Abazzukulu ba Buganda, the most active Baganda nationalist organization today, accuses Katikkiro Walusimbi and Mmengo of attempting to manipulate Ssabasajja Kabaka into giving up Buganda’s rights to self-determination. Abazzukulu did this in a public letter to the Katikkiro  signed by Chairman Jjunju Kamulali. Below are the main points of the 3-page letter Luganda letter, translated in into English. The original Luganda letter is reproduced in full at the bottom.

1. In the 1950’s the British imposed their style of elections on Buganda as the ransom for the return of Ssekabaka Muteesa II whom they had exiled in 1953. That condition is what is called the “Namirembe Agreement of 1955” today. The tragic results of that religion based election must not be forgotten because they started the divisions between Catholic and Protestant Baganda, with the Catholics who lost the Katikkiroship  becoming opponents of Mmengo. Between 1955 and 1962, the Catholics formed the DP while the Protestants spent their energies on fighting each other. When the Catholics [through DP] joined the politics of destroying Buganda, the Protestants teamed up with [the dangerous] Obote simply to beat the Catholics in DP. The results of all that is why we have tears in our eyes today. Why can’t we learn from our history?
2. In the 1981 elections, Baganda acted as one and supported their countryman [Paul Ssemwogerere], what Buganda got out of it is the troubles in Bulemeezi (Museveni’s guerilla war and Baganda massacres in Luweero Triangle).
3. Even if all the [80] Buganda MPs who win [in 2011] support the kingdom’s interests, what real effect will they have in the Uganda parliament [of more than 300 members] where the rest are against anything good for Buganda. And what scale will Mmengo use to accurately judge who supports Buganda enough?
4. It is clear that your true intention is to mortgage the Buganda nation because if kingdom representatives officially compete in the 2011 and lose, the world will expect Baganda to respect future decisions by the winners.
5. Buganda is a natural nation and Uganda is just an experiment in nation building. So Buganda, the nation, cannot officially participate in the disorganized elections of the confused Uganda, except if the intention is to end up worse off than before.
6. It must be remembered that in 1966 [May 19th], the Buganda Lukiiko passed a resolution telling the government of Uganda to leave Buganda soil, after it broke the 1962 independence agreement. Since that time, the Uganda government is occupying Buganda by force of arms. Until Buganda as a nation cancels the 1966 resolution the Uganda government rules us illegally under international law and we can take our case to international courts.
7. It seems that you, acting on instructions from the Uganda government, want to confuse the people of Buganda and make us think that Buganda issues can be solved by the 2011 elections. You claim to be the official representatives of Buganda in the elections to create the image that Buganda is officially and voluntarily competing in the elections and, therefore, is no longer under armed occupation.
8. This is not the first time that you have tried this trick to get the 1966 Lukiiko resolution officially cancelled and forgotten. First, you wanted to use the Charter system and when it failed to brought in the Regional Tier. After Buganda rejected the Regional Tier, you started the campaign to manipulate Kabaka Mutebi into signing the cancellation of the 1966 Lukiiko resolution, hiding behind what you called “negotiations” [with Museveni]. Now you are looking for another channel, the 2011 elections!
9.  If you really have no bad intentions for Buganda, it is not too late. Stop doing anything that creates the image that the nation of Buganda is officially participating in the 2011 elections or any other Ugandan elections. Buganda Government officials who want to stand in such elections, as individuals and not representatives of Buganda, should first resign from Kabaka’s service. If you cannot help Baganda against losing their human rights by participating in fake elections, please leave them to do so because of the armed occupation but not because of your manipulation.

 Original Letter

 EBBALUWA EY’OLWATU 

Eri,

Katikkiro wa Buganda
Owek J B Walusimbi
Bulange Mmengo

Ssebo,

Omulamwa:Temuguumaaza Baganda, okulonda kutunywereza bunywereza mu buwambe

Muvuddeyo ne mukubiriza Abaganda okwesimbawo era ne mubakubiriza n’okwewandiisa okulonda mbu basobole okukozesa obululu bwabwe balonde, mbu,  abakulembeze abawagira ebya Buganda era abasobola okufunira Buganda Federo n’ebyayo ebirala. Lwaki muguumaaza Obuganda? Lwaki muwaayo obuyinza bwa Buganda okwesalirawo?

