UGANDA NATIONAL PEOPLES’ RIGHTS ASSOCIATION
-LONDON SEAT-

PRESS RELEASE BY UNAPERA LONDON SEAT
Friday, 10th October 2008

VIOLATION OF CULTURAL RIGHTS OF THE BAGANDA PEOPLE BY THE UGANDAN GOVERNMENT

The London Seat of the Uganda National Peoples’ Rights Association (UNAPERA) has carefully studied the Uganda Government’s action of barring the Kabaka of Buganda, His Majesty Ronald Muteebi, from going to Nakasongola to kick start Community Voluntary Work (Bulungi Bwa Nsi) and to preside over the 8th October Buganda Independence celebrations.

What was carried out by the Government was nothing else but gross violation of the Cultural Human Rights of the Baganda People, of the Baganda-Baluuli Community and of the Kabaka, in his personal and official capacity as the Cultural Leader of the Baganda National People, of the Baganda-Baluuli Community and of the Buganda Kingdom.

It has to be remembered that Article 15 (1a) of the International Covenant On Economic, Social And Cultural Rights 1966 recognises that the Baganda as a National People, Baganda-Baluuli Community People and the Kabaka have, individually and collectively, a cultural human right to “take part in cultural life.” Uganda is a signatory to this Covenant. In that respect, the Government contravened this Article and violated this cultural human right by barring the Baganda National People, the Baganda-Baluuli Community and the Kabaka from socially and culturally celebrating the Buganda Independence Day at Nakasongola of the Buganda Buluuli County.

UNAPERA notes that violating the above cultural right by the Uganda Government even contravened the current Uganda Constitution, not forgetting that that Constitution oppresses all the National Peoples of Uganda by denying them to enjoy their human right to internal democratic self-determination.

Chapter IV Section 37 of the Uganda Constitution recognises that every Ugandan has a right to belong to, enjoy, practise, profess, maintain and promote any culture, cultural institution, language and tradition in community with others. While trying to direct the Baganda-Baluuli Community not to identify with the Kiganda culture and the Kabaka cultural institution, the Uganda Government violated the cultural rights of the Baganda-Baluuli Community to belong, enjoy, practise, profess, maintain and promote the Kiganda culture, Kabaka cultural institution, Luganda language and tradition.

It is in the spirit of fighting for respect of the cultural human rights and of the right to internal democratic self-determination of all the Ugandan national peoples that UNAPERA wants Ugandans and people of good will to understand that, the action of barring the Kabaka of Buganda Kingdom from going to Nakasongola by the Government, amounted to a gross violation of cultural human rights of the Baganda-Baluuli Community, of the Baganda as a national people and of the Kabaka. What that calls for is knowing one’s rights and solidarity so as to defend the rights at stake.

Ricardo Mulinda                                                   Dr. Obonyo Benjamin
UNAPERA Global Involvement Co-Chair               Vice Esteemed Peoples’ Rights Defender – (For the Diaspora)

+ 44 – (0) 7950887315
rmulinda@hotmail.com
www.unapera.com

UGANDA NATIONAL PEOPLES’ RIGHTS ASSOCIATION

LONDON SEAT

PRESS RELEASE – LONDON UGANDAN CONFERENCE PART II

Saturday 16th, August 2008

Saturday 16th August 2008, the Uganda National Peoples’ Rights Association (UNAPERA) held its second part of the London Ugandan Conference at Durning Hall, in London. The Conference was attended by a big number of Ugandans from the UK Baganda Community, UK Acholi Community, UK Iteso Community, UK Banyoro Community, UK Basoga Community, UK Basamya Community, and many other Ugandans from other UK Ugandan Ethnic Communities. The Conference was presided over by Owek. Dan Muliika – the Esteemed Peoples’ Rights Defender (EPRIDE) or Leader. Conference Presenters included Mr. John Baptist Ayela, Mr. Ricardo Mulinda, Mr. Alex Oringa, Mr. Leo Ssebweze, Mr. Ssejjengo, and many others.

The Conference was convened for the purpose of, among other things, Launching UNAPERA WEBSITE and Presenting the UNAPERA GLOBAL APPEAL. Hon. Dan Muliika – the UNAPERA EPRIDE was welcomed by a deafening clapping and ululation from the Conference attendees. After the EPRIDE welcome, the Uganda, the Buganda, the Bunyoro and the Tooro Anthems were sang by the conferees. After singing the anthems, Hon. Dan Muliika opened the Part II London Ugandan Conference.

