Below is the the Luganda statement that the Katikkiro of Buganda, Eng. JB Walusimbi, issued on the burning of Buganda’s sacred Kasubi Tombs. The main highlights of the statement are as follows;

• Katikkiro sends condolences to Ssaabasajja Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, ba Nnaalinnya, Abalangira n’Abambejja, and the whole of Buganda.
• The Ekibira section, the the remains of the former kings (Ssekabaka) are located suffered serious but limited damage.
• The Buganda kingdom will officially mourn for the loss of Kasubi for one week, starting on March 22, 2010.
• A committee of Buganda officials has already been formed to start investigating what materials and budget would be required to rebuild 130 year old highly unique structure.
• A special session of the Buganda Great Lukiiko has been called to discuss the grave situation on March 22, 2010.

The full text in Luganda is shown below;

March, 17, 2009

EKIWANDIIKO KYA KATIKKIRO KU KW’OKEBWA KWA MASIRO GE KASUBI

Owek. Katikkiro wa Buganda ne nnaku nyingi ategeza Obuganda n’abantu bonna aba Uganda nti enyumba enkulu Muzibuazaalampanga, omwagalamizibwa ba Ssekabaka ba Buganda bana, mu Masiro e Kasubi, abantu abettima abatannamanyibwa baagiteekedde omuliro n’ebengeya mu kiro eky’akeesezza olunaku Lwokusatu nga 16, March 2010.

Katikkiro asaasidde nnyo nnyo Ssaabasajja Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, ba Nnaalinnya, Abalangira n’abambejja n’Obuganda bwonna. Gutusinze mukama waffe.

Ekibira ba Ssekabaka gyebaagalamizibwa abaddukirize baakoze buli ekisoboka okutaakiriza yo ne watayonooneka nnyo. Olubiri luno olwakubibwa Ssekabaka Muteesa 1 emyaka egisoba mu 130 gwe mutima gwa Buganda.

Obuganda buli mu biwoobe era tutandiise okukungubaga. Okukungubaga okutongole kujja kutandika ku Lwokusooka nga 22 March era kujja kumalira ddala sabbiiti nnamba okutuuka nga 26 March 2010. Emikolo girikomekkerezebwa mu Masiro e Kasubi.

Akakiiko ka baminisita kateekeddwawo okukola enteekateeka y’okukungubaga eye sabbiiti ennamba, era kajja kutegeeza Obuganda enteekateeka nga bwe zinatambula.

Olukiiko lwa Buganda Olukulu luyitiddwa bukubirire ku Lwokusooka nga 22 March, 2010 ku ssaawa 4.00 ez’enkya tusobole okuteesa ku nsonga eno enkulu.

Watekeddwawo akakiiko kabakugu akagenda okwekenneenya ebyetaagisa (materials) n’ensimbi ezeetaagisa okuzzaawo Amasiro.

Obuganda butegeezebwa nti Obwakabaka busazeewo okuzzaawo Amasiro ga ba Ssekabaka gano, ng’akabonero k’omwoyo gwa Buganda ogutafa, ogutatya era ogutaggwawo.

Ssaabasajja Kabaka Awangaale!

Eng. J.B. Walusimbi

KATIKKIRO

Based on the emails we are receiving from Baganda all over the world, Kabaka Mutebi’s subjects are clearly boling with anger. Most of the emails are too graphic and provocative for us to publish. Below is one example from Mr. A. Kyobe:

STALKING THE LION
A. Kyobe

Burning down Buganda’s royal tombs is the kind of provocation that this government under the generalship of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is hunting for (yes, Uganda is under military rule—case in point, see Museveni’s martial strut after the Bududa landslides dressed in army uniform with a Kalashnikov across his chest).

This military president and his bush war comrades know they are getting close to the sensitive nerve that their armed-to-the-teethtribalistic government is hunting for in Buganda.

In fact, all their criminal acts against the people of Buganda are carefully thought-out stratagems to deprive the kingdom of its cherished culture and freedoms:

What with rigged elections, corruption, a malicious constitution that denied us our right to a federal system of government, murdering our Kikubo business corps and blaming it on armed robbers, burning our schools, grabbing our lands and creating false chiefdoms within our kingdom, and making business and economic progress nigh near impossible for the people of Buganda.

Destroying Buganda’s sources of revenue and now this arson….. The result shall be insurrection!

Such is the nerve that Museveni is probing for, prodding us into rebellion; his UPDF/NRM government is provoking us to go into the swamps as we protest these injustices so that they can unleash their lethal police force under Gen.Kayihura, and their illegal militias under the command of the likes of that madman Maj. Kakooza Mutale, and their kiboko-AK47-squads of the Banyankole-Batutsi element of UTODA, and of course the deadly beast of death that General Kaguta’s UPDF is (ask the people of Luwero, Acholiland, Teso, and Karamoja) .

Yes, these Musevenite armies are planning to grind Buganda and its king into smithereens.

And as Museveni’s blood brother, John Nagenda said, “there will not be a Buganda to make noise about but a Ruritanian jeremiad of an opera to amuse the republic.”
Long live the Kabaka.

The four insurgent generals are stalking your every movement with deatth.

You will hear, physically hear, more from us.

These will be good times to die.

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 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!

The March 9, 2010 Ekiba Kibe program on Free Buganda Radio announced that there will be a Buganda liberation demonstration in New York on March 12, 2010. The presenter is Mr. Robert Kabuye told his listeners to also start spending at least 5 seconds of quite time every Friday at noon remembering that Buganda is in occupation.

