Last weekend, Lubaga North MP did what no other Muganda politician has ever done in the history of Uganda. She told her political party, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and the rest of Uganda, in no uncertain terms, that she would put Buganda’s interests before those of FDC if the two conflicted. She did it publicly and in writing, through a press release (see Beti Kamya: Baganda Must Put Buganda First and Vote As a Block). And, curiously, it very much looks like Beti may be acting on the resolutions that were passed by Ttabamiruka ’08, the Baganda international conference which she attended in August this year.
Obviously, the FDC top brass have known of Kamya’s “Buganda first” agenda for many months. That is, since Besigye, Wafula Ogutu, Salam Musumba and Anne Mugisha, with tacit support form Sam Njuba, manipulated the FDC constitution, NRM style, to make sure that Kamya could not replace the late Hajji Sulaiman Kiggundu. It has been months since Kamya outted Besigye as a Museveni-style dictator. To punish Beti, Wafula Ogutu and Anne Mugisha have planted numerous new stories, especially in the Indian owned The Monitor. Monitor writers have written stories accusing Kamya of incompetence, blind ambition, spying for NRM, recklessness and any other character damaging attribute that the FDC brass got time to approve. And Kamya has fought back, paralyzing the FDC’s activities in Buganda by successfully persuading Baganda FDC members not to participate in the party’s branch election within the kingdom.
Kamya took her “Buganda first” leadership to a totally another level when she internationalized it at Ttabamiruka ’08 in the USA. At the annual Baganda international conference, Kamya found a few hundred well educated and very loyal Baganda who proved fertile soil for her words along with the popular “Let’s have a divorce” message from Kyanjo. The Ttabamiruka Baganda fell in love with Beti’s declaration that total loyalty to Ssabasajja Kabaka and Buganda interests would guide all her future political actions.
Beti Kamya did not specifically refer to Ttabamiruka ’08 or its resolutions in her press release of last Saturday . However, Beti’s writings are in many ways aligned with the Ttabamiruka ’08 resolutions. A contact within the Ttabamiruka community has told this columnist that Kamya’s press release has generated excitement in London and USA, especially around New York and Washington. The contact said: “Many of us in the Ttabamiruka family see Beti’s press release as a signal that she is a woman of her word. She is acting on what we agreed on in New Jersey, especially abandoning cowardice, stopping the begging and getting Buganda rights debated across the kingdom.”
The Ttabamiruka ’08 resolutions in English are reproduced below. The Luganda version is at Ttabamiruka ‘08 Resolutions – Luganda Version.
CONFERENCE RESOLUTIONS
WE, THE CONFEREES AT THE TTABAMIRUKA 2008 IN NEW JERSEY
HAVING OBSERVED THAT:
-That the current governance of Buganda is devoid of Justice.
-That a governance without Justice breeds poverty, violence and corruption. We have observed these problems in Uganda since 1966 and continue to do so.
-We accept that it is our duty to reform the governance of our nation.
DO THEREBY RESOLVE:
1. That we are firm in our allegiance to our Ssabasajja Kabaka, traditions and customs, and we thank Ssabasajja Kabaka for his gracious message to the conference.
2. That we have abandoned cowardice, laziness and self effacement in our quest for Freedom and Justice. No officer of the Kingdom of Buganda may beg for Justice as a favour from anybody.
3. That we are proud of the courage and obedience to Ssabasajja Kabaka shown by His servants Betty Nambooze, Charles Mayega and Medard Lubega,and pledge to be as courageous as they are.
4. That it is the urgent duty of all Baganda, acting through their offices, associations and parties, to enter into direct discussions with the other peoples of Uganda on the terms of union and governance that are acceptable to all, and to draft a new Basic Law of the Land in accord with Buganda’s interests.
5. That such discussions must be based on the recognition that:
-Uganda is and remains an entity created and owned by the 14 ancient African Nations whose symbols are inscribed on the walls of the Parliament of Uganda, which came together in 1962 and agreed on the Independence constitution.
- Buganda, upon entering that agreement, was an independent nation that left British rule on October 8, 1962.
-These ancient nations created the central government to administer their common purpose, not to be an overlord.
- The assets and duties of the Central Government are granted to it by the assent of the ancient African nations that formed it. The central government has otherwise no proper title to such assets and has no right to apportion them at its pleasure.
6. That the right of the Baganda to administer Buganda internally, including control of governance and land, is not negotiable and may not be negotiated by any officer of the Kingdom. The Baganda recognize the right of the other nationalities in Uganda to assert a similar claim.
We urge all Baganda to debate these matters in their neighbourhoods, in their clans and in their councils and to publish their opinions .
We have reported these resolutions to Ssabasajja Kabaka through his representative where we are seated – 31 August 2008.
