November 9, 2009 at 7:00 pm (2009 -2011 elections, POLITICS)
Tags: Tendo Kaluma
Fellow Ugandans,
In aggressively combating corruption within governmental agencies, I would like to suggest to the administration and the current IGG to appoint a special prosecutor, the likes of Faith Mwondha, to carry out televised trials which could highlight the damage to society, caused by the common practice of cooking books in highly sensitive ministry positions. I’m highly doubtful that the perpetrators of these graft crimes are fully aware of the impact and crisis of scarcity that their actions bring on in such our poor communities.
Since we are the only country bent on employing all the folks of the EA community, in accounting,procurement, military, police,farming,health and other sensitive position charged with direct or indirect oversight of life or death issues of our citizens. We need a better vetting process to find out whether the hired employee is not there to malice a region or the entire country through their impropriety, as key providers in a public office.
It behooves our legislatures those native Ugandans in charge of all hiring and to have all employees go through patriotism classes and the signing of some oath that lists consequences if folks are ever charged with dereliction of duty.
What would really work as a great public agency self audit, is the adoption of a “Graft mitigating plan for each agency” which would include the kick in at any whiff of suspicion of corruption within an agency. One of my favorite items would read like this: All critical employees is charged or not charged with impropriety have to enroll in patriotism training and a series of classes on ethics as mandatory training for the entire agency to fullfil their fitness to serve quota.
If folks in that public office are trained and in-serviced as part of public and corporate governance, we could see a reduction in dubious transactions, it would definitely help bring on a heightened awareness of the progressive discipline process.
On the technology front, I would like to see a uniformity of accounting services to make auditing easy for upper management and any oversight committee.
There is no reason why an item that repeatedly tips all the coast scales” “CHOGM ROADS” should not have a trigger that requires the sign off by the IGG-until the country gets out of this corruption crisis.Many companies in America requires the signature of upper management including the CEO, to release big project amounts. I would hope that our legislatures would set the limit amounts and required signatories including the IGG’s office for good accountability.
Moving to an ERP system such as PeopleSoft, can help run the accounting for the entire nation as is done in many corporations. These ought to be court mandated implementation to halt graft and to permanently alter the prevailing conditions in our service sector where lack of accountability has resulted in loss of lives.
I cannot emphasize enough the need to sensitize public employees and to show them first hand the impact of impropriety and abuse of public office has on the poor people of Uganda.
If these symptoms of graft are left untreated, I’m afraid the danger of resentment tribally will continue to build up as under currents within the non-ruling tribes.
Tendo kaluma
Uganda living in Boston
1 Comment
November 9, 2009 at 5:11 pm (2009 -2011 elections, POLITICS)
Tags: Ahmed Katerega
NRM is a party that does not facilitate its own cadres and mobilisers but it gives a lot to its real and imaginary enemies and opponents. That will greatly contribute to its fall though not in a near future.
l know many NRM who have gone to FDC and other opposition parties so that they can be invited back to NRM. Do you know that even former rebels behave princely inside NRM than many those that have suffered from it right from inspection! There may be a few of the elites who have crossed to NRM without material gain. Those who crossed with their hearts and minds are rural peasants and urban workers but the elites, l doubt.
NRA and now UPDF is a people’s army as its name is. But NRM , the political organisation, has not transformed itself into a political party. It behaves as a guerillar force or an intelligence organisation. It can foot bills like that of my sister Betty Nambooze , it can bribe all real and imaginary enemies but its own cadres will die of starvation. Such is the NRM. Worse still, it has been infiltrated by the corrupt. To eat from NRM , you have to decapaign it. Then it will be scared and they will invite you for a tea party or send you an aide. If it does not graduate from that, it will fall from within.
Nevertheless, we cannot label former kadogos and all those that join NRM even before it captured state power as people that were financially expectants. Despite all the disappointments, they are still in NRM. Yet many of the looters, were on the other political and military side, during the war, and were motivated to cross at Constitutional Square after material promises. NRM should get rid of the corrupt. They are a liability. It should motivate its own pepole, “bribing” opponents and enemies did not prevent UPC from falling from within.
NRM is not a traditional political party but a Mass Movement Organisation.Yes, Sam Kuteesa was some how, some where, a FRONASA in external wing (Nairobi), and helped in the struggle (more in UFM with Balaki Kirya, Kafumbe Mukasa and Yoweri Kyesimira)again in the political wing at least through Sweden where Mrs. Janet Museveni was, and his contribution was more when it was battling the Okellos military junta, Kuteesa remained a DP until Constituent Assembly elections of 1994. As for Saleh, he has been a Movementists since secondary school days. But to be rich does not mean to be corrupt. But those who are corrupt, if convicted, let them be punished.
People should know that NRM was formed in 1981 as a guerrilla or rebel organisation. So, it is not strange if it remains the same in some form and substance. Just like some rebel organisations that were originally political parties. NRM behaves like an intelligence organisation when it does not allow the press to cover its caucus meeting and NEC conferences Yet those are big meetings. For example, Buganda Cacus right from C.A. days could allow us in. For NRM to always think real and imaginary opponents and enemies first before its own cadres, mobilizers and supporters, is very suicidal and l can repeat it in any forum. But as we turn into party politics, things will be changing gradually.
There was more corruption during Obote ll where the Army Chief of Staff who also doubled as Chairman Coffee Marketing Board, was pocketing hard money Uganda earned from coffee exports, with impunity. But this time there is freedom of the press and the corrupt are exposed. My only problem that the state allows us to expose, but it just ignores us, without taking actual action on the corrupt. Let those convicted , their property be confiscated and taken to court.
It is true there are looters in the country now but we have not yet reached that of Obote ll. Yes there were some drugs in government hospitals in Obote ll but that was the time medical personnel started having their own. What we should do is to guard those drugs before they are stolen from hospitals because they are sent from Uganda Medical Stores Entebbe.
Ahmed Katerega
UAH forumist/Journalist
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November 6, 2009 at 3:53 am (UPDF and Iddil Amin)
The disappearance of Brig. Gen.Yorokamu Tizihwayo is hard to understand. Let me try to remember how the situation under his command was.
When Lt.Colonel John Onah was Commanding Officer of the 2nd Paratroopers’ Battalion in Fort Portal, Yorokamu Tizihwayo was a Major and 2nd In Command. In 1974 Lt.Colonel John Onah was made a Cabinet Minister and Major Yorokamu Tizihwayo was promoted to Lt.Colonel and assumed the Command of the 2nd Paratroopers Battalion. Captain Moses Gala was promoted to Major, posted to Fort Portal and became 2nd in Command.
In 1975 Lt. Colonel Yorokamu Tizihwayo was called to the Command Post by President Amin. None of us knew what was going on. Major Moses Gala was promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel and made the Commanding officer of the 2nd Paratroopers’ Battalion. Moses Gala was a cousin brother of President Amin. Captain Juma Ayiga was promoted to the rank of Major and made 2nd in Command.
A few weeks later Yorokamu Tizihwayo was promoted to the rank of full Colonel and given the task to head the Western Brigade. He was posted to Kasese to build the Brigade Headquarters. Later that year, Lt. Colonel Moses Gala and Major Juma Ayiga, both Commanding the 2nd Paratroopers’ Battalion of the Western Brigade, of which Brigade Colonel Yorokamu Tizihwayo was the Commander, organized a”congratulatory” party for the new Brigade Commander in Fort Portal town. However, the party turned out to be a trap to assassinate Colonel Yorokamu Tizihwayo. He managed to escape unharmed during the commotion. He went to the Command Post and reported the matter to the President. Many of us believed that the two Commanders of the 2nd Paratroopers’ Battalion would be Court Martialed and probably dismissed. We were wrong. Instead Colonel Yorokamu was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and his assassination attempt was never even mentioned.
In 1977 Lt. Colonel Moses Gala was accused by the Catholic Church to have raped a Catholic Nun. He was retired from the Army and sent back to his home in Arua.
At the Western Brigade Headquaters in Kasese, the Brigade Major was called Major Ismail Tiko. He was the second most Senior Officer. The Western Brigade Sports Officer was called Captain Ali Alichama. The Brigade Commander was very friendly to me and always went to his residence to chat with him whenever I happened to be in Kasese. I think my closeness to the Brigade Commander made the Brigade Major and his close friend, the Brigade Sports Officer very unhappy. In 1976 I went to inspect the Western Brigade Boxing Championships and nearly fell into an assassination trap by the Brigade Major and the Brigade Sports Officer. I returned to the General Headquarters in Kampala unsure about why I was to be assassinated. Later when Brig. General Isaac Maliyamungu told me that I should not be scared into converting to Islam, did I suspect that my assassination attempt was for that purpose and not for being close to the Brigade Commander.
There was envy and jealousy among the troops from West Nile who seemed to feel that they should dominate the Command of the Uganda Armed Forces. Obviously, they were not happy for the promotion of Brigadier General Yorokamu Tizihwayo. The theory that the State Research Bureau (SRB) might have killed Yorokamu with the orders from President Amin, is completely unfounded. President Amin showed much trust in him on many occassions and that is why I believe, Lt. Colonel Moses Gala and Major Juma Ayiga tried to assassinate him.
During the 1978 / 79 war, Brig. Gen. Yorokamu was arrested by the members of the State Research Bureau and beaten. They were accusing him of colaboration with the enemy. President Amin personally ordered his release and assumption of his Command. Many of the troops under his Command fell into ambush by the enemy forces. I learnt later that he escaped from the front line and entered Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo). I tried to find his whereabouts, but the many people from the former Western Brigade that I asked after the war, claimed that he fled to Zaire. I regarded him as a friend, despite his very powerful position he held.
Rehema, the rumour that Brig. General Yorokamu Tizihwayo is dead, is because of his silence and the fact that he has not returned to his home in Ankole. However, many people have chosen to keep a very low profile and he might as well be one of them.
BJ. Rubin.
1 Comment
November 4, 2009 at 4:59 pm (2009 -2011 elections, POLITICS)
Plain Political Prostitution
These are interesting times. These are disconcerting times. The political space we are in now is called the window of opportunity, but in reality, it is the window of opportunism. It is time for politicians to march for offers from the highest bidder.
party crossing is not appropriate for consolidating democracy in our country. What we are witnessing is the liquidation of democracy. It is actually enguzi -crossing because people are made all kinds of secret offers. Councilors and Members of Parliament who have no integrity sell themselves into a system of enguzi. They are in the bedroom with their enemy. The likes of Hon. Olanyah, Mr. Aggrey, Ms. Maria Mutagamba, Kamya, Omara Atubo, etc.
This are thieves. They steal and use property that is not theirs for their own selfish ends and personal aggrandizement. Voters in this country vote for Parties not enguzi crossers. Floor crossing encourages corruption and self-interest. It violates the electoral right of the voters. The voters mandate is treacherously betrayed with impunity in the name of democracy which means political prostitution pass as democracy.
Floor crossing is entrenching corrupt politics in Uganda and will eventually destabilize this country. People will lose confidence in the democratic process and resort to illegal means of struggle.
May. A. Uwe matovua@yahoo.com
UAH forumist
1 Comment
November 4, 2009 at 3:36 pm (Agriculture, Education)
Tags: william Kituka
It is shocking to learn that UNEB can allow the transportation of national Exams by boda boda. At least one accident was reported involving deliveries of exam papers on the 1st day. Assuming the exam papers had got damaged? UNEB must be extra careful in ensuring that transportation of papers is by motor vehicles to ensure greater safety in delivery and that the drivers are cautioned to drive carefully so as to get to the destinations safely.
It is news that at least two girls delivered in the course of the papers and good enough, else where 4 girls were allowed to sit papers though pregnant. Much more needs to be done to ensure that primary schools girls don’t get pregnant while still at school.
There is a school where examination papers were less than the number of candidates and papers had to be got from neighbouring schools. The issue here is whether these are not cases where papers are stolen and given out to the cheats.
Also noted was a sound bite on one FM Radio where a child was concerned as the exam papers had some similarity with what had recently been reviewed. The truth is that with the rampant corruption, UNEB cannot fill all the loopholes that can be used by the exam cheats.
Lastly,Basoga are not only known for making chapati’s some of which are half
fried but have gone a step to encroach on a swamp found at Kajjansi as you travel towards the airstrip. This is surely the generosity of Baganda, however, the authorities should move very fast and see a stop to this development. Papyrus is being cleared very fast for rice planting.
Willy Kituuka
UAH forumist
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November 4, 2009 at 3:30 pm (Education)
Tags: willy Kituka
It will make a lot of sense if among the reviews about the above law the handling of finances is given priority. I was told by some body at Makerere University that fellows who had been given the assignment to generate financial reports on a daily basis failed and left the work incomplete. The University ought to get the finance department from the academics. People who are financial managers should be entrusted with a centralized financial system with one centre where balances can be accessed as well as handling of financial obligations. Many academicians excel in other disciplines but are not good at financial management. It is absurd to learn that a well managed
establishment can have billions accumulated in unpaid bills to UMEME! We have advised time and again that the University should divest itself from investing funds paid by students to infrastructure development, but the people in control just continue on, and at the end of the day some body has the courage to tell the public that the University has over shs 20bn in unpaid bills.
The law should also focus on a Convocation which is much more in the arms of the University Administrators where the University Academic Registrar is the Secretary. The review should focus on encouraging more participation of Old Students by getting the organization out of the direct umbrella of the University; that way chances of managers capable of implementing policies that can help efforts to raise funds may be better enhanced.
Willy Kituuka
UAH forumist
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November 4, 2009 at 1:37 pm (2009 -2011 elections, World history and politics)
Tags: lawrence mukasa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqB4WWu3TKc
Al Jazeera special report exposing the contradictions of U.S. foreign policy in Uganda including link between U.S training and funding of special forces for Museveni and other dictators at the expense of development and human rights in Africa, in America’s pursuit of OIL, MINERALS and INFLUENCE.
YOU HAVE TO WATCH the on-camera reaction of the AFRICOM commander, Gen. William “Kip” Ward, when asked about this (7:56 into the video).
Segment about Uganda runs after that reaction
The first 5 minutes and a half are about Nigeria and Cameroon.
Some of the world’s poorest countries are also some of the richest in natural resources, among them Nigeria, Angola or the Democratic Republic of Congo, as they suffer from the “resource curse”.
Oxford University’s Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Collier in his Natural Resource Charter states that: “Angola alone received in oil and mineral revenues more than double the entire aid ($26 billion in 2008,) inflows to Africa. For all that, the UN’s Human Development Index ranked Angola 162nd out of 177 countries in 2007-08.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqB4WWu3TKc
Enjoy the series…A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy… in full: http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/witness/2009/09/2009910121135544650.html
Please forward the email.
Ssemagulu
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November 4, 2009 at 1:06 pm (1980 elections, 2009 -2011 elections, Obote and UPC, POLITICS)
Tags: Ahmed Katerega
Dear Ugandans at heart,
Amin was personally close to Maama Miria Obote and it was one of the reasons why she was not hurt during and after the coup until she escaped to Tanzania. Obote and Amin were close friends when one was Prime Minister and President and the other was Deputy Army Commander, Army Chief of Staff.
Since 1966, removal of Obote government was justified so by 1971 it was over due. But had Obote handled Amin well, probably nothing may have happened.
As for Besigye and Museveni, there is no doubt that they have their own personal grievances, which other people from South West exploited to ensure that the power base does not shift to Buganda or else where. l will not be party to those who want President Museveni to be succeeded by his clansman Kizza Besigye.
Surat Yasin in the Quran says that The Almighty God causes things to happen and they do so. So NRM , like any other, which had a beginning, will have an end. But the end of NRM will be the beginning of another Movement from inside NRM. You better join in or its extension FDC not PRA or PPP. The earlier the better
If one claims that Obote, Amin, Binaisa, Muwanga, Okello and Museveni were UPCs, and that only Ben Kiwanuka and Yusuf Lule were DPs, and that changes have been UPC infighting, and that many from other parties have not benefited from those changes, can you accept it?
The 1971 coup, brought in new UPC leaders including Idi Amin , Wannume Kibedi, Henrty Kyemba, Huseein Malera, Isac Maliyamungu, Paul Etiang, Edward Rugumayo, Abu Mayanja, Apollo Kironde, William Naburi, and many others. The 1979 change brought in Godfrey Binaisa, Edward Rugumayo, Paulo Muwanga, Yoweri Museveni, and many others. 1980 elections brought back Milton Obote, Paulo Muwanga ,Otema Almadi, Peter Otai and many others. 1985 coup brought in Tito Okello ,Wilson Toko, Paul Muawanga, Abraham Waliggo etc…1986 change brought in Yoweri Museveni, Samson Kisekka (he had crossed from KY to UPC and later UPM), Stanislas Okurut and others.
Other parties were on the periphery. Like the short lived term of Ben Kiwanuka as Chief Justice, the same was with Wako Wambuzi under UNLF. Yusuf Lule for only 68 days, Paulo Ssemogerere as Internal and later Foreign minister under Okellos and Museveni etc….
Hence, in case FDC had defeated NRM in 2001 and 2006, that would have been a change within NRM unlike in 1996 if Ssemogerere had won, or if JEEMA’s Mayanja Kibirige had won in 1996 and 2001.
Therefore either Ugandans join NRM directly as l see those in press reports, or you join its extension in FDC or PPP, you will be left out. Don’t be tempted to join rebel activities “tojja kumalako.”
Ahmed Katerega
UAH forumist/ Journalist
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October 29, 2009 at 12:27 pm (2009 -2011 elections, POLITICS)
Tags: christopher Muwanga
Summary: Butime’s “return home” was not un-expected by close observers of our Political dynamics today. He has put to work his perennial threats of quitting, if not removed from “Katebe” – non-functional deployment as a “do nothing” and of not being privy to the inner workings of the party. That is intellectual honesty of sorts, on his part.
1/4. Butime said it all himself last year. For him, it was/is a matter of “intellectual honesty”. The colleagues suspected him to be a mole all along, especially after he said, in the press, that he was willing to server the NRM.
2/4. Alas, their fears have been vindicated. And he has “gone home, where he belongs”. It is the same man that caused the internal rebellion of Beti Kamya, who cannot be chased but who, on the other hand, cannot cross to NRM (not directly, at least). So, if Butime was a mole, as he was suspected to be all along, he has not gone without a “mission accomplished” tick.
3/4.On NRM cadres’s claims that people are flocking to the ruling Party, they should learn how to interpret peoples’ actions. In these days of inflation, it would be a ‘blind man’ that would not earn thousand in one hour, from his taxes, by appearing before the SG of the ruling party for a minute! That must be the highest paying occupation anywhere. BUT, how will the crosser vote??
4/4. Finally, on his current tour of Buganda and the earlier one of the East, the FDC chief is reported to be welcoming floods of NRM faithful to his party [read today 29th October reports]. How does NRM cadres interpret this??
Christopher Muwanga,
Nakasero,
Kampala.
2 Comments
October 28, 2009 at 12:15 am (2009 -2011 elections, Federalism, KINGDOMS, Kayiira Death, POLITICS)
Tags: lusoke willy
Ugandans at heart,
Please go slow on FDC and Federalism together with Kabaka AND Buganda issues. With all due respect, I have never gotten any impression that Besigye and Kagame are different from M7,at least from an ideological perspective.
Why?
From my experience with the three men during “the struggle” – I call it so because it was indeed a struggle for survival of the fittest – none of these men ever advocated for ‘Kabaka’ and Buganda in general. They only used to make fun of Kabaka that “he enjoys Banyarwandakazi”!!!! And that Baganda are ‘just empty tins and eternally scared by nothing” None of these guys has respect for Kabaka. It is true that for political reasons Kagame and Besigye threw some weight to Mengo and Kabaka i.e Kagame helped to send the ‘Prince’ to the military academy, etc and Besigye has been ‘an advocate’ for Kabaka of recent. I believe this is just to look for temporary allies!!! Those of you who were in Luweero and other areas during the struggle, you know the stories we used to hear and run about the Kabaka. By the way, the long run intention for sending the Prince to the academy is not positive for Buganda and Kabaka. It was planned. I do not want to go into this!!!!!!!!!!!
Guys, if Besigye had been different from M7 and he indeed supports the Baganda, why doesn’t he tell Baganda what befell their men like ‘Afande’ Kayira etc… is it because he (Besigye or Kagame) does/do not know the real story? Why doesn’t Besiigye tell Baganda what they did to Baganda during the Luweero war? Why doesn’t he tell Baganda what they did to Baganda in Masaka and Mpigi who were ‘UPC’ – remember the ‘kabazi’ which they told you it was Nkwanga doing it. Pure lies. It was not Nkwanga men. It was M7!!! Didn’t Besigye join the ‘camp’ in Kikoma to foresee the ‘Kabazi’ project in Masaka!!!!! How many Baganda perished? Was there any Munyarwanda save for the other guy of Villa – Maria called Muwonge who was hit from his own sitting room with an ax he had fixed the very evening!!! Has Besigye ever told you his position over Kabaka in the Gulu meeting which he attended?Anyway, fool yourselves!!! You will again be disappointed!!!
Concerns about FRONASA are valid but Ugandans may not get a lot about it for the time being until somewhere in May 2010 or even after when all that stuff will be out in form of a book.Be sure, the world will have lots of information from this work.But again, we posted a lot of it on “radio Katwe”. You might have to consult this source for some pieces.
Banange, mundeke. Naye, do not take things for granted. We took things for granted with our Kagame and now some of us regret!!! ‘It is not gold’!!!OK.
LUSOKE WILLY
UAH forumist and former Luwero bush fighter residing in USA
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October 26, 2009 at 5:53 pm (2009 -2011 elections, CULTURE, Diaspora)
Tags: Tendo Kaluma
Fellow Ugandans,
Interesting speech from the president especially now in the aftermath of the Riots-note the time; August 2, 1993. At the opening of Mengo’s Lukiiko, why has the sharing of power with the Lukiiko not been such a good experience for the president?
Is he expecting too much from them or has this body been rendered a toothless tiger, mandated to lead but left virtually powerless. They were given all the titles to function as a regional government, but with no money and power to carry out their jobs effectively.
A couple of years ago, I ran into one attorney general of Buganda-who was young and full of brilliant ideas, my interest in meeting him was purely from the stand point of finding out what crimes being committed on Buganda soil to warrant his presence.
I wanted to know whether he had the powers to arrest a simple thief found stealing stuff in Buganda, and to my surprise he didn’t. Well some of our legal experts on this forum will cite the constitution and claim that it is binding and he as a regional attorney general, he is supposed to look the other way when a crime is being committed in his region!
So I will try to wear my not so dumb hat -and ask the question: why would you create a title for a man that every one recognizes automatically, as the keeper of the law and make him toothless? Why would the kalangala courts carry jurisdiction while the one legitimately recognized is rendered useless.
You are damn right ,we still have lots of work to do, especially with the kingdoms and the main regional of Uganda.
There among us folks who are all “gang ho” about East African federations, we will be eaten alive an a huge federation, if we are not able to put our own house in order. Putting our house in order will have to start at the ethnic village level and some way of finding an assembly that gives us one voice in UNISON-without inter tribal disputes in the overtone.
And now I see the president discovering newer kings within integrated ethnic tribes and something in me wants to warn them-and say don’t do it, you have just become another ladder in an NGO: Because he has not provided the support structure to give life to all those titles on paper as witnessed in Buganda.
Yet the people have placed so much faith in them as time tested structures to resolve a slew disputes including land, family and inter-clan misunderstanding. I hope his strategy is not to have as many stooges as possible to be used to resist inter clan reforms necessary to have a solid block.
If we cannot resolve democratization issues at the tribal level, what makes us think we can make progress when we merge with folks who bring a whole new baggage of problems.
There are issues such as the Nomads problem, that could be solved in a joint East African manner since we’d be looking at a huge chunk of land for grazing from each member, but house cleaning work has to be done by us first, and I’m not impressed with the half measures and effort that we have done in this realm.
The president seems to be undoing work on the tribal level that was done by ancient kings, and in doing so he is arming new kings with ammunition to bring about war within large integrated tribes like the Baganda.
I’m saying this of the entire country and it’s collective groups, not to exclude those original 15 tribes. There is incredible preparation work necessary to co-join and form unions for either a local or bigger federation, if that is the plan. Some of our folks don’t even know the budgetary requirements of their region or a constitution in place to protect them from the ill effects of any federation.
We could take a lesson or two from the recent forming of the European union. Countries were asked to carry out the necessary reforms that bring about ease of integration. When you look at us, we have been seating in this East African club of nations for some years now, but no memo has come from our top leaders there to give a heads up at the tribal or ethnic level or to provide with the required tenets, in preparation for the bigger thing.
People cannot be herded like that, they need time to get organized and structures need to be put in place to make such moves. We need communication from honorable kategaya, as to what they are planning for us in the future. Do you honestly think Rwanda is training all these IT folks without a plan ?
I’m afraid this preparation requires years not months. If this is happening now, it is being done so secretly that only a few people are made aware of it-but one cannot move 30 million people into an organization(East African federation) without preparing them, even cows going into a kraal in the evening need time otherwise they resist the rush.
Tendo Kaluma
Boston Residence and a Ugandan
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October 26, 2009 at 5:10 pm (2009 -2011 elections, Diaspora, POLITICS)
Tags: lugwema FN
Modify the attached letter as appropriate and send to your Congressmen and other people. I just sent mine to Senators Robert P. Casey and Arlen Specter here in “rural” Pennsylvania. I will be sending the same letter every week until I get a response from one of the two senators.
Don’t ever give up, even as the US gives more aid to Uganda.
*13 Uganda Federal Union States*
AcholiAnkoleBugandaBugisu-Sebei
BukediBunyoroBusogaKaramoja
KigeziLangoTesoTooro
West Nile-Madi
Open letter to the Leader of the free World
Mr. Barack H. Obama, President of the United States
Dear Mr. President,
When you delivered that historical speech in Accra, Ghana, Africa „hang‟ on your everyword – in fact many of us still do! In that speech you acknowledged the tragic past that has haunted Africa, and reminded us that the West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants. Indeed, African leaders must take responsibility for the atrocities meted on the peoples of Africa.
Mr. President I am happy to inform you that efforts to take responsibilities for our own future have taken root in Uganda. However, the major concern is in respect to the United States‟ foreign policy towards Museveni which differs fundamentally from its foreign relations with other Sub-Saharan African countries. Indeed, despite Museveni‟s one-party style of governance,human rights abuses, the wanton killings of unarmed citizens, the United States continues to be supportive of his regime through aid which is said to be close to 50% of his budget. Moreover, the “soft-approach” to Museveni‟s regime taken by the United States in democratising Uganda is problematic and counter to the political democratization of the country and the responsibilities to the peoples of Uganda that Museveni should have assumed over the years. If this relationship continues, the United States would gravely be implicated in the gross human rights abuses that characterize Museveni‟s regime.
Over the last 23 years, Museveni has demonstrated that he cannot be trusted to open up the political space for a true multi-party system and for the rule law to emerge in Uganda. In addition, he amended the constitution to remove term-limits so that he can run indefinitely. Should Ugandans be concerned that the United States national interests would continue to impede Uganda‟s efforts to democratise? Such questions continue to boggle our minds but confident that you will ensure that they are dealt with appropriately.
The other most precarious human rights situation which exists in Uganda, and perhaps in the world, is the continual brutality being inflicted on the people in Northern Uganda. Therelentless war between Museveni and Kony has affected this part of the country for 19 years.
The issue of “ghost soldiers” made it very clear that Museveni had no intention of protecting people living in this region. What is not clear though, is why the United States continues to support Museveni irrespective of these irregularities. It would be comforting to learn from United States‟ actions that Uganda, the country, is important to the United States – not just Museveni; and hope that US foreign policy with Uganda will not act as an impedimental factor to enduring governance reforms that Ugandans seek.
May the Lord keep you safe for the good of humanity.
Christine Nabukeera
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October 26, 2009 at 2:33 pm (2009 -2011 elections, POLITICS)
Tags: WB Kyijomanyi
People;
Let all those Ugandans who played some role put their thoughts in writing. Let Hon. Sam Kalega Njuba write a book about his experience for future posterity. There are many others who should write their memoirs, people such as, Dr Ssemmogerere, Mzee Byanyima, Mzee Cuthbert Obwangor, Mzee Adoko Nekyon, Mzee Tiberio Okeny, Mr Bidandi Ssali, Dr Rugumayo, Mr Nabudere, Professor Ssentenza-Kajubi, Mzee Mayanja-Nkangi, Mr Samuel Wako Wambuzi, Dr Martin Aliker, Mr Chris rwakasisi, Mzee Badru Wegulo, former education Minister under Amin, Brigadier Barnabas Killi-how did he do such a better job than today’s lot-Justice Kanyeihamba, Justice Mulenga and many ways and others.
These and others know a lot about the troubled events in Uganda’s history. For the good of Uganda, they should share their views with the future generation. Time to write is now. Their books/memoirs do not have to be long. They could motivate their thoughts in 100 pages or less less the way the former Enganzi did. The media and political folks who have access to these lucky Ugandans should plead with them to write books about their experiences.
Uganda’s history will be poorer if these men and women too take their experiences to heaven. There are some women who know a lot about Ugandan politicians in many ways. They too should write about their experiences. For Uganda’s future, they should be urged to write books. If many feel their revelations could be earth shaking, they could opt to publish them posthumously. They also be encouraged to donate their papers to their alma mater’s for future research.