Abangereza mu myaka gy’ataano baakakaatika enkola y’okulonda eya ‘ky’abanji’ ku Buganda ng’akakwakkulizo k’okuzza Ssekabaka Muteesa II gwe baali bawaηηangusizza mu 1953. Akakwakkulizo ako baakayisa mu kye baatuuma era kyetukyayita “endagaano ye Namirembe eya 1955”. Ebyatuviiramu tetulina kubyerabira. Okulonda okwaddirira kwazuukusa embiranye z’eddiini wakati w’Abapolotesitante n’Abakatuliki ekyaleetera Abaganda Abakatuliki abaawangulwa mu kulonda kw’obwa Katikkiro okufuuka abalabe ba Buganda abaasimbira Buganda ekkuuli okulaba nti efiirwa obutongole bwayo. Wakati wa 1955 ne 1962, Abaganda ng’okulonda kubaawuddemu Abakatuliki abeekolamu n’ekibiina ky’obufuzi  n’abapolotesitante abaali bawangudde obwakatikkiro e Mmengo baamala amaanyi gaabwe gonna nga beerwanyisa. Kulw’okuwangulagana baasaddaaka n’obwetwaze bwa Buganda, Abakatuliki bwe beegatta ku balabe ba Buganda okusalawo ebisanyaawo Buganda ate n’Abapolotesitante nabo ne basembeza Obote olw’okwagala okuwangula Abakatuliki mu kibiina kyabwe ekya DP. Ebyaava mu kino nakati by’ebikyatukaabya amaziga. Lwaki twefuula abeerabidde gyetuva? Lwaki tetuyigira ku bitutuuseeko?

Omuzungu yawugula Abaganda okuva ku bwetwaze nga yeeyambisa akakuubagano ako era ng’ayita mu kulonda n’atuzza mu mivuyo n’obutaliimu bwa Uganda. Weewaawo Ssekabaka Muteesa II yali amutebuse n’agaana Abaganda okwetaba mu kulonda kwa 1961, (ekyasobozesa Buganda okufunayoko ku byoya by’enswa naye era olwessuubi ly’obuwulize bwa Baganda mu kukuba akalulu, nga bwe mulagira kati Abaganda, Buganda yamira eddobo ly’abazungu n’edda mu butaliimu era obufuusa bwa Uganda. 

Mu 1961-62, Abaganda baali bakyalina ensa n’olwekyo baasobola ekitakyaddamu kusoboka bwe baakuba akalulu mu kitole nga bayise mu KY, ne bawangula, naye Obuwanguzi bwetwaggyamu bwatutuusaawa?

Abaganda baakuba obululu mu 1981 ne babuwa muganda munnaabwe Paul Kawanga Ssemwogerere, naye baayambibwaki? Buganda yafunamu mu kulonda kwa 1981? Obutaliimu bw’olutalo lw’e Bulemeezi bwe mwagala Buganda eddemu?!

Olwaleero abatali Baganda bebasinga obungi mu Buganda, ate nga tukimanyi nti okuva mu myaka gy’enkaaga obukyayi ku Buganda buzze busigibwa mu Banna Yuganda ne busomesebwa ne mu masomero. Olwaleero entekateeka ssinziggu zikoleddwa okusiga n’okufukirira embiranye ey’amaanyi wakati w’Abaganda n’abatali Baganda abali mu Buganda n’ebweeru wayo, nga n’abantu ababadde mu Buganda entende emyaka n’emyaka, kati bagguddewo olutalo ku Buganda, nga ne Kabaka takkirizibwa kugenda mu masaza ga Buganda gye batudde.

