The latest we have from the world of Buganda and Ugandan conferences is that Radio Free Buganda will broadcast live from Ttabamiruka ’10. The Chairman of the Ttabamiruka organizing committee confirmed this in an interview with the host of Enyanjanja Temanyirwa program on www.ekibakibe.com.  The interview was first broadcast last Saturday night but it continues to be repeated on www.ekibakibe.com  during the Program Enkadde times.

According to the  event program at www.ttabamiruka.com, the Baganda conference will be opened on September 4, 2010 by none other than the Lion of Buganda, Ssabasajja Kabaka, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II following the introduction of the Buganda Royal Family. Below are extracts of the program which this writer has copied from www.ttabamiruka.com.

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On July 16, 2010, the Uganda government owned New Vision proudly announced that 11 Ugandans were to be awarded US doctorate degrees from United Graduate College and Seminary (UGCS) of Tennessee. They Ugandan elits included Pastor Robert Kayanja who received an honorary doctorate in Divinity and his life Jessica Kayanja, who pocketed a PhD in Humanities.

The UGCS is an Internet degreed issuing business, which enables individuals to earn degrees for less than $2000 and without the experience of regular examinations or interactive contact with instructors. Last week the Kenyan local press reported that letters inviting selected men and women to accept honorary PhDs at a Nairobi “graduation” ceremony, also asked them to make contributions towards the travel and accommodation expenses of the visiting American UGCS officials.

Pastor Simeon Kayiwa of Namirembe Christian Fellowship is one of the pioneering high profile “graduate” of the Internet “university”. On January 30, 2009, the New Vision reported: “… Kayiwa was recently awarded yet another Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) degree by the united graduate College and seminary, USA. D.Litt, a university degree which is above Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), is issued on the basis of research and its publication.” Businessman Bonny Katatumba, who serves as the Pakistan honorary counsel in Uganda, is another UGCS PhD holder and professor according to an April 15, 2010 story in the NRM government journalistic flagship,  the New Vision.

According to sources in the Ugandan evangelical community, where pastors Kayiwa and Kayanja are often regarded as annointed by God to do the right things, their followers are unaware that anyone can get UGCS degrees for less than $2,000.

According to the United Graduate College and Seminary website, the cost of a Bachelors degree is $1,595 plus the purchase of 5 books. As for the minimum academic requirements, the UGCS website state that: “Each student will be required to complete 35 hours of course work from United Graduate College and Seminary before we will grant a Degree.” In describing degree course work, the site states: “Each student is required to thoroughly read each book listed below. Each book is considered a (One 5- Hour Course). After each book is read, you need to write a 10 to 15-page paper for each book. In each paper we want you to, 1. Point out the principles found throughout the book. 2. List the valuable truths found in each book. 3. We want you to tell us how you can use these principles and truths in your ministry to others. Each paper needs to be typed with no grammatical errors. Size 14 font is suggested.” Notably, most of the content on the university’s website is is grammatically incorrect, with reckless use of capital letters on imperfect nouns.

To earn a PhD from the UGCS the cost jumps to $ 2,295. And the degree requirements are as follows: “The Student Candidate must have a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree that is Approved your Seminary before the Degree is granted. The student will be required to write a dissertation that would be worthy of publication. However, the student is not required to publish their work. The dissertation will need to be minimum 60 pages or more. The average dissertation is between 60 to 100 pages long. A Bibliography of a minimum of 14 books the student has ead and referred to in the preparation for the dissertation will be necessary as well. The student will need to contact us before He or she be ins their dissertation and let us know what the dissertation will be on. Once we approve it, the student may begin. It is important that Footnotes and any research notes should be noted numerically after each quote with the source listed at the bottom of each page. This paper should not be turned into the seminary until the Curriculum is completed.”

The now popular (among Uganda’s poorIy educated elite) United Graduate College and Seminary does not place time requirements on its degrees reveal passing grades. The school, who e president is Dorothy Wisor claims that it is accredited by the United Association of Christian Churches and Ministries International (UACCMI). However, a check of the UACCMI website shows that the organization is owned b Martin Wisor, an apparent relative of Dorothy Wisor.