WBK
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October 23, 2009 at 7:33 am (2009 -2011 elections, CULTURE, Federalism)
Tags: Tendo Kaluma
Fellow Ugandans,
Buganda took a long view of the regional tier and decided that it was dead on arrival. Fellows who have Buganda at heart like Katikiro Dan Mulika, view it as yet another gimmick that would eventually provide an additional power edge to the majority party.
Due to the sheer numbers and an unfair advantage of NRM officers in government ,any proposal to bring about a balance in the decision making machinery will require a genuine shift in paradigm, designed on pure proportionality of ethnic numbers(numerics) to be viewed as meaningful by all players in the huddle.
A long view on Ugandan issues of power these days is generally centered around a single cow kyozi which has gulped up all the fields as the saying goes. The problem of checks and balances both in terms of political numbers for legislation and other organs of the state vital to decisions making is currently a magical funnel with the NRM party at the obvious end that holds most of the volume.
The tipped balance as is currently evidenced has brought in un sustainable levels of bias in the system, completely ignoring inherent loops designed for feed back and stability. What we have built is a completely unstable system which has shown signs of fatigue and chaotic behaviour due to lopsidedness.
How do we solve the chaos that surrounds us in an unbiased manner?
The answer lays in looking at other alternative structures of governance with a capability of instituting the missing balance. The regional tier though good for inter regional commerce is not among them, it is too simplistic to provide a lasting solution to a range of complex structural issues of not only service delivery, but graft and trust by the majority of Ugandans to provide lasting change.
The arguments forwarded for the regional tier were not convincing enough for it not to be viewed as yet another round robin structure designed to feed to an already overwhelmed hub of the NRM party. We need devolution in a more realistic sense and the answer lays in ethnicity thus the idea below.
A few weeks ago upon hearing about the revival of the regional tier, I hinted on a system of ridding the state of ministers who have been ineffective on delivery in their respective ministries, in lieu of a more ethnically proportionate balanced senatorial body filled by ethnic senators from the 15 original tribes of Uganda. This elite body will assume the administrative tasks now run rather inefficiently by the permanent secretaries of each ministry.
This proposed group of senators will form the necessary committees to run the affairs of the state efficiently with veto power to compliment the current parliamentary body and a similar ethnically balanced judiciary.
I further proposed a similar proportionately balanced ethnic structure for our supreme court, and any regulatory body that has to make decisions that impact the majority of the people.
It is my hope that Majority tribes like the Baganda, Iteso and others will need to come up with the necessary formula that reflects their size to represent the will of their people. I hope any Buganda negotiations with the central government will be geared towards an improved structure of governance for all the people of Uganda and not just those with powerful cultural leaders.
I hope all interested Ugandans can start to look at this very simple but necessary adjustment in the structures of governance as steps that we can implement to arrest not only corruption that has become rampant, but as a way of returning our central government back from the malaise of a single ruling ethnic group of the time.
I’m not sure where we lost this senatorial structure, perhaps during 1967, when the president then was more interested in controlling the administrative structures. After the abrogation of the constitution and removal of all kingdoms; he deliberately chose not to enhanced the existing system with a senate (or house of the Lords) thus causing the systemic failure as observed.
When one looks at the current adopted system this missing structure sticks out like a sore thumb, and it’s absence is witnessed in many of the constitutional gaffs of our time.
Parliament will remain as it is, where folks of all walks of life from dominant and non dominant political parties can convene and deliberate about our issues of the day, however qualification to the senate will require a more elite cadre. The choice of who is sent to the senate will remain purely in the hands of these 15 original ethnic groups.
Tendo kaluma
Ugandan in Boston
3 Comments
October 23, 2009 at 5:42 am (Diaspora, Federalism)
By Joseph Senyonjo
New York, New York
The Regional Tier versus Federalism
The New Vision reported on July 3rd, 2004 that the Uganda Cabinet had proposed a regional tier system for regions that desire it. The districts of Buganda would be deemed to have formed a regional tier. The central government would give some powers to the regional tier and to the districts. Districts would form a regional council.
The proposed regional tier system may at first glance seem to give way to de facto federalism. Indeed, while announcing the proposal, the government statement conceded one of federalism advocates’ major points: it pointed out that some districts are too small, and that the regional tier would enable them to pool resources.
Wherein lies the difference between Federalism and the proposed Regional tier? The fundamental difference lies in the conception and the spirit, as well as, the structural and constitutional underpinnings of the proposed system.
Structural and Constitutional Issues
There are two structural and constitutional issues that distinguish the proposed regional tier from genuine federalism.
First, the regional tier and the districts would essentially be mere agents of the central government. In genuine federal Systems such as those of the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada and Australia, among others, jurisdiction is constitutionally demarcated among the three levels of government: Federal (central), State (regional) and local (districts, counties, cities) in such a way that none of the levels derives its fundamental powers from any of the others. None of the levels can arbitrarily infringe on the other’s jurisdiction. In the proposed regional tier these powers and privileges would be contingent on the central government’s goodwill. Worse still, the proposed regional tier would be dependent on the ability of the districts to work cooperatively with it while they, simultaneously, report to the central government. Federal systems have no room for the central government agents in local politics, at either regional or local levels, yet all Uganda’s districts have Presidential appointees, the Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), charged with overseeing the districts.
Second, federal systems are designed to ensure national stability through regional checks on powers of potentially autocratic central governments. Consequently, federal regions are indivisible, that is, they cannot be broken apart. Their boundaries are inviolable. The Uganda cabinet’s proposed regional tier system, on other hand, stipulates that districts could withdraw from the regional tier by votes of two-thirds of the district councils. Such an arrangement would be a recipe for instability and disaster due to the inevitable acrimony among the different levels of government. The system would render the regional tier hostage to the districts since districts could threaten to withdraw from the system. In effect, the regions and the districts would be powerless to check on the excesses of the central government, since they would ultimately be consumed in petty power plays among themselves.
The Conception and the Spirit of the proposed regional tier
The proposed regional tier further falls short of federalism in that it was clearly conceived as a stopgap measure designed to contain Buganda’s federalism demands. The abiding spirit within the cabinet was clearly that of the unitary status quo rather than genuine empowerment of all Uganda’s people through powerful regions that would work in concert with the central government to address Uganda’s chronic under-development. If it were otherwise, the cabinet would not have ignored submissions to the Constitutional Review Commission from Acholi, Bunyoro, Busoga, and West Nile that also requested implementation of a federal system of government for Uganda.
The Example of the American Founding Fathers
When the U.S. ‘founding fathers’ started their campaign for federalism, they set out to educate the people on the benefits of federalism despite the fact that not all American regions at the time understood, nor appreciated the need for federalism. Some political elites from the various regions preferred a confederacy that essentially left most of the powers to the states with the central government having very little power; others preferred a unitary system. The founding fathers were far-sighted enough to ensure that the new constitution would be grounded on a system that would ensure its stability. They choose federalism– over a both a confederation and a unitary system– based on the fact that it ensured that all regions could advance many of their economic and political interests without interference, or veto of the central government, while simultaneously ensuring that the central government was powerful enough to guarantee the unity and harmony of the country. Federalism ensured that all of America’s regions had a stake in the integrity of the constitution since it empowered them to protect their interests.
Major components of a genuine Federal constitution
First, there would be a national federal constitution that gives equal powers and privileges to all regions while allowing for regional differences in administration within the bounds of the national constitution.
Second, there would be states / regions with capitals and regional constitutions.
Third, there would be elected regional legislatures in which all the districts, or counties, in each region would be represented. Kingdom regional legislatures could have upper chambers specially representing cultural interests such as clans, and ethnic minorities.
Fourth, the governors of the regions, including the Katikiro in Buganda, would be elected officials. In kingdom regions, the candidates for election as governor, or Katikiro, in Buganda, would go through a nomination process with the involvement of traditional rulers. The traditional rulers would be the constitutional heads of areas where they are wanted, but would not be involved in partisan politics.
Fifth, the national legislature would have two chambers: the lower house, representing constituencies, and the upper house, similar to the senate in the United States, representing each of the regions. While in the lower house more populous regions would have more seats, in the Upper House all regions would have an equal number of representatives to guarantee that all regions small or big have an equal chance to protect, or advance their interests.
Sixth, the federal equalization concept would constitutionally ensure that funds are redistributed — via pre-established formulas — to less privileged regions to help them achieve and maintain standards of living which are, at the very least, comparable to the national average. The federal government would help ensure that social services such as roads, schools and hospitals in less privileged regions are built up to a desirable national standard.
In conclusion, unlike the proposed regional tier, or the 1962 constitution, a genuine federal system for Uganda would encompass all of Uganda’s regions. The architects of the system would have to transcend a 1962-like semi-federal arrangement, which many Ugandans mistakenly believe is representative of true federalism in a Ugandan context. The 1962 arrangement was not a genuine federal arrangement for Uganda. Under the arrangement, one region was heavily favored, because it was sophisticated and organized enough to strongly negotiate for a certain level of self-determination, while most other regions were content to cede much of their power to the central government. The system was so imbalanced that it exposed Buganda, the only true federal region at the time, to envious talk of being a state within a state.
In Federal Uganda all the regions would have equivalent constitutional powers to raise and mobilize resources locally, nationally and internationally, without undue interference from the central government. There would be elected regional assemblies and governors, along with special accommodation for the role of cultural leaders. Once empowered, by the federal constitution, all Ugandans regions would jealously guard it against encroachment. The Ugandan nation-state would for the first time in its history gain legitimacy in the minds of all Uganda’s people — leading to lasting stability and prosperity.
Long Live Federalism!
Visit www.federo.com, and check out the report that Ugandans in the Diaspora presented to Constitutional Review Commission regarding federalism.
Joseph Senyonjo
UAH forumist residing in USA
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October 23, 2009 at 4:55 am (Diaspora, POLITICS, torture in uganda)
Tags: john Rubin
Fellow Ugandans,
I convey this message to the UAH forum after many hours of restlessness and confusion, for the trust I feel was misplaced. I write this message knowing that many of you will read it with the purpose of understanding and of course, as in every society some may read it with indifference. However, I am not worried about that. This concerns Dr. Henry Gombya and the story he published in the str8chronicle, which I believe many of you have read. I here convey to you my reaction to the story he wrote and published without my prior consent for approval of the contents. He has since not replied to my e-mail I wrote to him expressing my disappointment. However, I convey to you the e-mail to Dr.
Henry Gombya in its entity, so that you may judge his journalistic work for your selves
and perhaps inform me and the forum what you think. This e-mail also puts right the statements which may have been deliberately or otherwise wrongly presented.
The purpose of his visit was to interview me about my case which also had been partly judged by the United Nations Human Rights Committee. The case had attracted many, including the Danish media who came to my residence in Denmark to interview me for the Danish Television. The UNHRC ruled that Denmark observed remedy and to make sure that the mistake never occurs again in the future. However Denmark ignored the ruling of the UNHRC and after waiting two and a half years for the implementaion of the ruling to no avail, I left the country with the purpose of requesting another country to inform Denmark to respect the ruling of the UNHRC.
I hope that this message will give you a better picture of what transpired, as opposed to Henry
Gombya’s ‘’sensational article”.
Byaruhanga Johny. Rubin.
UAH Forumist
Hello Henry,
I hope this e-mail finds you in the best of your health, as I appreciate mine. I tried to find the story on the internet this morning, but there was no network to my computer. I got the network a while ago and I have read through the story. Since you asked me to tell you what I think, I shall be honest with you. I think that you wrote the story hurriedly without even referring to the documents, the audio tapes and the notes which you took from here. Not only are there many mistakes in the story, it is also not written in a chronological manner. The story only raises more questions in the mind of the reader , as I mentioned above, chronology of the events
that led to my present situation was vital to the comprehension of the
story.
Without repeating what you wrote, let me give you some corrections. I am sure you will find the paragraphs that need correction.
1- I left Uganda in March, 1981. Within 24 Hours I was in Europe.
2- By 1983 I was undefeated in the German Bundesliga, so that I turned professional. By the end of 1984, the German Boxing Magazine, Boxsport ranked me no.10 in the World. The US Ring Magazine ranked me no.2 in the Commonwealth.
3- The National Resistance Army, NRA took power in January, 1986.
4- I requested the Danish police to communicate with the German Authorities to let me return to Germany which I considered home at the time. The police requested for the telephone number of where I was residing and I gave it to them. It was an unregistered number. The
next day I received a telephone call from the Danish Boxing Promoter, Mr. Mogens Palle. The police called me several days later and wanted me at their station. I went there and I was told that the Germans could not take me. At that moment the police advised me to apply for asylum in Denmark. They instructed me how to do it and they took my statements for asylum.
5- My sons Henry and Ronny, their mother comes from Gombe, Butambala. She disappeared during the war that overthrew President Idi Amin.
When Henry and Ronny’s mother disappeared, I met the Tanzanian girl who had come to visit her uncle in Kampala. Her uncle was a childhood friend of mine and so was the Tanzanian girl. I asked her if she could help me take care of my children because it was during the time of war and as a Platoon Commander, I was extremely busy. After several Weeks, she wanted to return to Tanzania. She told me
that if I wanted her to stay helping me with the children, I had to marry her. Thence we became intimate and she conceived. She is the mother of my daughter who lives in Denmark.
6- By 1989 when I learned that the National Resistance Army/Movement (NRA/M) had taken the children to their army, Ronny was 9 years old and Henry was 11 years old. They were not ”teen age”, as you put it in the news.
7- May 6, 1996 the culprit rang the doorbell. He could not have knocked the door. My appartment was on the 2nd floor.
8- When the man attacked me, I was trying to run away from him when he stabbed me on above my left wrist.I did not fight him. However, as I turned trying to run away from him, I tripped on the pavement and fell. That is when he stabbed me again twice, once close to my waist and once again on my buttock. Someone shouted from one of the apartments
above us and that is when the culprit fled. I saw him talking to a woman who spoke from the window above. He took the key from his pocket and opened the main door. I walked to the door and read the name on the apartment doorbell of which the woman spoke.I suspected that the culprit lived in the same apartment with the woman. As I tried to walk away from their main door, I was bleeding profusely. I felt dizzy and weak, so that I could not walk any more. I collapsed and was picked from there by the Ambulance staff and rushed to the Hospital. I spent about 4 hours in the Hospital.
9- The Doctors advised me to go to the police and make a statement about what had happened. I phoned a friend, Charles Muteguya (Not Mutebi) who came with a car and drove me to the Police where I identified myself. The Police Officer checked with the computer, after which he asked me, ”Bore De i Danmark?” Do you live in Denmark?. I told him that ”We
are speaking Danish. If I was not living in Denmark, where do you think I could have learned the language?”, I asked him. He then told me that according to the computer I did not exist in the Immigration files. He told me to sit in another room and wait, as he made telephone calls. He told me later that, ”We cannot find your immigration files and therefore we have to open a new file for you”. The new file was opened and I received a new Immigration Number. After that, my interview about how and what had happened to me commenced. I was assured by the police that the culprit would be apprehended. My friend, Charles Muteguya drove me home with his car.
10- Although my neighbours told me affirmatively that the culprit had been arrested, within less than two Weeks, after 10 days precisely I received a letter from the police stating that, ”the culprit could not be found, therefore the case is closed”.
11- On the way to dowtown Copenhagen, there was a bus stop, next to the Police Station. It is the Police Station that handled my case.
12- On the 31 July, 1997 I received a letter from the Danish Immigration Authority that my wife and daughter would soon be coming to Denmark. I was so happy, so that after preparing a meal, I decided to take a walk downtown Copenhagen. On my return that afternoon, my key could not open my apartment door. The lock had been changed. Whence I remained homeless for about a year. Later I received a letter from the Post Office, written by the police to inform me that all my belongings had been auctioned. Up to this day, there is no accountability of my belongings which the Danish police claimed to have auctioned without consulting me.
13- The last paragraph you wrote, ”The story took another turn when the Lawyer who defended him, Ms Tine Vuust, said she was shocked that a Court in
Denmark could find a person guilty of such a serious crime on flimsy evidence”. There was NO evidence atall. Even the boyfriend of the Prosecution’s witness to whose case I was allegedly linked, was not allowed to come to the Court and testify.
14- When I fled Denmark, I did not request for asylum in the Netherlands. This was the idea of my Dutch Lawyers who thought it necessary. My idea was to request the Netherlands to help me inform Denmark to respect the ruling by the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
15- Pastor Mient Dijkstra did not say that he would help me aquire asylum in the Netherlands. He is sympathetic and concerned about my situation and so is his family.
Although you interviewed me for several hours in which I told you almost the whole story about my troubles in Denmark and how my daughter managed to come,you wrote nothing about that. How I was instructed by the
Danish Immigration to go to Tanzania and bring my daughter and how she got stranded in Dar es Salaam for four years, was not mentioned. How I was eventually told by the Immigration Authority that my daughter could not be allowed to come to Denmark because I was ”not married” and how my fiance’e was deported from Copenhagen Kastrup Airport, was not mentioned. How my wife and daughter eventually got permision to come to Denmark, was not mentioned. Infact, how and why I was imprisoned is not clarified. How I was denied a Lawyer of my choice, is not mentioned. You have a copy of the statement made by the Court President, in which it is stated that, ”You cannot change the Lawyer….” You have not mentioned how I smuggled a letter from prison to another Lawyer, Mr.Tyge Trier. You have not mentioned that the Lawyer, Ms Tine Vuust wrote a letter to Mr. Tyge Trier to inform him that the Police ”has taken the Case File to be destroyed”, so that Mr. Trier
could not find out why I was in prison and why I was beeing deported to Uganda.
Henry, very frankly the story leaves many questions and infact gives a suspicion that I commited the crime for which I was imprisoned. Even the previous attempt by the Danish police to arrest me under, Anti Terror Statute was not mentioned. Do you remember, the Ugandan function in which the Ugandan Ambassador and other Diplomats were in attendance, after which the police squad came and ordered us out ‘’slowly”, that there could be a bomb? I was later informed by the Danish police that I was their prime suspect in the threat calls to the Ugandan Embassy and the bomb threat to the function I mentioned above. Well, all that did not qualify for a sentence in your story.
Anyway, atleast the correction of the errors I have pointed out will be a positive step, if you donot inted to re-write the story
correctly.
I wish you all the best, as I hope to hear from you at your earliest convenience.
Yours brotherly,
Byaruhanga, Jonny Rubin.
–
2 Comments
October 23, 2009 at 4:34 am (Diaspora, Sports, torture in uganda)
Tags: Jonny Rubin Byaruhanga
Dear Ugandans
This concerns Dr. Henry Gombya and the story he published in the str8chronicle, which I believe many of you have read. I here convey to you my reaction to the story he wrote and published without my prior consent for approval of the contents
The story by Henry Gombya was, in my view wisely distorted. What I wrote to him expressing my disappointment is just the skeleton of the real story. I kept it from the UAH forum because of its sensitivity and the fact that the creators of the problem are heavyweights that I have failed to defeat after all these years.
When I conveyed my disappointment about Gombya’s story to the UAH forum, I expected questions. As I pointed out earlier, the corrections I made about Gombya’s story are just a ‘’skeleton” of the Story.
Do you remember the article about sports in Uganda that I wrote?
http://ugandansatheart.wordpress.com/2009/08/30/why-is-sport-not-taken-seriously-in-uganda/
I stated that the professional Boxing Promoters are very powerful, so that none messes with them. You mess with one, you’ve messed with them all. However, Germany did not do anything wrong to me. The problems are all from the time I was advised by the Danish police to apply for asylum. Although I gave the police an unregistered telephone number of where I was staying, it is the Danish Boxing Promoter who telephoned me and wanted to sign me under his management. After the advice from a compatriot who was, in my view very kind and honest to me, I turned down the offer for the boxing contract. I did not understand at the time that all the delays and derailments of my requests might be linked to the refusal of the boxing contract. Today, I suspect that the police made a deal with the Boxing Promoter to block my return to Germany, hoping that I would eventually sign a contract to fight for Denmark.
There were many disappointments over the years, but always thought that it was bureaucracy to blame. You have read through my mail of correction to Gombya’s story, so that you know a bit of what transpired. The ”Knock out blow” by the Danish police was when they approached me and claimed to ask for my help. They told me that they had checked me out and found that I was the Coordinator for Pan African Forum and President of the Union of Ugandans in Denmark. I had just left the class for the day, at the Danish School of Transport. They told me that if I did not mind, we could discuss the matter at their station. I said that I did not mind. They took me to the Police Headquarters. There, they showed me many photographs of Africans. They asked if I recognized any of them. I told them that I recognized some of them, at least by one name. They told me that those photos are of smugglers of illegal narcotics into Denmark and that’s why they needed my help. I asked how I could be of help. They told me that in my capacity as the Coordinator for the Pan African Forum and President of the Union of Ugandans, I was a well respected person in the African community. That they would take me to a Court Justice to whom I should say that I suspect Africans for smuggling and selling of illegal narcotics in Denmark. By that they said, the Court Justice would give the police authority to ”remove those Africans from the streets”. I told the police that I did not suspect any African because none of those in the photographs is known personally to me. I also said that if I did that, I would be telling lies to the Court Justice and I would later be charged for it. They told me that I should not worry about that because after investigating, the innocent ones would be released. I still told them that it would be wrong to incriminate probably innocent people. They angrily told me that if I did not help them, I would be the one to go to prison. They told me to think about it and left me in the office. After a while, they returned and asked if I had made up my mind. I told them that I had made up my mind. One of the policemen said, ”I knew you would be wise”. I told them that I have decided not to lie to the Court Justice. One of the cops punched me on the head and then lifted me by the shirt collar saying, ”You are going to prison now”. Although the punch on my head was very painful, I thought that they were trying to scare me. I believed that it was impossible simply to throw me into prison without commiting a crime. I was wrong. When I realized that they were serious, I asked to telephone my family. They told me that I had many years to telephone my family from prison. They drove me to the Vester Faengsel (prison). As I was escorted by the prison guard to the cell, I requested to telephone my wife, but I was told that I should have telephoned from the police because they, the guards are very busy. The following morning I was taken to the Court, only the Procecutor to request for my detention for two Weeks in isolation, while they carried on their investigation. The man who had been introduced to me as my Defence Lawyer, was even more aggressive than the police. He did not even ask to know why I was being detained in isolation. He only told me that it was a serious matter. After the Prosecutor made his request to the Judge, the Judge asked ”my Defence Lawyer” if he had any objection. He answered that he did not have any. The Judge then ordered that I be detained for two Weeks in isolation. I raised my hand and the Judge asked if I had something to say. I told him that, ”I was detained yesterday, but have not even communicated with my family”. He ordered that I be given a telephone to call my family. After about half an hour, I was allowed to call my family.
Anyway, to cut the long story short, I wrote a letter to the Court President requesting to change the Lawyer. I got no response, until I went to Court after the two Weeks in isolation. At the Court, the Judge introduced another Lawyer to me saying that my ”Lawyer is unable to come today due to lots of work”. I told the Judge that I don’t want him, and I have written to the Court President requesting to change my Defence Lawyer. He told me that before I am allowed to change the Lawyer, I should cooperate with the one offered by the Court. The lady Lawyer told me that I would not be released and that if I gave her a chance, she would try to find out why I was being held in prison. The Prosecutor requested for two more Weeks and that was granted.
On my return to the prison, I was told that I had a letter in the office. It was the letter I had sent to the Court President. There was a response on it that, ”You can not be allowed to change the Lawyer….”
After about three months, the prosecution brought a Tanzanian woman from prison, as their witness against me in a case that I knew nothing about. That’s when the woman claimed that in the Summer of 1999, she and her former boyfriend met me in Sweden and drove with me back to Dennmark. She claimed that her boyfriend had told her that I had 300 grams of heroin for her boyfriend. She continued to say that they brought me to my ”residence in Tingbjerg, Copenhagen. Asked whether she saw the heroin or heard her boyfriend and I talk about the heroin, she answered that she did not see any heroin and that she did not hear us talk about it. But she said that there was a smell of shit in the car. Asked where the smell came from, she answered that she did not know. Her ”boyfriend” was never brought to testify. I was then found guilty and sentenced to 2 and a half years in prison and expulsion from Denmark. I was shocked. My Defence Lawyer appealed the sentence. We returned to Court about 5 months later. The Tanzanian woman repeated her claims, but with lots of contradictions from her previous claims in the previous Court. She was asked whether she was sure my residence they drove me to was in Tingbjerg, Copenhagen. She replied that she knew the place very well and that she even had friends living there. She was later led out of the Court room. The Prosecutor then told the Court that after the testimony by the witness, I be jailed for a period not less than 3 years and be expelled from Denmark. My Defence Lawyer stood up and handed a document to the Judge and another one to the Prosecutor. She said that the witness for the Prosecution ”is not truthful”. She said that in the Summer of 1999 she, the witness for the Prosecution was in prison and that there was no possibility for her to have travelled to Sweden with her boyfriend. The Lawyer handed another document to the Judge and another one to the Prosecutor. She then said that according to the document from the Housing Company, I ceased to reside in Tingbjerg, Copenhagen on 31st July, 1997 and that it was also not possible that the Prosecution witness and her boyfriend could have taken me to my ”apartment in Tingbjerg, Copenhagen”. However, after that I was found guilty and the sentence from the previous Court was upheld. My Defence Lawyer tried to appeal the sentence, but the appeal was denied. She was subsequently removed from the case.
I was then transfered to Albertslund Faengsel (prison) where I was supposed to serve my sentence. In January, 2004 I smuggled a letter out of prison to the New African publications. You may find the letter on line in the New African of 1st February, 2004. The police had to warn me against such letters. Prior to the letter to New African I had smuggled a letter out of prison to another Lawyer. The new Lawyer sent a telefax to my former Defence Lawyer requesting for my case file, as he intended to represent me. The former Lawyer wrote him a confidential letter in which she stated that, ”The police has taken the case file to be destroyed”. Whether intentionaly or by mistake,I got a copy of the letter.The new Lawyer tried to reopen the case, but failed. I then sent a letter to the European Court of Human Rights. The Court sent me a document for the Lawyer representing me to sign. My new Lawyer told me that the European Court of Human Rights was not a good idea. He told me that he had sent the case to the United Nations Human Rights Committee. While the UNHRC was investigating the case and communicating with the state of Denmark in this regard, I was released from prison. Later the UNHRC ruled that Denmark ‘’should observe remedy and to make sure that the mistake never happens again in future”. Denmark appealed the decision. The UNHRC replied that, ”there was no Legal basis to appeal the Decision”.
I waited 2 and a half years for Denmark to correct their mistake, to no avail. Instead I got a letter from the police ordering me to leave my family residence and be detained in Sandholm, north of Copenhagen.
My coming to the Netherlands was to request the State of the Netherlands to inform the State of Denmark to respect the ruling by the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
Hopefully, the details will be in the Book planned for the people, especially my children to know what happened, should anything happen to me before the young ones are old enough to understand.
I know that some of the members of the UAH forum may be asking themselves the same question. Believe it or not, I am not with the habit of, ”an eye for an eye”. I was brought up with the knowledge that one lives peacefully forgiving those who tresspass against him. I have no intention to sue him, but I shall tell him if or when we meet again, that he hurt me very much. You saw the mail I wrote to him expressing my disappointment, but in a brotherly manner. I know that the Dutch family whose hospitality he dishonoured by publishing their photographs in the story that does not concern them, are very unhappy. The man is a Pastor and a Senior Official of Defence. I can not talk on their behalf, but if Gombya has to worry, the publication of that family’s names and photographs without prior consultation, should be enough.
I thank you for your concern.
BJ. Rubin.
UAH Forumist in Europe
1 Comment
October 22, 2009 at 3:44 pm (2009 -2011 elections, Food and health, POLITICS)
Tags: Joshua Kato
Dear Ugandans,
There is food in Uganda however the problem is with the food distribution system. This is why while there is food insecurity in Teso, bananas are rotting away on plantations in Bushenyi! This shows that the problem is with the distribution chain. If you want to know that Ugandans grow food, just visit Koboko and Nimule. You will be amazed by the tens of trucks carrying food into the Sudan. That is the same case with the borders of DRC and Kenya. It is because Uganda supplies food to all these countries that i refer to it as a food basket. And yet, while this food is being eaten by the Sudanese and Congolese, there are people sort of food in Teso. This means that the distribution chain has to be improved.
You will also realize that for the last two years, all the flour that the WFP has supplied in Uganda was bought from Ugandan farmers. WFP buys from those who have and districts it to those who do not have and that chain some how improves the food distribution system.
At the moment, we are selling food to all neighboring countries including the Sudan and Kenya, but we should expand and sell food even to Ethiopia and Eritrea, countries that have got the worst food insecurity.
On the subject of performance, note that the hunger and poverty is more prevalent in areas led by opposition MPs and Local leaders and not by NRM local leaders. Such areas include Teso, where NRM has got only 3 MPs, Acholi were NRM has got only 1 MP and West-Nile.
For the record, Rwanda is far below Uganda in all features of social development. For example, while poverty levels are 31% in Uganda, they are 40% in Rwanda, even with production of foods, Uganda according to all recent Global Indexs is the regional food basket with a better food security than even Kenya, Sudan and Tanzania, again, Rwanda is behind. Overall, it is only Kenya that beats Uganda on all averages.
2011 might offer some surprises as far as Kampala is concerned. There may not be so much change as far as MPs are concerned, but with Local Governance, it will be a very different matter. Residents accuse the DP leadership in the city for failing them. Mayor Nasser Ssebagala came riding on a very populist ticket that his failure to change the face of the city has deflated all those oppositionists who had faith in him. The election of Peter Ssematimba in Rubaga Division was partly as a result of this opposition disappointment. In fact, during those by-elections, almost all councilors elected, including Minsa Kabanda of the Central Division were NRM. Among the MPs, Lukwago (Central) Ssebagala (Kawempe) Ssebuliba (Kawempe south) Hussein Kyanjo (Makindye) Beti Kamya (Rubaga North) are unshakable and will return.
