Thousands of Baganda responded to Mmengo’s call to mourn starting late last week. Mostly strating around Monday they have been wearing tee shirts with “Gutusinze Ssabasajja (“We apologize Ssabasajja”) slogans. Tis is the way to tell the Kabaka that we Baganda are embarrassed that some envious and hateful people set fire on Kasubi and we werer unable to prevent it. Others have dressed in black and put on arm bands that are either black or bark cloth (lubugo) or a combination of the two. By Thursday, some men in Makerere University, Nakulabye and other Kampala surburbs were walking around in kanzus with bark cloth wraps (bimyu) walking around or showing off.

The women, especially the younger ones, have used the mourning period to make a fashion statement. Hundreds have been driving around in mourning tee shirts won in various styles. And many others have incorporated strings or bands of bark cloth in their hair styles. A few even used cowry shells (ensimbi enganda) to make beads  or other articles that represent the time of mourning.

On Thursday night the atmosphere in Kampala was calm but tense. Sources have told this reporter that the NRM government appears not to be sure of what to expect at the Friday prayers , which will conclude the official mourning period that was announced by Mmengo. However, the evidence on the ground is that tens of thousands of Baganda from all corners of the kingdom will come to join their beloved Kabaka at Kasubi today. Buganda analysts agree that huge crowds of Baganda expected at Kasubi will show the NRM occupation government and other enemies that the nation of Buganda is stronger than ever even under occupation.

According to Buganda government sources, Kabaka’s royal guards (Abambowa) will handle security inside the tombs perimeter and the NRM occupation police force will be on the outside. However, sources in Nakulabye told this writer that the NRM occupation government has deployed hundreds of plain clothes militias to mingle with the crowds, in the hope of finding out  if there is some type of command structure among the growing number of Baganda nationalists.

The sorrowful ecumenical services  are expected to start at 10:00 AM after the arrival of the Lion of Buganda KIngdom, Ssabasajja Kabaka, Muwenda Mutebi II.

The official programme of events released by Mmengo is shown below:

KASUBI PROGRAMME

Gates will be opened by 8:00 am with the arrival of the members of the organizing committee. All those people who will participate in the historical ecumenical service will be subjected to thorough security checked up to avoid any security mishap.

9:00 am          :    Mourners arrive at Kasubi

9:30               :    Invited guests arrive at the tombs.

9:45               :    Katikkiro Arrives

10:00             :    Ssaabasajja Kabaka arrives for the ecumenical service.

10.10             :    Ekitiibwa kya Buganda

10:10             :    The National Anthem

10.25             :    An opening prayer by Bishop Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga

10.40             :    Metropolitan Yonah Lwanga –Orthodox

10.55             :    Rt. Rev. Bishop Wilberforce Kityo Luwalira

11.15             :    Bishop Kajja SDA Church Kireka

11.45             :    Pastor Alex Mitala Pentecostal Church

12.00             :    Supreme Sheik Zubair Sowedi Kayongo

Speeches

12.15            :    Naalinya w’Amasiro e Kasubi

12.20            :    Omukubiriza w’Olukiiko lw’Abataka

12.30            :    Chairman organizing committee

-    Katikkiro

-    Ekitiibwa kya Buganda

In a statement issued after their meeting of March 20, 2010, members of Abazzukulu ba Buganda warn that leaving Buganda in Uganda is courting disaster for the kingdom. They explain that when Kasubi was burned Buganda  paid  a similar price to that in 1996. However, in the future, Buganda may pay an even much higher price.

Abazukkulu revealed that in the recent past they hard to fight tooth and nail to stop certain Buganda government official in Bulange who wanted to remove the thatching on the recently burnt Kasubi tombs and replace them with iron sheets. According to the statement, the Buganda officials did not stop until they has replaced some of thatching on the small buildings around the tombs with metal sheets. Only Muzi Azaala Mpanga managed to escape without being disturbed.

Abazzukulu are concerned that now that Muzibu Azaala Mpanga has been burnt down those who wanted to destroy the ancient and world admired Buganda architecture with a metal roof. They claim that the Katikkiro intentionally announced that official mounring would start a week after the fire, in order to weaken the patriotism and energy of Baganda.

