Reports from various corners of Buganda indicate that the overwhelming majority of Kabaka’s subjects are upset with Katikkiro Walusimbi’s decision to accept a Shs 2 Billion (US$ 930,232) offer from President Museveni. And within the Baganda youth movement there is talk of giving him the traditional punishment for treason. Katikkiro Walusimbi announced his unilateral decision to take Shs 350 Million (US$162,790), as the first payment of what he claimed to be an unconditional Uganda Government grant, during an April 20, 2009 meeting of the Buganda Lukiiko (equivalent of a parliament). However, Owek. JB Walusimbi promptly contradicted himself by adding that the funds came from Mr. Museveni’s NAADS program, which is funded by donors and is widely known to have many strings attached.
Reaction from nationalist members of the Lukiiko was swift. One member told Mr. Walusimbi that Mmengo must not take the Shs 2 Billion because it was an attempt by Mr. Museveni’s government to introduce their corruption into Mmengo and have an excuse to bring Uganda Government into Bulange under the guise of checking accountability. Another pointed out that Mr. Museveni should pay the over Shs 8 Billion he owes to Buganda before Mmengo accepts a gift of Shs 350 Million. Owek Walusimbi only hit back. He literally quarreled with the opposing voices, telling them: “You need to understand who Walusimbi is. I have handled huge sums of money for many years and I cannot be bought by Shs 1 Billion. I don’t need it and I would not look at it even if you put it in front of me.” And in what appeared to be a veiled attack on the increasingly influential nationalistic Baganda in the Diaspora, Walusimbi said: “In 2009 Baganda should focus on hard work and not politics like the people who criticize me. Those who criticize me are people who can afford to eat sausages at breakfast time and go on to have lunch, evening tea and dinner with red wine.” And, in a move which Baganda youths in the gallery called a “Museveni style bribe”, the Katikkiro gave each of the Lukiiko members present a “transport refund” of Shs 20,000.
By Tuesday evening, the resistance to the Walusimbi/Museveni Shs 350 Million transaction had spread beyond the Lukiiko. A leaflet titled “JB Walusimbi Atunze Obuganda” was circulating around Kampala. It pointed out that Walusimbi had sold each native of Buganda for Shs 430. It includes his image with the caption “Kayungirizi”, a term reserved for local land agents (see picture). Our investigations have revealed that the document was circulated by members of the Buganda youth movement, who enjoy full support from about 50% of Buganda cabinet and a huge majority of ordinary Baganda. A Buganda minister, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told this reporter that after seeing the leaflet, a combative Walusimbi threatened members of his cabinet that he knew who among them was fighting him and he would defeat them. Only a day later another message from still unknown Baganda was delivered to Walusimbi, warning him that if he continues on his current path, his head might get put on stakes at Bulange. Sources close to Walusimbi tell us that the Katikkiro has told President Museveni that his life is at risk. And he is now receiving protection from President Museveni’s Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB).
On March 9, 2009 Buganda Post exclusively reported that Katikkiro Walusimbi had Mr. Museveni to pay that to pay off government rent arrears owed to Mmengo and authorize another 8 billion shillings to: (1) complete Bulange Plaza, (2) complete Twekobe, (3) pay some salary arrears for Bulange employees, (4) to facilitate (bribe) key Buganda officials and certain key Bataka (clan heads) for support, (5) to settle the debt that state house owed the Katikkiro’s Associated Consulting Engineers company, and (6) to buy support from Baganda peasants by giving them money through an NRM style program called Omumuli which Walusimbi designed with Museveni’s vice president Gilbert Bukenya. (See “Katikkiro Walusimbi Dodges Talks, Leaves Museveni Holding A Bag Of Stones“). According to our State House sources, the Shs 350 Million that Mr. Walusimbi accepted is art of this agreement. And the lunch allowances he gave to Lukiiko members appears to be the first step towards getting Mr. Museveni’s money into the Buganda Lukiiko.