It is not only Ssebagala who is not performing, even other DP LC3 chairmen, for example Nasser Takuba in Kawempe and Moses ‘Bill Gates’ Kalungi are not doing well. Even Nakawa division under Protazio Kintu is these days full of conflicts rather than positive administration. of the 5 divisions in the city, only the Central division under NRM has had less internal wrangles compared to the rest. For Ssematimba, it is still early to judge him. I see a time when the population simply lets go of these DP leaders and replace them with either independents or NRM. I bet on that.
There are things that you can see and conclude that so and so has performed. For example in urban areas like Kampala, the presence of garbage heaps means that the authorities have failed in the garbage collection task. The development of more slums and unplanned structures means that the authorities have failed on that task too, the pot-holes in the roads around the city means that the authorities have failed etc-then you combine these with on the spot views of the population about their leader and i assure you that Kampala is failing on all those fronts.
As far as Nasasira is concerned, i can give him 60% performance accross the country. If he is judged on Kampala alone, then he gets below average, but accross the country he gets at least 60% and this is why. At the moment, all major highways have got or are getting new tarmac. Such include Bombo-Karuma, Busunju-Hoima, Masaka-Mbarara, Masaka-Kampala, Soroti-Dokolo-Lira, Northern by pass, Gulu-Atik-Nimule etc. Secondly, roads that did not formerly have tarmac are being tarmacked at the moment and these include Gayaza-Wobulenzi, Matuga-Semuto-Kapeeka, Ntungamo-Kabale-Kisoro etc.
Previously, he also over saw the tarmacking of Kafu-Masindi, Karuma-Arua, Mubende-Fortportal etc and all these are major links. In reality, Nasasira is not a failure if you take out politics.
Kagonyera failed to harmonise issues at NSSF so he is a failure and about Akankwasa, he is currently under the radar for issues related to his wife and money, but not his work at NFA. Those are DPs and everybody knows them.
Joshua Kato
Journalist
1 Comment
October 15, 2009 at 3:12 pm (2009 -2011 elections, Genocides, Land matters, parliament)
Tags: WB Kyijomanyi
People:
There is a new and very credible angle emerging that the NRMO government or should I say some crooks (read land grabbers) within the corrupt regime stopped His majesty the Kabaka from visiting Kayunga because they had information that the Banyala whose land had been grabbed by Brigadier Tumukunde would call upon his Majesty the Kabaka to intercede on their behalf.
I have taken time to get to the bottom of the stupidity of the NRMO’s regime decision making and why IGP Kaiyihura responded the way he did. Luckily, my elderly auntie lives in Kayunga and after talking to her briefly, she put her ideas in writing and off they got to me.
Since NRMO spin masters are reading they are likely to dismiss the new angle that it was not land grabbing but about Banyala. For the record and the media or Hon. Kirunda and Hon Atubo call tell parliament if it is not true that Brigadier Tumukunde grabbed land belong to the late Mzee Sajjabbi, a respected Munyala elder in Kayunga and left his children landless.
Let the Hon ministers all tell parliament and Ugandan whether it is also not true that General Tinyenfunza too grabbed land in Kayunga. The word from elders in Kayunga is that this Captain Kimeze is a creation of forces loyal to Brigadier Tumukunde and those other land grabbers who have grabbed in Kayunga to ensure that the his land grabbing venture is covered up.
You folks in Uganda do your investigation and find out whether Mzee Sajjabbi’s land was not grabbed by Brigadier Tumukunde. You should also find out his standing among the Banyala. My untie told me that the late Mzee Sajjabbi wanted to help Banyala take up business activities in Kayunga town. You should also find out why Captain Kimeze’s siblings disagreed with him.
Parliament should get to the bottom of the Kayunga saga. Minister Kirunda lied through and through to parliament. He all along knew or should have known that the stand off in Kayunga was about Tumukunde’s land grabbing, particularly grabbing the late Mzee Sajjabi’s land.
Once again let MPs, parliament and the few courageous journalists still willing to risk get to know the story about Mzee Sajjabbi’s (RIP) land. It becomes apparent that stopping the visit by his Majesty the Kabaka to Kayunga was a red herring masterminded by agents of land grabbing and their lackeys within security agencies.
Truth be said it Hon Kirunda was genuine; he would have ordered a very small faction of those security agents seen firing live bullets in Kampala to Kayunga and keep peace during his Majesty’s visit. The fact that the state kept on lying that there would be violence buy yet could not send a few soldiers to Kayunga to keep peace during the viist exposes the fallacy by Hon. Kirunda and Hon. Matsiko.
I call upon parliament to set up a select committee to investigate the roles played by Hon. Minister, IGP Kaiyihura, brigadier Tumukunde and General Tinyefunza is triggering riots in Uganda. MPs may want to investigate the relationship between Captain Kimeze and Brigadier Tumukunde and General Tinyenfunza.
These two have grabbed a lot of land, with Tumukunde grabbing massive Banyala owned land, land that belonged to the late Mzee Sajjabbi. People, a pattern is emerging here: where there has been massive land grabbing there is confusion, confusion created by land grabbers in military uniform.
To the Buganda caucus members, I am going to be refrained, but I would have called you names. Why did you not take time to get to the bottom of the issue? How could you easily buy into the fallacy and lies fed to you by Minister Kirunda and IGP Kaiyihura that it was the fear of His Majesty’s security? You should have known that that was total baloney, but you swallowed it easily. Shame on you.
Now suppose it was fear of His Majesty’s security, how many soldiers or police or a combination would have it taken to keep the peace during his majesty’s visit Suppose it was fear of the Kabaka’ security, why did not minister Kirunda in his capacity as Minister of internal affairs offer to go to Kayunga with His Majesty (I know NRMO does not want to refer to him as His majesty) the Kabaka for the sake of keeping peace?
Further, suppose it was fear for peace, why could not IGP Kale Kayihura accompany his majesty or go to Kayunga to keep peace? What would it have taken to keep peace from imaginary combatants in Kayunga? Now suppose Minister Kirunda and Kale Kaiyihura were right that it was fear of security-they were lying on behalf of the land grabbers-and rather than blocking Kafu had offered to lead the visit from the front to ensure peace? The fact that they chose to block the visit illuminates the fallacy.
Finally, regarding the hundreds of so called presidential advisers, a bunch of yes women and men, how come not a single one put forward a different view? Why it is that Minister Kirunda, IGP Kayihura told lies when they knew or should have known the truth about Kayunga and the truth was not His Majesty’s security but protecting Tumukunde and Tinyefunza’s land grabbing?
Folks, if it was security Minister Kirunda and IGP Kaiyihura would have offered the necessary protection at minimal cost and damage to Uganda. That they chose not too is exposes their fallacy. They are liars. period.
Bottom line: the Kayunga saga had nothing to do with fears about His Majesty’s security. Rather the blockade was concocted to protect one or two land grabbers in the names of Brigadier Tumukunde and General Tinyenfunza. Mzee Sajjabbi’s grabbed land was the issue not His Majesty the Kabaka’s visit to Kayunga. That is the truth folks about Kayunga.
Among the president’s advisors, cabinet, NRMO and yes Buganda caucus, there was only one firefighter who knew the folly of the Kirunda-Kaiyihura-Kimeze-Tumukunde-Tinyenfunza gang and tried rather late to stop the fire. As always it was the affable General Salim Saleh. The rest who advised the president were bifure period. Bifure because they feared to tell the president and country the truth: that land grabbing has now become a danger to national security.
It is time for a select committee of MPs to get to the truth about Kayunga and ensuing riots
WBK
USA Resident
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October 14, 2009 at 1:52 pm (Agriculture, Education)
Tags: Tendo Kaluma
Fellow Ugandans,
I’m not too sure what has happened to the government of Uganda, but, I get the feeling that they are now operating with the strategy and credo of a spoiler, If we cannot take it all, lets destroy it so that no other can ever enjoy it.
How else do you explain the ushering in of south African farmers in less than an advisory or consultancy capacity? This is a very disturbing trend indeed and in a way an admission of defeat by the current administration.
We are saying to the world that 30 million black Africans have regressed so far back to have lost the most ancient skill necessary for survival, “farming”.
How much more knowledge does a south African farmer bring to the table to warrant yet another tribe land wrangle in our mix?
We all saw how much effort it took the native south African to reclaim their land, besides why put us into such a vulnerable position to put us in bed with a people who have historically demostrated such hatred for the native African!
Well, we are now paying the cost of refusing to train and equip our own with modern farming techniques, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, has given us several hints on available scholarships, where they could train our agriculturalists up to the PHD level, as long as we provide them food and shelter.
You’d think our government would have jumped to such an opportunity, but, no one seems to be in the capacity building department of our country. We need those lights in the human capital department turned on and working for us.
How could we as Africans ever dream of taking a man to the moon , if something as simple as putting a seed in the ground, irrigating with fertilizers, requires the selling off of our land to a rich neighbour to relieve us of the nightmare of cultivating it on our own.
NO, Mr. Museveni, there has to be a point in your development where you can say with some determination ”I CAN DO IT ON MY OWN”
Tendo
Ugandan in Boston
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October 13, 2009 at 10:58 pm (Genocides, World history and politics)
Tags: lusoke willy
UAH members,
Do some of you really believe in what that ‘allocation of opportunities in Rwanda depends on [I do not remember the right word you used but you sounded to mean] ‘objective’ criteria? Can you mention those criteria? And then, as soon as possible, reflect on the following :
a) How many senior officers to we have in RPA/RDF? How many are Tutsi? The last time I made efforts to analyze this was last year and there were 93% Tutsi
b) How many Ministers do we have in Rwanda? How many are Tutsi? Last year around December the figures were 89% Tutsi
c) How many Permanent Secretaries do we have in Rwanda? How many are Tutsi? In effect, these were 2% Tutsi more than ministers then
d) How many senior officers in the National Police? How many are Tutsi? The figure was 93% Tutsi last year
e) How many ‘presidents’ of National Commissions do we have in Rwanda? How many are Tutsi? IT was 98% Tutsi last year
f) How many Ambassadors does Rwanda have? How many are Tutsi? It was 91% Tutsi last year
NB. You guys could cheat any other person but not me. Anybody who has ever lived in Rwanda knows that you do not need an ID to identify who is Tutsi, Twa or Hutu in Rwanda.
Did you know that it would lead to an RPF/RDF senior officer’s death or risk never being promoted again if he/she got married to a Hutu?we fought the war. Actually it was not a war that time, it was a struggle. But, take it from me, all our dreams were sacrificed at Kagame’s Egoistic tendencies!!!!
For your information, Kagame, Ibingira, Mubarak, Murokole, etc, are responsible for the death of many Tutsi!!!!They started with killing the youthful Tutsi from Burundi who came in to join the struggle. They were being accused of trying to possess RPF!!! They were killed by agafuni.
Secondly, they should never cheat you that all the Tutsi were killed by Interahamwe. There are many prominent Tutsi who were killed by RPF as a way of ‘waking up’ the Tutsi who were in Rwanda to join RPF!!!!! This is on record, Sir!!!!!! Bwana Mucyo was among the field commanders for this ‘job’!!!! Bwana Rukumbura, please, just accept one thing that there are so many ’secrets’ that you probably do not know yet about RPA/RPF/RDF!!! It would be risky for you guys to commit yourselves to this network if at all you have clean hands because days will come when all these will become public knowledge and you will be ashamed of having been a defender of this system.
By the way, tell me one single area in Rwanda where there was no genocide against the Tutsi? But did you know that prior ro the genocide RPF had captured so many territories? How come that even in the RPF controlled territories there was genocide? How did the government forces plan genocide with the RPF territories? Isn’t it a thought for the mind
Come on, being Tutsi does not mean supporting criminals!!!
LUSOKE WILLY
UAH forumist
1 Comment
October 12, 2009 at 9:48 pm (2009 -2011 elections, Diaspora)
Tags: semnda mustapha
Dear Sir/Madam,
You are invited to attend a demonstration on Saturday 24 October 2009 to denounce the recent brutal murder of over 30 Ugandans, the closure of over 4 radio stations and the arrest of over 1000 innocent people who are still in jail. The demonstration will take place at Terrace Gardens opposite 10 Downing Street from 3-7pm. The nearest station is Westminster station.
Everyone is invited regardless of any political affiliation or tribe. As long as you wish Ugandans the peace and freedoms you enjoy in the western world – you are welcome.
Just to let you know – we are also receiving intelligence reports from Uganda that the government is still arresting innocent people at night from their homes and never to be seen again by their relatives (panda gali). Some of the affected areas are Bwaise, Nateete and Makindye.
See the videos below and after please forward this message to all your friends. The future of Uganda as you know it rests with you and it is your responsibility to do your part. We hope to do our part, will you??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0OTmBN0xjU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KCnlVkj8K0
Thank you
Regards
Mustapha Semanda
2 Comments
October 12, 2009 at 8:11 pm (CULTURE, Diaspora, KINGDOMS)
Tags: Tendo Kaluma
Fellow Ugandans,
Mixed bag of sentiments following the president’s visit and his apparent skipping out of town in the middle of the night.
Mr. Museveni, we were told by some NRM/O operatives that he had skipped out of town in the night without regard to the special celebratory Gala which had been laid out here in his honor.
Mr. Museveni, had been warned for years that there is a tough spirited Buganda crowd in Boston, and this time they were charged more than ever since the dissing of his Royal highness the King of Buganda,coupled with the demise of many Buganda youth, who were killed and some remain detained on sedition and terrorism charges. Folks here wanted a real one on one with Mr. Museveni, similar to what is seen during the charged healthcare debates in America town halls.
He escaped being cross examined by the likes of our Elder, Dr. Lugiira on a myriad of issues of neglect that irk many Ugandans pointing the finger of no confidence at the NRM regime.
Professor Lugiira once had a pointed exchange regarding the NRM policy and intent with an unsuspecting visitor to Boston, Mr. Eria Kategaya, who was asked why they were parting from the edict of a seemingly straight forward 10 point program, layered out on print and distributed globally as their script of governance.
To answer the charge, Mr. kategaya, seemingly paralyzed and shocked by the ambush, gave the canned NRM answer of escapism, known too well to all of us and used to insult our intelligence, “We went to the bush to fight and we can do anything we want, the type of change you seek will not be handed over to you just like that, you have to fight for it”.
As the boos filled the room from every corner from folks enraged by the arrogance of our new official, we were left agasp with an unsettling feeling and perhaps a glimpse of things to come. Little did we all know that the eye of an elder did not gray out of blight, on hindsight, it might have been the best town hall challenge ever faced by an NRM top cadre.
From that point on Boston was written off entirely as a Baganda town, well, by the powers that be and especially the office of the president. When we invited him to our UNAA convention he declined and gave us Mr. Gilbert, who cancelled at the last hour citing some northern Ugandan emergency meeting.
As to why Mr. Museveni, had promised the impossible to us, knowing fully well that his VP could not leave town while he was out himself, we’ll never know.
Certainly, Boston has become quite polarized, folks are suspicious of each other like never before. Like union workers, those who crossed the picket lines lost respect in the community somehow.
However, many of them ignored a rather civil warnings, that, their continued support for a regime associated with such pain in Buganda, would ultimately result in their being isolated as the wretched of the community. Many went to the Gala to dance, some citing “respect for the office of the presidency”, as a legitimate reason for attending.
Of course many in attendance were hard core NRM folks, who could not shy away from the responsibilities of leadership regardless of condition.
Threats were levied, from not being aided by the community, if a relative died to boycotting by the community of all functions thrown by an NRM supporter.
To those pained by the recent events, they could not understand the absurdity of a Baganda involvement in an NRM/O Gala, after the meting out of such a hard and inhumane crushing to the youth of Buganda and the blatant and deliberate staging of such indignities to the person of their beloved King.
The taunting of the last friends of the regime is continuous and frequent, they are repeatedly asked questioned at functions, whether it is deemed morally right to be blind to the plight of the Ugandan people, and at times this results into real altercations within the community.
Matters of contention with Mr.Museveni’s performance in the last 24 years are exhaustive, and it clearly reflects how far the president and the NRM folks have slipped away from the main stream with their un-ending term of governance. Many issues of contention could be discussed and resolved, but few have the spine at this juncture to meet and engage such enraged groups of the diaspora, perhaps the president will get the gumption to address the diaspora seriously on an equal footing.
Although the laundry list of answerable charges is long I’m not sure that the NRM/O folks who were deeply disappointed by his absence are about to charge the community another $80.00 bucks for a no show president.
Here is a list of but a few issues cited by those wielding signs of protest in the diaspora:
- Museveni and his machinery have killed with impunity in Uganda, case in point the recent orders to shoot rioters and the genocide in the North.
- Museveni has unfairly encercerated young men and women and now they are languishing in his prison from the recent riots.
- Museveni encourages the atmosphere of graft, by simply rotating perpetrators to new positions-and is not tough enough on corrupt officials.
- Museveni does not love the country like a native son, why else has he not followed Kagame’s act to root out corruption, instead he has left all Uganda’s institutions to rot.
- Museveni, has impoverished Ugandans while enriching his own kind, look at the jets, state houses and the birthing trips by the family.
- Museveni has been insular while Ugandans die of poverty and neglect in our hospitals,just ask yourself how much money you send home and ask anyone the experience of having a loved one as a patient in any state run hospital.
- Museveni has refused to create fair and balanced platforms of governance, look at the lossy loop holes associated with his restructuring end product.
- Museveni and his people have corrupted the entire nation, and we need to closely identify every person and accountant involved in cooking books to steal public fund and put them on notice even if it takes decades we shall recover our money.
- Museveni has refused to return things that belong to Buganda, and he has put the federo system on hold because he knows it will curtail all the embezzlement of funds by his un touchables.
- Museveni is selling off the country to his people, he has also picked judges that are quite partial to his cause.
- Museveni has not addressed many bread and butter issues, such as employment in the waisted 24 years, he has not even groomed an heir!
- Preserve the dignity of the King of Buganda and they will not rest unless issues are addressed or power is relinquish, they have had enough!
- Museveni is messing with county borders and territories to suit an undesirable end.
As a witness to all this, I still pray for cool heads to prevail and continue to search for real genuine solutions for a system fair enough to stop the current bleeding of the nation and to have both our brothers in the NRM camp to have wide enough shoulders to face up some of the blame of the state of affairs in our country. As to our protesters of the recent violations, remember to include other tribes in order to forge a lasting solution for Uganda.
Tendo
Ugandan in Boston
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October 6, 2009 at 6:44 pm (Transport)
Attention: 4 bullets in this post.
- Now that Kampala’s northern by-pass road is open to the public, done well or shoddily, it is welcome. Attention should now be focused on the ’southern by-pass’ conceived almost at the same time as the completed one, as evidenced in the “Kampala Master Plan” by the 1971 coup d’état.
- The concept of the “Southern by-pass” was to link the two trunks/arteries: Kampala-Jinja and Kampala-Masaka roads via Luzira, Bunga-Kawuku, Konge, Kajansi, etc. The novelty with its design is/was that the Luzira-Kawuku portion was supposed to be an environmentally-friendly ‘flyover’ that should leave the swamp between and the confluence of the Kampala drainage channels un-affected.
- Once completed, the two ‘by-passes’ would give Kampala, like most cities the world over, an outer ring road.
- Mother of all questions: is our government, at last, able to handle that, in addition to the vital and now much talked of ‘fly-overs’ over parts of metropolitan Kampala? Would an underground Metro-train network probably be a better alternative? Let’s pray for a miracle.
Christopher Muwanga,
Nakasero, Kampala,
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October 6, 2009 at 6:33 pm (2009 -2011 elections, POLITICS)
Tags: christopher Muwanga
Summary: The plunder of common resources in today’s Uganda is so rampant and merciless that those in power sometimes dispose of something {through selling it to themselves through someone else to manage, most usually, an Asian}, only later to need the facility themselves. The public parks and other green-grounds to the east of Kololo hill are a good example. Nice reading.
1/4.When Muniini K. Mulera [The daily Monitor Opinion, 5th October, 2009] talks of “public lands and forests and greenbelts given away to developers and other … “, I cannot but recall the “cannibalism” of the powers that be regarding the ‘rape’ of open space, the same space that they themselves have been benefitting from. A good example is the green parks between Shell Lugogo and the near-by Indoor Stadium and that directly to the east of Kololo National ceremonial grounds.
2/4.The earlier administrations, since 1954, had left these green-spaces for up-country buses/vehicles, army and school transport, to deposit the hordes of praise singers and school marchers during independence and other public celebrations at Kololo airstrip and during public music festivals and sports events at the nearby stadia [Kyadondo and Kampala rugby grounds, the cricket grounds, the 8-KCC football pitches, the indoor facilities, etc].
3/4. Now, these have been replaced by a forest of “Indian” concrete structures.
4/4. Paradox: When President elect Museveni was being sworn in last time, the upcountry supporters had no where park and all the roads ended up being blocked and traffic paralyzed. Many never had a chance of reaching the venue. Talk of eating the cake and then asking for it!!! The chaos caused by lack of parking space during the recent music contests between our musicians and when foreign artists perform here, is clear proof of the “shot-sightedness” of our planners, misused by our hungry politicians.
Christopher Muwanga,
Nakasero,
Kampala.
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November 19, 2008 at 2:52 am (CULTURE)
Tags: Henry Ford Mirima
Dear Netters Senkindu,Senyonjo, Mulindwa, Jessica, etc.
Thanks for responding to the subject of witch-doctors intimidating and causing untold fear amongst the Uganda population to the point of believing lies and tricks of witch-doctors in attracting people to believe that human sacrifice of calousily killing young girls and boys in the unfounded hope of acquiring wealth from such barbaric acts.
One characteristic of all the respondents is that nobody has hit at the effective solution. Nobody has agreed that practitioners of witch-craft are basically honest, genuine people but who act ignorantly.
Only education of their minds will remove their ignorance. And this can only be carried out in the education system begining in the prirmary, secondary and at university level.
The press can play an effective role, but people like Kalundi Serumaga fear to antagonise witch-dcotors. Killing innocent young girls and boys should invite sympathy but Serumaga has never presented a programme to condemn this practice for fear of antagonising witch-doctors.
Most netters are saying that witch-craft be criminalised and the Police Force be awakened to take strong action against practitioners of witch-craft.
The laws against witch-craft are there, but are they enforced.
The great weakness of these proposals is that the majority of Ugandaans, including the Police Force and the judiciary are all of them believers in witch-craft hence they cannot take action against witch-doctors.
In addition to that, and we have established these facts in our book UNVEILING WTICH-CRAFT these people are intimidated into fearing the repurcusions of witch-dcotors. Fear of witch-doctors makes law enforcers, the Police and the Press, to fear to take action against them. They fear to be cursed and to be possessed by the devil, they fear to be be-witched by witch-doctors.
This fear is based on ignorannce of the highest degree.
The only solution is to remmove fear from our people. Fear can only be removed if they are convinced from the bottom of their hearts that the witch-doctor has not power to send spirits to attack anybody. We have established that there are no such spirits known as amayembe, lubaale, emizimu, ebyookoola, ebyomunju, etc.
In our book we demonstrate very clearly the basis of how witch-doctors claim to possess such powers. We have converted hundreds of thousands of witch-doctors who have spilled the beans on how they deceived and trick people.
Netters have asked me whether we have approached the ministry of education and other law makers to educate the population about these lies and tricks of witch-dcotrs.
Yes, we have approached the highest authorities in Uganda. We have written letters to H.E. President Museveni, and the MInister of Presidential aAffairs, Hon Wabudeya, and the PPS in the President’s office, Hon. Amelia Kyambadde. The latter had even made an appointment for us to meet the President but some how it did not materialise.
We have approached Makerere University and delivered complimentary copies to relevant departments like that of Sociology, Psychology, Education, Anthropolgy, Religious Affairs, The Faculty of Law,etc
The Presidents office invited us to meet Canon Ruhunda who is incharge of Religious Affairs in HE’s office. We carried two ex-witch-doctors to his office, and all the spirits and other paraphernalia witch-doctors use in the spirits shrines and demonstratred how they tell lies and how they change their voices to sound like spirits and how they make horns (amayembe) walk about and how they make them talk.
WE were invited at Makerere Institute of Languages where the department of Anthropology operates from and we carried two ex-witchdoctors who demonstrated how they make spirits (horns) and lubaale, talk and walk about.
Briefly, we showed how witch-doctors capitalise on the gullibility of the population to deceive them.
At this stage Ugandans should be abhorred by the story of the young girl who was so calously placed in a ditch, alive and watching every activity going on, sand poured over her and made her die a very painful death.
In civilised societies such a story would prop up in Parliament and the Minister of security would be put on the carpet, indeed, the Government would be forced to resign if the culprit is not found and prosecuted.
Briefly, the solution is to criticlly read that book and analyse it and see how our findings can help educate the minds of the people so that they no longer succumb to witch-doctors lies and tricks. It is only after fear of witch-doctors has been removed that we can face them and refuse to kill young girls and boys for their body parts to prescribe medicine for acquiring wealth.
We also approached the Minsitry of Education and donated five books to all the ministers in that ministry and their commissioners.
But, dear netters, we have never even received a letter acknowledging receipt of our donations. And this subject has never been even mentioned in the minisrtry.
Our suspicion is that these officers are themselves believers in witch-craft hence they cannot take action that will remove what they believe in. Or, they are so effectively intimidated by the thought that witch-doctors will attack them if they take action.
Henry Ford Mirima
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November 19, 2008 at 3:02 am (POLITICS)
Tags: Abbey.K.Semuwemba
Old politicians should groom the youth to take over leadership
I agree with an article in a local magazine criticising President Museveni over his utterances against young people in politics. It is sad that the old politicians in Uganda have not considered grooming young people to take over their positions.
Milton Obote died without a young man taking over UPC. The party has brilliant young brains like Joseph Ochieno who are just being wasted.
A politician like Mr Bidandi Ssali, who has been in politics for ages, will not surprise us if he emerges as PPP’s presidential candidate when there are many brilliant young men in the party. The oldies want to stay on till when both their feet and brains develop wrinkles.
The NRM, a party initially blessed with a crop of young leaders including Dr Kizza Besigye, should never have allowed the Besigye’s to leave it. They should have been nurtured to take over leadership now instead of fighting them. The old people in the NRM are constantly fighting each other over the succession issue. For instance, one reads in the papers about the battles between Prof. Gilbert Bukenya and Mr Amama Mbabazi.
Mr Museveni does not want to leave power yet he is not grooming anyone to take over from him. This kind of politics compels young men and women to participate in politics only if they expect immediate gains.
Ugandans should admire the political environment in America where a young man like Barack Obama has been given a chance and is likely to become the next US president. Obama, 47, is not only the first African-American presidential candidate of a major party in the US but he is also a first term Senator to vie for president. He is a model and motivator for all the Black race worldwide.
Old people should give a chance to the youth to take over political leadership in Uganda. May be we need a party for young men and women to strongly send this message out there.
Abbey K.Semuwemba,United Kingdom
abbey@semuwemba.freeserve.co.uk
1 Comment
March 3, 2009 at 2:57 pm (POLITICS)
Tags: L/Cpl (rtd) Otto Patrick
Dear People,
Why don’t you push for an ammendment to the constitution?
You really must have missed out in the whole exercise of the review of the 1995 constitution carried out by the Constitutional Review Commission headed by none other than Prof Alfred Ssempebwa, a mulangira! The views you are expressing were expressed by many others as the Sempebwa report shows under section 11.6. I am sending you the link to that report: http://www..ugandaonlinelawlibrary.com/files/constitution/Commission_of_Inquiry.PDF
The report’s recommendation on the issue of the Banyarwanda was clear. Sempebwa states:
‘In our view, the existence of the Banyarwanda as an indigenous community in Uganda by 1926 is not in dispute and should be recognised. It is not for other communities to impose a name on this community.’ [here he was referring to the name 'Bafumbira' which was given to the Banyarwanda when Kisoro district was transferred from Belgian to British jurisdiction in 1926]
Note that, Banyarwanda who were left out of the Republic of Rwanda after the post-Berlin partition were named after the volcanic ranges close to which teir community lived. Those near Mufumbira ranges in present day Uganda were called ‘Bafumbira’, those near Mulenge hills in present day DRC were called ‘Banyamulenge’, those near Masisi hills also in present day DRC were called ‘Banyamasisi’ and those from Rutshuru hills are called ‘Banyarutshuru’. All those people are BANYARWANDA, the people of the old Rwanda Empire that was cannibalised by the British, Belgians and Germans. They were named after those hills to give them a new identity in their ‘new’ countries otherwise ETHNICALLY, they are Banyarwanda. DO NOT confuse them with Banyarwanda that are citizens of Rwanda, i.e., the RWANDESE. It is the Banyarwanda of Uganda who have sought to make a break by repudiating the derogatory name after some hills and asserted that they are Banyarwanda. This became particularly urge
The confusion with Banyarwanda is a result of coincidence between the name of their ethnic group and the name of a colony. That confusion never arises with other ethnic groups that are split between other neighbours just because those neighbouring countries do not share their name with an ethnicity. For every Alur in Uganda there are 2.5 in DRC (the so-called Lendu), for every 1 Mutoro in Uganda, there are 2 in DRC in Boga. There are Banyoro in NW Tzania, Itesot of Kenya elect Eimormor in Soroti etc. Imagine if Southern Sudan was called Acholi. What would have happened with the Acholi in Uganda? Or if Mao engineers a secession of Acholi, what would happen with the Acholis in Parajok and Kit in Equatoria province in Sudan.
