Since mid-2008 the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Wafula Ogutu, Salam Musumba and other senior party officials have been politically pinned down by one woman, Beti Namisango Kamya. They have tried hard to politically destroy Beti (Lubaga North MP in Mr. Museveni’s parliament )  for “getting obsessed with Buganda”. But they seem to have failed because evidence is that she has literary sucked the air out of FDC in Buganda her “Buganda and Kabaka first!” message continues to infect frustrated Baganda youth like a virus. Consider that FDC have all but given up on holding local branch elections in Buganda because Kamya said “No”.

Kamya has given FDC a public relations fight in Buganda that they seem to have been unprepared for.  A Kampala based analyst told this writer that numerous stories have been planted in the New Vision and, much more so, in the Monitor and Red Pepper to portray Kamya as politically lost. “But they have had minimal negative effect on Beti mainly because she has stayed focused on the Buganda message.  She knows what the tens of thousands of Baganda youth are interested in, Kabaka and Buganda nationalism. So she rattles Besigye and Wafula and when they attack her with fake stories she (the martyr) only gets stronger. And the more the Baganda FDCs like Joyce Sebugwawo and Yusuf Nsibambi attack her the more they resemble Janet Mukwaya and Apollo Nsibambi working for Museveni.”

Kamya went in full gear in September 2008 after she returned from the international Baganda conference, Ttabamiruka ’08. She came back with a new message that you can also there in the Ttabamiruka ’08 Resolutions. The main ideas in Kamya’s message are that: (1) Baganda must stop being cowards and asking others to give them what is truly theirs; (2) Political parties have failed Ssabasajja Kabaka and Buganda, so Baganda must not support any party (including her FDC) except if it is willing to sign a contract to wholeheartedly support returning everything that has been stolen from Baganda; and (3) Baganda don’t owe anybody anything and must stop apologizing for who they are and start demanding their rights.

Kamya’s “Buganda first party later” message has affected not only FDC.  Certain Mmengo officials who have benefited from having a foot both in Buganda government and Uganda politics are literally panicking about the steady spread of Kamya’s message among youth and villagers in Buganda (on weekends Kamya make public speeches in various Buganda counties, staying on message ). And DP’s president in waiting Norbert Mao from Acholi (he created his name from Milton Apollo Obote) is also a a bit confused.

Then came the dramatic news yesterday that the FDC leadership who have accused Kamya of spying for Museveni using specially built laptops, selling party secrets and many other evils, had decided to only suspend her for 6 months.  During the suspension Kamya is not supposed to for or about the party.  During a press conference, FDC spokesman Wafula Ogutu, the FDC’s disciplinary committee had found Ms. Kamya guilty of violating the party’s code of conduct. Beti did not attend of attempt to defend herself to the committee.

A Muganda former support of FDC who is based in the USA has told this write by email: “Besigye, Museveni and Obote are the same people – Baganda abusers who are very nice until a bold Muganda stands up to demand his or her rights. Beti has exposed them and they are stuck. Ask yourself, if Beti is Museveni spy in FDC as Ogutu and Joyce Sebugwawo claim, why only suspend her? Why not kick her out of the party? My eyes are open now – Buganda and Kabaka first! I hope Baganda remaining in FDC or getting ready to be manipulated by Mao in DP will wake up soon too.”