Musajja wa Kabaka Damiano Kigoye, based in In Southern California, has issues a statement announcing a demonstration in Los Angeles against Yoweri Museveni’s terrorist government.  The demonstration is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 19, 2009, in Los Angeles. Mr. Kigoye’s statement is reproduced below:

Dear Community Members, fellow Baganda, friends of Buganda,

As the United States was remembering the horrors of the 9/11 terror last week, Buganda Kingdom in Uganda was under attack by terrorists with orders to kill unarmed civilians rioting for the well-being of their King and Kingdom from Uganda’s central government!!

These acts of terror under Museveni’s command, various media houses observed, have been long in waiting!!! This was not just a matter between central government and Buganda Kingdom, it was rather a well organized tribal fighting between Buganda and the Banyala incited by Museveni’s government.

To the ordinary Muganda and Ugandan; you and I, this was a wake up call for Unity in preparation for what tomorrow might bring. The mad man is still at large. The world MUST be informed in advance that ethnic clashes in Africa end up in genocides.

The equipments and weapons that were used on civilians last week are just a hint that the mad dogs are ready to do whatever it takes to cleanse Buganda!

Though some Baganda (NRM MPs) have indicated their extremism by supporting Museveni as opposed to their King and Kingdom, the rest of us MUST come together in the fight for our Kingdom.

The peaceful demonstrations organized in almost every location where Baganda resides worldwide is a true sign of Unity for Buganda and Uganda as well.

We therefore call upon every Muganda and all friends of Baganda and Buganda to participate in these demonstrations so that we can send a clear message to the world that the genocide that took place in our backyards in 1994 in Rwanda is bound to happen in our living rooms.

In Souther California, the largest ever demonstration is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 19, 2009, in Los Angeles.

The Assembly which will be escorted by LAPD will be flagged off at exactly 11:00 am at 11600 Wilshire Blvd. We will be marching eastwards, singing patriotic songs of Buganda to Federal Building Lawns where we will be addressed by different leaders.

The  event will be covered by all major media houses; ABC7, CNN, BBC, Los Angeles Times , New York Times, NPR , and many more.

We encourage traditional dressing: Men in Kanzu and Ladies in Busuuti.
Bring Placards and drums.

More details will be communicated to you.

Thank you for your support.

Ssabassajja Kabaka awangaale.

Damiano Kigoye
Muzukulu wa Nakigoye e Kyasa, mu Buddu.
Chairperson, Organizing Committee.

On September 11, 2009, the United States Department of State issued a statement, warning U.S. citizens about traveling to Uganda. The statement casually refers to Buganda as “a vestige of a pre-modern kingdom located in central Uganda, inclusive of Kampala”. This attitude is remarkably similar to the one that the American and several European embassies in Rwanda had towards the Tutsi rebels months before the 1994 genocide.

The U. S. State Department statement is shown in full below:

Travel Alert

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs

The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to the violent demonstrations stemming from political friction between the central government and the authorities of Buganda, which is a vestige of a pre-modern kingdom located in central Uganda, inclusive of Kampala.  This Travel Alert expires on November 10, 2009.

As a result of these demonstrations, travel within the downtown central business district of Kampala and surrounding areas is severely restricted, and U.S. citizens should be aware that spontaneous demonstrations can occur without notice.  This potential for violent demonstrations will remain throughout the weekend of September 12-13, and may extend into the following week.

The Kampala-Entebbe road that connects the Entebbe International Airport and Kampala was closed several times on September 10, and some roads leading north from Kampala were sporadically closed.  These sporadic closures are expected to continue to occur through the weekend, and perhaps beyond.  This means travel to and from the airport may be severely restricted and may cause lengthy delays.  U.S. citizens planning to travel out of Entebbe International Airport should be sure to give themselves at least four (4) hours to get to the airport from Kampala.

U.S. citizens should be aware that even peaceful gatherings and demonstrations can turn unexpectedly violent.  U.S. citizens in Uganda should remain aware of their surroundings, monitor and assess their own security situations at all times, and avoid large public gatherings, protests, and demonstrations.  U.S. citizens are encouraged to report unusual events or activities to the U.S. Embassy.

U.S. citizens with questions or concerns may telephone the Consular Section of the U.S. Mission in Uganda at (256) (0) (414) 259 791 or (256) (0) (414) 306 001.  In the case of an emergency outside business hours, or during any suspension of public services, U.S. citizens may reach the U.S. Mission duty officer at the same numbers.

For the latest security information, citizens living or traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs internet website at: http://travel.state.gov/, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings, and Country Specific Information can be found.  Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  These numbers are available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. Federal Holidays).

U.S. citizens are advised to register and update their contact information with the U.S. Mission in Kampala.  The U.S. Embassy is located at Plot 1577 Ggaba Road.  The phone number is (256) (0) (414) 306 001 or (256) (0) (414) 259 791, fax (256) (0) (414) 258 451, email: KampalaUSCitizen@state.gov, and U.S. Embassy Kampala website: http://kampala.usembassy.gov.