They are saying they are Banyarwanda, but not Rwandese. Additionally, let us not confuse the ethnic group, Banyarwanda,with castes, the Batutsi, Bahutu and Batwa. Those were just socioeconomic classes just like Buganda has Balangira (equivalent of Tutsi) and Bakopi …the Hutus. Membership to those castes was not fixed. If you acquired alot of cattle, you could be dehutuised, and promoted to being a Tutsi, likewise if you were a Tutsi and lost your cattle like used to happen following outbreaks of rinderpest etc, you would be downgraded to a Hutu. They were not fixed groups like ethnicities tend to be. It is the Belgians that bastardised them into tribes: because Belgians have Walloons and Flemings as their two tribes, they wanted to recreate that arrangment in Rwanda and Urundi….with disastrous consequences…..
Likewise, in India there are similar castes, the Brahmans (Tutsi), Sudras (farmers..Hutu), the Dalits or Harijan (the untouchables…Batwa). The caste of Batwa similar meant ‘the to be spat on’ …you know how you spit: ‘Khroo, twa…’
[In India, later on they got the caste called 'Thugs' the Hindu word which entered English in 1839...they were violent robbers who murdered their victims according to specific rituals, prescribed by the Hindu goddess 'Kali' (from which we got the Swahili word kali or tough)].
So, compatriots, let us broaden our perspectives a bit to avoid interahamweist rhetoric.
Yrs sincerely,
L/Cpl (rtd) Otto Patrick
UPDF Officer
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November 21, 2008 at 12:06 am (HEALTH)
Tags: Add new tag, WB Kyijomanyi
I know this is taboo but here I go.
Actually, abortion would not be necessary if women did not use it as a form of family planing. Some people sleep around carelessly without taking precaution. One would expect such fornicators to take matters in their hands and religiously use the contraceptive pill-best protection. If they did, 995 they would not conceive. And without conception, there is no need for abortion. It sounds simple and common sense.
But matters related to sex are not that simple in patriarchal societies such as Uganda. That is where family planning comes in. I am not saying women should not please their men or than men should not love their wives/lovers. That is none of my business. What women should do is use their agency and go for family planning. If they can’t deal with the daily pill, they should go for other means to protect themselves against unwanted pregnancies. To their credit that is what white women realized since the 60s. They can have their cake and eat it too. They not only sue the pill religiously, they also insist on condom use.
They may be liberal, but nobody get it without the condom period. Why can’t it be the same among Ugandan or African women for that matter? Teenage pregnancy among people of African descent in North America is 30%, way higher than the national average. Why? Because African parents have failed and failed miserably to teach their daughters and sons the dangers of fornications. They pretend that their daughters and sons are angels. Wowe. On the other hand white parents do not. They know and even encourage their teenagers kids to be sexually active. but to take the necessary precaution.
Girls are told to use contraception to void pregnancy. Both girls and boys are told to use the condom to protect themselves against sexual diseases. in many ways, the women who use the pill and insist in condom use have two and not one protection. Needless to say, they are not likely to get pregnant even in cases where they fornicate without the condom. In Uganda and I don’t want to sound harsh, it is the other ways round. fornicate endlessly and find out later. That is a disaster in country where abortion is banned.
No, abortion should not be legalized. What should be encouraged and promoted is family planning coverage all over the country. If family planning services are affordable and available to all the women who need them at a reasonable cost or even free in a country on the population brink such as Uganda, there would be no need for legalizing abortion. The women of Ugandan should know that they can have their cake and eat it too.
Take charge of your lives dear wowen. You and you alone can avoid unnecessary pregnancy without sacrificing the ‘fan’ of sex. Moderate sex is even good for us so we are told by experts. And it can be enjoyed without worries about pregnancy. Folks, the pill works very well.
And why would women want to endure the emotional torture of abortion?. Abortion is not an easy decision. It is emotionally draining. The good news and should I say common sense thing is that unwanted pregnancies can be prevented. If they can be prevented, then there is no need for abortion. It would not arise in the first place.
Now and this pains me. In Uganda today incest is on the rise. In such cases, abortion should be allowed to save the victims and those are true victims of such horrors. The other areas include rape. Those victims too should be allowed to procure an abortion legally. It would at least eliminate the evidence to perpetuate the stigmatization of victims of rape or incest.
Now, you see, there is nothing controversial written here. What I have said is that choices for women in the form of family planning services should be increased. Women should be provided with family planning services for free to ensure that all those who want them get them. Married couples who are faithful-yes there are still many-should be encouraged to use either the pill or natural planning method. Natural family planning is not effective for casual fornicators. Those should go for the pill and if they can’t remember to take the pill, they should go for an injection. Some will retort that the pill is dangerous. I say very minimally. The pill is safe. It works. It is effective and above all saves women the agony of an abortion.
If the women used the pill and men used condom, Uganda would be safer place. there would be fewer babies and certainly less poverty than is the case today. There would also be fewer HIV/AIDS carriers. It is common sense people. Why it is that we refuse to do the right thing? If women or girls decided that they want to fornicate, then they should go for the pill to guard against unwanted pregnancy. I don’t which is more dreaded: unwanted pregnancy or HIV/AIDS or both? The good news is that both are can actually be prevented.
Talk of legalizing abortion should be avoided. It will simply inflame the debate about women’s reproductive rights. There are safer and lesser controversial choices for women. Prevention prevention people.
WB Kyijomanyi
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November 21, 2008 at 12:17 am (HEALTH)
Tags: Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
There is now a suspected relationship between abortion and mental illness according to the available research. Here in the UK, following the publication of a report by the House of Commons’ Science and
Technology Committee, at the Government’s request, The Royal College of Psychiatrists is currently in the process of pulling together its research on the subject.
The move to update research in the field brings into question the longstanding assumption in Britain that a woman’s mental health is at greater risk from continuing with an unwanted pregnancy than from the possible emotional or psychological backlash of ending it. This sensitive new ground highlights the importance of the work that counsellors do in this field, both with women considering a termination, as well as with those coming to terms with having had one.
UK has got two organisations (Marie Stopes International (MSI) and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS)) offering counselling services and advice to women planning to do abortion in the UK.
According to data from these organisations, abortion affects a lot of women such that some feel as if they have lost a real child. There are so many women that end up in mental health hospitals as a result of abortion.
One may argue that a child born out of rape needs to be aborted because of the obvious reasons people but I again beg to disagree on this. Some women grow to love the children they got after being raped. The child is always innocent whether he was manufactured as a result of rape or incest and this child needs our protection and love as a society.
Yes, I agree that the decision to have an abortion should be a matter of individual conscience but individuals need to be guided on what is right and wrong when it comes to abortion. Some people argue that religion should not be a basis to help one make a decision regarding abortion but I think they are wrong. Religion is a way of life for some people and when one goes against it, one feels guilty most of the time. Religion should form a basis of decision making. As a Muslim, I will never support abortion except in fatal situations. So religion should be allowed to trump individual conviction.
The most important thing in all this discussion is to allow women to be entitled to safe pregnancy, safe delivery, and safe abortion. Clinics in Bwaise(Angola Zone) should not be allowed to be places
where women got for safe pregnancy, safe delivery or safe abortion. So the streamline of any abortion law should clearly be looking into this area other than legalising abortion. For instance, South Africa
reformed the abortion law in order to improve the health of women and prevent deaths among women. Abbey .K.S
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November 24, 2008 at 7:04 pm (POLITICS)
Tags: Henry Ford Mirima
You have asked a proper question. Does Uganda care about its children? The answer is; No it does not. This is my observation. It is based on the fact that the killing of innocent children for ritual sacrifice has taken on the angle of tacit acceptance/approval by the state. Even Uganda parents who should normally be abhorred by reports of children being sacrificed, are also silent in a gesture that shows they also approve of the ritual killings of children.
If the state had cared about its children the current rampant kusaaddaaka of children including the calous one where a girl of 12 years was killed in a very painful manner where she was placed in a ditch and a mixture of concrete poured over her, even ignoring her cries, then state should have mounted a nationwide search for the tycoon who killed this girl.
But even Parliament has shown no concern otherwise the cabinet should have brouhgt a motion to outlaw witchcraft and stiffen laws against ritual sacrifice.
The possibility is that the people who should implement these laws are themselves believers in ritual sacrifice, believers in witch-carft, and most probably their huge buildings we see in Kampala are standing on the skeltons of these chlidren.
Henry Ford Mirima
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November 24, 2008 at 9:00 pm (POLITICS)
Tags: Balaba Asuman
State of child welfare in Uganda
By Balaba Asuman Student Makerere University P.O.Box 7062 Kampala
+256752536771, +256775519571
How child friendly is your country? Should parents or the state be held accountable for the well being of children? Does a country’s wealth guarantee better welfare for children? Should the state interfere in the how parents treat or bring up their children?
In Africa and the world at large, it is the responsibility of the nationals and the government entrusted to power, to create an enabling environment geared at safeguarding child rights and well-being of children because they are the future governors of the next generation. To answer the above question I will base on the NGOs findings and general observation of the situation in Uganda.
African Network on Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN) had frequently reported a high level of child abuse in districts of Uganda. ANPPCAN, research reveals child abuse despite wide exposure by the media and other research institution.
Children have been abused physically, sexually and neglected in that out of 16,800 cases of child abuse 95 percent were committed by male aggressor and 5% by female. The sexual abuse takes (82.9 percent) 13,929, physical abuse (9.9 percent) 1670 and neglect with (2.6percent) 450, while a total of (4.5percent) 751 cases were not classified.
The compiled report from judicial proceedings totaled 1808 cases with Lira having the highest of 221 cases, followed by Mbarara 182, Mubende 136 and Moroto , Buganda Road and Masindi had few cases, 2, 5 and 6 respectively.
On regional level out of 8681 cases, western had 31.1%, followed by central 29.1%, eastern 22.7 and northern with 17.7%. District level, out of 3103 Jinja had 509 with the highest figure, followed by Masaka 419, Pallisa 399, Lira 359, Kira Rd ( Kampala ) 339 and Mpigi 312.
The cause of child abuse has been brought by cultural practices like early marriage with the desire to get dowry, inheritance of the deceased which is found out that most people donʼt use the responsibility entrusted of taking care to children. Also ignorance about the existence of laws to the public has been instrumental hence lagging the effective implementation of ANPPCAN objectives.
There also challenged with limited funding from government in that more emphasise is on child health care like fighting Malaria, Polio among others and little is forwarded to stop child abuse.
ANPPCAN does advocacy work targeted to policy makers to steer the programmes into force like enacting laws to punish the culprits involved. Giving children skills in decision making, build confidence and creating awareness to the public is essential to be focused on, but it wonʼt be possible if there is no proper implementation of policies and law to enhance child rights.
There is need for law enforcers to deal with the aggressors without favouritism promoted by corruption, as well dealing with parents, Guardian or authorities who at times settle matters in the curtain intentioned to bribes given.
Protection of children is everyoneʼs responsibility, for a better Uganda, tomorrow and forever.
ANPPCAN Uganda chapter was established in 1992 being part of the continental Pan-African movement with offices along Kira Rd to advocate for the rights of children and it work with other NGOs like Uganda human rights commission (UHRC), FIDA (Uganda women lawyers association), and Media in the country.
Those abused are in the age bracket of 8-17 and cases ANPPCAN had taken action includes defilement maintenances, parental neglect, child starvation, indecent assault, abandoned, alleged child sacrifice and giving support to former child domestic workers like education.
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November 27, 2008 at 12:53 pm (Africa)
Tags: Ahmed Katerega Mussazi-newvision
it’s true Nkunda was part of government, but unlike Baganda, Basoga, West Nilers, Banyankore and Acholi, who were in UPC when their people were being victimised by Obote, Nkunda (like John Garang) abandoned governmwent and joined his people in rebellion. His demands are not many. He wants Banyamulenge and other marginalised people to be recognised by Congo. But remember that DR Congo is supposed to be a federal state so it is better for Nkunda to be Governor of Kivu both south and north other than a minister or senuior military officer in Kinshasa. According to press reports here, both Kabila and Kagame are soon agreeing on a joint operation against Intarehamwe and Hutu militia’s safe heavens in Congo. We should not dismember colonial states, we should go for regional integration. Fortunately Khartoum and Juba have applied for membership of East Africa Community. In the first community, Zambia, Ethiopia and Somalia applied and we hesitated to admit them. May be the community would have been spared from personal clashes between Nyerere, Amin and Kenyatta.
l think DR Congo should not be broken up. You remember Ethiopia was broken up but that did not stop wars between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Even if Southern Sudan becomes independent, it will not stop war in Darful or Kassala. If we start breaking the colonial states, Africa will be no more because with the tribalism that has been rekindled, we may go back to pre-colonial nation states. Some of us are lucky we had some, but there are those that were still in bonds! If Kabila does not accept to integrade Nkunda and his rebels, and to chase away negative forces, let’s remove him.
Ahmed Katerega Musazi
(NewVision newspaper)
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November 30, 2008 at 9:05 am (POLITICS)
Tags: Henry Ford Mirima
Everybody knows where aid money has gone. But nobody wants to face facts. The late Kisekka made the following comment, “Banayuganda sibategeera. Balaba ekintu ekikyamu bo kye bakola” That I do not understand Ugandans, they see something wrong and that is exactly what they choose to do.
The article in The Monitor of last week which showed how Uganda is paying clossol amounts of money, billions every month, to maintain Presidential Advisers, and the chairman of the ruling Movement party, who do nothing but spy on the population on behalf of the Office of the President, should be an eye opener.
The money paid to Presidential Advisers should be used to build schools and to pay a decent salary to teachers so that teachers in rural areas can be motivated enough to do their duties like urban teachers who perform well to the extent that their school perform very well.
The devourers of aid money are the innumerable political patronage personnel found in every aspect of Ugandan establishment. These people are appointed on just one merit, to push the interests of the politicl party in power. They virtually have no skills to talk about but they are appointed to high ranking positions where they do unprofessional things.
Like today we have a minister of finance but he does not have the ability to know that the economy of the country is suffering because the ordinary person fails to get change when buying merchandise. Failure to get change has caused indescribable suffering to low income earners, but Presdsent Museveni’s ministers cannot see this.
Go to the ATM machine where you are given 50 thousand Shilling notes. You go to buy goods with it you will spend a whole day without finding somebody who can change it into small denominations which the ordinary Ugandan peasants use. You need to travel by taxi and you are required to pay seven hundred shillings but you have a note of fifty thousand shillings. The taxi driver will punish you by either taking you another two miles away from yur destination in search of change or you will not be taken.
The point is , why cannot President Museveni appoint a minister of finance who knows what he is doing. The answer is ,he appoints only political patronage personnel who have no professional capacity to think out such things.
Some ten years ago the UNO put aside billions of dollors to specifically fund economic development in Africa like it was in Europe after World War Two when the USA gave Europe a mere 112 million dollors in the famous Marshal Aid programme.
The Europeans used that money intelligently and today all European countries are extremely prosperous.
But the billions given to Africa by the UNO were spent wastefully (or stolen), like Global Fund and Valley Dam money, it all vapourated into the air. That money did not do the kind of miracle the Mashall Aid money did to Europe. As a result Africa is still as poor as it was before aid money was offered. Indeed, we are so poor and ignorant you find Ugandans dying from giggers on their buttocks and armpits.
I have been tempted to conclude that Africans are of a low IQ but then there comes Barack Obama who has displayed a rare IQ in outwitting the whites. You listen to Obama talking and yoou know you have an intellectual. But will our people follow Oboma’s examples? I doubt.
Briefly, the aid money we get is spent in making plans, including rigging elections, to keep the ruling parties in power.
Henry Ford Mirima
Bunyoro Kingdom spokesperson/journalist/writer
1 Comment
January 4, 2009 at 12:59 pm (POLITICS, PRESIDENCY)
Brothers,
If you knew what Kigongo is capable of, you would cry for ever from today:
A few samples:
1/9.During the “presidential limit removal” machinations, the 5M was being distributed from his Guest House [called Mosa Courts], just after Sheraton Hotel, to the right, if approached from High Court side, eastwards.
2/9.In the Bush, he mobelised business men’s contributions, food acquisitions (by force), etc.
3/9.Most important, in our days, he is the CUSTODIAN OF THE IMPORTANT EXTRA BALLOT PAPERS. For every constituency, an estimate of, for example, how many votes Mzee should get in a certain district are calculated in advance of the election date.
4/9.Since the printers of the votes [usually in South Africa] are indirectly linked to M7’s men, these people are given extra money for extra votes for deliverly to Kyadondo Road [Kigongo's office] or any other safe house.
5/9. Trusted teams are selected and placed in different houses to ‘pre-tick’ the ballots in favour of the desired candidate [in rare cases, of a non-NRM plant, where cheating for an NRM would look stupid].
6/9.The next day, over the pre-election night, pick-ups are loaded with ballot papers in boxes, to pre-determined locations/voting booths. In many case, ?un-gazetted’ polling centres are opened and closed, unknown to the opposition.
7/9.The problem remains: Suppose , all the same, M7 gets embarrassingly low tarries, despite the ‘cheating’? In such cases, the results on the summary sheets are read by phone, fax, etc to Kigongo’s centre, where they are doctored before they re given to the Electoral commission. This is how, for example, the Supreme Court was shocked to learn that where Besigye got 340 votes against Museveni’s 20 [a booth in the east], the results reached the Electoral commission with Besigye having ZERO votes and Museveni having 80.
This way, Mbarara Municipality with 10-12 thousand voters, which Eng. Byanyima always won with 8-10,000 votes, ended up being said to have given Besighye about 9,000 votes and M7 about 19 thousand votes in 2001. This means that 20,000 ballots had to be ‘manufactured’ and that is how Kigongo’s team comes in.
8/9.Kigongo commands a very big team of computer data processors to achieve this, mobelised months in advance for the exercise. For example, their estimate/desire was to give ‘Mzee’ 60% of the tarry last time. They did their thing but were shocked to find that their man failed to make 50% of the vote [which would mean a re-run] (source say Besigye go 47% and M7 got 48%, despite the cheating and intimidation, register alteration, etc]. This was not acceptable to the Kigongo boys [mainly ISO agents] so, 57% was ‘manufactured’ for ?Mzee’ and the rest is history.
9/9.Pity Uganda. All the money from the privatisation of public enterprises, ?free’ land investment, etc, is being used to sustain such machinations and Kigongo and his buddies are at the centre of it. Do not be surprised if the NSSF loot was not meant for such satanic activities.
Christopher Muwanga,
Nakasero,
Kampala.
2.1.09.
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January 4, 2009 at 4:13 pm (CULTURE, History, Uncategorized)
Tags: Ahmed Katerega Mussazi-newvision
It is true both Christians and Muslims were involved in slavery and slave trade for centuries while Christianity and Islam are opposed to it. It is like Western Christians mad with capitalism when Christianity is opposed to it. As for Arch Bishop Jenan Luwum, Amin is blamed for killing the religious man before he was tried in a competent court of law. Otherwise there was enough evidence that rebels based in Tanzania had smuggled in guns to stage a coup on January 25th 1971. The plot was master minded by some Acholi and Langi. This is even admitted by the late Kigezi Bishop Festo Kivengere in his book, l LOVE IDI AMIN (1977) after he and Arch Bishop Yona Okoth, survived narrowly Amin’s killers. However Amin did not kill Luwum because the former was a Muslim and the latter a Christian. Amin killed even Muslims like Shaban Nkutu, Commerce Minister in Obote l government, Sheikh Asadu Lutale, father of Sheikh Abdul Obeid Kamulegeya, to mention but a few. We should stop stereo type labeling a section of our population bad or good according to what Baganda call “OMULYAMMAMBA ABEERA OMU N’AVUMAGANYA EKIKA.”
However l sympathise with you, Islam has not yet penetrated the North especially Acholi and those that should have done it are at Kibuli and Old Kampala fighting for a few Muslim property. Otherwise in Buganda where Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Greek Orthodox, 7th Day Adventists, Pentocoscals and even Lubaalism (African Traditional Religion) are strong, we are tolerant of any religion so long as it is not a destructive cult like Kibwetere’s or Bushara’s.By the way, l am a Luo Mubiito, your relative, who happens to be a Muslim by accident of my birth, descent and heredity.
There are things we can not agree. For example l know that religious leaders in Uganda are not only political but also partisan. It is true as Amin faced isolation, he become more close to Muslims. But Ugandan exiles and a section of Uganda Army were to stage a coup on January 25th 1977 and the Arch Bishop knew about it. What Amin should have done, was to put the Arch Bishop under trial. Can you deny that the late Emmanuel Cardinal Nsubuga was an NRA? But if Obote had touched, him, he would have been condemned. Even castration story l don’t buy it since l am a regular visitor of Middle East and l see Black natives even in countries like Saudi Arabia.
What is true is both Muslims and Christians were involved in slavery and slave trade despite the fact that Islam and Christianity condemn it. I will advise some Muslim agencies to concentrate von mass elimunization (evangelization) of Acholi sub region, were some of my brothers may even think that Muslims are sub humans.
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January 4, 2009 at 4:33 pm (CULTURE, KINGDOMS, POLITICS)
Tags: Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
1. It is true that USA has got no official language. It is again true that official languages are those designated by the law. However, a language can be considered to be de facto official language, meaning that although a language may have no official status in a particular country, it is the most commonly used language in that country and the one usually used in official settings. In other words, English is the de facto official language of the USA. It is considered the official language in practice if not in law. The US constitution and all federal legislation are also written in English. 30 of the US states already have got official languages. US naturalization laws standardize English.
2. It is also true that the US Senate voted in favour of making English the national language in 2006 according to the BBC(2006) (internet: available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4996512.stm ). 83% of the population of USA speak English. What I’m trying to say is that English is both the ‘official’ and ‘national’ language of USA whether it is endorsed by the law or not. It has got the hallmarks of both an official and national language of USA. That’s why I stated in my earlier message that Ugandans don’t need government legislation if they want to support Luganda as the national language. All they need is to promote it in their homes and the rest will just be a piece of cake.
3. Swahilli is already one of the official languages of Uganda, but like I stated, the decision was just political. Swahili does not qualify to be an official language of Uganda if we are to look at the basis of an official language. English is rightly the No 1 official language of Uganda and Kenya and I hope this status quo remains forever.
4. It is true that Swahili has got a bigger following in Sub Sahara Africa than Luganda. On the other hand, Luganda is more spoken than Swahili in Uganda. If we are looking for something national, then Luganda fits the bill very well.
5. In terms of technological advancement, this is just business by Microsoft. Both Swahili and Luganda are being technologically promoted in East Africa and Uganda respectively. Last year (2008), African software and language experts launched a project to translate Mozilla’s Firefox web browser into the local Ugandan language of Luganda.I also read something techological about Luganda in Bukedde in 2007,i guess.
6. A-China will always be on board with or without our people learning Chinese languages. China itself is promoting English for strategic reasons. Angola and DRC are some of the African countries that have got China as a strong key economic partner but they have got Portuguese and French as their official languages respectively. Angola president’s second visit to China in five months in December 2008 was an example of the strong partnership that exists between the two countries. Angola is now China’s largest-supplier of crude oil. The DRC government has also signed a series of landmark asset-backed deals with China, totaling around US$9.25 billion.
B-However, Language is a concern for foreign patent applicants. Both Chinese and English are the official languages of the Hong Kong SAR and it is only necessary to provide limited information in Chinese. In Hong Kong, traditional characters are still used, but in mainland China an application for a patent must be in simplified Chinese characters. Further, while some patent offices allow applicants to file in their own language and submit translations later, the Chinese Patent Office does not allow this.
7. Fifty-Five countries in the world have got English as their official language. So it’s not a delusional for any country to get on the band wagon anymore. So probably Rwanda is on the right track. Again, the politics between the current Rwanda government and France are very complicated just like the tensions between Tutsi and Hutus. So I don’t want to read much into why Lunyarwanda did not directly replace French. Kagame is really making the right decisions so far. Remember Rwanda was the first to come up with the idea of free primary education before Uganda.
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January 4, 2009 at 4:48 pm (CULTURE, KINGDOMS, POLITICS, Uncategorized)
Tags: Mugulusi
Let me start off by clarifying some information: 1) U.S doesn’t not have an official language 2) it is not true that in 2006 the U.S voted in favor of English as a national language. Let us not engage in a discussion of disinformation. In 2006 the U.S Senate (not the U.S) considered and voted on two amendments on the Immigration Reform Act, both Amendments avoided the word “official.” The two amendments, one sponsored by Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) intended to “preserve and enhance the role of English as the national language of the United States of America” and the second sponsored by Sen. Ken Salazar ((D-CO) Obama’s appointee for Secretary of Interior) intended “to declare that English is the common and unifying language of the United States, and to preserve and enhance the role of English language.” The verdict – “Senate sends mixed signal on English.”
Also, adopting Swahili as an official language does not mean the end of English. English can still be offered as any other language and it will remain with us for ages. It is interesting that you use English’s global reach as a reason to maintain it as an official language yet you don’t even mention the regional reach of Swahili. If your reason to maintain English as an official language is because many people in different countries speak it; then you should use this same reasoning to have Swahili and not Luganda as our national language. Swahili is also technologically ahead of Luganda; in 2006 Microsoft launched a Swahili windows and office programs. Microsoft (pursuing market share and profits) recognizes the potential of the Swahili language, what about us? Let us take initiative and develop our languages, particularly those that have an edge over others. Swahili is an African language – a unique language with unifying potential.
Luganda as Uganda’s national language is a bit tricky; personally, I am not opposed to the idea. However, I would seriously consider the opinion of non-bantu language speakers in Uganda i.e. their opinion weighs more. It is easy for me to understand (speak, write etc) Luganda even though I have never had formal training or even resided in Buganda but I have seen the difficulty some of my Itesot family friends have with Luganda. I have noticed that most non-bantu language speakers that I know have difficulty with Luganda. So I am interested and would listen to their opinion on this issue.
If federalism were realized in Uganda, I would not compromise in my support for Luganda to be instituted as an official language in Buganda state.
As for China demanding more English, that is not surprising considering that China has become a major global political and economic player – a rising superpower, as some would argue. However, the traffic is not one-way, those other economic giants have also increased their demand for Chinese. In the U.S, demand for Chinese language study is at an all time high. See the following stories: “As China booms, so does Mandarin in U.S. Schools” By Elizabeth Weise, USA Today at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-11-19-mandarin-cover_n.htm Also, “With a Changing World Comes An Urgency to Learn Chinese” By Lori Aratani, Washington Post at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/25/AR2006082501418.html.
If we want to be strategic we should emphasize Chinese language study more than English!
Brother Abbey, I was tickled when you said with respect to the advanced (global reach) English language, “we cannot afford to dilute all these efforts because we want to feel more Arab-African.” No, it is not the unnecessary “Arab-African” comment that tickled me; it is the following words, “WE” and “EFFORTS.” By “WE”, I understand you mean “Africans” and by “effort” you mean the work and resources that were invested to make English a language with an expansive global reach. We never put in any effort; this was purely the work of the British and later on the Americans. Initially, it was through colonialism and later the through the British Council, DFID, USAID, State Dept. etc.
We on the other hand, have continued to promote these languages because 1) we can’t agree on “our” own languages, 2) are not willing to invest the resources and energy required, 3) we have this delusion that we need a language (e.g. English) that is globalized. Rwanda’s misguided shift from French to English provides an example of how “we” are not willing to put in the “effort” to develop our own. Rwanda is not like Uganda; they have a language (Kinyarwanda) shared by all Rwandans. If a shift is necessary, it should be from French to Kinyarwanda. Also, Rwanda just joined the Jumuiya Afrika Ya Mashariki, where Swahili is the official language. So a shift to Swahili from French would be more strategic and forward looking.
Mugulusi
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January 4, 2009 at 4:56 pm (Finance)
Tags: WBK
A weaker pound means a strong Uganda shilling. For those in the UK it is good because they can get more shillings from the pounds they send to Uganda. So Ugandans in the UK in particular win. Winners too are their families/friends /relatives who receive funds from the UK.
Other winners are UK exporters and Ugandan importers (due to identity relationship). UK exporters are winners because it is cheaper to send they products to Uganda. Ugandan importers win because it is relatively cheaper to import goods from the UK now that the it takes fewer shillings to buy pounds. Now is the time for Ugandan importers to purchases their dream products from the UK. Ugandan tourists/visitors-those lucky enough to get visas-to the UK are also big time winners.
But there are also losers. The biggest losers are Ugandan exporters in that Ugandan products are now more expensive in the UK due to a weaker pound. UK importers and travelers are also losers because it is now more expensive to import stuff into the UK or travel abroad because the pound fetches less of other currency.
Overall, it is hard to say whether Uganda is better off with a strong shilling/weaker pound. Why? Because it depends on whether Uganda has more exporters and visitors to the UK or more importers and tourists/visitors from the UK. But a stronger shilling is not in Uganda’s long term economic interest. The value of the currency should reflect overal economy wide fundamentals. It is hard to tell for Uganda. Yes, the macro economic fundamentals are okay, but the micro aspects are not that good.
This may account for the disparity you allude too on the ground in Uganda. But for the folks who travel to Uganda, it is certainly cheaper if you bought the tickets in Uganda.
Why is there still a huge disparity between the pound and the Euro? Because there are interest rate differentials between UK and the EU. The EU has cut further than the UK. That should be the fundamental factor. For those investors seeking for some relief, they are pouring their money into the UK and fleeing the Euro zone.
