Solomon Kyabayinze Mpalanyi, one of Buganda’s foremost novelists and Luganda language experts is dead. According to family sources, Omutaka Mpalanyi died from a spike in his blood pressure which could not be controlled at the run down Mulago Hospital. He was pronounced dead at 8:00 PM on February 2, 2009. Mpalanyi has been part of the generation of exceptional Baganda literary masters who are credited for creating Buganda’s popular novel industry. The most famous of his books is Basajja Mivule, followed by Ndikumma Okulya (Nenkulyoowa Omwooyo). He also wrote Ssanyu Teribeerera, Nnaku Teba Y’omu and a few others.

The family sources add that Omutaka Mpalanyi’s health has been generally alright. And that the high blood pressure attack occurred when he was in his farm at Kabuwambo, Ssingo county. He has been teaching Luganda at Nkumba University and Lubiri High School in Kabaka’s Palace. He has also been an active member and former secretary of Ekibiina Ky’Olulimi Oluganda (Luganda Language Society).

Solomon Mpalanyi was born in Ssekanyonyi, Magala, Ssingo county. He attended Nnabagereka Primary School and Mityana Junior School before going to King’s College Buddo, Nagalabi, Busiro county. After Buddo, he joined Kyambogo Teachers’ Training College where he qualified as a high school teacher and soon joined the East African Community Printing Office. In 1968 Omutaka Mpalanyi joined London University for post-graduate studies in literary and publishing studies.

Sources in Washington DC have informed us by email that the Baganda Community in the USA capital and other cities have take the news very hard. Omutaka Mpalanyi was popular with friends of his son William Mpalanyi who lived in Washington DC for several years. And he was also remembered for his presence and brief but very impressive presence at Ttabamiruka ’07. The late Omutaka Solomon Mpalanyi is survived by number of children and grandchildren.

According to President Museven’s minister of health, Dr. Stephen Malinga, failure by major donor countries to adequately fund population programs is the reason why countries like Uganda have poor population policies. Dr. Malinga unleashed his attack on Uganda’s donor when he was closing an international conference on population and development which ended on November 25, 2008. The conference was held at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala and attended by delegates from 25 countries.

Dr. Malinga’s donor bashing did not go down well with some of the attendees.  When asked for a reaction by this reporter, one Uganda delegate said that it was embarrassing that the Uganda minister of health truly thinks that foreign countries have to give him money to formulate effective population policies. The lady delegate wondered: “After Malinga declared that the progress we have made on HIV/AIDS and Malaria can be credited to assistance USA, Canadian and European donors, why can’t he remain candid and admit that our failures on policy are due to our incompetence and rampant corruption.  Apparently he doesn’t realize it that the Uganda minister of health (himself) and his permanent secretary are responsible for developing the country’s population policies. The donors are funders and advisors. Malinga blaming the USA or Norway for Uganda’s missing population policy is like Celtel blaming its bankers for its lack of a marketing plan.”

Uganda’s ministry of health has been plagued by corruption for many years. The man whom Dr. Malinga replaced as minister is Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi. This Maj. Gen and his top deputies, Capt. Mike Mukula and Dr Alex Kamugisha are facing a court case for stealing millions of US Dollars from national health programs. According to the Uganda Constitution, the President, through his minister of health and his senior deputies is responsible for the formulation, funding and execution for national health policies, including those for population management. The same constitution does not even refer to foreign aid or donor funds.

Like the Uganda government, the Buganda Kingdom has no formal population policy. On one hand, Nnabagereka Nagginda has frequently called on Baganda to create families that they can afford to support. However, clan leaders, CBS Radio FM and Baganda nationalist organizations routinely encourage Baganda to have as many children as possible to guard against efforts by outsiders to take over Buganda. While Kabaka Mutebi has not made any strong statements on the question of birth control, he is an avid supporter of programs to improve the health and well being of his subjects. Indeed, he has personally participated in child immunization campaigns and similar activities.

In an apparent jab at Kabaka Mutebi, President Museveni’s primer minister, Apollo Nsibambi praised the late Kyabazinga of Busoga, Henry Mulooki for “following the national constitution and not engaging in politics, like other cultural leaders I will not mention.” Nsibambi was representing Mr. Museveni’s government at the Sunday funeral services for the late Kyabazinga at the Church of Uganda cathedral in Bugembe, outside Jinja.

Early in 2007, Ssabasajja Kabaka, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi rejected Mr. Museveni’s planned amendments to the Land Act of 1998, which would, among other things, enable Banyankore, Bakiga, Rwandese, Indians and others to permanently take 9,000 square miles of Buganda native lands. The Kabaka also instructed his subjects to oppose the draft bill. Frustrated that Baganda are massively obeying their Kabaka and opposing the proposed law amendments, Mr. Museveni and his assistants accuse Kabaka Mutebi of playing politics and breaking the constitution. In July 2008, Mr. Museveni’s government kidnapped three Kabaka’s officials who have spoken out against Mr. Museveni’s land reforms and illegally tortured and held them in captivity for nearly a week. They were later charged with sedition but the cases appear to have been abandoned by Mr. Museveni.

Prime Minister Nsibambi’s veiled attack on Kabaka Mutebi took place in the presence of the Kabaka’s wife the Nnabagereka of Buganda, Sylvia Nnaginda and Deputy Katikkiro of Buganda, Emmanuel Ssendaula. Nsibambi is himself a Muganda, of Ffumbe (civet cat) clan and used to be a highly respected Kabaka’s official before being appointed Prime Minister by Mr. Museveni.