It is unusual among Baganda,even in the diaspora, to celebrate and have a cake in memory of death and suffering such as at the May Buganda Day of occupation.  The leaders of Ggwanga Mujje Washington DC and the Kabaka’s representative in the area went ahead and did it anyway tighter with a big fashion show and disco (see”Kabaka’s Representative Turns Buganda Day Into NRM Party, Ekiba Kibe”). This upset quite a few people, including one long-term NRM woman, who wrote to Buganda Post to alert us about NRM operation in the diaspora.

Our source told us she was especially upset that Kabaka’s representative approved the removal of the Kabaka title and lion from the Buganda cake, not to upset Museveni. She said: “These people intentionally removed the lion, which is the symbol of the Kabaka, off the cake. Even worse, they changed the writing on the cake to be ‘Awangaale Nnyaffe Buganda’. This is not by accident. The Omulangira approved replacing ‘Kabaka’ with ‘Buganda’ even though it reads funny because Buganda is not a person. It is all part of a plan that the NRM’s diaspora team is playing out to make the Kabaka a non-issue. I don’t know what to do but as a Muganda I am having a lot of conflict.”

We can report that a diaspora based team of NRMs are working in a lose think-tank that brainstorms about how to help president Museveni weaken all Baganda organizations overseas. A highly reliable source inside NRM USA has told us that: “In 2008 president Museveni realized that the cadres in New York, Washington DC, London and Toronto are much better equipped than Kampala NRMs to plan and execute anti-Buganda actions in the diaspora. With advice from the likes of Abdul Kimbugwe and others (names omitted to protect our sources), the NRM started investing cash in Boston, Washington DC, New York and Los Angeles to buy Baganda youths in the NRM. They bribe the leaders with cash or government contracts, give them general guides, and allow them to operate independently.”

“One important target is to make Baganda youth lose interest in the Kabaka institution and see Kabaka Mutebi as politically ambitious. For example, one propaganda story that is supposed to be planted in Washington DC and Los Angeles claims that Kabaka Mutebi wants to replace Museveni and become president as his late father was. The Washington DC chapter of Ggwanga Mujje is now considered key to the NRM plans because the leadership are willing to work closely with the ambassador and other NRMs.”

Last Friday, Kabaka Mutebi called upon all his subjects who have reached the voting age of 18 to register so that they can elect leaders of their choice while others should check with the register to confirm whether their names are registered to be able to participate in the 2011 elections. The Lion of Buganda was meeting his subjects from Buluuli who had visited him at his palace, Mengo Lubiri, to assure him of their loyalty, extend their sympathies for the loss of the Kasubi Tombs and to present to show appreciation for his brilliant leadership of the Kingdom regardless of the many challenges faced.

Soon afterwards, First Deputy Katikkiro, Owek. Ssendaula clarified that the Kabaka Mutebi and his government are not involved in partisan politics. Their interest is in supporting candidates who support Buganda’s causes.

These developments have left many Baganda in the diaspora quite confused since they suggest that Buganda has now officially decided to declared her trust and belief in president Museveni’s corrupt election system. Many of the now confused Baganda thought that the Buganda establishment was willing to support the campaign former Katikkiro Dan Muliika announced in Boston to boycott the 2011 elections since they are fraud.

When Buganda Post contacted a New York based expert on Buganda issues by email,he responded with the following: “I would advise Baganda in the diaspora no to panic. Remember that some of the people around  Kabaka are ambitious politicians and businessmen with personal interests in becoming MPs or making money. Some might have influence what Kabaka said but, as usual, his words had a lot of wisdom. First, the Kabaka did not promise anyone that, come election time, he will encourage his subjects to even vote. People should be patient, there is a lot of time before the voting.”