In Uganda too the pound is better known-more in use-than the Euro so it may have to do with sentimentality and the overal fundamentals of the Ugandan economy.
WBK
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January 7, 2009 at 9:38 am (RELIGION)
If the terrorist and racist State of Israel cannot tolerate co-existing with the State of Palestine. It should be wiped out. And it will be wiped out as kingdoms of Israel and Judea were once wiped out. Remember they survived on blood of indigenous Palestinians.
l have broken my taboo the second time. Which God of the Bible? How many Gods are there? There is only one living God. He is for all of us although we call him different names in different languages. The Jews and Arabs called him Allah. In the actual fact, in Aramaic, the language Jesus Christ spoke, He is called Allah and Jesus himself called him so. In Luganda we call him Katonda. As Jews call him Yahweh, El Shadai and others, we also call him Dunda, Lugaba, Liisoddene, Omukama, Omutonzi, etc….God is for us all not for the Bible.
Moreover Jews don’t believe in The New Testamanent and don’t recognize Jesus. We should be objective in analyzing Middle East conflict other than being religious fanatics. Abraham came from Ur in Iraq and in Canaan in Palestine, he found there natives, whose rights must be respected. If Jews are God;s people why were they cursed by Romas after Christianity had become a State Religion of the Roman Empire? Why did the Pope kept quiet as Adolf Hitler was slaughtering them? Why didn’t the Papacy made an agreement with Benedicto Mussolin which is still respected today? Were the crusades declared by popes to capture Jerusalem from Muslims, for the purpose of restoring the holy city to Jews or to Christendom? Remember these wars were fought before Christinity broke out into Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. Let the rights of Palwesnians, the natives, and Jews, the immigrants, be respected and they co exist.
It is true US is the godfather of Israel but it is not the first super power. One time Pharaoh was very powerful as he is mention in Bible and Qur’an, then Alexander the Great, the Perian Empire, the Roam Empire, The Muslim Emire under Umayyads and Abbasids, Spain and Portugal, Turkey, Britain, France, Germany, US and USSR and now US as the sole power. It will crumble as many have crumbled and Israel will perish as it has ever prerished and Jews enslaved. However if both groups agree on co existence, they may survive.
If it is the will of God Israel will perish and it ever perished not once, not twice. Do you remember the rise of the kingdom of Israel? Then division of Israel and Judea? Then the fall? Then how these people were enslaved in Egypt and in Babylon? And how they were cursed by Christians after Christianity had become a Roman Empire’s state religion, the way they were treated in the West , the climac being Adolf Hitler’s genocide, Zionism, etc… Any thing can happen, if it is the will of God.
Ahmed Katerega Musazi
New Vision
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January 7, 2009 at 2:17 pm (CULTURE, RELIGION)
Tags: John Okello
Try and find out how the stae of Israel was formed amidst ALL kinds of hostilities including the British colonial hostilities to their settlement in Palestine. At some point they were offered Uganda, of all places on the planet, but they themselves rejected it. Why? There were a number of incidents that pointed to the fact that all British colonial govts up to end of 2nd world war and beyond never ever wanted the Jews to settle in Palestine. Fieldmarshall Montgomery was sent to Israel just before the British Colonial govt in Palestine pulled out unceremoniously amidst stiff guerilla war fare mounted by the Jews organised by the likes of Menachim Beagin. Montgomery reported to the labour govt of Attlee that if the British pulled out, the Jews would hold to their land in Plaestine for a mere 6 to 7 days only after which they would be totally overun and completely demolished by the Arab population. They were wrong.
Indeed when the British pulled out without much warning to the Jews, they were seriously attacked by 7 Arab armies. Despite lack of food, guns and amunitions, infrastructure and ill-preparedness on the part of the Jews fighting against the well trained and well equipped Arab armies of the day, the Jews won that war. They did not have much help from any govt in the world at that time including America. This is a point that has amazed so many historians up to today – a miracle you could call it and many still believe it was.
I am not condoning what is happening in Gaza battles today especially the suffering of the civilians. Anybody in their right mind would not condon it. We all know that and we all know what transpired before the incursion by the Israeli army into Gaza. However, I also think that the only thing that can happen in that part of the world is for the Jews and Palestinians to coexist but the Arabs will not succeed in chasing away the Jews out of Israel. It will be the greatest miracle of all times. I have not read the Qouran but the Bible clearly states that God dispersed the Jews out of Israel for a reason but He also promised to resetlle them back in the same promised land of their forefathers – Abraham etc without intervention from us the mortals of this world.
john Okello
UAH forumist
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January 8, 2009 at 1:56 am (CULTURE, POLITICS)
Tags: Otto Patrick
1/8 Gomesi started being with us in 1940s when it was adapted as the dress for boarding schools in Uganda, starting with Gayaza. Gayaza, as we know was founded by Christian missionaries ‘…to train girls especially the daughters of chiefs in those skills that would make them better wives’.
2/8 Initially, the ladies of the school donned the basic Kiganda ladies’ attire of the day: a sheet of cotton cloth wrapped around the breasts and tied to the waist with a smaller strip of cloth. This left much of the torso exposed and there were often some accidents with that attire especially when the ladies went to work in the school shambas. The missionary tutors found the exposure of the ladies’ torsos and breasts indecent and sought to craft a dress code that was a compromise of their own fashions and the bed sheet-like sash with which the ‘natives’ draped themselves (see attached picture, from Speke’s journal of the ‘discovery’ of the Nile).
3/8 They enlisted the services of a tailor from Gayaza trading centre, an Indian called Fernando Gomes. Mr Gomes was from Goa, an Indian province formally under the Portuguese. The people there like Mr Gomes and the Pintos, Almeidas etc adopted Portuguese names.
4/8 In designing the new Gayaza uniform, Mr Gomes maintained the extravagant sash, very much like the oriental Kimono or West African Obi that was to form a massive skirt. On to this, he stitched a quasi blouse with a square neck with two buttons opening on the left. The new dress was named after him, hence, gomesi. This became the first uniform for all girls in boarding schools (hence ‘boodingi’) and when they went back home for holidays, the traditional authorities were impressed by the new fashion, turning it into the ‘traditional’ dress.
5/8 Mr Gomes was later to be evicted from Gayaza by the Anti-Asian rioters in the late 1940s. A fifth generation Indian Raj Vajrakaya Gomez has recently come up to claim that he is a grandchild of Gomes and wants the ‘bodingi’ to be patented to benefit the family of its designer. His claim can however be doubted because his name, Gomez is Spanish where as the Portuguese version given to the Goans has a letter‘s’.
6/8 The gomesi dress symbolises the ostentation and conspicuous display and extravagancy of feudal society where value for money is an alien concept. From one gomesi, a contemporary designer can make at least 3 size 12 ladies’ dresses….let alone the ‘Kikoyi’, and ‘Kitambala’ that accompany that courtly attire.
7/8 The gomesi can only be a ‘national dress’ (hopefully for ladies only) if the nation’s life is going to be confined to the slothfulness, lethargy, flamboyance, splendour and vanity of the feudal court. An active, productive, non-parasitic, bi-cycle riding, boda-boda mobile female population cannot manage in that cumbersome garb. A mukiga lady will not wear it, and never wears it, and in much of the West, the less cumbersome two-piece dress and sheet remains popular: it makes it easy to shed off the sheet, which for the gomesi, is the entire garb.
8/8 To think that ‘Gomesi’ is a traditional dress is a bit problematic when we do not even have a vernacular name for it and at the very moment when some of us are agitating for a ‘national’ language. Looking at the name Gomes itself, its Portuguese origin makes the naming of the attire for our women even more problematic. Gomes or Gomez in Spanish derives from ‘Guma’ meaning a man or male, or masculine….i.e., Mwami/Ejakait/Ladit. A name that refers to masculinity, for a dress that embodies femininity is a comical contradiction in terms!
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January 15, 2009 at 1:37 am (CULTURE, POLITICS)
Tags: Ahmed Katerega
Kamya is a product of regional integration as the father is from Uganda and the mother from Kenya. Beti should not be allowed to glorify tribal sectarianism as it will set a bad precedent in this multtribal and multi religious colonial state.
We are all with prejudices. We, Bannabuddu from the south of Buganda, think that Bannakyaggwe, from the east of Buganda are night dancers and man eaters may be because of the infamous Kawuulu case. But Baganda proper think the same of us Bannabuddu and Bannakyaggwe. So Baganda and southerners have their prejudices against Northerners and vice versa. Otherwise my neighbouring parish in Mijwala sub county, Mawogola county, is Kidokolo, which was base for road constructors whose staff was predomknantly Bakokolo probably from Dokolo county. Although UPC was an anti-Buganda party before, during and after a marriage of convenience with Kabaka Yekka, our leaders have not been as tribal as Beti Kamya portrays herself and them. FRONASA had people like Akena P’Ojok and Fr.Okoth. NRM had people like Ronald Batta. UFM’s Chief of Staff originally was Maj.Oboma. So there no anti northern agenda. However UNLA which predominantly Acholi and Langi, and to an extent Teso in Special Force, has a bad genocide record in Luwero Triangle and West Nile. It is factual. L am not a tribalist that is why lam proud of being a Luo Mubiito.
We have five constitutional offices. President, Vice President, Speaker, Chief Justice, Deputy Speaker, Deputy Chief Justice and Prime Minister. Gilbert Bukenya, Edward Srekandi, Leticia Kikonyogo and Aplo Nsibambi are Baganda. Benjamid Odoki and Rebeca Kadaga are easterners and only Museveni is a Westerner. Unfortunately, there is no northerner nor a Muslim. Probably Moses Ali should have been the one.
In the forces, they only parade Chief of Defence Forces, Inspector General of Police and Commissioner General of Prisons. But we are a land locked country and the post that made Idi Amin and Oyite Ojok powerful is occupied by Lt.Gen.Edward Katumba Wamala.I think meritocracy is better than tribal and religious awards.Even politically one wonders for Ugandans to look at Besigye and Muntu as alternative to Museveni. All are westerners
I think l stated that Princess Rebecca ALitwala Kadaga and Justice Benjamin Odoki are easterners. Baganda are foresighted and they don’t condemn the enitre government unless it has turned against them. That is why they worked with the British and they gained copared to our Bunyoro cousins. Thay only turned against Obote because he abolished their kingdom. But l agree with you some Baganda and other Ugandan leaders are working for their stomachs and not for their country. We shall weed them out, God willing. Tribalists and nepotists are also still there, we shall eject them one by one. Let’s be hopeful. By the way hadn’t Obote antagonised Bganada no body was bothered whether the army is Northern dominated. People start raising who is who in government and army when they have griavances that are not addressed.
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January 16, 2009 at 2:43 am (History, MEDIA)
Tags: Ahmed Katerega
Father Clement Kiggundu, Munno Editor, was murdered in January 1973. His body was found burnt in the wreckage of his car. Tomorrow, it will be exactly 35 years from the date.He died around the same time Mr Kalema disappeared, plus others like Dr Sembeguya,Jolly Joe Kiwanuka, Paul Bitature
Immediately after 1971 coup d’etat, Idi Amin hosted journalists and gave a bull to Rev.Fr.Clement Kiggundu, for exposing excesses of Obote l regime. In reply, Kiggundu told Amin, that the relative tolerance under Obote regime allowed him to expose those excesses. He prayed that Amin should do better. But when Munno Newspaper continued exposing detention of civilians in military barracks which provoked Amin operatives to burn Father Kiggundu inside his car in Namanve!
Fr.Kiggundu was succeeded by Serwaniko, who later switched to Ngabo/Star newspapers and was replaced by the late Kamya who died of natural causes. Serwaniko went back to Munno and presided over the demise of the newspaper after management under Michael Kaggwa and the late Anthony Wagaba Sekweyama, chased away veteran reporters; Tamale Mirundi, the late Teddy Babirye, Herbert Lumansi, and Annet Namukasa and also Kimbowa who was a photographer. While Tamale Mirundi started his Lipoota Luganda weekly, Babirye, Namukasa, Lumansi and Masengere joined Bukedde in 1994. Babirye is dead, Annet is with KFM, Lumansi is Bukedde’s Photo Editor and Masengere Bukedde’s Copy Tester.
It is so heartening that an established paper like Munno could fail, followed by Ngabo, Uganda Eyogera, Lipoota , Njuba Times, Ngoma, Saba Saba and many other Luganda papers. Had it not been Bukedde, Luganda would not have a daily in fact tehere is not even a weekly..
Mr. Serwaniko is breeding CRUDE waragi at his home at Luwafu in Makiindye Division. You can pass via Salaama road or Luwafu road both bantunized. He also worked with Tamale Mirundi in Lipoota as his editor, and they started an English paper funded by Sam Kuteesa through Moses Byaruhanga. This died during presidential and parliamentary elections of 2001.
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January 17, 2009 at 4:10 am (History, MEDIA)
Tags: Jonny Rubin
Fellow Ugandans,
I have followed inquiries about the death or disappearance of Journalists, Priests, Politicians, Common people (Abantu baabulijjo) on the UAH forum, but it seems the answers given by some members , are either not satisfactory or simply unbelievable. I think that the people who know the truth are either scared to come forward with it,simply because they want to forget the past or are silent to protect themselves from the ”Political or Military Heavy Weights” who may fear being incriminated in those cases. I may also add that during the rule of Idi Amin most people inside Uganda knew much less of what was actually happening than those out of the country. In the beginning the killings were not so secret, but with the support of the people Idi Amin enjoyed, even those who could have condemned the killings were convinced that ”Amin was killing Obote’s people”. The soldiers themselves were terrified as they did not know who among them would die next. Oh yes, they were pointing fingers at each other and the Acholi and Langi were the most vulnerable. It was commonsense that Amin inherited a Professional National Army, but the dominance of the forces by the Acholi and Langi scared him. Given the manner he liquidated them, one may conclude that he (Amin) feared that these two tribes would overthrow his regime and re-instate Milton Obote.
In 1973 I went to Nairobi, Kenya with the Uganda National Boxing team for the then annual Millington Drake Boxing Tournament. We were staying at the Brunners Hotel, about opposite Six-Eighty Hotel. One day I received a telephone call in my Hotel room. I was requested by the receptionist to come to the Reception and that there were two ”gentlemen” who wished to talk to me. When I arrived at the Reception I was introduced to two men who identified themselves as Captain Aswa and Mr.Jolly Joseph Kiwanuka. Immediately, I realized that I was talking to the man who actually announced the coup that brought Amin to power. About the other man, I often heard his name as ”Jolly Joe Kiwanuka” and had something to do with Express Football Team, which the fans called ”e Team Y’Abantu”. I was now confused about why these two wished to talk to me in particular. Mr.Kiwanuka told me that he was a business man and that he was temporarilly in exile and that he would ‘’soon return home”. Captain Aswa told me that he wished to talk to somebody ”who comes from Fort Portal” and that he had been told by the Ugandan Team Officials that I am the one who ”comes” from Toro. He requested me to convey a message to his brother, Regimental Sergent Major of the 2nd Paratroopers’ Battalion, Apollo Ezati, which I said I would. When I returned to Uganda I decided to shut my mouth. I suspected that he could have betrayed me for promotion as a loyal soldier, at which point he could have reported me as someone who was in touch with the ”enemies of the 2nd Republic” and wanted to involve him. Many people lost their lives, not because Amin had sanctioned their death, but because of personal feud,,jealousy or envy.
The people in Uganda relied on the Radio Uganda, UTV and Newspapers to know what was happening around the country. Amazingly, the people seemed to trust the press. People were dying, but the press would announce that ” He has run to his imperial master”. By 1975 fear was everywhere including in the armed forces barracks. Idi Amin had re-enforced the State Research Bureau (SRB) by transfering many ”Nubians” from Army and Air Force Units to the Bureau. After the struggle for the office of the Chief of Defence Staff by the then Military Police Chief Brig. General Hussein Malera and the Chief of Defence Staff Brig. General Charles Arube in which Brig. General C. Arube died, it was apparent that Amin was losing power. Amin was scared of everyone. Brig. General Hussein Malera was retired and sent back home to Southern Sudan. Colonel Mustafa Adrisi was transfered from Bondo Regiment in the North and made Acting Chief of Staff.
One morning, ( I’ve forgotten the exact date.) shortly after 0600 AM I heard on Radio Uganda (Ebiraango) that ” Hajjat Affua Namuddu abikka mutabaniwe Charles Lwanga, yafudde” ( Hajjat Affua Namuddu announces the death of her son Charles Lwanga). I thought I was dreaming because I had been with Charles Lwanga the previous day and he was inviting me out ” to enjoy” with him. Charles Lwanga was my brother-in-law and a brother to Halima Namakula, the singer. Halima came to my residence and told me that Charles had been short dead by the members of the State Research Bureau. I immediately went to the SRB Headquarters, Nakasero and told the Adjutant Lieutenant Jackson Kyalikunda what his people had done to my brother-in-law. He promised to inform the Director of the SRB, Lt. Colonel Francis Itabuka and that they would investigate and bring the ”culprits” to justice. I knew that the ” Law of the Land ” at the time was a firing squad, but I was not concerned with the type of purnishment. I only wanted to know who had killed not only was he my brother-in-law, but also my sincere friend. Later while on leave in Fort Portal I was infomed by the Acting Adjutant of the General Headquarters, Uganda Armed Forces, Lieutenant Ali Kaunda Vuni that a mutual friend and colleague, Uganda Marines Captain John Mule had been short dead at Kamwookya. The killers were thought to be members of the SRB. Capt. John Mule was also a childhood friend of mine. He was Kakwa, but grew up in Toro and spoke excellent Runyoro/Rutooro. As in Charles Lwanga’s case the killers were never found. I later learned that one of the tactics of war agaist Amin was to discredit his government in every way possible. Amin and his government had to be seen as killers who did not respect human life whatsoever. Some killers were in fact Ugandans who were sent to pose as members of SRB and harrass people or even kill. As the imposters were hard to discover, the Secret Service turned against itself so that they did not trust each other.
Although Kiswahili was the language normally used in the security and defence forces, it was gradually replaced with Kinubi. This brought about a feeling of alienation of the people from other areas of Uganda, but West Nile and Southern Sudan. I escaped assassination several times, but always thought it was mistaken identity, until Brig. General Maliyamugu told me, ” Batakuduupa ngu ofooke musiraamu. Nobu barakutiinisa oyijuke ngu nyowe ndi Mukristo Isaac, nkabalema” ( Don’t be deceived and convert to Islam. Even when you are scared remember I am a Christian Isaac, I defeated them.) After talking to him I realized that the attempts on my life were not ” mistaken identity ”, as I had thought. Some days later, I encountered Major Farouk Minawa in the Republic House. Although we were engaged in a friendly talk with other officers, the Major was suddenly hostile to me, an act that surprised me. I had to think fast how to get out of trouble. I kept quiet for a while and then told him that I have been thinking about converting to Islam, but did not know what to do about it. He looked at me with a broad smile, but somehow as though he had misunderstood what I had just said. I repeated what I had said, but this time confirming that I was converting to Islam. He jumped up and lifted me as he danced around with me saying repeatedly ” Allah Akbar……”. After a while he rushed out of the building saying that he was going to inform the President. Later that evening of 1976 Radio Uganda and UTV announced that I had converted to Islam. The following day President Amin called our office. He was asking for Captain Ali Bamuze ( now Lt.General retired.) He asked whom he was talking to and when I mentioned my name, he laughed almost uncontrollably, as he congratulated me. That saved my life and gave me a possibility to investigate what was actually going on. I realized that the regime was weak and that Amin had a paranoia, so that he trusted nobody and seemed to fear everybody, hence the dreams in which he claimed Allah told him when and how he would die.
” N’azina obulungi ava mu diiro” ( even a good dancer leaves the floor ), so the Baganda saying goes. My hope and wish is that we should be more open here at the Forum so that we can educate each other about what has transpired in our country that has brought us to where we are. The killings went on after the fall of Amin’s government and I am not surprised that the killings continue up to this day. I believe that it is the opennesss and sincerity that will bring an end to the killings and other forms of inhumanity. We must not be deceived to think that all killings are sanctioned by the President or by the Government. In all the chaos we can perhaps agree that it is the mismanagement and neglect of State affairs that is to blame.
I believe that the truth will heal our hearts and I pray for courage for all those who may need it to share what they know that will free us from this never ending-anger.
May God Bless Uganda.
Byaruhanga, Jonny Rubin.
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January 22, 2009 at 12:34 am (POLITICS)
Tags: Ahmed and Otto
lam not a professional soldier and l will avoid petty wars at Bombo as who is a good and bad army commander. Each had strong and weak points. We interact with soldiers who praise Kaziini as we interact with others who praise Aronda. On professionalism, Aronda is more credited as he is now and then sending officers some of which were on katebe for years, for training here and abroad in preparation for promotions. In my opinion, Muntu was a good administrator but not a sound commander like Yoweri Museveni, Salim Saleh, David Tinyefuza, James Kaziini, Aronda Nyakairima etc…..He njoyed good times with Sam Nannyumba, who was also an experienced administrator not a commander.
On Muntu, l think he was more of an administrator than a commander. He is credited for not being corrupt but he was never a filed commander. He was good in reconnaissance. Muntu’s weakness was an arm chair army commander, not a filed commander like Salim Saleh, David Tinyefuza and James Kaziini. He can not be personally responsible for what happened in the battle field
UPDF National Army?
We are all sympathetic with the conditions of our civil servants and soldiers serve in due to their numerical strength; police, army, teachers, nurses. Our economy cannot make for them havens. Unlike UA and UNLA, UPDF is a people’s army which has successfully transformed from a guerrilla force to a professional army. They are political but not partisan, so they know from where we have come from, where we have reached and where we are going. Some People seem not comfortable with the name NRA. But let me remind them that when DP wanted to change UNLA name to UA. UPC led by Defence Minister Paulo Muwanga refused. Fortunately UPDF was a consensus in Constituent Assembly since the army was NRA, the draft recommended for UAF and they all agreed with UPDF. Initially Sebaana Kizito was not comfortable with it because of the word people which, he said would reminding him of UPC and its atrocities. The army and the media are so crucial in the politics of Uganda and else where and those who are hostile to them will never see the gates of State House.
Uganda People’s Defence Forces is composed of the regular force; Land Forces, Air Force where Marines is a Unit, support forces like Mechanised Regiment, Motor Unit and others. Then the Reserve Forces including veterans and our LDUs. It can not be 100% percent one tribe. However on a surface, most senior officers hail from south western Uganda . For example yesterday on NRM celebrations(26/Jan) at Kololo, the Chief of Defence Forces (Gen. Aronda Nyakairima), the Inspector General of Police (Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura) and Commissioner General of Prisons (Dr.Byabasaiza) escorted the president when inspecting a guard of honour. They are all from South West. Yet in a land locked country, the most powerful man is Commander of Land Forces Lt. Gen. Katumba Wamala. That was the position that made Idi Amin and Oyite Ojok powerful over Opolot and Tito Okello. So long as officers and men/women of UPDF and other forces are national in character, l don’t mind a few historicals mostly from one region who are phasing out. Can.Lt.Gen.Elly Tumwine, Salim Saleh or David Tnyefuza become chief of defence forces or Commander of Land Forces again? No. They are phasing out.
One of the stupid things President George Bush was to dismantle the Iraqi army, one million strong. It has taught him and his occupiers a lesson. A similar mistake was made by Tanzanians in 1979 when they banded Uganda Armed Forces as Idi Amin’s personal army. They regrouped in the Sudan and DR Congo and almost went with Obote and Okello Lutwa’s heads in Koboko in 1980. Ask Barig.Robert Rwenhururu.They became a prey for Isaac Lumago, Moses Ali, Faruq Minawa, Lutakome Kayiira and Yoweri Museveni’s recruitment against Obote ll regime. Brig.Kasirye Gwanga has been giving testimonies to that effect. Therefore any politician abusing UPDF will never step into power even for a day.
Ahmed Katerega
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Gen. Muntu served as Army Commander for 8 years. Before him, Gen. Tumwiine served for about 3 years, and Gen Akandwanaho for about 1 year. After him, Gen. Odongo served in that post for about 4 years, JB Kazini for just less than two years.
Administration…is one of the ten principles of war….you can not be a good commander when you are not a good administrator. When Gen Muntu was the Division Commander 05 Div from 1989 to 1990 he was merely the in-charge of reconnaissance? From there he was promoted to Major General, from Colonel (two levels up) to be Army Commander. Was that a reward for his predilection for the arm chair?
A good commander should make a good Army Commander: the latter is just a particular type of commander. Was the chap called James Kazini a good Army Commander?
Even as a mere Lance Corporal, I can confidently counsel you against that mechanical dichotomy between command and administration……It is like talking of a ‘good journalist but a bad writer’; or ‘a good scribe who pays no attention to detail.’ To be one, you have to be the other. Short of that, you are neither!
The point is, there is a difference between a giraffe in a China shop and a good commander. Check out Kisangani , and check out the circus at Bombo UPDF Hqs particularly from November 2001 to sometime in 2003. If, in the field you just bungle and blunder around, you will do so even in administration. Do not confuse poor administrators who take refuge in ’fieldism’, for good commanders.
UPDF National Army?
When you say:‘Uganda People’s Defence Forces is composed of the regular force; Land Forces, Air Force where Marines is a Unit, support forces like Mechanised Regment, Motor Unit and others. Then the Reserve Forces including veterans and our LDUs. It can not be one percent one tribe.’
What are you actually telling us? Does UPDF’s technical heterogeneity imply ethnic representativeness? Your argument is what is called a non sequitur : an argument consisting of an absurd conclusion that has no logical connection to the premises on which it is based. Example: Mr Kateregga is a graduate of Political Science; he is a mulangira from Buddu. Therefore it is going to rain tomorrow. The arms and services you have listed are the ‘tribes’ of the military as an organisation. They tell us nothing about the ‘tribes’ of the membership. Do they?
New Vision always covers recruitment exercises. In your archives, there should be data on national recruitment, showing the turn-up of recruitment candidates in various localities. You could even quote the law (if any) stipulating ethnic quotas and showing that it is not possible for one ethnic group to dominate the UPDF. You could even quote for us data from the personnel department of the UPDF showing the force’s membership by ethnicity.
Then you go on to tell us that: ’However on a surface, most senior officers hail from south western Uganda .’What does that statement actually mean? Do you mean, on the surface they are from the south, but when you scratch them deep they are from Karamoja? I remember reading a New Vision article some time in 2000 where you hero, James Kazini was quoted saying that, at that time, Nyabushozi county had a UPDF membership of 6,000 individuals. Do you remember that article? I think he was hosting a party for Mary Mugyenyi Rutamwebwa who was intending to contest for the Nyabushozi seat.
Otto Patrick
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January 23, 2009 at 8:37 pm (Africa, CULTURE)
Tags: Ahmed Katerega Mussazi-newvision
Rwanda had a revolution led by George Kaibanda, with the help of the French and Catholic Church that deposed King Kigyeri to Uganda and Muteesa gave him land in Mawogola where he settled and his people. During UPC/KY alliance, Obote hired Kigyeri and some of his people to work in General Service Unit. They continued even in State Research Bureau under Amin. However a section led by Fred Rwigyema were in FRONASA with Museveni. While many led by Ndugute were in Uganda Army. Since independence in 1962, Rwanda is a republic not a monarchy. Last year Kagame told Kigyeri to go back to Rwanda as a private citizen. Kigyeri refused and said that he wanted to go back as a king. He lives in New York .
Kigeri lost power in 1959 and his grandfather had lost power first to Germans and later to the British. Kagame fought and captured state power in 1994 and he is therefore the legitimate leader. He also organized elections and he won it. So somebody with political and military power and with the legitimacy of the people, he can direct a former king. Rwanda is not yet with a law allowing traditional leaders. Kigeri may be back like our own kings here in Uganda. It is the same with the family of the Sultan of Zanzibar, an extension of the Sultan of Oman. Then the former ruling dynasty of Burundi which was deposed in 1966, then that of Ethiopia swept away in 1974. The Banyamulenge king of former Zaire is a businessman in Kampala but Kabila is the one with power even if Kabila is a commoner. That’s life mwattu!!!
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January 23, 2009 at 8:56 pm (CULTURE, History, POLITICS)
Tags: Henry Ford Mirima
Bunyoro-Kitara is the only kingdom in Uganda where everybody is welcome unreservedly. Just go to Masindi you will find Luos in Cope who even have their own Luo-speaking MP, OTADA AMOOTI who owns a flourishing Bus company by his name, OTADA BUS COMAPNY.
Bagungu in Buliisa DISTRICT and elsewhere in Bunyoro-Kitara are very happily integrated into Bunyoro-Kitara cultures and traditions. Even the Masindi Disitrict chairman, Stephen Biriija is a Mugugu. But Bagungu, Alurs, etc. and Banyoro live very happily together. Come to Kibaale District, out of four MPs two are Bakiga.
In 1965 the whole Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara, Sir Tito Winyi officially invited Bakiga to come and settle in Kibaale and they were allocated a whole sub-county, RUTEETE. My own dad, the late Joseph Kazairwe played a major role in re-settling them.
And in 1992 Bugangaizi MP, the Ssali Sekitoleko in agreement with President Y. Museveni transplanted over 30,000 Bakiga from Tooro and settled them in Bugangaiizi County at Kisiita.
Banyoro are so hospitable the migrant Bakiga were given 12 acres of Bunyoro land free of charge. And later they were given Shs 12 million by the High Court. Where in Uganda do you find such hospitality and generosity.