 Abaganda bonna ne bwe basalawo ne bakuba akalulu kaabwe wamu tebasobola kuwangula kubanga batono nnyo ku balala abatabaagaliza.

Ne bwe kiba nti ekyewuunyo kibaddewo ababaka ba palamenti abava mu Buganda bonna abalondeddwa ne bawagira ebya Buganda; benkana ki ku babaka abava mu bitundu bya Uganda ebirala abawunyirwa ebya Buganda ziizi?

Ye bwe mugamba nti mugenda kuwagira abaneesimbawo abamanyi okwogera ensonga za Buganda obulungi, kipimo ki kye munaakozesa okubamanya n’okubeesiga? Olwo Abaganda be munaaba temuwagidde munaaba mubasindiseewa?

Okulonda tekulina kye kusobola kugasa Buganda. Mukimanyi bulungi nti Buganda ejja kuwangulwa mu buli ngeri yonna. Terina nkizo yonna mu nteekateeka y’okulonda kubanga beevuganya nabo beeba nnanyini kulonda n’okutegekebwa kwakwo.Be bakutegeka, be bakukubiriza, be babala obululu ate be babulangirira. 

Kirabika nga ekigendererwa kyammwe kuwaayo Buganda, kubanga Buganda bwe yeetaba mu kulonda mu butongole, n’ewangulwa, byonna ebirisalibwawo abaliba bawangudde okulonda okwo bijja kuba nga mu mateeka bikakata ku Buganda nga terina w’ebigaanira. Buganda bwe yeetaba mu kulonda mu butongole egenda kuba ekkirizza nti ebyaayo bisalibweewo abaliba bawangudde okulonda okwo.

Leka tukimanye, tukitegeere era tukikkirize nti Buganda entonde etambulira ku butonde bwayo ate Uganda empange obupanzi etambulira ku bupanzi ng’okukuba obululu. N’olwekyo Buganda teyinza era teriyinza kuganyulwa mu bupanzipanzi. Ky’ova olaba ng’okuviira ddala obululu lwe bwaleetebwa Omukolooni mu gy’ataano, Buganda terina mulundi gwe yali eganyuddwa okuggyako okugwa mu Bizibu ebigyegezaamu okugisaanyaawo.

Kisaanye kijjukirwe nti Olukiiko lwa Buganda olutongole mu 1966 lwayisa ekiteeso ekigoba gavumenti ya Uganda mu Buganda olw’okumenyawo endagaano ya 1962, eyali egatta Buganda ku Uganda kyeyagalire. Okuva olwo gavumenti ya Uganda yeekakaatika bwekakaatisi ku Buganda mu ngeri ya Kiriisamaanyi ekimenya amateeka g’ensi yonna. Okutuusa nga Buganda mu butongole emenyeewo ekirangiriro ky’olukiiko lwa Buganda ekyo ekyagoba gavumenti ya Uganda ku ttaka lya Buganda, gavumenti ya Uganda efuga Buganda mu bumenyi bw’amateeka era Buganda bwewaaba mu kooti y’ensi yonna, Uganda esobola okukakibwa okuddiza Buganda obwetwaaze bwaayo.

Abeebitiibwa b’e Mmengo, kirabika ng’ekigendererwa kyammwe gavumenti ya Uganda kye yabatuma, kwe kuguumaaza Abaganda, mbu, ebya Buganda bigenda kugonjoolwa nga tuyise mu kulonda kwa 2011, olwo mu kukola ekyo mwefuule abakiikirira Buganda mulabise Buganda ng’eyeetabye mu kulonda okwo mu butongole, n’olwekyo, mulabise Buganda ng’emenyeewo ekirangiriro ekyagoba gavumenti ya Uganda ku ttaka lya Buganda era kitegeeze nti Buganda eri mu Uganda kyeyagalire (teri mu buwambe); ekyo kiggyewo ensonga Omuganda yenna gy’asobola okusinziirako okuwaabira gavumenti ya Uganda mu kooti y’ensi yonna ku lw’okufunira Buganda Obwetwaaze.

