People in all corners of Buganda have now heard of Kabaka Mutebi’s journey to Buluuli, to preside over Buganda’s 46th Independence cerebrations, and President Museveni’s decision to stop him (Kabaka) from reaching his destination. Baganda also now know that Kabaka Mutebi made the decision to travel to Nakasongola after getting fed up with the increasingly  dictatorial behavior being shown by President  Museveni and his men coupled with evidence that Katikkiro JB Walusimbi may be part of the problem.

Virtually all the 46 Baganda who this reporter spoke at Nabugabo, Katwe and Nakasero Market were very happy that, by going to Buluuli, bravely exposing Museveni’s true colors on Buganda and disassociating himself from JB Walusimbi, Kabaka Mutebi made the situation 100% clear to Baganda. The 37 out of 46 who claimed to be below 35 years in age declared their 100% support for Kabaka Mutebi and claimed that they are ready to risk anything to serve him in any way he orders them to. And 21 of those 37 claimed to be members of CBS Fans Club or Nkoba za Mbogo or Baana ba Kintu.

A 27 year old Muganda young woman who runs one of seven separate hardware businesses in a single shop, next to Nakasero market, told this reporter in Luganda, “Ba ffe atukakasizza mu ngeri ye eyamagezi nti Walusimbi bamumutega butezi. Ate natumanyisa nti musajja muzira kufa era amalako nnyo. Kati katulabe buno bunamawanga obutubba abaana n’abazukulu baabwo gyebanazza ebyaffe”  (“Our [husband] has wisely given us the signal that Walusimbi is a Trojan horse. And he has shown that he is a brave man who can see us through all. Now let’s wait and see where the children and grand children of these foreign thieves will take our things.”)

In a related development, Buganda’s Minister of Information, Charles Peter Mayiga, has announced that a special meeting of the Lukiiko (Buganda Kingdom Council) has been scheduled for October 27, 2008, to discuss, among other things, President Museveni’s decision to restrict Kabaka Mutebi’s movements in Buganda.

In a highly belligerent move on October 8, 2008, President Museveni of Uganda ordered his heavily armed anti-riot police ready, with teargas, to stop Kabaka Mutebi from visiting the Buluuli Ssaza (county) Headquarters in Nakasongola. The Kabaka of Buganda was on his way to open the ceremony celebrating  the 46th year since Buganda gained independence from the British. President Museveni’s operation was executed by his minister Ruhakana Rugunda, who claimed in a statement that it is Katikkiro JB Walusimbi who first brought up the idea that Kabaka shouldn’t travel to Buluuli.

Buluuli is one of Buganda’s 18 counties. However, since 2000, President Museveni has invested more than 2 million dollars on a project to weaken Buganda by creating his own anti-Kabaka “sub kingdom” in Buluuli,  headed by a “Sabaruli”. Museveni’s current Sabaruli is called Salongo Mwogezi Butamanya. Apparently, Museveni instructed Ruhakana Rugunda to stop Mutebi from reaching his intended destination after getting intelligence reports that the Kabaka had drawn huge crowds of Baganda and Baluuli on his stops in Kakooge and Migyera towns. It was emerging that the crowd would be even be much larger in Nakasongola, which would embarrass President Museveni, who October 9th Uganda celebrations keeps shrinking.

In a move that could be the first indication that President Museveni of Uganda might be prepared to use physical force against the Kabaka of Buganda, on October 8, 2008, Uganda’s heavily armed anti-riot police ready with teargas stopped Kabaka Mutebi from visiting the Buluuli Ssaza (county) Headquarters in Nakasongola.  Kabaka Mutebi was scheduled to preside over the 46th Buganda Independence anniversary celebrations which this year had been planned for Buluuli County. Buluuli is one of Buganda’s 18 counties. And it is in Buluuli that, a few years ago, President Museveni created  an anti-Kabaka “new” kingdom headed by a “Sabaruli”. Museveni’s current Sabaruli is called Mwogezi Butamanya.

It is not clear when president Museveni gave the final order to stop Mutebi.  However, according to a Uganda  police source who spoke on condition that her name not be revealed, Mutebi  had to be blocked because President Museveni and his people were shocked by the huge crowds of Baganda and Baluuli which greeted Kabaka Mutebi in Kakooge and Migyera towns. And because of the unexpectedly strong extremely well received speeches which Mutebi made at Migyera. There, Mutebi warned his subjects, in a very tough tone, to keep a sharp eye on and reject those who want to create confusion and divide the people of Buganda. Telling them, “It is terrible that certain individuals are working hard to divide my people, after the impressive progress we have made towards unity.”

This reporter’s police source revealed that the possibility of stopping Kabaka Mutebi from celebrating Buganda’s independence in Buluuli has been discussed by Museveni and his men for a long time.  According to him, every passing year Mr. Museveni has been getting more frustrated that the crowds at Buganda’s October 8th independence celebrations  keep swelling and his own Uganda independence event on October 9th keeps shrinking.  That is why they agreed to help Butamanya and Mukasa Muruli, former Museveni’s minister, coach Baluuli youths to organize a fake demonstration against Mutebi’s presence in Buluuli. “Mukasa Muruli and the youths were supposed to make a lot of noise, even threaten Kabaka, to give the police a pretext to stop the ceremonies if it became necessary.“ The source identifies the key plotters to include Ruhakana Rugunda, Kale Kayihura , David Tinyefuza, Buganda, Alfred Bitwire, Magara of Rapid Response Unit and minister Freddie Ruhindi plus district chairman Wandira and  RDC Masekera.  Museveni and his state house staff have been frequent briefed consulted on strategy and key decisions.

In a statement, Mr. Museveni’s minister for security Dr Rugunda blames it all on Kabaka Mutebi. He claims that it is Katikkiro JB Walusimbi who first expressed fears about the safety of Kabaka Mutebi in Buluuli to government. Then he (Rugunda) had confirmed that the threat was real and serious and communicated it to Walusimbi. By press time, this reporter had not confirmed if Rugunda is, this time, telling the truth. The situation has been more confused by reports in a foreign owned, Uganda government censored local paper that JB Walusimbi along with Buganda Attorney General Apollo Mabuya met with Ruhakana Rugunda, Freddie Ruhindi and Kale Kayihura on Monday, where the Mmengo officials were ordered to call off Kabaka Mutebi’s trip to Buluuli.

If Walusimbi and Makubuya met Ruhakana and Kayihura as reported, it is clear that their meeting was made irrelevant by Mutebi when he bravery decided to drive to Buluuli, in a convey of 40 motor vehicles, some carrying mattresses and other presents for his impoverished subjects. Most Baganda are strongly opposed to the frequent and often secret meetings that Katikkiro JB Walusimbi holds with President Museveni and his point people.