Today the areas where Bakiga Bafuruki are settled are more prosperous than the ones where Banyoro are in the Majority. The Bakiga Bafuruki even changed the names of our sub-counties, for example BURORA was changed to RUGASHARI, ETC. We have Bakonjo and Bamba migrants in Kibaale living happily with Banyoro.
One must read Bunyoro-Kitara history and the Uganda Constitution. These documents show you that there are major historiclal atrocities which were committed against Banyoro and the Uganda Government has the moral and physical responsibility to rectify them.That’s why President Musevein called Parliament in 2003 and sought permission from the august house to ask for permission to unseat a Mukiga, Fred Rulemeera, to step a down and make sure a Munyoro replaces him and becomes Kibaale District chairman.The Uganda Constitution says these historical wrongs against Banyoro must be addressed and when this is done it will not mean that Banyoro are more human than others.
Henry Ford Mirima
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January 23, 2009 at 9:51 pm (Africa, POLITICS)
Tags: L/Cpl (rtd) Otto Patrick
1/9 UPC, DP, PPP, NRMO, CP, JEEMA, FDC, JF, UGP, NDF (plus Vicks Kingo!) and on and on…probably heading for the 623 of the evening of Mobutu’s Zaire , when that country was the most vibrant multiparty democracy in the world. But the question is, where does factionalism end and where does pluralism begin? When one looks at the random harvest of Uganda’s political elite, all one sees are individuals that are exactly the same, but struggling to be different. They struggle to differ because of the narrowness of the ‘panya’ that leads to the coveted throne where some ruling clique of the day dishes out patronage, lubricated mostly unearned income that is tossed at us in form of aid.
2/9 Let us take a closer look at Uganda ’s demographics. We are just over 30 million. Of that, about 27 million, i.e., 90% are peasants. Let us take another country like France in the past. In 1789 on the eve of that country’s revolution, the French were 25 million and of that, 23 million i.e., 90% were peasants. Yes, one could argue that, that was France , and the year was 1789.. In other words: different locales, different epochs. But in socio-historical terms, Uganda 2008 = France 1789: 90% peasants and that tells a huge story about our capabilities across the board.
3/9 But of course you know that when France had the same proportion of peasants like we do now, they did not have political parties. Is it because the French were blind to the virtues of pluralism, and we, Uganda are cleverer? Is it a historical accident that when the earlier modernisers had similar demographics like Uganda ’s now they were ruled by monarchs (Mono: single person; archs: rulers)? And I am not a monarchist please….but, with our 90% peasants, the rest being – let us be honest – a lumpen bourgeoisie, a functional liberal democracy seems to be a negative dream in Uganda, as the purposeless jostling between and within our factions clearly demonstrates.
4/9 Attempting to cheat social development will not take us anywhere, because the gravitational pull of our social reality seems to always pull us towards our historical station: mediaevalism: 20, 30, 40 yrs in power by the rulers, just like the Hapsburgs and Tudors; and Hohenzollerns and Shoguns of the earlier modernisers.
5/9 Historically, political parties have always emerged as structures for forming and conveying group interests in VERTICALLY DIFFERENTIATED SOCIETIES whose structure is the outcome of the transformation engendered by the industrial and agricultural revolutions. In societies where political parties emerge, wage labourers at the base, bureaucratic elites in the middle and merchants, owners of capital, financiers, industrialists and land at the top (I am reminded here that, 70% of the land in Britain is owned by 0.7% of the population). In that kind of set up, a labourer in a factory will not give a damn about the ethnicity of a factory manager. What the wage labourer wants is a decent minimum wage, low income tax and acceptable working conditions. The head of his trade union can be any religion or lineage, as long as he is vocal enough to squeeze maximum benefits from the factory owner.
6/9 In those societies, political parties are nothing but the committees that manage the interests of those classes.. For example in Britain which colonised us, the interests of the top third are taken care of by the Conservatives, those of the middle third by the Liberal Democrats (the fence sitters) and those of the bottom third are managed by the Labour Party. Tell us: whose class interests do UPC or DP or PPP or NRM or CP or JEEMA or FDC or JF or UGP or NDF etc manage? Whose interests does Nzaana, Semuwemba, Ochieno, Wambuga, Nsubuga part I, Nsubuga Part II, Nsubuga, Adhola and…..er, L/Cpl Otto represent? Do we speak for wage labourers, landlords, financiers or what? Which class do we speak for?
7/9 Uganda now is a society that is HORIZONTALLY DIFFERENTIATED. The only groups known to the predominant ‘class’ (the 90% peasants) in Uganda are ethnicities, clans, sub clans, lineages, families, castes etc. The consciousness of the 10% (or even less) pseudo elite (one of whom you and I are) is false consciousness arising from what we see across the fence in the global north.
8/9 Now; people, when you impose the structures of interest aggregation and articulation of vertically differentiated polities onto horizontally differentiated countries like Uganda, IT IS AS IF YOU ARE FORCING A PAWPAW TREE TO GROW LIKE A PUMPKIN. That tree will either die off outright, or become a disastrous weed as it struggles to conform to alien territory: the undulating contours of that horizontal social template of pre-industrialism. This is what Mr Adhola tries to rationalise by stating that, I quote, ‘This is what UPC and DP for instance are about. DP seeks to improve the status of status of the identity of catholics, and UPC that of certain nationalities or tribes.’
That sums up the basic pathology of Uganda’s politics today. Uganda with political parties is like a porcupine in a kanzu.
9/9 The fact is that, political parties are not merely creatures of, but are an upshot of industrialism. We are not there. What political dispensation propelled the industrial, vertically differentiated polities to liberalism? It was not multipartyism! Just like a pawpaw tree cannot grow like a pumpkin, or kalitusi can not grow like lumonde, liberal democracy cannot thrive in our mediaeval conditions. We may need to go back to the drawing board!…..Look at what other preindustrial countries had to do to create the infrastructure for liberal democracy.
L/Cpl (rtd) Otto Patrick
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January 23, 2009 at 10:06 pm (POLITICS)
Tags: Yoga Adhola
During a recent radio talk show discussing multi/party politics, a discussant, Dr Golooba made a rather startling comment on FDC. “……The only people who practised some kind of multi party politics were Miria and Sebaana. I dont even know what FDC represents.” The implication here is that FDC may not be having anything to articulate or represent and may therefore not even be a political party.
Before this remark, Bidandi Ssali had been quoted in The Daily Monitor of January 21 2006 as saying: “I don’t see a future for FDC after Museveni is out of the way, either through resignation or defeat. Most of the FDC leaders are in there for various motives.” In other words, apart from resistence to Museveni, there is no single thread which binds them. It is therefore not a political party in the true sense of the words.
What then is FDC?
Condintions that give rise to social and political struggles basically fall into two categories. First, is the search for economic advancement. One cannot postulate that FDCs share a common economic fate, and that it is that which binds them. Or that as a group they are seeking to improve their economic situation.
Secondly, there are those struggles which arise out of issues concerning identity.We all belong to various identities. They may be religions, schools, professions, etc. We are proud of these identities, and invest a lot of emotional resources to their well being. We also work hard to improve their status vis a vis other identities.
This is what UPC and DP for instance are about. DP seeks to improve the status of status of the identity of catholics, and UPC that of certain
nationalities or tribes.
FDC does not fall into any of these categories.Prior to the formation of FDC, Dr Besigye was a senior member of the NRM. To put forward this arguement is not to negate the possiblity of one belonging to a political party or organisation, and being able to transcend the limits of that organisation, and then move on to higher plane.
Rather it is to argue that Dr Besigye is ideologically not different from that of Museveni. He has not shown anywhere that he has transcended the ideological position of the NRM. This arguement is reinforced by Dr Besigyes own ealier arguement that Museveni had renaged from the original positions of the NRM. In other words all Dr Besigye needs is to bring us back to the the origial NRM. Initially he also sought to reform the NRM. It will be recalled that it is this urge to reform the NRM which initially led him to form and lead an organisation called Reform Agenda.
However, despite its limited scope and purpose, FDC seems to have garnered a lot of support. How do we characterise and expliain this
I would like to submit that the apparent support for FDC is a bubble. That is to say it is based on totally unrealistic expectations, and when reality reveals itself, the bubble will burst. Another way of characterisng FDC is to view it as a balloon. A fully blown balloon will look big. however, if you pinch it with a sharp pin, it bursts and shrivels into almost nothing.
In the financial world, the bubble means those stocks which come up and are highly rated well beyond their true value. With that kind of rating stock buyers rush to buy such stocks thinking they are making a good buy. However when the stocks assume their true value, the exagurated value collapses and the stocks assume their true market value which should be much lower than what most buyers would have spent. This is what in stock markets are called the busting of the bubble.
What do I mean?
A sizeable portion of the the population are opposed to Museveni. In their quest to rid themselves of Museveni, they thought FDC and, in particular its leader, Dr Besigye could do the job.
They viewed Dr Besigye as a very courageous man who could take up Museveni. They also saw him as a miltary man who should have the miltary support with which to checkmate Museveni’s miltary support.
Further Museveni himself gave Dr Besigye a tremendous boost by appearing to be terribly scared of him. Dr Besigye was not only locked up but several charges were brought against him.
Now that Besigye has “lost” the elections, those from other parties who supported him will take a review. It is during that review that the bubble will begin to burst.
Dr Besigye has also gone to court to protest election irregularities. There is a real posiblity that the Court could agree with his petition.
If the Court upheld the petition, and nullified the recent elections, that is to say knocked out Museveni, the problem of Museveni would have been solved.
In such a sitution, just as Bidandi Ssali had earlier said, FDC would have no objective necessity to continue existing. FDC would splinter, and those who had supported Dr Besigye in the belief that he is the only one who has the wherewithall to combat Museveni would review their position in the light of a sitution of Museveni out of the fight.
On the other hand, there is the cynical view is that the Courts cannot pass any judgement against Museveni. Should that be the scenario, then Besigye’s failure in court would further accelerate the bursting of the bubble. Many of his erstwhile supporters do expect him to carry the day in court. They feel they were cheated at the polls. A failure at the Courts would totally dash the residual hope and send them reviewing their political affiliation to FDC.
In the long run too, the FDC has no future as Bidandi Ssali says. It is no inkling as to the tasks which have come to the fore at the present phase of our history. It is just reacting to events, and particulalrly the person of President Museveni.
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January 31, 2009 at 9:47 am (POLITICS)
Tags: WB Kyijomanyi
People:
I am not a fan of the fads taking shape in Africa in the form of power sharing deals. It is a reversal of whatever little gains had been made in democratization. My Nigerian and Ghanaian friends laugh at us -East African and South Africans-for buying into power sharing deals. I hear Ugandans are excited about the propect of sharing power come to 2011. Bad idea period.
Take Kenya. ODM ministers have proven to be the most corrupt. It true. Actually Kenya is on the brink of a famine because ODM buddies colluded and sold maize to Sudan while their folks are about to starve. But those ministers can not be fired. So who is encouraging corruption in Africa? Is it not those who impose such power sharing deals.
Then there is the case of that spectacle in Zimbabwe. A political moron if there can be one. I shudder at the prospect of him as prime Minister. What has Africa come too folks?
It goes to show that even the opposition is not socialized to accept democratic outcomes. If they can mobilize goons to kill innocent women and children, they can scare the West to impose power sharing deals. So why bother to make efforts?
We need vibrant opposition not the maziwa lala type to put the govt to task. We do not need power sharing deals in Africa. They are anti-democratic. They breed corruption. Each part should “eat what they kill”. That is what will spur democratization in Africa. Oh yes, even Nigeria will eventually get it right.
WBK
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January 31, 2009 at 9:58 am (History, MEDIA, POLITICS)
Tags: Robert Nviiri
1. Namirembe used to have heavyweights as bishops, what happened? True, those were real heavyweights of those hey days but remember our Jjajjas said that ‘Enswa bw’ekyuusa amaaso ….’ What has happened now after the two favourite Nsubugas (Namirembe and Lubaga) is that the white ants are no longer regular in their flight operations, so the traffic controllers (read heavyweights) have to adopt new procedures and regulations. It is a game of Chess where bbugu bbugu ssi muliro.
2. The candidates are ranked by the Electoral College by means of evaluating their CVs and theology ratings. Of course interpersonal relating is also vital.
3. One does not necessarily have to be a Canon in order to be elected bishop. You might be a Canon but not qualify to be bishop material. To be a good bishop one must have good Shepherd skills and qualities. Take an example of a person with a masters degree that fails to run a company yet there might be an undergraduate being capable of turning around the company. Look at our State’s history and judge for yourself after several comparisons.
4. The House of Bishops is bound by the rankings of the Electoral College by Protocol because the Electoral College membership is vetted by the Synod. However, there shouldn’t be any difficulties in the House of Bishops unless political interferance creeps in.
5. It is absolutely out of question to redo the nomination process unless political interferance takes over. The nomination process has its own Protocol such that by the time the final nominees reach the level of being vetted upon by the House of Bishops, there are supposed to be no nuances.
6. The Archbishop has no influence at all in the election of the bishop under normal circumstances. The Church is supposed to be a Free and Fair organisation void of uncalled for micro-management/directorship. The Archbishop has to just wait for the outcome of the vetting process by the House of Bishops, the same way our Kabaka used to wait for the names of the nominees to the Katikkiroship in the pre-1966 military coup d’etat.
7. Majority of the countries where freedom of the press is practiced have got such Tabloids like the Red Pepper. However, those Tabloids should not be above the ethics of the society by publishing material that could easily lead to the manipulation of one section of the society to the peril of the nation. These Tabloids should desist from being used by rivals and or, politicians in the manipulation of the society. At least, that is my belief.
Everyone would of course wish to have a leader of an organisation who is on good terms with the political leadership of the State, however, then the question here to be asked is: Why should the State leadership not be on good terms with such an innocent humble non-political body as the Church or Islamic organisation? Don’t you think that when things reach to that level it implies that definitely something is amiss somewhere? Ako nno kalowoozo.
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January 31, 2009 at 10:33 am (POLITICS)
Tags: L/Cpl (rtd) Otto Patrick
There is the link to the Uganda MOD where the details of the UPDF can be found. The information appears to be in the public domain: Link: http://www.defenceuganda.mil.ug/about_updf.php?status=true
The link for the Army, which you Ugandans have elected to call the Land Forces is: http://www.defenceuganda.mil.ug/landforce.php?status=true..
The link for the Airforce is: http://www.defenceuganda.mil.ug/airforce.php?status=true.
The link for the Marines is: http://www.defenceuganda.mil.ug/marineforce.php?status=true
Of course Uganda is a land-locked country, so reference to ‘Marines’ is a misnomer. Our geography has nothing to do with the sea. May they should have referred to ‘Amphibious’ or ‘Lake-borne’
Note that, in terms of doctrine, whether organisational or tactical, Uganda has borrowed from Tanzania. Even when you look at Kenya, we need to be clear about the structure. The heads of the services (Army, Airforce, Navy) are respectively called Commanders, they are all at the same level, falling directly under the CGS–>VCGS.
In Uganda, instead of ‘General Staff’ you refer to Defence Forces. Gen Aronda is the CDF (equiv of CGS) and Gen Koreta is the Deputy CDF (equiv of VCGS). Gen. Koreta is not the Chief of Staff of the Army as you indicate. The army has its own command structure as a service with Gen Katumba as the commander. The same applies with the Airforce where there is a commander. Each of the Services has its chief of staff. The Joint Chief of Staff, Brig. Rusoke oversees the chiefs of staff of the services, and not the service commanders. The service commanders are answerable to the CDF through the Deputy CDF, just like in Kenya.
Gen Koreta, the Deputy CDF is senior to the respective service commanders (Katumab for the Army, Owoyesigire for the Ariforce)….no contradiction there.
Whether Kenya mentions its chiefs of staffs or not is a matter of preference but I am sure they do exist there too and operate in a similar manner. I think all you Ugandans have not done is to draw an organogram like Kenya has done.
Note that, for Kenya you refer to the Army Commander as the third highest ranking but that is not the case. All service commanders are at the same level…they are peers (see this link: http://www.mod.go.ke/Modsite/about.htm)
But even, all this debate about structure and personalities really takes us into the weeds: bottom line, it is trivial in regard the defence and security of Uganda. Can’t you at UAH, some aspiring to be future party leaders and probably future presidents of the country etc be interested in debating the country’s national security/defence policy?
As you can see, that information is there on the net, like most other information. We do ourselves a disservice when we start from the negative position that information is being concealed, because then we generate unnecessary defensiveness and contestation from colleagues like Kateregga, who unfortunately browbeats himself through debates without informing himself first about the issues he tries to defend.
But the question of Uganda’s institutional realities: Institutions are a mirror image of the societies that they service. How institutions function (and malfunction) is a culmination of historical factors, and a distillate of political realities. It may be a bit unrealistic for us to take the Kenyan arrangement as the norm for all time and all places. One may ask for example, why is it that following the 1964 mutiny of the East African militaries, did Mr Nyerere disarm, lock up and finally disband the Tanganyika Rifles completely, then Mr Kenyatta did the same but not as comprehensively yet Mr Obote decided to honour all the demands of the mutineers, increased their salaries, gave them promotions; dismissed the ringleaders and reinstated them half an hour later? Part of what we see today has roots right there in our history.
How many civil wars has Kenya or Tanzania had? Do those countries have the equivalent of Buganda, as an ‘indigestible element’ in national life, to use Huntington’s words in his ‘Political Order in Chaging Societies’? How many times since 1964 has the Kenyan military been disbanded; and how about Uganda? How many rebel groups has Kenya had? Uganda…anything up to thirty. Co-opting all those for the sake of short term harmony has always been at the expense of professionalism. The Katebe ‘institution’ is an embodiment of some fo those skeletons in the closet of our politcal history.
Think of a peace agreement tomorrow, and you have a Lt Gen Kony. Atamuweka wapi? Will he command a division? Will you send him out as a military attache in a European capital? Can he be the commandant of your senior staff college? What are the antecendents of the Kony phenomenon? It is your politics! Keep such people out because you want professionalism a la Kenya, face them in the rural countryside as rebels. Point is, Kenya has had a completely different historical trajectory.
How about coups? Kazini’s status: Have you heard of any former Army Commander in Africa being taken to prison for stealing a few shillings? Kazini, Major General, S.3 dropout. Otamuweka wapi? Tanzanian retired generals are diplomats, regional governors,etc. Can you trust Kazini with your herd of goats? How did such an individual like Kazini become the embodiment of the values of a very important national instituion? I am told he still has some cases to answer for petty thieving. You know, when he was in Nigeria for senior command training, those officers there always wondered how he became a general. When they went out to look for ladies, Kazini would go in for those that befitted Nigerian Corporals! When he went to Ghana for a staff course, he nad a runin with an instructor. He was thrown off the course, escorted back to Uganda by the Ghanaian Military Police paka Entebbe, then they heard he was Chief of Staff, then Army Commander! Did they laugh or cry?
And with Kazini, when you talk to the average UPDF soldier, he will tell that if all he had left in his rifle were only two rounds of ammunition, and he found Kazini, Kony and Odhiambo in a dark corner, he would shoot Kazini twice in the head………
General Kazini….two words that are a heart-rending oxymoron!
Anyway as I said, ever since 1979, Uganda has tended to lean towards Tanzania in the manner of organising the military…for obvious reasons. Even subsequently when you did away with NRA, you opted for UPDF…mirroring TPDF. To appreciate the Uganda military arrangements, look at TPDF.
And by the way, the Tanzanians (and anybody else) would tell you that the Kenyan system is the one that is confused. Kenya lacks the conceptual grasp between ‘Command’ matters, i.e., everything to do with the general directing of operational matters (the teeth) and ‘Staff’ matters i.e., everything to do with directing support matters (the tail). The Joint Chief of staff in Tanzania is actually called the Chief of General Staff…he is incharge of Staff Officers that support the commanders. Kenyans call their biggest commander a ‘chief of staffs’ which is really funny….like referring to a headmaster as a head prefect. With the Tanzanians, the Chief of Staff is of a higher rank than the respective service commanders, making him the third most senior. The Tanzanians are also silent about the chiefs of staff of the respective services.
At UAH, we should really focus also on policy and statecraft issues. This is where the future of the country can best be thought about instead of spending a lot of time on recrimination, defensiveness and making comical promises. I will send you the country’s defence policy and the white paper on defence…..it is in such areas that incumbents should be put to task for the good of the country, not just hurling insults at them like we like to do here at UAH.
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January 31, 2009 at 11:05 am (Africa, POLITICS)
Tags: WB Kyijomanyi
The info we are seeking should be public as is the case in Kenya. No secrets are being spilled if UPDF were to come forward and state that the chain of command in the military is so and so.
In Kenya the structure is very clear for all. The overall Army boss is the Chief of General Staff (CGS), deputized by the vice CGS and then Army Commander, then Deputy Army Commander/Airforce/Navy chiefs. UPDF should do away with the chief of staff and go the Kenyan way with CGS. Army chief of staff in Kenya-may be there but-is not listed among the senior ranks of the army. CGS is the overall CGS for all units, army, air force and navy. In Uganda we have individual chief of staff for army (Lt Gen. Koreta), air force and so on. Now can anyone tell me how an army chief of staff is senior to the Commander of the army? This contradicts the statements made by some people that Lt Gn Koreta is senior to Lt Gen Katumba the army commander!
The media should tell Major Kulayigye to learn from Kenya where he just returned from some course. He should know by now that the man who was head of the staff college he attended in Karen, Lt Gen Tuwei (a Kalenjin) was recently named Army Commander to replace General Njoroge. He is now the 3rd ranking army officer. There is clarity in Kenya which is lacking in Uganda I guess for obvious reasons.
Do the media ever ask questions to govt spokespeople or they simply take their press releases and print it? Do the media or assigned reporters ever ask the police spokesperson questions on record? What about Major Kulayigye? Do defence or amy ever hold press conferences? And if they do, have the papers and FM stations assigned reporters to cover the army, police etc? Well we have been told that UPDF is open so why not ask them to send the media houses press releases if they are too busy to talk to the media about the chain of command in descending order?
Sometime back, there was talk of reforming UPDF. What I am saying is that the current structure may not be the best. I prefer the Kenya structure for its clarity and effectiveness. In Kenya at least, the Army Commander is 3rd in seniority. That much is clear. Kenya has tried to rotate the CGS among the three units Army (current), Navy (immediate former) and Airfoce (next if rotation stays).
Kenya also has a set ratio in terms of military promotions. The ratio that must be followed is 7:2: 1 in favour of Army, Airforce and Navy respectively. I suspect that is what makes the army commander a grade above the other service commander. Is there such a ratio in Uganda?
We are interested in debating the national defence policy. Certainly UPDF could do better. Again, I use the Kenyan example. CGS serves for one 4 year term and goes home. The President may extend that if need be, but it has served the military well. All senior commanders must also retire by the age of 58. That age limit means that the recently named army commander will have to retire in 2 years. The clarity makes it easier for others to emerge and lead.
Now compare that with Uganda where people come in and out. What is the status of Kazini for example? This business of Katebe should be ended.
I personally know a senior UPDF officer-will not say rank-who is well educated but he has stuck in the ranks for years. He wants to leave but they won’t let him go home. And yes, the chap is from South Western Uganda.
If you checked the Kenyan DOD, there are no army chiefs of staff anywhere so they must be lower the chain.
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January 31, 2009 at 11:29 am (History, POLITICS)
Tags: Herbert Buhanga
We need to start discussing business opportunities here in UK and US. Many of us have companies here and we need to share experiences with other Ugandans who can help us mainly in the section of tendering. We cannot be talking about politics only. We have incumbent problems which only money can solve. It’s good to talk about politics but you know talking politics every time won’t take us anywhere. It’s about blame and blame.
Many of us were born when Uganda was at war and all we know about Uganda is war. I saw UNLA/F raping and killing people. I resented them straight away. My first sight of them raping and killing is when they went to Nangwa in Mukono and raped the wife of Mr Paul Kalule Kagodo.Mrs Kagodo was like a mother to me. She was a family friend. UNLF/A boys raped her repeatedly and there after shot her repeatedly. On their way back to Kampala, they saw women crossing Jinja road in a place callede Kigombya, they were running to see Mrs Mbaale who had just given birth to a baby girl. UNFLA/F soldiers stopped and followed these women. Upon reaching Mbale’s house, people fled and soldiers started raping Mrs Mbale who had just given birth. They also raped the newly born baby. The baby bled to death. Mrs Mbaale was rushed to a hospital from where sperms were removed from her vagina.Unfortunately, Mbaale refused to sleep with his wife again and the woman had to leave the village later on.From that day, I hated UPC. I developed hatred for UNLA/F. My hatred was so much that it could only be quenched by revenge. So, we need to be careful by not repeating the past. We need to learn together without fear of rape, murder and other bad stuff.
I’m not a UPC sympathiser. However, I know some of the good things which they did and their failures as well. UPC was the government which completely failed to control UNLA/F.
UNLA/F boys could do anything with impunity. The most annoying thing is that UPC people completely deny that they mismanaged their army and that people had to take up arms to fight the randy army buffoons who were sexually thirsty all the time.
The man I’m talking about Paul Kalule Kagodo had to join UFM and he became the chairman. If you were in Nairobi during the war, you might have heard about him. I did not go into exile as I had just come back from one. People either had to just look on as the army misbehaved or had to join UFM or go into exile.
Now, we have to move on. We need to know that Uganda is for all of us. We need to learn that all people are equally important and that love is the greatest thing above all.
North, South, East and West, we are all Ugandans. We are not beasts. We shouldn’t be killing , raping and robbing one another.
Just for clarification and for history books, Paul Kalule Kagodo, formerly Government Auctioneer became the 3rd UFM/A Chairman after Balaki Kirya (BK) and Amin Mutyaba (Ibrahim Ndugwa). Dr Nsibirwa and Dr Kayira lobbied heavily for Kagodo’s election to the chairmanship in 1986 for certain reasons.
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February 2, 2009 at 9:41 pm (History, POLITICS, PRESIDENCY)
Tags: Robert Nviiri
For the benefit of our young generation who have been following our debates on Obote I regime and his government yet they may not even know how the man and his cabinet ministers looked like, and also for our historical memories, here below is Obote’s cabinet before he was kicked out by Maj. Gen. Idi Amin on 25th January 1971.
1st Republic of Uganda Cabinet as of December 1970
Dr. A.M Obote, President Mr. John Babiiha, Vice President Mr. Lawrence Kalule
Minister Animal Industry, Game Ssettaala, Minister of
& Fisheries Finance
Mr. E.Y. Lakidi Mr. Sam Odaka Mr. Felix Onama, Minister of Defence
Minister of Labour Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Basil Bataringaya Dr. J. Luyimbaazi Zaake Dr. Eriya Baabumba
Minister of Internal Affairs Minister of Education Minister of Marketing
& Co-operatives
Mr. Alex A. Ojera Mr. J.N. Wakholi Mr. J. Anyoti
Minister of Broadcasting Minister of Public Service Minister of National Service
& Tourism & Cabinet Affairs
Mr. C.B. Katiiti Prince William W. Kalema Mr. J.W. Lwamafa
Minister of Culture & Minister of Commerce Minister of Health
Community Development & Industry
Mr. James S. Ochola Mr. John Kakonge Mr. M.L. Choudry
Minister of Regional Minister of Agriculture Minister of Minerals & Water
Administration & Forestry Resources
Mr. J.M. Okae Mr. Shaban Nkutu Mr. Lamech Lubowa
Minister of Planning Minister of Works, Attorney General
& Economic Development Transport & Housing
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February 2, 2009 at 10:50 pm (CULTURE, KINGDOMS)
Tags: Robert Nviiri
Interested members and fellow Baganda,
Here below are more pictures of our first president and beloved Ssekabaka’s life for our archives.
Awangaale Ssabasajja
Brief Life Pictorial of Sir Edward II
This is when he wrote an essay about ‘What is Love?’ that won his teacher’s heart. In brief he wrote:
Love begins in our homes, when we love each other. It then grows to our neighbours, from there it extends to the whole village, sub-county, county, country and lastly the whole world. That is what is called True Love.
This essay is still closely kept up to this day, in Sir Edward’s own handwriting.
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February 3, 2009 at 8:26 am (CULTURE, KINGDOMS, POLITICS)
Tags: Robert Nviri
The First Cabinet of the 2nd Republic of Uganda as of 5th February 1971
H.E. Maj. Gen. Idi Amin Dada Mr. A.C.K. Oboth Ofumbi
Head of State, Head of Government, Minister of State for Defence
Minister of Defence and Commander-in-Chief (Fmr. Secretary for Defence)
Lt. Col. E.A.T. Obitre Gama Mr. Wanume Kibedi Mr. E.B. Wakhweya
Min. of Internal Affairs Min. of Foreign Affairs Min. of Finance
(Fmr. CO Paratroopers sch) (Advocate in Kampala ) (Fmr. Secretary to Treasury)
Mr. Apollo K. Kironde Mr. Yekosofat Engur Eng. J.M.N. Zikusooka
Min. of Planning & Econ. Min. of Culture and Min. of Works, Housing
Development (Fmr. Community Devt. (Fmr. And Communication.
Permanent Rep. to UN) USSR Ambassador) (Fmr. PS & Chief Eng.)
Dr. J.H. Gesa Mr. J.M. Byagagaire Mr. Wilson Lutara
Min. of Health Min. of Labour Min. of Commerce, Industry
(Fmr. PS & Chief (Fmr. PS Presidents office (Fmr. Director General, East
Medical Officer) and Secretary to Cabinet) African Airways Corp.)