In his speech which was punctuated with applauses from time to time, Hon Muliika emphasized the point that: “The 14 nations or states of Uganda whose names are inscribed at the entrance of the Uganda Parliamentary Building in Kampala are the true stakeholders of Uganda. They need to sit together in a Uganda National Conference, as they did in Lancaster House in 1961, and decide the destiny of Uganda. Each one of them, like the Buganda Kingdom and Nation which got its independence on 8th October 1962 and joined Uganda on 9th October 1962 as an autonomous nation, has a right to internal self-determination. They are the ones who should discuss the destiny of Uganda and the issue of restoring federalism for those Ugandan nations or states which demand it.”  After his speech, Hon Muliika launched the UNAPERA Website whose address is – www.unapera.com.

Mr. Ayela – the UNAPERA-UK Vice Chair and member of the UK Acholi Community stated that: “It should be accepted by all people of sound mind that the unitary system of governance has failed in Uganda. There is no reason why the present Ugandan NRMO regime denies the Ugandan nations or peoples their inalienable right to internal self-determination. There is an urgent need for all the Ugandan nations and peoples to reconcile as brothers and sisters, to sit down in a National Conference, demand their right to internal self-determination and establish a federal system of governance for Uganda now.”

Mr. Ricardo Mulinda – the UNAPERA Global Involvement Co-Chair (GIC) and a member of UK Buganda Community presented the UNAPERA GLOBAL APPEAL. He proclaimed that: “Henceforth, it is necessary for all of us Ugandans within and without Uganda to make a sacrifice in one way or another for the cause of our collective and individual inalienable rights which include, among others, the right to peace for all the peoples of Uganda, the right to internal democratic self-determination, democratic rights, land rights, cultural rights, linguistic rights, environmental rights and posterity rights. All of us are called upon to campaign for the establishment of a federal system of governance in Uganda because Buganda Kingdom as a nation and many other Ugandan nations or peoples demand it and have a right to enjoy all their collective human righs. Our Appeal as UNAPERA to the Ugandan Government is:  Be just; work for lasting peace for all the peoples of Uganda; do acknowledge and respect the human right to internal democratic self-determination and other collective rights of the Buganda Kingdom as a nation and state, and of other Ugandan nations or peoples.”

Ricardo Mulinda
UNAPERA Global Involvement Chair (GIC)

John Baptist Ayela
UNAPERA-UK BRANCH Vice Chair

UNAPERA London Seat,
Tel: +44 (0)207 987 0396
Mob: +44 (0)790 395 6760
Web: www.unapera.com
Email: info@unapera.com, uganda@unapera.com, uk@unapera.com

UGANDA NATIONAL PEOPLES’ RIGHTS ASSOCIATION
LONDON SEAT

PART I LONDON UGANDAN CONFERENCE PRESS RELEASE
Ugandans in the UK demand the Right to Internal Self-determination, Federo,
National Reconciliation and Peace in Northern Uganda

On Saturday 9th August 2008, Uganda National Peoples’ Rights Association (UNAPERA) convened the Part I London Ugandan Conference in Durning Hall, Earlham Grove, London E7. The Conference lasted for eight hours and was attended by a big number of Ugandans whose participation was very lively and marked from time to time with thunderous applauses to Oweekitiibwa Dan Muliika, the Esteemed Peoples’ Rights Defender (RPRIDE) of UNAPERA, who opened and presided over the Part I Conference. In his message, Oweekitiibwa Muliika said that according to Odoki Commission 97% of Ugandans demaded federo and more than 60% of Ugandans demanded the same. He said that UNAPERA campaign is about educating people so that they may know their rights. He urged all Ugandans wherever they may be to stand up for their rights and sacrifice for the cause of their rights.

The attendees of Part I London Ugandan Conference built a consensus and demanded the Ugandan Government (i) to recognise the right to internal democratic self-determination for the national peoples of Uganda; (ii) to allow Ugandan national peoples to be governed under a federal system of government and (iii); to bring about peace in Northern Uganda. They emphasised that due to divide-and-rule tricks of Ugandan presidents and animosity among Ugandans, all Ugandans in Uganda and in the Diaspora need to start a process of national reconciliation and to work for national unity.

Mr. Mulinda argued that the different national peoples of Uganda include the Banyoro, the Acholi, the Iteso, the Banyankore, the Basoga, the Baganda, to mention but a few. He said that those national peoples are nations and not mere communities, as the 1995 Uganda Constitution dubs them. He maintained that their rights to internal democratic self determination, to federo, to culture, to language, to identity and to land must be fully recognised and respected by the Uganda Government.

Among the Conference Presenters included Dr Benjamin Obonyo – the EPRIDE Vice for the Diaspora, Ms Cathy Nansubuga – the Youth Leader of Wakiso District and UNAPERA Vice Global Secretary, Mr. Yiga Ssempogo – the UNAPERA-UK Chair, Mr. John Baptist Ayela – the UNAPERA-UK Vice Chair, Mr. Charles Mangeni – the UNAPERA-UK Secretary, Mr. Hood Ssempebwa – the UNAPERA-UK Publicity Secretary and Mr. Ricardo Mulinda – the UNAPERA Global Involvement Co-Chair and Conference Organising Chair.

