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C Bijugo Lumu

A report in the April 8, 2009 issue of the Uganda government Bukedde newspaper that, the day before, Katikkiro JB Walusimbi laid a flower wreath at the mass graves of victims of the 1994 Rwanda genocide has upset some Baganda. Our reporters in both Masaka and Kampala have told us. According to the reports, most ordinary Baganda in Buddu and around Kampala think that it is a good thing to commemorate the terrible killings that took place in Rwanda. But a large majority of them are asking why the Katikkiro of Buganda found time and money to buy flowers for graves of Banyarwanda although he did not have time to accompany Kabaka Mutebi to Buluuli last October fearing to upset Museveni.

The Kampala people are especially unhappy that incidents like the Budo Junior fire and child sacrifices which target Baganda are just  quiet form genocide but Owek. Walusimbi does not take expensive flowers let alone mabugo (condolence funds) to the victim’s families. Some also complained that Katikkiro Walusimbi has not cared to officially investigate why tens of Baganda children are murdered every month without government action. Yet when one mulaalo child was killed around Kiboga in Ssingo county, the police commander even personally camped in the area until some people were arrested.

On October 8, 2008 Mr. Museveni’s armed soldiers stopped the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II from going to Nakasongola to preside at the 46th anniversary of independence from Britain. The president later stated that, while Kabaka Mutebi was being harassed, Katikkiro Walusimbi was in telephone negotiations with David Tinyefuza and Mr. Museveni’s state house. Nakasongola is the main town in Buluuli county of Buganda. October 9, 1962 is when Buganda formally joined the other parts of today’s Uganda to become a federal republic. Under the terms of the 1962 independence agreement, Buganda remained a kingdom under Kabaka and retained control of its own education, healthcare, police and local administration systems. In 1966 then prime minister Milton Obote overthrew the constitution, used Idi Amin to attack Kabaka’s palace, made the kingdom illegal, exiled the Kabaka and stole 9,000 square miles of Buganda native lands and numerous other properties.  After decades of persecution by Obote, Idi Amin and Obote II, the Baganda joined Mr. Museveni and thousands of  Rwandan Tutsi refugees to remove Obote II and make it possible for the Kabaka to return to his kingdom.

In 1993/94 thousands of  Rwandese Tutsi refugees used Uganda army weapons to take power in Rwanda, in the middle of a genocide which started after that country’s president Habyarimana was assassinated. After more than 20 years since Mr. Museveni and his Baganda and Tutsi partners removed the Obote II regime, Mr. Museveni has refused to return the 9,000 square miles of native lands that Obote stole. He also refused to recognize the Baganda rights to return to the status as a federal state within the republic of Uganda. As the Baganda continue to demand that Mr. Museveni act honorably, the relations between the Buganda Kingdom and central government have become increasingly hostile. And many Baganda, especially the youth, are demanding that Katikkiro (head of Buganda government) Walusimbi resign due to conflict of interests because of his strong business and personal relationships with both Mr. Museveni and Rwanda government.

Buganda political rights firebrand and Uganda MP for Lubaga North has warned of disaster if President Museveni’s government takes over the Kampala City administration. In a press statement she released on Sunday 5, 2009, Ms. Beti Kamya debunked the government’s claims that the city council should be replaced by a government minister because the city is too dirty for the Uganda’s national image.

Kamya challenges Mr. Museveni to provide a single piece of evidence that Uganda government is capable of maintaining any major institution. She cites the dilapidated national hospitals, schools and training colleges as a basis to question why taxpayers should have any hope that Mr. Museveni’s government will do a better job looking after Kampala than the city council.

As to why Kampala is in a mess Kamya says (in Luganda): “I believe that the primary reason why Kampala city is in a crisis is underfunding by government. For example, Kampala has a population of about 3M people but last year it received government aid of only 25 billion shillings (US$12.5M). By comparison, Bushenyi district [located in Museveni’s ethnic homeland of Ankore] has a population of 800,000 but it received 27 billion shilling (US$13.5M), which is more than Kampala’s.”