Mr. William Naburi Mr. Erinayo W. Oryema Mr. V.A. Ovonji
Min. of Information Min. of Minerals and Min. of Public Service and
& Broadcasting (Fmr. Water Resources (Fmr. Local Administration (Fmr.
SG Karamoja district) Insp. General of Police) DG East African Harbours)
Mr. Abu K. Mayanja Mr. P.J. Nkambo Mugerwa Prof. W.B. Banage
Min. of Education Attorney General Min. of Animal Industry,
(Advocate in Kampala ) (Fmr. Solicitor General) Game & Fisheries (Fmr.
Prof. of Zoology faculty,
Makerere University
Mr. F.L. Okware Princess Elizabeth Bagaya
Mini. Of Agriculture, Forestry Permanent Representative to
And Co-operatives (Fmr. UN (Advocate & Actress)
Commissioner of Prisons)
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February 3, 2009 at 8:30 am (History, POLITICS)
Tags: Robert Nviri
How time flies and how history repeats itself!!!
In a bid to bridge the various religious sects, Idi Amin convened an All Religious Leaders Conference on Kabale in May 1971. He later convened a meeting of heads of States and Religious beliefs in June 1971 at the Kampala International Conference Centre in order to brief them on the resolutions of the Kabale conference. The pics follow below.
Enjoy the historical pics
President of Uganda General Idi Amin Dada opening the All Religious Leaders Conference in Kabale
Shortly after the Kabale conference, Idi Amin brief the Officers and Men of the Uganda Army in Mbarara’s Simba Battalion barracks.
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February 3, 2009 at 9:23 am (CULTURE, History, KINGDOMS)
Tags: Robert Nviiri
I think that this is also vital information for our nation that deserves to be in the archives for future reference. When I was still a member of the Boy’s scout at Baden Powell centre near YMCA, we used to go to YMCA canteen to buy some grub. This was 1976-78. This stone was still in place at the entrance to the YMCA building. When I gained interest in Buganda’s history once again in 1990, I took my time to visit the YMCA, tell you what? The Foundation Stone was nowhere to be seen. This means that the stone was gouged out during Obote II regime! Obukyayi obwenkana awo bulituusa wa? May Sir Edward’s Soul Rest In Eternal Peace. Tusabire nnyaffe Buganda.
Nviiri
Nviiri
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February 3, 2009 at 9:30 am (CULTURE, History)
Tags: Robert Nviri
I think that this is also an important part of Uganda ’s history and deserves to be among the archive files
On Thursday 31 July 1969, at exactly 3:00 p.m East African Time, an East African Airways Super VC10 touched down at Entebbe airport having flown in from the side of kampala and accompanied by four military jets flying in echelon. At exactly 3:13 p.m. the door of the VC10 was opened and Pope Paul VI stepped out of the aircraft amid ululations and jubilations.
On the tarmac he was met by Milton Obote and first lady Miria Kalule. Later on, Milton Obote introduced him to the Heads of State that had come to Uganda to benefit from the papal visit;
1. Julius Nyerere of Tanzania
2. Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia
5. Representative for Joseph Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku wa Zabanga of Congo-Kinshasa
6. Representative of General Gowon of Federal Nigeria
7. Reprsentative of General Ojukwu of Republic of Biafra (the break away Ibo Eastern Region of Nigeria)
The Pope then greated the Heads of the Church (both Roman and Anglican catholic) and proceded to the dias for the national Anthems of Vaticano and Uganda to be played. Obote later made a long welcome speech (he was fond of that) thanking the Pope for having a great love for Africa . The Pope on his part made a very brief speech but with a sting on dictatorial and communist leaders. The Prelate said that the Catholic Church would not just sit idle and let innocent citizens to be mistreated the world over by dictators who wished to deprive the people of their rights! He concluded with a phrase in Luganda, “Mwebale nnyo okumpuliriza“, to which the crowd thundered “Kale Kitaffe mu Katonda!” together with thunderous clapping. Some were heard whispering to each other, “Owulidde Papa bw’amanyi Oluganda! Ovanga ku bantu!“
The journey from Entebbe to Lubaga took a whole 2 hrs. At the Cathedral, he was welcomed by Cardinal Rugambwa of Dar es Salaam Archdiocese, who ushered him into the Cathedral. At the begining of the Mass, he said a short prayer in French and English. He then turned to the congregation and blessed them in Luganda, “Omukama abeere nammwe!”, to which they replied mesmerized, “Naawe abeere naawe!” More thunderous clapping!!!
From Lubaga he went to the presidential lodge at Nakasero to a dinner hosted by Milton Obote. Interestingly, all the reporters were barred from entry apart from those from the govt Min. of Information and Prediential Press. Obote presented the Pope with numerous gifts among which were 22 ivory tusks in rememberance of the 22 Buganda (now Uganda ) martyrs. In return, (the Baganda say, Kabbo ka muwala kajja kajjudde kaddayo kajjudde) the Pope gave the govt of Uganda thru Milton Obote, 350,000/= of the time (exchange rate was $1 = 8/-) in order assist the destitutes of Uganda and those suffering from Polio. He also bestowed upon Milton Obote, John Babiiha, Sam Odaka; The Grand Cross of the Order of Pope Pius. As for Basil Bataringaya and the Speaker of the National Assembly – Hon. Patel, he bestowed upon them The Grand Cross of St. Gregory the Great. In appreciation, Miria Kalule Obote presented the Pope with an expensive wrist watch.
1st August 1969 was Mass day at Kololo airstrip which he celebrated with 11 Cardinals and later ordained bishops from Uganda (Halem’imana – Kabale, Baharagate – Hoima, Kakubi – Mbarara and Magambo – Fort Portal ). From Kololo he went to the National Assembly to meet the MP’s and made a brief speech. From the parliament he went to Old Mulago hospital, being accompanied all the time by Cardinal Emmanuel Nsubuga, where he was welcomed by Hon. C. Katiti then ministr of Culture and development. He then went to New Mulago hospital where he was welcomed by Hon. Wakhooli who was representing minister of health Hon. Lwamafa. Among the govt delegates at New Mulago were Maj. Gen. Idi Amin, IGP Erinayo Oryema.
From Mulago he went to Mmengo Kisenyi to the spot where Yakobo Buuzabalyawo and Yozefu Balikuddembe were murdered. He blessed the spot and donated money to build a church at the spot in rememberance of the duo. From there he went to Lubaga Uganda Social Centre where he also prayed and donated money to complete the Social Centre.
2nd August 1969 was Mass day at Namugongo. He started off at the Anglican catholic site where majority of the martyrs were murdered. He was welcomed by Archbishop Eric Sabiti and Bishop Dunstan Nsubuga of Namirembe, in whose Diocese this site is located. He was taken in a mock-hut similar to the one in which Kabaka’s Chief guard Mukajanga used to live. He entered the hut and prayed for the poor fellows soul. He was briefed on the Buganda kingdoms norms of the days when Mukajanga carried out the death warrants. Archbishop Eric Sabiti presented the Pope wityh a Bible and Kiganda traditional mats. In return, the Pope presented the Archbishop with his own (Pope Paul) cross which he was wearing at the time while to the rest of the Anglican catholics he presented medals. Obote and all the visiting Heads of State were present.
The Pope then headed to the Roman Catholic site where Karoli Lwanga was murdered. He was welcomed by Cardinal Emmanuel Nsubuga who offered him a seat. The cardinal read out a welcome speech in which he further thanked the Pope for his extra generous contribution of 140,000/- towards the completion of Namugongo Martyrs Shrine. He then invited the Pope to consecrate the Holy Altar that was built at the very spot where Karoli lwanga was murdered. The Pope walked silently to the altar amid solemn silence, knelt down and kissed the ground where karoli Lwanga had laid slain. He then consecrated the altar and proceded with the Mass in which he baptised 22 children in rememberance of the 22 martyrs. He also confrimed 22 confirmants in rememberance of the 22 martyrs. At the end of the Mass, the Pope removed his papal vestiments and mitar and did something that had never been done before anywhere in the world by any living Pope. He presented his papal vestiments, mitar and staff to Cardinal Emmanuel Nsubuga! Cardinal Nsubuga was humbled beyond words!
From Namugongo the Pope went back to Lubaga where he had lunch with the bishops and clergy. The different Hads of State also were invited and they held brief talks with the Prelate. He later celebrated Mass at Lubuga cathedral at 5:30 p.m. At the end of the Mass, in his farewell speech, he donated 1,400,000/- to the Uganda Roman Catholic church in order to help spread the gospel. He then headed to Entebbe airport where he boarded the EAA VC10 back to Rome . While in cruise, the Pope telephoned Obote to thank him and the people of Uganda for the hospitality offered to him.
Who was Pope Paul VI? He was born Giovani Batista Maria Montini, a very humble boy that was born in Italy in 1897, that had never dreamt of becoming a priest until at age 17, when he was turned away from the Italian Army conscripts evaluation during World War 1 because of his poor health.
That is our history that should also not be re-written.
Robert Nviirimbiziwomerannyinizo
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February 5, 2009 at 7:45 am (CULTURE, History, KINGDOMS)
Tags: Kalundi Serumaga
Hello Netters,
Seriously, can somebody please help the bunyoro spokesperson,Mr Mirima, in learning to correctly choose friends for his Kingdom?Now he is admiringly describing Gadaffi as “furiously anti-colonialist”. Does he really know who he is talking about?At the same time he is trying to be clever and pretend that the Tripoli events he himself previously described as “demeaning” in the ‘ UAH’ forum did not take place.
The facts are these:
a) If you take Gadaffi’s money, you will have no choice but to allow him to “ku-jooga” you. Ask all these African “Presidents” (President Museveni included) whose security guards are regularly beaten up under their noses by Gadaffi’s security detail. The mistake of the Bunyoro and Toro government’s was to assume that they would be spared such humiliations. Nigerians say: “Those who choose to lie down with dogs should not complain when fleas begin to bite them”. Take note, Mr Mirima.
b) If Gadaffi is “furiously anti-colonialist” as Mr Mirima admiringly puts it, then why did he immediately shut up during the Arab League summit before the first Gulf War when another delegate interrupted his wild anti-American speech with the simple question: “Gadaffi, who exactly put you in power?”.
You see, there is a widely held view in the Arab world that the 1969 coup against King Idriss (?) that brought this madman to power was actually organised by the CIA. Take note again, Mr Mirima, before making yourself the Publicity Secretary for the Muammar Gadaffi Fan Club.
This is why Gadaffi has never really been taken seriously in Middle Eastern politics, despite all the noise he makes and money he deploys. Eventually, in his frustration, he decided to abandon the Arab Leaue and re-invent himself as “an African”, and be a big fish in our small-pond politics. This is what those native leaders need to grasp: The man is here because he is a reject in Arab politics (where he really wants to be respected). This has nothing to do with love for black people, or for the mighty Kabalega, or even African women. He does not care about you and your problems at all. You are his “spare tyre”. He is simply looking for an arena where he can appear like the Big Boss, and then use that to go and try and impress his fellow Arabs as the “President of Africa”. Because of our material and intellectual poverty, some of us -Mr Mirima, and President Museveni being perfect examples here- fell into that trap, and are now struggling to disentangle themselves from its humuliating costs, having long consumed the “benefits” (i.e. cash and Rado watches).
The African Presidents are now realising their mistake and trying to isolate Gadaffi within the AU, so his tactical response is to pocket as many traditional leaders as can be bought, and then use them as a stick to beat the Presidents with. This is very risky, as it can create instability and civil wars in very many sub-saharan countries (like Uganda, Ethiopia and Rwanda) that have not yet properly resolved their domestic “traditional-modern” relationship.
Now, this is a very serious situation for Black Africa. Our indigenous nations (Bunyoro, Buganda, Toro, etc) are our only real hope for the future. For this arrogant half-Arab (he is actually a Ber-Ber) to play around with our Presidencies and fake “Republics” is one thing, but to begin toying with native rulers is a very grave threat to our futures indeed.
Those claiming to work for the Kingdoms of Bunyoro and Toro need to wake up and seriously review their strategic game-plans: Who are your friends? Who are your enemies?
Your first big mistake was to assume that a central government (currently NRM) was your friend. Through it, you were introduced to this even more disastrous Gadaffi relationship. Your troubles are now just beginning. Do you imagine that Gadaffi is going to stop where he has reached so far?
Your real friend is the other native nations that face the same problems as you do. As again the Nigerians say: “why spend so much energy trying to see behind your ear, when all along what you are looking for is right under your nose?”.
Mr Mirima; it is past time for you to stop hating Baganda and start thinking. And send back the watch.
Peace.
Serumaga
………………………………………………………………….
For clarification, Col. Muammar El Qaddaffi is not a president but a leader. He ceased to be president when Libya transformed from a republic to a Jamahiriyya (State of the Masses) Even there are no ministers in Libya but secretaries. There is no parliament but General Popular Congress and People’s committees. There are no embassies but people’s bureaus and no ambassadors but people’s bureau secretaries.
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February 5, 2009 at 11:46 pm (History, POLITICS)
Tags: mulindwa Edward
Ugandans
As a Ugandan outside Uganda, I have the ability to look at Uganda from the out side, an ability that those are at home do not have. And tonight I need to introduce another section of Ugandans that we have failed to address all along. In reading the many postings here, one gets an impression that if Museveni gets out of power today Uganda will change for a better nation, yes I have seen postings of how Museveni directed the attack on Monitor publications. Do you seriously think that a president can have even a time to direct such an attack?
The problem you have comfortably agreed to ignore is the part Uganda society plays into this very terrible situation. And I am going to give you several examples of how this problem has been slowly growing to such a magnitude. When UPC was in power, one of the most important things they did was to create a self sustaining economy, but let us look closely on Eastern and Western Uganda. Both of these regions were involved into animal husbandry, Places especially Eastern Uganda, they had thousands of cows, cows that fed the Karimojongs and their children. That is why you did not see Karimojong kids on Kampala road for they had an economy to self sustain. Because of the cows industry, the then sitting government bought special train wagons to transport cows from Eastern to the rest of Uganda for the market. When these men and women came from the jungle, they not only killed the Karamoja cows industry but they changed the train wagons from carrying the cows from Eastern Uganda to ferrying the population. They named it Akayoola. Do you remember that term Akayoola?
Although its creation was a sign of a travesty in Eastern Uganda, Ugandans called it a development. What they did not know was that the cows in Eastern Uganda had been all looted and sent to Mbarara, guns ferried to Karamoja, they did not bother to complain about it. Where we are today, the Akayoola industry collapsed as well, the Karimojong kids are on Kampala road and Ugandans are stealing the rails from line to be used as a base to build a concretes of pit latrines.
When Iddi Amin came to power he decided to up grade the Uganda Railway, you see that railway was very important into the development of Uganda. There are those of us who expected it to be developed that it would take all containers going to Rwanda Burundi DRC Sudan and Central African Republic. You have just removed the trailers off Uganda roads. You see when you can dump all containers to Kaseese, the owners can pick all of them from Kasese and then drive them to various countries. Imagine a spin off of jobs in Kasese. Some of us had a dream of extending the Pakhwach line to Sudan, for when you connect that line to the Sudan line you can send a train straight to The Mediterranean sea. That can open up an entire market of goods to Europe, but you can as well run a passenger train from the Mediterranean to the Great Lakes. Iddi Amin pumped some real cash into the Railway industry and refurbished most of the coaches to obtain up scale kitchens and refrigerators. Those facilities arrived to the Uganda railway, and Ugandans not Museveni but Ugandans looted them that today there is no single coach in Uganda with a fridge and except those of us a few that keep our noses into everyone’s business, I wonder if any of you ever saw the up scale coaches Amin bought.
I went to Uganda to visit one day and a very good friend called me to visit him for a week end which I did. As the dinner got to the table I failed to eat for a very simple reason that the plates that were brought to us to use were clearly marked Uganda Hotels. The plates, the spoons, the folks and even the table napkins, all were marked Uganda hotels. You would think that we are in a dining room of Apollo Hotel. Was Iddi Amin a bad president? Yes if you say so. Was Obote a bad president yes if you say so, but did they order you as a Ugandan to go to Uganda hotels and steal all those plates and when did it become even legal to use them? But society accepted it and moved on, they only stand day in day out blaming Amin and Museveni but them selves. It got better when we went to the bed, for the first day we slept into bed sheets marked Namirembe hospital and the second day it was Rubaga hospital. The bed I slept on belonged to Mulago hospital. Did Museveni take this beds and bed sheets to this friend of mine?
Which reminds me of a Ugandan in Bbaale Galiraya who went to industrial area and looted a full container of boxes with engine parts labeled Made in Germany. He decided to keep quite about it until when the looting spree passes. This guy told us very openly that he has thousands of Mercedes Benz engines, “I am going to assemble one by one and die rich” so he stated. After the looting this man started to look for the mechanics to start the assembling of the engines, but no one knew what these parts were. He came to Kayunga to no solution, he went to Spear Motors and they did not know the parts. Lastly he asked a technician from Roko Construction to show up. It was revealed that they were actually spare parts of train engines. The fella did not have a plan to make a railway line in Bbaale Galiraya. Did Amin or Obote or Museveni instruct this Ugandan to take these equipments?
Let us go back at the removal of Amin, this man had decided to make massive changes in Uganda, among the things he had bought was the garbage trucks that used to lift the bins, do you know that one of the members of FDC today, actually stole all of them and sent them to Rwanda to be registered as private trucks? What happened to all Peugeot 504s that Uganda Police received towards the fall of Amin? But here is a good one, a new company of buses was being created to help on the UTC and Republic Express Services. The buses were being assembled in Kireka Ministry of works, and they were yellow. Remember those? All those buses were stolen by Ugandans to no avail, but in all the fleet that were stolen, there was this bus that made me understand Ugandans. This bus was towed into a valley of between Bweyogerere and Kireka, on the south side near Mandela stadium, and you could see it from a far. but every morning we would see this bus from the road but loosing body parts every day. Ugandans were cutting its body and taking it until when they finished it. The bus literary got obliterated by Ugandans them selves.
On visiting a relative in Hoima I walked into an old woman’s hut, and she had a magnetic head phone. Remember those that were brought in Uganda under the Amin’s services nearer to the people program. They had a handle you need to turn to call the operator. So I asked this old woman what she had on her table, and she ravishingly stated “Oyo malidadi wange abaana bamujja Kampala ne mugula” She did not even know that it was a phone for she had never seen a phone in her life.
Let me not tire you this is my conclusion. Ugandans are not only naked thieves but they are killers. Where do you think do the members of black Mambas come from? Canada? No sir they are Ugandans these are men and women you dine with in restaurants. One of the reasons we will pressure an inqurery into Uganda nightmare is to let Ugandans understand how brutal their children are. UPDF soldiers and mainly Baganda go to the North and rape men in front of their wives and children. Did you expect a Muganda to do that? I hear a story of Baganda are very well coming people, well can we allow a Northerner to put that thesis to test? And I refuse the nonsense of they are directed, and I have seen that lie walking in here naked. Tell me right now, can you be directed to rape a man in Uganda and you drop your pants? Barracks unit 35 of Andrew Kayiira was all killed in one night. It is a pile of crap for any one to claim, Eh Munange Museveni yeyabalagiranga okutta abantu. Gogera nga aganywedde amalwa. No these are all killers and they should all be put to trial. Give me a dam break. I challenge you to understand the population that the Movement is leaving you to use. For the population you have today, it is a very worrisome population that no body can use to even re build Uganda. Museveni no Museveni. So as you are looking for a new leader, one might want to start to look for a new population. A crossbreed of Kenyans and Burundians can be a good start.
Mulindwa Edward
Canada
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February 6, 2009 at 12:07 am (History, POLITICS)
Tags: Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
In reaction to the letter wrote by Raymond Otika in the weekly Uganda observer entitled:’ Sedition comes with oppression’, I would like to say that sedition charges did not start with president museveni as he learnt that from one of his predecessors, Dr. Milton Obote. Journalists and the media were some of the biggest casualties of the government’s sensitivity to criticism during Obote and now Museveni. Pro-baganda newspapers like the economy had a breather after the fall of Amin but things started getting tougher afterwards. Obote also got tougher on foreign journalists who had had freedom under Lule and Binaisa. Many newspapers like the weekly topic were closed down by government officials under obote 2. Anthony Sekweyama, the editor of the main Luganda newspaper, Mumansi, and two other employees of the paper were arrested in March and held for three weeks on sedition charges. They were released in mid-April, but the paper — which was the voice of the opposition, Democratic Party — did not reappear until the middle of May. Even the Chief Editor of the new Sunday edition of the government Uganda Times was detained after only editing two issues. The Obote government was apparently annoyed by an article criticising the US boycott of Libyan oil. Obote had turned his previous socialist policies on their head and had been hard at work courting Western investors. No doubt he did not wish them annoyed by a government paper. Surprisingly, Museveni’s paper: Resistance News of the NRM was left on the streets for a while-a point which strengthenes the argument of those who say that Obote always did undermine the strengths of Museveni from day one.
Museveni’s idea of the media centre headed by Robert Kabushenga did not come from the moon. Obote was the man who first introduced Newspaper and Publications Act to lay down conditions for the starting of a newspaper or magazine in Uganda. Museveni’s media centre is an equivalent of Obote’s Press Accreditation Committee (PAC) which had representatives from the Ministries of Information, Internal Affairs and Foreign Affairs. Ugandan journalists wishing to send material to foreign sources had to be approved by the same body.
In addition,the throwing away of foreign journalists from Uganda did not start with Museveni as some people think. Four Western journalists who included: Christabel King, Nick Worrall, June Dechter and Bob Dietz, had their accreditation withdrawn before the December 1980 elections which brought Obote to power, mainly because they were considered unsympathetic to Obote. Then four other journalists resident in Kampala also had their press credentials withdrawn and these were: Cameron Morton (September 1981), Mark Lee (December 1981), Tom Lansner (November 1981) and Trent O’Keefe (January 1982). Visiting correspondents, including representatives of the Daily Telegraph and British Independent Television News, were also thrown out of Uganda. The Minister of Information at that time, Dr David Anyoti, said that only qualified and bona fide journalists were permitted to work in the country. He condemned freelance journalists as bent on ’sensational and subjective journalism’ and condemned the foreign news media for using ’second-rate yellow journalists’. Cameron Morton, for example, was put under house arrest and expelled immediately after reporting army massacres in the West Nile and Trent O’Keefe had his accreditation withdrawn a few days after a BBC report of the murder of five churchgoers by Ugandan troops during a Sunday service in Katiti village in Luwero district. Actually, any body telling you that the killing of Ugandans like bees in Luwero started with NRM is just kicking himself in the teeth. Probably president Museveni can now be called a student of Obote politics in Uganda.
Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
United Kingdom
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February 7, 2009 at 3:24 pm (History, Uncategorized)
Tags: L/Cpl (rtd) Otto Patrick
The charter was the shutter and shatterer of AM Obote’s political career. Throughout the (first) cold war, there was a fierce struggle between NATO and Warsaw Treaty block over who would control Africa, particularly the strategic southern cone where there many liberation wars raging, in addition to the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa.
The stand-off between the rival blocks played out along what was called the ‘Blue Belt’ (BB) and the ‘Red Corridor’ (RC). The RC was a chain of pro-Soviet countries running in a north-Southerly direction from Cairo with the intention of linking with the Cape, thus: Egypt, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, then linking to the countries that were then struggling for liberation..Rhodesia, Angola, Mozambique…the frontline against apartheid South Africa. That corridor was perceived by the west to be a pipeline for transmitting soviet military aid to the frontline states, then eventually to the antiapartheid movements that would subsequently take South Africa out of the control of the West….making the Cape sea-lane of communication unavailable for oil tankers coming from the gulf.
The BB was NATO’s attempt to interrupt the RC by slicing it in the waist from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, from Kenya, through Uganda to Zaire. Uganda’s geostrategic location placed us at the confluence of those two trails of East-West struggle. He who controlled Uganda controlled Africa. Recall that in 1967 Mw. Nyerere made the Arusha Declaration turning Tanzania into a socialist (hence supposedly pro-East state), then in 1968 Mr K Kaunda made the Mulungushi Declaration also turning Zambia into a prosocialist state (‘Humanism’). That made the West shiver. Before they could recover from that, then later in 1968 comes the Nakivubo Declaration, Uganda’s move to the left. So, three declarations to consolidate the RC.
Then enter 1969, with Gen G Mimeiri overthrowing Ismail al-Azhari, and immediately making a kind of “Khartoum Declaration”. Like the other three in the RC who made declarations to nationalise banks and industries, Nimeiri did all that nad set Sudan onto the path of socialist reforms. In all this, as we have seen, Uganda was the centrepiece and the ultimate prize that each of the global powers was salivating for. J Mobutu was blue already, thanks to the earlier death of P. Lumumba who would have probably made a “Kinshasa declaration”. J Kenyatta was the West’s son-in-law, and Mombasa was already available for the United States Central Command Forces (formerly Rapid Deployment Force). So Uganda had to get out of the RC, and AM Obote had either to take back his words of the “Nakivubo Declaration” or go.
This reminds me of these words: “Mr Obote seems to have been misled or misinformed that the Baganda will accept a commoner to rule this country when the British go. The truth is Buganda will use all its available forces to see that the Kabaka becomes head of state of Uganda or Buganda secession when independence is attained” (Paul Tebandeke, Uganda Argus, Saturday, 20 August, 1960; page 2) So, the Common Man’s Charter was the commoner’s shatter. Nevertheless, it was big algebra at play.
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February 7, 2009 at 3:28 pm (History, POLITICS)
Tags: Abbey.K.Semuwemba
This document rubbed a lot of people’s feathers including the British who saw it as a threat to their interests in Uganda . It is believed that it may have been one of the strongest reasons why the British and Israelis decided to sponsor Amin’s coup against Obote. Actually, Obote confirmed this when he was in London on February 24, 1978, to prosecute successfully a libel suit against Judith Countess of Listowel, author of a laudatory biography of Amin. Obote and two of his aides left London about $125,000 richer than when they came, at least on paper.
Also, former CIA officials who have become critical of the agency said that Mossad, the Israeli intelligence, service worked out with the British Secret Intelligence Service and Langley to get rid of Obote. In 1971, Obote was regarded as a dangerous socialist who was embarrassing Britain in particular over Prime Minister Edward Health’s insistence on selling arms to South Africa .
By the way, I’m not an Obote Hater as some people want to portray me. I’m just pointing out facts as far as Obote was concerned. For instance, I know for sure that Museveni was obsecessed with Obote throughout his first years of leadership and that is why NRM created that organisation called FOBA(Bring Obote Back) as a way of scaring the Baganda. But at the same time, I know the evil side of Obote and I don’t need to be 60 years old as Mulindwa thinks to know what Obote was capable of. Like I said, the whole truth will come out slowly and I think we are getting there.
Abbey.K.Semuwemba
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February 8, 2009 at 4:21 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: Robert Nviri
On 04th March 1971, the president of Uganda, General Idi Amin Dada, authorised the release for public consumption, a once upon a time Top Secret document meant for ex-president Apollo Milton Obote and the UPC top elites from Lango, to be read on Radio Uganda. The document which was authored by a one Okello-Apello, claiming to be airing the views of the Langi elders, was one of the Top Secret documents that had been confiscated by the Army after the 25th January 1971 military coup d’etat. Here below is the document in detail.
Your Excellency, Dr. A.M. Obote,
Thank the heavens! We wish you the best of luck, and long live our dear son. Lead the people of Uganda with dignity and at the same time as per the norms of the Langi culture. We have taken it upon ourselves to study the different regions and peoples of Uganda with the aim of finding out what the different tribes think and do. We have also got feedback from fellow Langi who work in different regions of Uganda but have now returned back to Lira, on how ready they are to give you advice on how best you can rule Uganda. In its entirety, here below is our advice:
First of all, the Langi were mistreated by the British colonialists and, after the departure of the British after attaining independence, all the tribes of Uganda despised us. We had very few educated Langi which led to all the top government posts being filled by people from other tribes. This made all the Langi to envy other tribes. We are now totally convinced that should you follow to the letter what is stipulated in our document, herewith known as The Lango Development Plan, Lango shall rise and shine and, you shall be able to rule Uganda for at least 50 years!
Fundamental steps to be taken:
- Increase the number of schools in Lango and post in them highly educated teachers, we shall take it upon ourselves to fill the schools with pupils and students every year.
- We must ensure that Langi are made Education Officers in order to equate the number of Acholi Education Officers, or even to supersede them. We must not accept the Acholi to boast that they are cleverer than us, Langi.
- With immediate effect, send Langi students abroad on scholarships. We must ensure that vacancies are reserved for them in key government positions to deter people from other tribes being employed in such positions, such that our sons and daughters get employed immediately upon their return. In the unlikely event, should an Acholi be employed in a key position, then he should not be boss to a Langi.
- Increase the number of industries and factories in Lango in order to boost our economic power. We are well aware that this will cause the other districts to become jealousy of any developments in Lango, but this shall force the other regions to federate with us basing on our strong purchasing power base. The only serious opposition we might face is from the Acholi, especially should the number of industries in their region increase.