President Museveni’s Uganda parliament has 327 members, with 80 or 24% from Buganda.  Even if all Baganda MPs vote as a single block, they would need support from another 84 MPs to pass substantially pro-Buganda bills in the Uganda parliament. Estimates by many experts of Uganda’s NRM manipulated political system put the estimate for NRM guaranteed MP seats at a minimum of 131 or just over 40%. Some nationalist Baganda, especially in the diaspora, argue that Buganda’s interests are best served if individuals who have clear business and Uganda political ambitions do not have so much influence on Mmengo and Kabaka Mutebi. That is why these nationalists want Kabaka’s subjects to simply boycott the elections to show the whole world that Buganda is under occupation by the NRM government and help Baganda youths avoid developing a slave complex.

According to a non-scientific survey carried out by a Buganda Post volunteer consultant in Kampala on Saturday night, a large majority of Baganda are very happy that Ssabasajja Kabaka, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II wisely avoided going to Tooro for the Omukama’s coronation celebrations. The president of the NRM occupation government attended the same anniversary and  many Baganda were worried that Museveni would use the opportunity for a photo opportunity and propaganda against the Lion of Buganda.

An NRM source who is sympathetic to Buganda has informed us that Museveni was not happy to hear that Kabaka Mutebi was skipping the ceremony. The source said: “I believe that H.E. was very annoyed when the Omukama’s family told him that Kabaka Mutebi was not going to Fort Portal.  In his mind, Buganda Kingdom and the Kabaka are there because of  Museveni and he has a right to tell them what to do. That is why he cannot understand why the Kabaka can avoid him. In fact, when he spoke in Fort Portal and said that cultural leaders who try to change the NRM vision shall be stopped, he was sending a direct threat to your Kabaka.”

In September 2009, when the NRM had massacred tens of Baganda who demonstrated after after the NRM occupation army stopped the Kabaka from going to Kayunga, Museveni publically complained that the Lion of Buganda had refused to return his (Museveni’s) phone calls for two years.

Based on information from the same NRM source, we can also report that Mr. Museveni’s state house has been secretly recording meetings and phone conversations involving Uganda government officials, Mmengo officials, the Kabaka, World Bank and IMF officials and other major figures. Reportedly, the recordings started  over  10 years ago and the NRM government has used them to embarrass or compromise people like Katikkiro Mulwaanyamuli Ssemwogerere, Apollo Nsibambi, Gilbert Bukenya and a few members of the foreign donor/diplomatic community.

New Vision newspaper, the NRM Government mouthpiece,  has quoted the minster of gender and social development, Gabriel Opio saying that the Kasubi Tombs are partly owned by the republic of Uganda. According to the April 9, 2010 edition of the New Vision, the 65 year old Opio who comes from Samia-Bugwe, said: “The site is owned by three partners, Buganda, Uganda and UNESCO, and there is a role for each. The Government makes sure there are proper designs and a plan ahead of the reconstruction.”  To many Baganda, the statements open the possibility that, in future, the NRM government may have exercise the claim to ownership to influence who gets buried at Kasubi and who does not and what Baganda cultural practices continue to be observed in the sacred buildings.

In the same news report, the New Vision quotes a man, Lazare Eloundou, who claims to be a UNESCO official saying: “We have conducted several working sessions, both with the Government and the Buganda Kingdom. The desire to urgently see the site reconstructed was expressed by all.”  The New Vision further reports that Eloundou said that his UNESCO team would write a series of recommendations, which would be submitted to both the Government and UNESCO for consideration. The report will include costing of how much is needed, the plans and designs for the site.

Kasubi Tombs was constructed in 1882, following Baganda native designs and architecture. Each Baganda clan had a role to play in the design and construction of the tombs and many of the design elements the 50 or so clans. The same Baganda clans also have special customary duties they carry out in the maintenance of the tombs, up to March 16, 2010. It is the unique architecture, cultural ambience, continuity of ancient Baganda customary practices, and its use as a royal burial ground that gave Kasubi Tombs it the international fame.