Mr. Kabuye said in Luganda that all Baganda who love their nation and others who support Buganda should have a 5-second moment of silence every Friday at noon and remember the occupation by saying: “Gutusinze. Ekikute obudde kiributa. Wangaala Musota” (“We apologize for the situation [to Kabaka]. The dark cloud [on our life] will disappear one day. Long Live Musota [Kabaka]”). Mr. Kabuye reminds his listeners that Buganda has been under occupation since May 24, 1966 and asks them to be confident that they can  govern themselves.

Click on Ekiba_Kibe09Mar10 to listen to the March 9, Ekiba Kibe broadcast.

According to an official Buganda Kingdom news release, the minister for Local Government and Cooperatives, Jolly Lutaaya has advised Masaza Chiefs to intensify the registration process of every one in their areas of jurisdiction.

Owek. Lutaaya who was meeting the chiefs at Bulange in Mengo explained that this registration, which should include the newly born babies, the youth, adults, immigrants and the dead is very important in the planning process of the Kingdom and the country at large.

He added that the registration furthermore is intended to help fight immoral activities that are infiltrating most communities.

Lutaaya further advised the chiefs to work hard and earn their respect as Kabaka’s officials among the society they serve.

He added that with maximum respect from the people, all their calls will be responded to accordingly which will lead to great improvements in people’s lives.

The minister also advised the chiefs to promote Omummuli Programme spearheaded Katikkiro Eng J.B. Walusimbi which is geared at developing the people of Buganda.

In the same meeting, the minister of state for Local Government and cooperatives in the Kingdom George Nsamba Kumama also called upon the chiefs to promote the spirit of the Cooperative Unions right from the county to the village level.

Kumama explained that cooperatives will help the communities in villages to improve their income earnings and promote their living standards at home.

The announcement by Mmengo is a major change in the way Kabaka’s peoples are registered. For more than 100 years Kabaka’s government encouraged Baganda clans to register their members (bazzukulu) at Mutuba, Ssiga and Kasolya levels. Even late last year the Buganda government announced plans to register Baganda in their clans. It now seems like the registration of Baganda in their clans has been completely dropped.

Dear Compatriots

On March 6, 1987, Dr. Kayira was murdered in cold blood. Saturday, March 6, 2010 marks the 23^rd Anniversary of his death.

With his Uganda Freedom Movement Dr. Kayira was serious on liberating Uganda from dictatorship. With his UFA his approach was a surgical one. M7 with his NRA the approach was of a protracted and resistance war.

In early eighties Dr. Kayira landed a sizeable and effective consignment of armaments. Before taking any surgical moves with them he had consultation with M7. He suggested that he was going to hit Obote’s life nerve, the army barracks positioned in the Lubiri. He requested M7 and his troops to participate in the exercise of taking over Kampala and returning the country to the people. M7 refused to participate. Instead he chose to harass Kayira till Kayira could no longer see the light of this world.

This is one of the examples of  the effects of the ogu nenki syndrome (=who is this syndrome) which continues to bedevil Uganda. Kayira will go down in the history of Uganda for his advocacy of federalism that would help Ugandans to be proud of what they are and save Ugandans from being arrogant because of what they are.

Please, remember Dr. Lutaakome Andrew Kayira.

Aloysius Muzzanganda Mugerwa Lugira

Professor of Comparative Theology Emeritus
Theology Department Boston College
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 01467 USA

Tel: 617-552-3539 work 781-937-3954 house

E-mail: lugira@bc.edu or Aloysius.lugira@yahoo.com

Uganda NRM government has announced plans to move over 10,000 Bagisu victims of recent landslides in Eastern Uganda to Bugerere of Buganda Kingdom. The county is densely populated and very  politically charged and many Baganda see the move as an effort to reduce their Kabaka’s influence in the area. Bugerere county, and Kayunga town in particular, was the focal point of a confrontation between Uganda’s NRM government and Buganda Kingdom, which led to the massacre of over 30 Baganda.

The Kayunga crisis started when president Museveni ordered his police and army not to allow the Kabaka of Buganda to officiate at a youth function in Kayunga town until the Katikkiro (prime minister of Buganda Kingdom) obtained permission from an NRM installed lead of the minority Buganda ethnic group called the Banyala. The Banyala make up less than 5% of Bugerere’s population.  Kabaka’s government rejected the government’s conditions and sent the Katikkiro to supervise the preparations for Kabaka’s visit. Mr. Museveni’s police and army blocked the Katikkiro and the action led to major rioting throughout major Buganda cities. In the capital, scores of businesses, cars and other properties were destroyed and the NRM police and army killed over 30 Baganda. Hundreds more are feared to have been murdered after thousands were later arrested and many disappeared without trace.

Uganda Bureau of Statistics data shows that 23,000 Bagisu live in Bugerere county already, along with 47,000 Basoga, 95,000 Baganda, and other small groups.  The mud slides were concentrated in  the Bududa area of Bugisu.

According to sources, the NRM government will move between 10,000 and 20,000 Bagisu to Bugerere as soon as possible. The NRM government is soliciting assistance of Red Cross International, UNDP and UNICEF in the move. The three organizations have already helped the government to temporarily house the mudslide victims in secondary schools. The sources add that although there is much more open land in Busoga and other parts of Buganda, the NRM government sees this as a big opportunity to reduce the numeric advantage of Baganda in Bugerere county.

Other sources have told this writer that plans by the NRM to bring over 10,000 Bagisu to an already volatile Bugerere county have raised fears of possible future genocidal violence among both Bagisu and Baganda residents of the county. Some of the long time Bagisu residents of Bugerere who see themselves as Kabaka’s subjects are fearful that they will be lumped together with the new Bagisu invaders. And some Baganda fear that the NRM is doing as a long-term plan to make Baganda a minority in their native lands and create tensions that can lead to genocide in future. If the Red Cross and UN blindly support massive settlement of Bagisu in Bugerere, they could be involved in planting the seeds of future genocide in Buganda.