Kampala is the business and commercial capital of Uganda and is located in Kyadondo county of the Buganda kingdom. Kampala is the home of the official and private palaces of the Kabaka (king equivalent) of Buganda. And Mmengo, a suburb of the city, is the seat of the Kabaka’s government. The conference which wrote Uganda’s latest constitution in 1995 voted to designate Kampala as “outside Buganda”, a move which was strongly opposed by the natives of the city and an overwhelming majority of Buganda residents. To many Baganda the “majority rules” decision by the natives of other regions of Uganda has been regarded as forceful occupation. Since 1995, the democratically elected Kampala City Council has been dominated by Baganda, who get more votes.  Then just over a year ago Mr. Museveni declared the city council incompetent and ordered the drafting a new law which turns the administration of Kampala over to government and extends its size into Buganda native lands by more than twice. A move which many Baganda view as another sign that Mr. Museveni and his supporters are determined to destroy Buganda.

According to Transparency International, Uganda is one of most corrupt countries in the world. Over the weekend a top Western diplomat in Uganda said on a local broadcast program that the donors are frustrated by the fact that the aid they give is intended for the masses but ends in the hands of a few at the top. He gave notice that the some donors are re-evaluating its aid policy in Uganda, in light of the global economic and the high rate of corruption. At least 5 immediate members of Mr. Museveni’s family are also members of this administration. Notably, his wife Janet is Minister for Karamoja where Uganda’s main gold deposits are located, his half-brother Salim Saleh is Presidential Advisor on security and his son Muhoozi Kainerugaba is commander of the army’s special forces.

People in all corners of Buganda have now heard of Kabaka Mutebi’s journey to Buluuli, to preside over Buganda’s 46th Independence cerebrations, and President Museveni’s decision to stop him (Kabaka) from reaching his destination. Baganda also now know that Kabaka Mutebi made the decision to travel to Nakasongola after getting fed up with the increasingly  dictatorial behavior being shown by President  Museveni and his men coupled with evidence that Katikkiro JB Walusimbi may be part of the problem.

Virtually all the 46 Baganda who this reporter spoke at Nabugabo, Katwe and Nakasero Market were very happy that, by going to Buluuli, bravely exposing Museveni’s true colors on Buganda and disassociating himself from JB Walusimbi, Kabaka Mutebi made the situation 100% clear to Baganda. The 37 out of 46 who claimed to be below 35 years in age declared their 100% support for Kabaka Mutebi and claimed that they are ready to risk anything to serve him in any way he orders them to. And 21 of those 37 claimed to be members of CBS Fans Club or Nkoba za Mbogo or Baana ba Kintu.

A 27 year old Muganda young woman who runs one of seven separate hardware businesses in a single shop, next to Nakasero market, told this reporter in Luganda, “Ba ffe atukakasizza mu ngeri ye eyamagezi nti Walusimbi bamumutega butezi. Ate natumanyisa nti musajja muzira kufa era amalako nnyo. Kati katulabe buno bunamawanga obutubba abaana n’abazukulu baabwo gyebanazza ebyaffe”  (“Our [husband] has wisely given us the signal that Walusimbi is a Trojan horse. And he has shown that he is a brave man who can see us through all. Now let’s wait and see where the children and grand children of these foreign thieves will take our things.”)

In a related development, Buganda’s Minister of Information, Charles Peter Mayiga, has announced that a special meeting of the Lukiiko (Buganda Kingdom Council) has been scheduled for October 27, 2008, to discuss, among other things, President Museveni’s decision to restrict Kabaka Mutebi’s movements in Buganda.

In a highly belligerent move on October 8, 2008, President Museveni of Uganda ordered his heavily armed anti-riot police ready, with teargas, to stop Kabaka Mutebi from visiting the Buluuli Ssaza (county) Headquarters in Nakasongola. The Kabaka of Buganda was on his way to open the ceremony celebrating  the 46th year since Buganda gained independence from the British. President Museveni’s operation was executed by his minister Ruhakana Rugunda, who claimed in a statement that it is Katikkiro JB Walusimbi who first brought up the idea that Kabaka shouldn’t travel to Buluuli.

Buluuli is one of Buganda’s 18 counties. However, since 2000, President Museveni has invested more than 2 million dollars on a project to weaken Buganda by creating his own anti-Kabaka “sub kingdom” in Buluuli,  headed by a “Sabaruli”. Museveni’s current Sabaruli is called Salongo Mwogezi Butamanya. Apparently, Museveni instructed Ruhakana Rugunda to stop Mutebi from reaching his intended destination after getting intelligence reports that the Kabaka had drawn huge crowds of Baganda and Baluuli on his stops in Kakooge and Migyera towns. It was emerging that the crowd would be even be much larger in Nakasongola, which would embarrass President Museveni, who October 9th Uganda celebrations keeps shrinking.