Members of Abazzukulu argue that it is common sense that the unique thatching techniques used by Baganda at Kasubi give the place a special stature and is the main reason it is internationally known.  They then appeal to all the people of Buganda to fight the following:

1. Using metal roofs on the Kasubi tombs and surrounding cultural buildings
2. Putting foreigners like UNESCO in charge of the repairs and caretaking. Buganda must know that this is part of the conspiracy to detroy all symbols of an independent kingdom of Buganda.
3. Using even one inch of the Kasubi tombs land for any other unrelated purpose. Because that land is only 76 acres and we Baganda believe that out kingdom shall exist until God ends this earth. We are concerned that in future the land might not be enough.

Below is the full Luganda statement which was signed by the chairman of Abazzuklul ba Buganda, M. Jjunju – Kamulali:

OLUKIIKO LW’ABAZZUKULU BA BUGANDA

20. 03.2010

AKABENJE MU KABENJE K’AMASIRO E KASUBI

Tekikyaliko kubuusasbuusa nti Buganda okugireka mu Uganda, tulina okukisasulira omuwendo munene nyo nyo nga bwetwakisasulira mu 1966 na guno bwetukisasulidde mu Masiro ekasubi. Kiyinzika n’okuba nti bwetutaliva mu Uganda lumu tugenda kukisasulira ekisingawo.

Nga tuli mu maziga n’ekyobeero ky’e Kasubi nga tusala entotto ku ky’okuzzaawo Kasubi ng’entunnunsi y’obuwangwa bwaffe, ate wasituseewo olutalo olulala wakati wa Bulange n’Obuganda bwonna. Gyebuvddeko abazzukulu baalwanyisa Bulange effungamyeemu abalembewazi nga baagala amasiro gonna bagagyeko essubi bateekeko ebibaati. Olutalo lwagenda okukkakkana ng’Enyumba ensitaamirizi bazitaddeko ebibaati. Muzibu-azaalampanga n’asigalawo nga yeesumaalise.

Kati ekyagudde ku Muzibu azaala mpanga Bulange kigiwadde omukisa okuttukiza obutaliimu bwayo obw’okugiteekako ebibaati. Owek Katikkiro ky’asookeddeko kw’ekumalamu Obuganda amaanyi n’obujjumbize bwe yalangiridde okukungubaga kutandike kumpi luvanyuma lwa ssabiiti namba.

Era alangiridde ng’ayimiriza Obuganda obuli mu kaweefube w’okuleeta ebizimbisibwa nti bugira buleka mbu enteekteka zimale okukolebwa. Kino kitegeeza nti, ayagala atandike obutaliimubwe obwebibaati n’ebirala ng’Obuganda bubivuddeko era nga tebukyaaliwo.

Omuntu yenna ali mu kutegeerakwe okutuufu akiraba bulabi nti ekitiibwa ky’amasiro e Kasubi kiva ku ssubi eryo lyenyini era lyelisomboola abantu bonna okujja okuliraba. N’olwekyo Obuganda bwonna tubukubira omulanga bulwanyisize ddala:

1. Eky’okuteeka ebibaati ku Muzibu-azaalampanga wamu n’Enyumba ensitaamirizi
2. Eky’okukwaasa abagwiira nga UNESCO amasiro okugaddaabiriza n’okugalabirira ng’obuganda tebunasaanawo. Obuganda basaanidde okumanya nti  luno lwe lukwe olwasalibwa okuzikiriza buli kabonero konna akayinza okulaga nti waali wabaddewo ko Obwakabaka bwa Buganda obwefuga
3. Eky’okukozesa ettaka ly’Amasiro, wadde inch emu ku Kintu ekirala kyonna ekitakwatagana nakyaliteekesaawo. Newankubade ettaka eryo ziri Accres 76 zokka, Abaganda tukimanyi era tukikkiriza nti Obwakabaka bwaffe bwakubeerawo okutuusa Katonda lwalizingako ensi eno. Tuli na beeraliikirivu nti gyebujja terijja kumala Masiro ago.