At the end of Part I Conference, it was declared that Part II London Ugandan Conference was to be held next Saturday 16th August 2008. It was said that Hon. Dan Muliika would again preside over the Part II Conference. Part II Conference would also be held in Durning Hall, Earlham Grove, Forest Gate, E7, starting from 3.00 pm until 9.00pm.

Ricardo Mulinda
UNAPERA Global Involvement Co-Chair

Hood Ssempebwa
UNAPERA-UK Publicity Secretary

59 Brimsdown House, Devas Street, London E3 3LW
Tel: +44 (0)207 987 0396
Mob: +44 (0)790 395 6760
Web: www.unapera.com
Email: info@unapera.com; uganda@unapera.com; uk@unapera.com

Our correspondent in London has been reliably informed that the Federo conference planned for August 22 to August 24, 2008 will have as their main speakers former Katikkiro Daniel Muliika, Kabaka’s Minister for Research, Daudi Mpanga and former kidnap victim and Chairperson of Kabaka’s Central Civic Education Committee, Betty Nambooze. Last weekend Muliika was the main speaker at the Uganda National Peoples’ Rights Association (UNAPERA) conference, also in the UK.

The Federo conference which is focused on the subject of Federo governance is organized by the federo.com, an advocacy group that promotes the Federo governance model for Uganda. The presence of so many highly poplar Baganda nationalists at the Federo conference is expected to boost both participation and the level of discussion.

After the Federo conference Muliika, Nambooze and Mpanga are expected to continue to Ttabamiruka ’08. We have not yet been able to confirm if Peter Mayiga, Medard Lubega, Betty Kamya, or other firebrands such as Lukwago will join at Ttabamiruka.

At the time of filing this report, former Buganda Katikkiro Daniel Muliika is in London as guest of honor and main speaker at Uganda National Peoples’ Rights Association (UNAPERA). The theme of the one day conference is “Campaigning For Ugandan National Peoples’ Rights, Federalism, Peace In Northern Uganda, Social Justice, and Environmental Protection And Posterity”. When we contacted one of the organizers, Mr. Richard Mulinda, by phone he could not give more details because speeches were underway. Katikkiro Muliika arrived in London on Friday on his first leg of an international trip which will take him to Ttabamiruka ’08, the annual Baganda conference. At Ttabamiruka ‘08, Owek. Muliika is expected to speak on the burning issues affecting Buganda today, namely land, political freedom, and poverty.

According to a notice sent to Buganda Post from New York, Owek. Daniel Muliika, former Katikkiro of Buganda is set to attend an international conference organized by his human rights organization (Uganda National Peoples’ Rights Association or UNAPERA). The conference is scheduled to take place on Saturday 9, 2008 from 1:00 PM to 8:30 PM. The venue is Durning Hall – Earlham Grove,  Forest Gate, London E7 9AB.

The theme of the conference is “Campaigning For Ugandan National Peoples’ Rights, Federalism, Peace In Northern Uganda, Social Justice, and Environmental Protection And Posterity”. Owek. Dan Muliika is slated to give a keynote address.

Other speakers will include Ms Cathy Nansubuga a UNAPERA youth leader from Wakiso, Mr. James Ssennyonjo of UNAPERA’s North American branch and Ms.  Susan Lukyamuzi Nampijja Uganda member of Parliament for  Lubaga South. The organizers include Mr. Ricardo Mulinda (UNAPERA Global Involvement Co-Chair)  and Mr. Yiga Ssempogo (UNAPERA-UK Chairperson).

On Tuesday July 29, 2008, Katikkiro Muliika held a press conference in Kampala where he told scribes that, “We in UNAPERA shall have to educate Ugandans on why and who to vote for, what to expect from the people they vote and the general awareness of all their constitutional rights.” In the same press conference, Owek. Muliika warned that it is dangerous for President Museveni to push for negotiations with Kabaka Mutebi  on national issues of a political nature.

Since January 2008, President Museveni has been pleading with Mengo to get a chance to talk to Kabaka Mutebi. He has variously stated that he wants to meet Kabaka Mutebi to request His Royal Majest to fire Betty Nambooze and David Mpanga from Mengo and to discuss Buganda’s political demands. Ironically the same Museveni has warned Kabaka Mutebi not to get involved in politics. And he has kidnapped and tortured three of Mutebi’s most loyal officials. Mutebi has wisely refused to negotiate over Buganda’s stolen land or Federo, on the principle that these are basic human rights that cannot be negotiated.