Robert Kabuye says no to the claim by UDII members that every one against the presidency of Yoweri Museveni is fighting for the same thing. In his Ekiba Kibe program of February 8, 2010, Mr. Kabuye make it clear that when he organized the Baganda demonstration of January 26, 2010 at the United Nations, he advertised that it was about the liberation of Buganda.  He says: “Buganda Post kyeyayogera kyali kituufu..byetwakootinga byaali bituufu. Kubanga ffe twategeka okwekalakaasa kwe New York era kwali kuyitibwa ‘Okununula Buganda’” (“Buganda Post was correct. What we quoted was correct. Because we organized the New York demonstration and it was called ‘Liberating Buganda’”). Mr. Kabuye requests the UDII people to come out and state what their true objectives are [not just saying that they are against Museveni].

Mr. Kabuye and his Ekiba Kibe program are  probably the most visible action ever by disapora Baganda to advocate for Buganda liberation without apology or signs of “ate banagamba batya?” (“what will the others say?”). According to our sources in Boston, many older Baganda with dreams of becoming major political figures in Uganda have made attempts to claim closeness to Kabuye. Even Ruhakana Rugunda, the NRM ambassador  to the UN, has reportedly paid people to set up fronts to recruit Kabuye and then disorganize him. However, most of the them have been disappointed when the Ekiba Kibe program and Bu man has stubbornly insisted that anything he does must be focused on the liberation Buganda from Museveni, the NRM and their occupation Uganda constitution. Kabuye says on his program that Buganda must be ruled as an independent kingdom with Kabaka on top. And he has previously explained that the independent nation system worked for over 600 years. Yet the foreign systems of Unitary, Regional Tier, Decentralization, and Federo have all failed to work for Buganda and Uganda in the last  40 years.

In a related story, we have been able to confirm reports that Kibanda Cinema (video hall) operators in Wandegeya (Kyadondo county), Kalisizo (Buddu county) and Mukono (Kyaggwe county) were caught by the NRM police playing Ekiba Kibe programs to their customers and were told to stop or they will be arrested. The CDs with the recordings were also confiscated.

Click on Ekiba_Kibe08Feb10B to listen to the February 8, 2009 Ekiba Kibe broadcast.

On February 7, 2010, the SMS based Ekiba Kibe program which is broadcast on Free Buganda Radio reported that Beti Kamya had been endorsed by  Katikkiro JB Walusimbi to campaign for Federo. The same program then asked Ms. Kamya to explain what the Katikkiro’s endorsement means.  The presenter,  Robert Kabuye of Boston tells Ms. Beti Kamya in Luganda: “MP owa Lubaga North, … Beti Kamya, watugambye eggulo nti wagenze ewa Walusimbi Katikkiro n’akwendosiinga ogende oyigirize Federo… Katikkiro oyo yayimirira mu lukungaana lwa Baganda nagamba nti Abaganda tuleme kweyisa nga bajulizi. Kati nnyabo, MP, gwe olina bukakafu ki nti taveyo naggamba nti oleme kwefula mujulizi?” (“Lubaga North MP, … Beti Kamya, yesterday you told us that you went to Katikkiro Walusimbi and he endorsed you to go teach Federo…. That same Katikkiro told a Baganda meeting that we, Baganda, must stop sacrificing for our nation as if we want to become martyrs. Now, Ms. MP, how do we know that he will not come out and similarly tell you not to sacrifice.”

Kabuye adds: “Bino ebitu tetwelabira. Abaganda aberabira baafa!” (“On these matters, we shall not forget.  The Baganda who forget died a long time ago.”)

Click on Ekiba_Kibe07Feb10 to listen to Kabuye’s full February 7, 2010 broadcast in Luganda.

The January 6, 2010 Ekiba Kibe program, which is broadcast to cellular telephones via multi-media message service (MMS), has accused Mmengo of incompetence and appealed to Baganda to realize that they do not need to rely on Mmengo to fight for Buganda’s rights and freedom. Boston based Robert Kabuye, who presented the Luganda program, challenged Mmengo to explain why they allowed themselves to be hoodwinked and humiliated by Museveni and his half-brother Salim Saleh over the land bill. He questioned their seriousness and sincerity when, after the bill had been passed and signed, they claim that they were still examining it.

Kabuye tells Katikkiro Walusimbi and others with like minds: “Abantu abali e Mmengo abatulyaamu enkwe, tukooye. Enough is enough! Tukoye abantu abakolelera Katonda n’embuto zaabwe…. Lwaaki mututunda nga tulaba?” (”To those of you in Mmengo, who are betraying us, we are fed up. Enough is enough! We are fed up with people who work for ‘God and my stomach’…. How can you betray us in broad daylight?”).  And to the ordinary citizens of Buganda Kabuye says: “Temutya, temugwaamu maanyi, ffe tujja. Tujja gawanye! Tujja kununula Buganda mu mateeka.” (Do not fear or  get discouraged, we are coming. We are coming in full force! We shall liberate Buganda, legally.”)

Yesterday’s Ekiba Kibe program also gives some brotherly advice to  Museveni’s vice president, Gilbert Bukenya: “Era Bukenya tukusaasidde. Tuwe ebyaama nga tebanakutta. Kati ogwo mulambo ogutambula. Bagenda kutta esaawa yonna!” (“We are sorry for you Bukenya. Give us [Museveni’s] secrets before they kill you. Because he is now a walking dead.  You will be killed any time”).

To listen to Mr. Kabuye’s full broadcast click on Ekiba_Kibe06Jan10B .