Ekigendererwa kino mukiruddeko nnyo nga kikyabalemye okutuukiriza. Mwasooka kwagala kukiyisa mu Charter, bwe yalemwa, ne mutegeka kukiyisa mu Regional Tier. Obuganda bwe bwagigaana, mwe ne mukama wammwe pulezidenti-gavana mukoze binji okukaka Ssabasajja Kabaka akozese omukono gwe ku lwa Buganda amenyewo ekirangiriro kya 1966 nga muyita mu kye mwatuuma okuteesa.

Kati ekkubo mu lizudde mu kulonda kwa 2011.!!!

Bwe muba temulina kigendererwa kibi ku Buganda, obudde tebunnayita.

Mukomye okukola ebirabisa Buganda ng’eyokwetaba(mu butongole) mu kulonda kwa Uganda okwa 2011 oba okulonda kwonna okulala okutegekeddwa Uganda. Abakungu abaagala okwesimbawo balekulire emirimu gya Kabaka beetabe mu kulonda okwo ku lwabwe ng’abantu so ssi ng’abasimbiddwaawo oba abatumiddwa Buganda. Bwe muba temusobola kuyamba Baganda butawaayo dembe lyabwe kwesalirawo na kwefuga nga bayita mu kiguumaaza w’okukuba obululu, mubaleke babwetabemu olw’emmundu eyabateekebwaako, so si mwe kubakulembera kubatwalamu.    

Wangaala Buganda

Awangaale Ssaabasajja Kabaka

M . Jjunju Kamulali
(Ssentebe)

J. Kitandwe
Kabaka’a Territories

The Boston [Buganda Emergency Meeting] Resolutions number 3,8 and 10 prove that Buganda’s greatest problem is we the Baganda ourselves. Up to now we have failed to understand our problem? It is deceptive for any patriotic Muganda or genuine Buganda well wisher to still prescribe federalism, free and fair elections, democracy, and mobilization of other ethnic communities as way forward for Buganda as envisaged in the Boston resolutions 3,8, and 10 (see “Resolutions of the Buganda Emergency Meeting in Boston on October 17, 2009“). The authors of the Boston resolutions should retreat and carefully study the Buganda problem right from the 1950s up to now 2009 and see whether their resolution score any goals for Buganda.

The truth is that Democracy’s free and fair elections wont solve our problem. There is overwhelming evidence that any thing that affects or pains Buganda automatically brings joy/ happiness to the rest of Uganda. Whoever inflicts pain on Buganda automatically gets the backing of the rest parts of Uganda. So what do you [expect] in terms of votes! Definitely the candidate who displays most anti- Bugandaism will get more votes because nothing really unites Ugandans more than their common hate for Buganda.

Buganda struggled and earned full federal in 1962 protected by the 1962 constitution. How did it help us? For how long did it last? How was it lost? What has changed now?

It is laziness to demand for federal now. Self-determination is our right. We have a right to exist the way we prefer. Lets focus on Buganda’s independence. We can re-unite with other Uganda if we find it necessary but on our own terms.          

The organizers of the Buganda Emergency Meeting, which took place on October 17, 2009, in Boston USA, have published the resolutions from the event (see “Muliika And Frank Musisi To Headline Boston Buganda Emergency Conference“).  We first received a copy of the resolutions at around 4:00 PM Boston time but it took us until 7:30 PM to verify that it was genuine. That is when a highly reliable source confirmed to us that the document was being circulated on the top Baganda discussion lists by Mr. James Semakula, one of the organizers.

Buganda post is preparing a story, together with in depth analysis, on the Buganda Emergency Meeting to be published over the weekend.