On January 27, 2008, Sekanyolya requested Katikkiro Walusimbi to "drop" Gilbert Bukenya and start to lead. This was when newly appointed Walusimbi had jointly appeared at ceremonies with Museveni’s Vice President Bukenya, where he publically advocated for negotiations between Kabaka Mutebi and Mr. Museveni. The events that have unfolded in Buganda over the last ten days seem to confirm that Sekanyolya’s legal advisor was corrrect after all when he said "“I know J B well but we must wait before we can say whether he has the guts and strategic skills to match even 50% of Muliika." Sekanyola’s full posting of January 27, 2008 is reproduced below:

Katikkiro Walusimbi Urged To Drop Bukenya And Start Leading

The word on Ganda Street is that, based on first impressions, Katikkiro J B Walusimbi needs to change gears fast if he is to allay Baganda’s fears that he might too politically naïve to deal with the extermination war that Museveni is waging against Buganda. One Makerere Nkoba za Mbogo student echoed the feelings of most in Sekanyolya’s favorite Nakulabye joint when he said, “The problem with Walusimbi is that he does not understand that images matter. It was a disgrace that, he chose to announce his new plans for Buganda in the company of Gilbert Bukenya, a Museveni boot licker. Bukenya represents the most negative things about Baganda and has no use for us 80% of Baganda who are younger than 30 years, poor, unemployed, being chased off their land, and helpless.” Sekanyolya’s Kampala legal consultant, who is a fixture in the Nakulabye joint, went as far as accusing Sekanyolya of misleading Baganda that Walusimbi will not disappoint them as Katikkiro (See “Kabaka Appoints Highly Credible Muganda Katikkiro and Brings Muliika Back to Mmengo”. He said, “I know J B well but we must wait before we can say whether he has the guts and strategic skills to match even 50% of Muliika. The only major things that Walusimbi has done so far is say that he wants Baganda to stop talking and start working but he also wants to negotiate with Museveni. Is he trying to tell Baganda that he is the only one allowed to talk – with Bukenya and Museveni – the way Katende, Mulwaanyamuli, Mayiga and Makubuya did? If I could, I would urge J B to shift gears away from Mmengo’s old focus on Museveni and his men. If he wants Baganda to work then he must first assure them that he is a solid leader capable of resisting Museveni’s conspiracies. But he cannot do that when his favorite hobby is hanging out with Museveni’s Bukenya, schoolmate and fellow Catholic or not.”

Update: Tuesday July 22, 2008

The Uganda Government is under extreme pressure to release the detainees. Margaret Sekaggya the Director of the Humans Rights Commission has made a presentation to a parliamentary committee stating that they have had access to the detainees and that 2 are in poor health needing immediate access to their doctors and Betty Namboze needs immediate access to her 1 year old child who is still breast feeding. She further states that the unpredictable and constant movement of the detainees to prisons to the farthest corners of Uganda is deliberate psychological torture and must stop immediately. She says the act parading the detainees in front of so-called rebels in these locations for identification without access to their lawyers is questionable behaviour for a government that claims to have restored the rule of law.. A significant group of parliamentarians are seeking the 111 signatures needed to force parliament to sit while in recess to debate the matter as it is escalating and positions are hardening on both sides. The Acholi parliamentary group has issued a statement demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the detainees as it could lead to “a collision” between Mengo and the Central Government. They further demand that a Council of Elders comprised of eminent Ugandans be established to mediate between the two parties.

Nkoba Z’ambogo, a nationwide network of Baganda youth has issued a statement demanding the release of the detainees by the end of business today or they will take to the streets tomorrow. The Buganda Cabinet has just started (2:30pm) a second sitting to discuss the matter taking into considerations all recent developments. They are expected to make a statement by 5pm. The situation is deteriorating as off the record statements from key individuals are circulating that Central Government is demanding the removal of key youthful Ministers and outspoken Baganda from the Buganda Government and Central Broadcasting Station (CBS- Buganda’s flagship station) as a pre-condition for the release of the detainees. This is, if true, tantamount to kidnap for ransom and discredits the Nation and the regime immeasurably. Just in: A legal team led by Lawyer and MP Erias Lukwago have filed a petition for the release of the detainees under the Police Act which stipulates that a prisoner must be produced within 48 hrs after arrest.

Buganda Emergency Response Committee