Barak Obama has just ended a trip to Europe and Africa, which included an address to Ghana’s parliament. Here, he laid out his agenda and expectations for African nations. Most important was the development of democratic and transparent governments throughout the continent. To this end, the United States will put emphasis on ending long standing conflicts through more aggressive diplomatic measures than those practiced by the Bush and Clinton administration.

The White House is going to appoint a special envoy to central Africa to investigate the problems of eastern Congo because they believe that the future stability of the region is dependent on one of its largest countries. Senior administration officials said that the US believes that the primary problems in eastern Congo are foreign agents, such as the rebel groups, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Rwanda and the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda. Plus the governments of Uganda and Rwanda which are profiting from keeping the region destabilized.

The United States interest in the region is not purely selfless. The Atlantic Ocean waters off Congo and Angola are a major source of America’s oil imports and the Obama has limited confidence that President Kabila can hold the Democratic Republic of Congo together.

Mrs. Jocelyn Rugunda, the spouse of Uganda’s representative to the United Nations, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, has launched a The Uganda Women’s Forum. According to an invitation letter that Mrs. Rugunda sent to about 100 women in the New York area, Mrs. Rugunda states that: “The objective of the meeting is to get to know each other, share interesting life experiences, and identify opportunities of making ourselves more productive while living in United States.” Mrs. Rugunda does not indicate what qualifies her to lead Ugandan women towards making themselves more productive in America.

When we checked with a highly reliable source in the Ministry of foreign affairs, she told us that Mrs. Rugunda’s forum is “soft” recruiting for the NRM.  The source explained: “Mr. Museveni believes that Baganda women in America like him and what he is doing; it is only their husbands and boyfriends who confuse them with information about land issues and tribalism. Mr. Museveni thinks that if many of these Baganda women become NRM, the pressure from UNAA and Ggwanga Mujje will be very low. When giving clearance to Mrs. Rugunda to recruit, the permanent secretary, Ambassador James Mugume, specifically instructed Mrs. Rugunda to avoid political discussions in her forum. They are afraid that if politics is discussed in this forum, Baganda and other women may start asking why Museseveni’s is terrorizing their families in Buganda and stealing Buganda land.”

When shown Mrs. Rugunda’s invitation, a Muganda analyst and thought leader based in New York, agreed that this could be a campaign to recruit women, especially Baganda women, away from UNAA and Ggwanga Mujje activities, which the NRM does not control. He also had some tough words about Mrs. Rugunda’s character: “I have reliable information that when that woman and her husband came to New York they decided to rent an apartment in, of all places, Trump Tower. They are spending $16,000 per month on rent only and they represent a Uganda where a government medical doctor is paid $150 per month. But she now wants to help Baganda women make themselves more productive in America? I hope these women first send her an email and ask her to explain if it is not true that she has rented in Trump Towers, with rich Arab sheiks for neighbors. And how her family made the millions of dollars they have in Uganda.”

According to Mrs. Rugunda’s invitation, the Uganda Women’s’ Forum meeting will be at the Uganda House in New York on Saturday, June 27, 2009.

According a Bank of Uganda (BOU) source, the value of Uganda Shilling against the US Dollar is expected to continue a steady slide downward for a while. A banking officer in the Operations Division of BOU told this reporter on condition of anonymity that there are three major reasons for the misfortunes of the Shilling.

The bank officer said: “First is the global financial crisis which, unfortunately, both the BOU governor and ministry of finance (MOF) chose to joke about early this year. However, it has caused the funds remitted by Ugandans abroad, especially Baganda, doing kyeeyo to fall drastically as work becomes harder to get.  Similarly, local NGO’s and church pastors are experiencing a tough time fundraising in the USA and Europe. Many of them are collapsing or firing employees as the dollars dry up.

“The second major reason is that our exports are not seriously growing in dollar terms. Even the  recent increase in exports to Southern Sudan seem appears to have been a bubble because the Sudanese central government is now limiting the supply of dollars to the South due to political tensions.  The dollar shortage in Sudan has in turn reduced the dollars which corrupt Southern officials have been bringing into Uganda to bank or buy mansions and Buganda land.”

The third reason that the banking officer gave is Uganda official corruption and greed. He pointed out that: “Mr. Museveni’s  state house has squandered tens of millions of dollars on deals like the presidential jet, grants to fake investors like Basajjabalaba and numerous so called ‘classified’ withdraws.  When other government officials see how Mr. Museveni’s state house is stealing, they can only emulate. Over time, this unending corruption has scared the more serious investors from the local stock exchange and our government securities. In fact the weak securities markets are only surviving on laundered money which the owners are still afraid to send out of Uganda.”

The BOU employee warned that the value of the Shilling was likely to continue falling for sometime. He explained: “I think that the donors are likely to cut aid to Uganda before they  increase it, because the political situation is likely to get much worse as the 2011 elections approach.  Both the domestic and external debts are likely to get worse because Mr. Museveni is creating more districts even as we speak. He is also preparing to grow army, police and other imports before the elections.  And our FOREX reserves are not enough to allow Mutebire to support the Shilling by selling dollars.  Maybe for a few weeks.”

Below are the US Dollar exchange rates for since January (on the 20th of each month):