The resolution document is reproduced in its entirety below:

Resolutions of the Buganda Emergency Meeting in Boston on October 17, 2009‏

Preamble:-

Aware that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICFSCR), guarantee the right to self determination of all people;

Convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the NRM government has violated fundamental human rights;

Saddened by the gross, unjust and inefficient governance inflicted on the people of Uganda by the NRM regime;

Realizing that Unity is essential to achieving our collective objectives;

Determined to rid Uganda of bad governance, dictatorship, and corruption;

Condemning strongly the NRM government’s continued interference in the running of independent institutions and intrusion into the running and electoral process of organizations of Ugandans in the Diaspora;

We hereby earnestly resolve as follows:-

1.    Establish structures to analyze and determine the resources needed to achieve our objectives.

2.    Advise the Kabaka not to directly negotiate with Museveni, his government, or agents of the NRM regime.

3.    Take appropriate steps to fundraise in order to finance the necessary activities to lead to change and the establishment of genuine democracy in Uganda.

4.    Pursue all legal channels that are useful in achieving our objectives including, but not limited to, international legal action.

5.    Educate the International community about the true political situation in Uganda through demonstrations on a regular basis and lobby work at the New York UN headquarters, Washington DC, and other major cities in the world.

6.    Boycott, effective immediately, all government media and other anti-Buganda entities.

7.    Intensify civic education of the people about the problems and possible solution to the problems being faced by Buganda.

8.    Reach out to other Ugandan ethnicities and groups with a view to making alliances to advance the cause of Democracy and Federalism.

9.    Expose government spies, informers, and traitors– and record their illegal activities within and outside Uganda for the purpose of future prosecution.

10.  Seek better Medical treatment for Mrs. Betty Nambooze Bakireke.

11.  Reject (unanimously) the Regional Tier as a form of governance in Uganda.

12.  Agree that Museveni and his regime must go; and resolve to establish a mechanism for free and fair elections

In a twist of irony, both Mmengo and president Museveni are happy about the news that the high court of Kampala has summoned New Vision Publications to file its defense in a suit filed on July 23, 2009 against it and its employees by the Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II. The employees are editor-in-chief, Els de Temmerman and reporter Barbara Among. Mmengo should be pleased because the courts appear to be acting expeditiously on their filing. On the other hand, sources close to president Museveni’s state house have told this writer that Uganda’s strong man is relieved and pleased because he was getting intelligence reports that Baganda anger was building and they were starting to look to Mmengo for direction on next steps. And now things are back to his sphere of influence.

On July 11, in a New Vision story titled “Bulange land title held over sh1bn debt”, one Barbara Among reported that Kabaka Mutebi had mortgaged Buganda’s Bulange land title for money he put to personal use. In reaction, a July 20, 2009 the Buganda Lukiiko passed 10 resolutions, including one calling upon Baganda to boycott the New Vision and the Luganda Bukedde, until they apologize to Kabaka Mutebi. Since then Bukedde readership has drastically fallen and there have been reports of people being beaten up or denied services in the counties of Buddu, Ssingo, Kyaggwe, Bulemeezi and elsewhere.

Our New York based analyst warns that, whenever you see Museveni, Nsibambi, Bukenya, Namayanja or Sekandi strongly agree with Mmengo, it is sign that bad news and disappointment for Baganda is on the way. They and several other NRM bigwigs started a campaign to push Mmengo to go to court, after reports of mounting Baganda anger last Tuesday. He adds: “In the broader picture, this kavuyo is about Museveni trying to keep Baganda and Mmengo permanently off balance, in courts, demonstrations, online discussion groups, etc. That way, they cannot get on the same page and create any roadmap for self-determination. Imagine, a few months ago is was the land act, 3 weeks ago the crisis at Mmengo was’ Kampala bamutwaala’. Then came,’ Federo will never come to Buganda’. Now it is ‘Kabaka vs. New Vision foreigners’. This one might last a few weeks and keep several Baganda going to court every day, because I am suspicious that Museveni will use the court environment to bring out a lot of Mmengo dirty linen on land titles, etc.  And while we are all glued on this one they will probably pass the law to take Kampala out of Buganda and conclude the sale of Entebbe airport to their partners.”

