am targeting two from CBS FM and two from AKABOOZI. For the fact I know that the management of both stations cannot agree to sack their prized presenters for the sake of re-opening them because they form the basis of their popularity.

 But I can assure you that if we cunningly implement snatching them away, it cannot take long before these presenters are beaten into line with what we want.

We has suggested with Mr. Mafabi and Tamale Mirundi that I make a presentation on the above issues so that I can give you a more practical picture on the way forward on this matter for the continuity.

Sincerely

Peter Sematimba