A Muganda employee [identity withheld on request], who works for the United Nations and has been following the Kasubi restoration story very closely has requested Buganda Post to warn Kabaka Mutebi and his subjects that there is a conspiracy to Ugandanize the sacred burial ground of the Buganda royal family. He said: “Certain Mmengo officials who constantly declare their royalty to Kabaka and the kingdom are part of this conspiracy and that is why they play along with the NRM propaganda that Kasubi belongs to Uganda. We must take the demand by Archbishop Lwanga for an independent investigation seriously. I agree the archbishop that Mmengo officials, especially those who have been pushing for introducing imported building materials at Kasubi must be investigated. UNESCO and its attempts to push that Kasubi be redesigned by non-Baganda so called professionals must also be challenged. It is starting to look more and more that the Museveni and a few collaborators in Buganda government might have burnt Kasubi to create this opportunity to grab the royal tombs from Buganda and Ugandanize it. Even a few UNESCO men could be involved in this cultural genocide.”

The UN Muganda employee advised concerned Baganda to go through their organizations to directly lodge complaints to the Secretary General and assertively accuse UNESCO of collaborating with the Government of Uganda to commit cultural genocide against the indigenous peoples of Buganda. he says: “Question why UNESCO claims that they are ready to redesign the tombs without first investigating the cause of the fire and without consulting the people of Buganda through their clan systems. If UNESCO is ignorant of how the Amasiro came to be and is not consulting the Abataka who constructed and maintained them, how can they be qualified to redesign and restore them? Insist that everything must be done through the clan system and the royal family. Otherwise this will be like 1900 when a few Mmengo collaborators sold 50% Buganda for personal gain and weakened our clans and our Kabaka to where they are now. Use the huge amount of evidence that is available in New Vision, Monitor, You Tube and other sources.”

USA Baganda have joined the many forces who are telling Katikkiro JB Walusimbi and other Mmengo officials to be extremely careful about the restoration of the recently burnt Kasubi Tombs. Within 36 hours after the tombs were burnt, the Katikkiro announced that a technical committee had been formed to start planning the restoration of the 130 year Kasubi Tombs. The committee members who names were released later were mostly former Mmengo officials, with no signs of new blood. Kasubi Tombs is the official cemetery for Buganda royal family members (Abalangira n’Abambejja) who descend from Ssekabaka Muteesa I. However,  the Katikkiro made his announcement without consulting this key group. As a result, Abalangira n’Abambejja were forces to release a statement expressing their concern as owners of the tombs (see “Members of Buganda Royal Family Issue Statement on Kasubi – English”).

Various Buganda clan heads and cultural leaders (Abataka) also expressed strong opposition to Mmengo’s plans focus on working with UNESCO and the NRM occupation government to restore the sacred Baganda tombs. They  point out the original tombs were constructed by ordinary Baganda through their clans and each clan has a special task in the process. Yet Katikkiro Walusimbi and many other Mmengo officials are temporary administrators with no technical background in constructing cultural site like the Kasubi Tombs.

Abazzukulu ba Buganda also strongly question Mmengo’s qualifications to restore and ancient cultural structure like Kasubi Tombs. They point out that the Mmengo official who were selected on the restoration committee are the same individuals who have not succeeded on even smaller projects such as completing Twekobe or Bulange Plaza. They also rejected the idea of UNESCO being a key player ( see “Don’t Put Yourself At Risk When Buganda Is Angry, Katikkiro Advised“).

The Great Buganda Lukiiko that sat on March 22, 2010, did not approve Katikkiro Walusimbi’s plans either. Members only agree that the Kasubi Tombs must be repaired as soon as possible.

On Free Buganda Radio, the Ekiba Kibe program of March 25, 2010 Mr. Robert Kabuye and his guest, Mr. Mayanja, also advised Mmengo to leave the repair of Kasubi Tombs to those who are traditionally responsible for the job. They also warn the Katikkiro and his cabinet to take leadership from the clan leaders (Abataka) and others who have an official role in Buganda culture.

Click on Ekiba_Kibe25Mar10A to listen to the Ekiba Kibe prpgram of March 25, 2010.