“It has been this way since the time when Museveni shortchanged Buganda on Federo during constitution making. The question is whether the people in Mmengo are genuinely incapable of seeing Museveni’s Machiavellian tricks or whether some of them are willfully helping him by misleading Kabaka Mutebi.  Only weeks ago Katikkiro Walusimbi was taking a check form Museveni to buy bean seeds, which we have not heard about again. Now, over the next few weeks, Kabaka Mutebi, our Ssabasajja will be waiting to hear how a commoner judge, appointed by a foreigner, determines the fate of his ‘complaint’. Which sane Muganda will be able to proudly tell his child that, ‘Kabaka taloopebwa’ anymore?. Museveni must be so happy, because he has Kabaka Mutebi where he wants him, pleading with his (Museveni’s) appointed commoner judges for mercy against those defaming him (Kabaka) in his own kindgom.”

Below is the report which was posted on Mmengo’s official website www.buganda.or.ug.

NEW VISION ORDERED TO SUBMIT ITS DEFENCE

By Ester Nakibuuka

The high court of Kampala has summoned the New Vision Publication to file its defence in a suit filed against it by the Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II for publication of a fabricated defamatory article about him.

The Company has been sued together with its Editor in Chief Els De Temaman and the reporter Barbara Among who wrote the defamatory article that Bulange title deed is being held by a senior cabinet minister in the central government for non payment of debts amounting to over one billion Ugandan shillings.

According to the summons signed by the Kampala high court registrar, Elizabeth Kabanda, the trio have been given 15 days within which to submit their defence.

Through his lawyers Masembe, Makubuya, Adriko, Karugaba and Ssekatawa Advocates, the Kabaka stated that the article published on Sunday the 12th July, 2009 titled “BULANGE TITLE HELD“, was false and malicious against him despite the fact that he has always been held in high esteem as the Kabaka of Buganda and a cultural leader of over 6 million people. He added that the article injured his credibility and reputation in the eyes of right thinking members of his society.

The suit further stated that the published article referred to his majesty Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II because he is the only sitting Kabaka of Buganda, adding that some sections of the article even mentioned his son Prince Crispin Jjunju which made a large number of people who read the article to identified him as the person referred to in the article.

The Kabaka further stated that the article defamed him extremely since it implied that he had betrayed the trust embedded in the office of the Kabaka of Buganda and meant that he is grossly reckless and negligent in his conduct of affairs of the Kingdom as trustee.

The Kabaka stated that the article implied that he is dishonest as portrayed by his use of the Kingdom’s properties in his personal businesses. He added that the article portrayed him as an indebted person who has failed to pay off his debts and therefore in the process of selling off Buganda’s land to unscrupulous people for his personal gains.

In the suit, the Kabaka assured that hearing of the case will help him prove that he has never pledged, mortgaged or otherwise disposed of the certificate of Bulange title deed to any minister in government or to any one at all.

He further sated that the minister being referred to as coming from Sembabule district, Sam Kuteesa has already come out publicly to deny ever lending any money the Kabaka or being in possession of the said title deed.

He also stated that the hearing will help him prove that he has never personally borrowed any money from any other senior cabinet minister and that he has never transferred the titled into the names of Rexba limited, as it was alleged in the article.

The Kabaka stated that the publication had a motive to malice him because all the information in regard to the mentioned land titled is in his possession and went further to explain that if they had bothered to contact him before publishing the defamatory articles, the matter would have been cleared once and for all.

The Kabaka therefore wants court to order the New Vision Publication to retract the defamatory article and publish a front page apology to him as well as to the people of Buganda who were most affected by the story.

He also wants the apology to be published in both English and Luganda and also air special announcements on both the English and Luganda FM stations, owned by the New Vision Publications.

The Kabaka further wants an order from court that the false story be withdrawn from the New Vision website and also be rendered invisible, so that it is not read over and over again.

The Kabaka also wants court to order the New Vision to pay him damages worth his status for damaging his image.

The case will be presided over by Justice Kibuuka Musoke before the high court of Kampala.

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.