Wangaala Buganda

Awangaale Ssabasajja Kabaka

M. Jjunju – Kamulali

(Sentebe)

Most Baganda in North America have reached one conclusion about the fire that gutted Buganda’s national shrine, Amasiro ge Kasubi, the royal cemetery where 4 late kings (Bassekabaka) and many other royals are buried. They put the blame squarely on president Yoweri Museveni and his NRM government. And their suspicions were strenghtned by reports that on Wednesday, scores of Baganda were shot by NRM military police because they gave a hostile audience to Museveni. Museveni went inspect the ashes in the place where the royal tombs once stood. Based on the emails we have received from all over the world, it appears that a huge majority of Baganda view Museveni’s visit as a case of the criminal returning to the scene of the crime.

According to the March 17, 2010 Ekiba Kibe broadcasts, Baganda held big Ggwangamujje mourning gatherings in Boston, New Jersey and Los Angeles on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mourning is expected to go on for sometime but no end dates have been announced.  On the same program, the Chairman of Ggwangamujje Boston describes the various ways Museveni has impoverished, robbed and even killed Baganda. As examples, Mr. Mayanja mentions the young virgins of Budo Primary School who were sacrificed in a ritual dormitory fire, other school fires, the destruction of Buganda agriculture, the closure of CBS, the theft of Buganda’s native lands and the murder of ordinary Baganda. Mr. Mayanja announced more mourning meetings, indicating that in America Baganda might mourn for the Kasubi tombs for longer than the one week which Mmengo wants for Buganda.

Click on Ekiba_Kibe17Mar10C and on Ekiba_Kibe17Mar10D to listen to the Ekiba Kibe programs of March 17, 2010.

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 Ekiba Kibe program on the SMS based Free Buganda Radio is now announcing Kabaka’s birthday at least two times a day. The presenter Mr. Robert Kabuye e Boston makes sure to remind his listeners to get ready to celebrate the birthday of the Lion of Buganda, Ssabasajja Kabaka, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II.  Buganda Post has received reports from Baganda in places like United Arab Emirates, Durban South Africa, and different parts of the USA and Europe saying that they get Ekiba Kibe and it keeps Kabaka’s birthday in their minds.

Ssabasajja Kabaka wa Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Walugembe Mutebi II  was born at Mmengo  Lubiri on April 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, 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.

Click on the following links Ekiba_Kibe14Mar10A,  Ekiba_Kibe14Mar10B,  Ekiba_Kibe14Mar10C or Ekiba_Kibe15Mar10A and to listen to four different Ekiba Kibe broadcasts from March 14 and March 15, 2010.

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!

According to an official press release by the Kabaka’s Government, the Lion of Buganda, Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II has chosen to cerebrate his 55th birthday with the various theatrical groups in Uganda.

According to the committee chairperson, Minister Mohamood Thobani, celebrations will be held on 13th April 2010 at Theatre Labonita where theatrical groups will be hosted among other guests to celebrate with their King.

Thobani explained that this has been done to appreciate the artists for their tremendous efforts in promoting the cultural norms and values of Buganda through talents.

He added that “most times, artists have supported the Kingdom and therefore there is no better way to thank them than to let them cerebrate Kabaka’s birthday with him”.

He further elaborated that this year’s celebrations under the theme “Obuwangwa bwaffe n’obukozi ge maanyi” will also include bringing the youth closure to their cultural background.

In this regard, Kabaka Mutebi will visit Kibuli Senior Secondary School where many young people will gather to cerebrate Kabaka’s birthday.

Celebrations will begin with general prayers at Kibuli Mosque, thereafter, Kabaka will visit Kibuli hospital to extend his sympathies to those in pain from where he will head to Kibuli Senior Secondary School. The day’s cerebrations will be crowned by a cocktail party to be hosted at Theatre Labonita.

This year’s organizing committee includes among the following, Mohamood Thobani as the chairperson, Ahmed Bamweyana, Ahmed Lwasa, Hajati Mariam Mayanja, Kayima Stephen Nawuba Rajin Tailor, Samlie Mwanje, Nakimuli Leticia, Omulangira David Wasajja, Muganga John Herman, Huruna Njuki and Nalinnya Nabanakulya.