- We are aware that there is a considerable number of Acholi in the army, police and Prisons’ forces more than the Langi. We would be grateful if the numbers of Langi were increased to supersede the Acholi, and we request that this be implemented as soon as possible. We foresee with dismay the danger of the Lugbara and Madi joining forces in order to topple your government. We therefore recommend that the following Langi army officers: Arach Metucela, Oboma Ayumu, Ogwang and Elyak, be promoted immediately in order to head the armed forces. Since we do not trust other tribes, Metucela Arach should be promoted to the rank of Major General and, either Oboma or Elyak be made Chief of Staff. With respect to Police, Odongo should be made the Inspector General of Police and Samson Ochan should be made the Commissioner for Prisons. Should these recommendations delay to be implemented, we shall suffer heavily. We therefore make the following proposals in order to implement these recommendations: There is quite a considerable number of Acholi officers in the Police and Prisons forces who have served for quite a long time although they are not well educated. You should promote these not so-intelligent elderly officers but not the young energetic intelligent Acholi. Langi youthful officers should be strategically put to work side by side with these Acholi elderly officers so that with time you weed out the Acholi and replace them with the Langi youthful officers. The good in keeping the elderly Acholi officers is that they despise any advice from the youthful Acholi that could lead them to get ideas of toppling your government. We should be wary of Idi Amin despite his being semi-illiterate because he can easily join hands with intelligent Lugbara who can plan to topple your government. We do not want that Acholi, Anywar, to be head of the Special Branch. This post should be given to a Langi.
- We wish that all recruiting officers in all government departments are Langi. This will give a chance to those Langi who did not get access to education to get access to wealth. Any Indian or foreign national who mistreats a Langi should be expelled from Uganda. The following ministries should be headed by Langi: Planning and Economic Development; Agriculture; Education and; Health. The Acholi should not be given an opportunity to head ministries or even departments that are directly in the line of developing the country.
- Whenever a need arises to carry out a project in Acholi, the same project should also be carried out in Lango, as a must. Should there be any programme to be executed by the Acholi, we must see to it that also Langi officers are involved.
- Send as many Langi officers as possible to work in Acholi, especially as administrators. This shall dupe the villagers in Acholi that we Langi are the best educated. Ensure that the District Commissioner for Acholi district is always a Langi who shall give us a non-compromised report on exactly what the Acholi are up to. This DC should also encourage the fanning of divisions among the Acholi and any progressive Acholi with the intent of uniting East and West Acholi should be earmarked. However, should East Acholi wish to join us, they should be most welcome, in fact should there be any developmental projects to be carried out in Acholi, they should be along the border areas with Lango in order for the Langi to benefit the most.
- Please ensure that many Langi join the ranks of NUYO, as this will dupe the other tribes that its only the Langi who are capable of leading the nation. We should instil this myth in the minds of all the other tribes by ensuring that only Langi are appointed in key administrative posts. This will serve us well since the country is headed for development because then all the other tribes in Uganda shall be made to believe that it is only Langi who are capable of being good leaders and that anything good can only be found in Lango.
- The Langi are quite unhappy about the current boundaries with Acholi. The boundary should have been from Adilang straight to Bobi following the road to Koch and Karuma. This was the wise counsel of Yakobo Adoko. On the side of Teso, Kumam territory should be annexed to Lango, whereas on the side of Karamoja, Lango should stretch up to Labwor.
- We should be secretive on whatever goes on within Lango. All developmental projects in Lango should not be brioadcast on the national Radio or even in the newspapers. People without a strong foundation should not be allowed to work in Lango. At the same time, people who are well conversant with Lango but despise us should also not be allowed to serve in Lango. This should be so in order to avoid the impression that Lango is being developed at a fast rate at the expense of other regions.
- The following departments should be headed by Langi: Public Service Commission; Uganda Development Corporation; Nyanza Textiles; Tororo Cement Works; Uganda Hotels; Kilembe Mines and Uganda National Parks. All this is possible but it seems that there is an element of inferiority complex. Please also note the following:
Ankole: Kahigiriza is incapable of implementing our ideals because of the fear that someone else could take over his position.
Kigezi: Mpambara readily accepts anything put before him on his plate.
Toro: Samson Rusoke is wary of Rwambarali because he thinks that the latter might replace him as the Omuhikiirwa (Prime Minister) of Toro.
Buganda: There is nothing to fear in Buganda, except for that stupid Acholi by the names of Daudi Ochieng, who is not even liked by the Baganda themselves. Even in his own home he is not popular and his relatives loathe him as well, they do not trust him.
Busoga: Nadiope is well aware how he faces eminent opposition from Bamutire and also how he is dislikedby the Basoga in Iganga.
Lango: You are adored by all in lango except for that fool Ben Emor, who tried to make himself popular by means of trying to promote the Union. Emor has been earmarked and all his movements are being monitored.
Acholi: There is nothing to fear in Acholi land, for all the bad elements were taken care of by Peter Oola. The remnants are now located outside the district and, even though they returned; it would be too late because no Acholi could believe what they preached.
Lugbara and Madi: These are hopeless people, there is nothing to fear among them.
- The Scholarships Committee responsible for sending students abroad should be composed of only dedicated Langi. Educating of the Acholi should be put in check; however, there should be no fear for educating the other tribes.
- We wish that all the teachers in Ngeta and Boroboro TTC be strictly Langi. Teachers from other tribes other than Langi who wish to teach in schools and institutions found in Lango should have a good knowledge of the Langi Luo version and English only.
- It is an open secret that there is a privately owned school in Acholi which is aided by the government. This school falls in the same category as those of Jefania Okae and Kejekia Okulu in Lango district. Where is it that these latter two schools in Lango are not aided by the government?
- We do not want to see any Jaluos in Lira or even to see them fishing in Kwibale, Namasale, Acung, Ibuje or any other place in Lango. They should relocate to Acholi or West Nile.
- We hope that you are well aware how the Baganda used to seat on the busts of our grandparents while they drank liquor or brew. This act by the Baganda shall always be remembered by us, the Langi. Up to till today, the Acholi tease us how they used to burn us just like game, when will the Acholi ever be roasted like a game of elephants? At times Akena Adoko tells us that he is the only one capable of dealing with the Acholi.
- We reliably learnt from G.M. Okae that there are two Acholi lecturers in the Makerere University College, why are there no Langi lecturers? Maybe this is the reason why there are also few Langi students in the University College, reason being that they (Langi) are frustrated by the Acholi lecturers. The Langi should be trained as tomorrows leaders since they are to rule Uganda.
Your Excellency,
This is the full report of our investigations from all the regions of Uganda. As per our wish, there should be no elections at all, for what benefit is it to hold general elections today? The general elections we held in the first place was because we wanted to end colonial rule and thus expel the British; now whom do we want to expel to necessitate the holding of general elections? We acknowledge the authority you command owing to your position as President of the Party, a phenomenon that has generated a lot of envy among your fellow UPC inner circle. Should you allow any other person to take over that position, we as Langi shall be subjected to enormous suffering. Increase the ranks of Langi officers within the army, police and prison forces and the commander of the Special Force must be a Langi and not from any other tribe. We do not want an Acholi to head the Special Branch.
Never familiarise yourself with Acholi because they are not to be trusted and can easily poison you. There is no doubt that you are capable of ruling Uganda for 50 years should you collaborate with the great sons of Lango such as Adoko .A. Nekyon, J.M. Okae, Abdallah Anyuru, Joel Wacha-Olwol, Ben Otim-Etura and Yokosafati Engur who is currently overseas. We wish you success, God blessed us to cooperate and work with you, in fact should anyone attempt to do you any harm, we are willing to sacrifice our own lives for you. Long live our son, we are your confidants and this document should only be circulated only among members of our most trusted inner circle.
An addendum to this document contained the following advice.
Our Great Leader, Apollo Milton Obote,
- You should not be deceived by anyone that the Acholi detest Peter Oola. We the Langi, like Oola so much because it is through him that we can undermine the Acholi.
- Never at any give time, allow Alipayo Oloya to be the chairman of Acholi District Council (ADC). We as Langi, protest such a move. Do you best to have the ADC chairmanship elections postponed until such a time when we have got a suitable person to replace Alipayo Oloya.
- Save us from these Acholi, we detest Eria Lakidi’s being in Entebbe and others also from Acholi district.
- Save us from the Acholi, we do not want any Acholi to be a minister of either the Agriculture, or Planning and Economic Development.
- Felix Onama should be made the Secretary General of UPC. We protest John Kakonge’s being given any post in UPC. We detest Otim-Oryem, an Acholi, being the Organiser of the Party.
- Save us from the Acholi, we do not want Wilson Lutara to be in a position where he can gain access to government secrets because he shall then be in a position to pass them over to the Acholi.
- Great leader, a considerable number of Langi should be posted in Acholi landas informants in order to keep us updated on what the Acholi are up to.
- Save us from the Acholi, you gave our land to the Acholi, when shall it be returned to us?
- Your Excellency, with all our hearts we request you to save us from the Acholi. Ensnure that Erinayo Oryema remains the Inspector General of Police until such a time when a suitable Langi replacement is found.
- Your Excellency, you are well aware of how the Acholi disrespect us the Langi, why have you decided to keep mum?
This is all, Your Excellency, that there is to inform you. We shall send you an envoy at a later time. We have nominated you as the Party President and wish you success. Thank the Heavens.
Signed,
Okello-Apello
Lira, Lango
6 June 1968
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February 8, 2009 at 4:30 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: Robert Nviiri
Fellow Ugandans,
As the days roll by, we tend to forget certain things, trust Ugandans, except for Baganda who had their eyes poked into by the Colonialists and Obote, a thing that opened up their minds. Here below are the 18 reasons that led to the military Coup d’etat on that Monday of 25th January 1971.
Ensonga 18 amagye g’Amin ze gaawa ekyagamaamuzaako gavumenti y’Obote.
- Okusibira abantu obwerere mu makomera awatali musango gwonna gubavunaanibwa (Detention without trial)
- Okwongezaayo amateeka g’ebiseera eby’akatabanguko entakera nga tewali n’omu amanyi ddi lwegalijjibwawo (State of Emergency)
- Abantu okujjibwako eddembe ly’okwogera ebibaluma (Denial of freedom of speech)
- Okutta abantu okuyiteredde mu ngeri y’obwakkondo (Uncontained thuggery)
- Okuleetawo oluwalo abantu bagendenga bakole akasanvu nga bava mu maka gaabwe okumala ekiseera kya myaka ebiri (Forced labour in the name of socialism)
- Okulya enguzi naddala mu wofeesi z’abanene mu gavumenti nga wesanga baminista abamu balina oluseregende lw’emmotoka ne bbaasi (Corruption)
- Ababadde mu buyinza okulemwa okussaawo okulonda mu bbanga ery’emyaka omunaana okuva mu 1963. Kisaana kitegeerekeke nti okulonda okwali kutereddwawo kwali kukolebwa abo abali mu kibiina kya UPC era nga abanene baali babutikidde abavuganyi ababulijjo olw’ensimbi ennyingi zebaayiwayiwa nga bagenda bagulirira n’okutiisatiisa abalonzi. (Lack of free & fair elections, transparency during campaigns and intimidation of the electorate)
- Eby’enfuna ebyali byonoonese (Economic decline)
- Emisolo egirinnya buli lukedde ate nga abanene mu gavumenti basobola okugyepena (Unjustified increase in taxation and unfair taxes of the common person while top government officials were on record of evading the same)
- Emiwendo gy’ebirime egigenda gikubibwa ebigwo ssonga egy’ebintu ebikozesebwa omuntu owa bulijjo gigenda girinnya. (Decline of prices for agricultural produce, the basic source of income for the local person, despite rising prices of essential commodities)
- Okutwawukanya ne bamuliraanwa baffe ab’omu East Africa (Brooding enmity among the East African region countries)
- Okussaawo emitindo gy’abantu ab’enjawulo nga mitegeke (Pre-destined classification of society)
- Obutatuula lw’olukiiko olukola ku by’okwerinda mu ggwanga ekyaviirako abamagye obutafuna byetaago byabwe. (Lack of meetings by the Military Council to provide basic needs for the Armed Forces)
- Wofeesi ya baminista yali efuuse ttendekero lya magye ate nga abatendekebwa bava mu kitundu kimu eky’eggwanga – Akokoro, Lango. (Turning the Cabinet Office into a training ground for purposively selected officers from only one region – Lango, to create the Special Force and General Service Unit – GSU)
- Entegeka kasiggu eyakolebwa mu 1967 ey’okukuza Lango yokka nga mu kino amakolero, eby’obufuzi, amagye bikulirwa abantu abava mu Lango bokka. (Marshall plan drawn up in 1967 to develop Lango area at the expense of other regions, whereby all leadership would be in the hands of only Langis)
- Obote ne munne Akena Adoko okugezaako okutema mu magye g’eggwanga ne Uganda yonna awamu. (Creation of divisions within the army and Uganda as a whole)
- Okugulirira bofiisa ba magye abamu okulwanyisa bannabwe okusobola okuleetawo obukuubagano mu magye. Kino kyali kyakuviirako okussa amagye ga Obote (Special Force ne GSU) mu mitambo gy’eggwanga. (Artificial creation of antagonism within the Armed Forces to justify the enventual usurption of powers by Obotes personal armies – Special Force and GSU)
- Okumaamulako gavumenti y’Obote kyali kutangira okuyiwa kw’omusaayi okwalibadde kuteewalibwa mu maaso gyebujja olw’ensonga ezimenyeddwa waggulu. (It was circumstantial and inevitable to make a Coup d’etat against Obote’s government in order to avert possible bloodshed in the country as a result of not addressing the above mentioned issues).
Anyone having ideas of becoming the next president of Uganda, please learn these 18 points by heart so that you don’t fall into the same trap, leading to your being kicked in the butt!!!
Nviiri
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February 9, 2009 at 8:17 am (POLITICS, PRESIDENCY)
Tags: samson mande
I am talking to you as a Ugandan a human rights activist and environmental protection activist and by the way i am also a prize winner of the 2006 EUROPE HUMAN RIGHTS HEROES AWARD.In addition i happen to have been a member of FRONASA, a founder member of the NRA/NRM, a founder member of the Reform Agenda and a founder member of the FDC and an ordinary member of the FDC Sweden branch, just in case you may need to know me more.
I happen to have worked very closely with Museveni, Besigye and Mugisha Muntu in bad and good times and i have some good understanding of the three outstanding figures in this discussion.The three have the following in common: They are articulate men of high calibre vision and very revolutionary. The differences are :
General Yoweri Museveni is obsessed with power (military,economic and political power) , does never accept to be any other number except number one. When it comes to acquiring power he will do anything possible including riding on the devil toget it. Museveni believes in Single Party Rule and he belives his party should have him as the ruler and the only guide since he believes no one else has a vision to lead ” Uganda and Africa”
He can drop or change allies, he can shift from one ideology and from principle to another any time it serves him. He does not miss an opportunity that makes him achieve what he wants no matter what the long term effects or repercussions may be.
Museveni does all this struggle for rather personal than national gains : a big name as the most famous African human being and one of the richest (material gains). This is more reason he concentrates more on regional and puts East Africa and African issues in general a pririty above Ugandan issues. For him Uganda is like his launhing pad into his dream of becomming the better Kwame Nkrumah.
He believes in centralisation of power(personal power) and that money will help him to control people for many generations through a line of heritage of his own choice as opposed to building institutions with long term and democratic succession strategies.
Besigye and Mugisha Muntu have always dreamed of a rich and prosperous Ugandan community governed by the people through democratic institutions as opposed to politics of patronage and centralised political , military and economic power owned by an individual or a clique. A Ugandan community where tribal, racial,religious and class discrimination is minimised to minute levels if not totaly eradicated. They are military men not as of choice but by circumstances and they believe in civil power.
Besigye and Muntu have just a slight difference, Besigye is a little more courageous and makes quick decisions while Muntu kind of takes his time to make a lot of more analysing and compromise. I am very happy to see them in one political party and mutualy supporting each other. The two have all the values a modern leadership needs to have. Thats is why Museveni will no longer sleep for he knows the abilities and capacity these two have. That is more reason he may wish to destroy the FDC physicaly and legaly(false charges, court raids, killing and intimidation of supportersetc) rather than politicaly and ideologicaly or intellectualy. Try to arrange a debate between them and Museveni on Uganda issues Museveni will always dissappear in thin grass only to appear later through the black mamba element.
When one talks about the political reforms it is Besigye and us who put that initiative forward and we still believe in that. Yoweri thinks he is to militarily powerful to see reason why we need reforms and reconciliation. You have not to spend time telling us about it for it is a crucial undertaking we and the entire nation is waitting in order to put the past in history and move forward. So i think Ugandns need to do more talking to your dear leader to help him understand and internalise the importance of reconciliation and reform. These two ideas are more important than the so called amnesty.
And i wish to begg some Ugandans to stop insulting me by asking me to ask for amnesty and i wish to assure you that perhaps it will be my dead body that will ask for amnesty not the living grand son of Karobwa-Mande. Those criminals , cowards and those mentaly enslaved people or those under torture and blackmail can do that but not me.They have killed my people , the people of Uganda, Rwanda, DRC and Sudan the list is not less than five million people whose blood stains that cherished ruler of yours who if he does not ask for amnesty we shall deliver to justice in a question of time.
Lastly i dont see science in some people’s advice that it is safer for me to communicate to a newVision journalist,Katerega Ahmed, directlly for that is when he will get my IP and everything.But let me inform Ugandan s that i am a public person , i have nothing to hide or fear and i am protected by UN and by Sweden which is also a power in technology. Who ever wishes to talk to me or see me he/she is free so long as he/she does not fear to be eaten by your black mambas. My number is 0046739048412 and my e mail is clear.
REGARDS TO ALL
Samson Mande
Former UPDF/FRONASA officer
1 Comment
February 10, 2009 at 7:14 am (History, KINGDOMS, POLITICS)
Tags: L/Cpl (rtd) Otto Patrick
LETTER OF AN ACHOLI UNLA OFFICER: AFRICA NOW MAGAZINE, AUGUST 1984
The situation in Uganda
I am an Acholi army officer situated at one of the barracks around Kampala . I have, been forced to write this letter because of the numerous Ugandans of the’ Baganda ethnic group who are being killed by us soldiers on orders from our commanders. These unfortunate and innocent people (young and old, men and women, and even babies) are being killed by us every day at military barracks, in their homes, villages and streets in Buganda .
Instructions to kill are passed on to us by Acholi and Lango officers, and a few trusted Itesots, in the Luo language so that other Bantu soldiers may not know the idea behind the killings. We are ordered to kill Baganda of all ages so that this province with 4 million will be depopulated before the next general elections. By reducing the Baganda to a minority group, it will enable us northerners to rule Uganda without any problems from the Baganda.
Recently, we were sent to the Luwero area with instructions to kill everybody and destroy all the homes, cattle etc.
Thousands of people of all ages were killed, houses bombed, women and girls raped and a lot of property looted. A good number of the soldiers, particularly the Acholis, did this against their will for they see no reason for killing innocent people. The majority of us Acholis now wish to leave the army but are afraid of the consequences which will be brutal. We are told that after successfully depopulating Luwero and Mpigi Districts (which is currently being done) the next area will be Mukono and then Masaka. All this must be completed in 1985.
The purpose of this letter is to draw the attention of the world to the thousands of people who have been killed in government institutions, in villages, etc. and to the fate of innocent Baganda awaiting death. In fact more people have been killed in Buganda during the last two years than in eight years of Amin. History will show this.
I wish to end by appealing to all Uganda Army soldiers, especially the Acholis, to disobey the killing orders and save the lives of the Baganda – for humanity’s, sake and for the sake of our tribe’s future.
(Worried Acholi Soldier – Kampala, Uganda)
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February 10, 2009 at 7:48 am (History, POLITICS)
Tags: Herbert Buhanga
Col Mande
I have met you on a number of occassions but I have never asked you this question which bothers me everyday.You have narreted to us how bad M7 is and how he killed your Brother. But in 1987, NRA soldiers murdered UFM fighters in cold blood.
Many were picked from Mubende Barracks and taken to Lubiri, Kireka and other barracks from where they were tortured later on murdered.You Mande, Besigye, Muntu and others knew when these murders were being committed and all you did was to keep quiet.
UFM soldiers who were serving in Northern Uganda were locked up in a semi-trailer and suffocated. UFM/A Officers who were living in Bugoloobi flats were blind folded, tied three-piece( Kandoya) and then shot at a close range. One of theNRA soldiers who participated in these murders which took place in Bugoloobi is Jimmy Ateesa who you live with in Sweden.
Surely, why did you allow this to take place? Why did you only dessert M7 after he had started killing your relatives.Mande, You watched as Banyarwandas like Kagame, Rwigyema and Kaka were killing Baganda officers who had served in UFM/A. You even gave Paul Kagame a petty name ( Pilaato) because of his brutality against UFM soldiers has he hit them on the head with a short hoe at DMI.
I feel bad about what NRA did to Dr Andrew Kayiira and other UFM soldiers who were murdered for simply being Baganda.
You,Col Mande ,captured Gulu town during the liberation of Uganda. UFM/A captured Jinja, Mbale, and proceeded to Soroti via Kabera Maido. They joined Mande and supported him to flush out the UNLA in Gulu and when the guns went silent, your brigade(Col Mande’s brigade) turned against UFM/A and started shooting them as if they were not humans.
We need something new. Something different. We need the Obama of our own. What makes M7, Besigye, Muntu and company think that we can’t do without them.
We need a new charismatic person. We want Ogenga Latigo, Reagan Okumu, Betty Nambooze, Erias Lukwago and many others to come out and contest for the presidence.
Besigye, Muntu, M7, UPC etc must stand trial for murder.May the souls fo the UFM/A soldiers who were murdered by NRM/A rest in eternal peace.
RIP Andrew Kayiira.
Buhanga Herbert
Former UFM Soldier
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February 11, 2009 at 5:18 pm (History, POLITICS)
Tags: Billie Kadameri
I have done my research in the course of writing a book and I failed to find any evidence of the authenticity of the so-called Lango Development Master Plan. Even without trying to be an Obote apologist, I think the so-called LDMP was most likely a poorly done concoction by Amin’s cohorts in trying to justify what he was trying to do against Obote’s kinsmen in the aftermath of the 1971 coup.
You will note that within months of taking power he had removed the only Lango member of his cabinet Yekosafati Engur, whose only qualification for the job was that he was not buddy buddy with his tribesmate Obote. He was replaced by Henry Kyemba who later went on to become minister of health till 1977.
The only high ranking Langi to survive Amin were Kassim Obura Abak (Police, because he was Muslim), Lt Col Abednego Orech Okot (still alive who was director of the army band and of course Amin loved brass band people though he killed Ahmed Oduka but tolerated Orech Okot and Venansio Okello of police. Okello was Acholi.) I have never found out why Amin’s security tolerated Captain Smith Opon Acak until 1977 when he fled or Captain Egwar from Akokoro who stayed on until Amin was overthrown , joined the UNLA and was shot dead by fellow UNLA soldiers in Mbuya barracks in 1980.
But when anybody thinking Amin was after the Langi, to somewhat appear less brutal to Acholi was mistaken as you all know.
I have no evidence that the letter by the Acholi UNLA officer mentioned in New Africa magazine was genuine. However what I do know, with evidence of graying letters I manage to get in the course of my research, was that there was another type of letter that was circulating and being sent to only Acholi officers from around March 1985. Some people claimed the letter, written on duplicating paper, was by NASA trying to scare off some Acholi officers suspected to be working with Bazilio Okello to destabilise President Obote while others suspected it was from a third party wishing to sow discord among UNLA officers with the aim of making things difficult for government.
The copies I got in the course of my research were mailed to Lt. Richard Ochieng and Lt John Okot, both of UNLA Magamaga Ordnance Base Depot, Jinja. It read: “Dear Lt Okot, It has come to our knowledge that you are involved in a distardly machination to try and overthrow the government of Uganda through unconstitutional means. We take this opportunity to warn you to desist from such an act, the consequences of which will be too ghastly to contemplate. Signed. Concerned Ugandans.”
As I said, it was never clear who were behind this kind of communication but bearing in mind the poisoned atmosphere in the then national army, it could have been from anywhere.
This to help some of us who may not have known about such issues.
Cheers
Billie Kadameri
Journalist based in France
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February 11, 2009 at 10:18 pm (History, KINGDOMS, POLITICS)
Tags: mayiko Makula
Well Hearing all this; the general public does not really know what was going on in Obote’s rigid regime as in, who was planning what and who really had the powers to cook killing ideas with or without Obote’s knowledge. Obote himself was seen by some tribes mates as a traitor for marrying a muganda, yet Obote himself claimed that he couldn’t have a master plan to exterminate his brothers in law the Baganda.
But we all know that Milton was too drunk with either power or whiskey to reprimand any one in his administration. Knowingly or unknowingly for him he was exactly where he wanted to be as in ” The only president fit to rule Uganda” and nothing moved him further in truth to act unless he was threatened to be ousted from power. I believe to this day wherever he is, the combination of these two alphanumerics “M7″ haunt him a lot, but not skulls from (Buganda), Luwero, Ssemuto, Kapeka nor Masuliita. For he, Obote and M7 both share the skull closet and one of them will claim the biggest acre in high shame or revolutionary empty airs, when we reach in heaven on that judgment day, its not over yet.
However in many operations like panda gari in many villages in Buganda, the hard experience was, Head of families & bigger sons were killed with no clear reason, Govt soldiers would come in force the doors open kill and walk out majestically without really taking much, police would come in the next day, and no particular investigations would take place, as in motive, it was as if police already knew what was going on, so they never asked much, we never read many of these incidents in major newspapers and we would wait for another day for something like that to happen again. My father was left for dead in one of these incidents, I was in boarding school so I was not around to see what really happened, but we had a step mum who was a practicng nurse working for Mulago Hopital and my father was shot and hummered with small hoes by Obote soldiers, He was rushed to mulago hospital wrapped in blankets to keep him warm, the joke was all my brothers and sisters got new blankets after my dad came home because they were all used to save his life. I do not think these murderes followed up on their victims after that to find out whether they really died, for they did not come back again, some people never died but survived as the example of my father. It was a public secret that this was a state sponsored operation.
The village is Bukoto next to Kamwokya or Ntinda depending on where you are coming from, ask for the family of the late Ssemwogere, one of his sons is in Police “Gerald Ssemwogere Ssekiwunga) now and you will know about other families who died or survived, if your research yields good results, I’ll be able to read my fathers name in your communication and we shall filter more possibilities of this state sponsored operations.
I pray that some one better tells us what was going on with these irresponsible state sponsored killings as so many orphans that I personally know came to be so, in operations like in this way long before AIDS clocked in to rob us with our loved ones though its also said that Obote kept quiet about AIDS since it was mainly in Buganda, Masaka Kyotera for its reported that the first cases of AIDS showed up during his era and many NRA soldiers who camped thru over there during the Luwero/M7 war are either dead of AIDS by now or renewing blood from time to time in Germany, ask around. Either way Obote was bad news for Buganda though M7 is now borrowing some tricks from him to destabilise Buganda. I still highly predict that M7 will not succeed to finish off Buganda, I hear he authorized the delay of the Land bill and his file is on Obama’s desk, it comes in next after the Americans have got their stimulus package.
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February 13, 2009 at 5:39 pm (CULTURE, History, KINGDOMS)
Tags: Robert Nviri
1. Panda Gari was not started by Museveni or when Museveni was in Obote II government. Panda Gari was started in around March 1981 when Museveni and his 27 chaps had already gone to the Bush. This I know very well, and I have already posted it on this forum before.
In a nut shell, Panda Gari was a brain child of some security UPC zealots who failed to comprehend the tactics of guerilla warfare. They adopted the late Gen. Pinochet of Chile style of fighting guerillas and armed opposition. So, when the UFM attacked the Lubiri barracks sometime around March 1981, positioning their Mortars on Lubaga Hill near the Cathedral, in both humiliation mixed with shame and anger, UPC military wing decided to round up inhabitants of Lubaga and Makindye divisions with the hope of antagonising them into submission or scaring away the ‘bandits’, as Obote and company used to refer to the guerillas. Later on, this Panda Gari (translated from the Swahili – Board the vehicle – you can see how difficult Swahili can be acceptable as a National Language in Uganda with such history of terror; we panda gari, towa saa, ka chini, lala chini, piga lisasi etc.) operations spread to other areas in Buganda and later western Uganda (after learning of Museveni’s involvement in guerilla warfare) with the infamous so-called Computer Men holding Computer print lists. it is a dreaded history that shall take long to be forgotten in Uganda, south of the Karuma.
The bus, Mpaawo Atalikaaba, Reg. number 01LA06 was brought into operation shortly after the removal of Bianisa in May 1980, but during that time it was used to ferry UNLA soldiers (mainly of Acholi and Langi origin – a fact that brought about a Radio Katwe terminology for the LA markings in the number plate to be substituted for Langi-Acholi; if you were in Kampala during that time as you claim, then you must have heard this Radio Katwe news) for deployment in the evenings in some selected few areas of Kampala and its environs. The first round up of human beings that this bus did was that of rowdy soldiers who had refused to stay in barracks’. This is when the UNLF govt under Muwanga and Museveni tried to show some seriousness with rowdy soldiers in Kampala, but as the election time drew closer, things went haywire and this exercise was abandoned. I keep wondering whysome Acholis keep mum on this fact, or it is also an Okello-Apello concoction?
2. Obote did not build Mulago hospital, like you have time and again posted those lies on this forum. Mulago hospital was built by the British Protectorate government before they relinquished power in 1962. Most of the monies that were used to build the hospital were British Taxpayers money. Mulago hospital was officially opened on 16th October, 1962 (one week after independence day) by the Duchess of Kent. Unless if you want to state that Obote is a custodian of the Aldina magic lamp such that he built Mulago hospital in a record period of one week.
3. Obote’s UPC started playing dirty already in 1964 when it started buying of opposition MPs (Bataringaya was a DP from Ankole and leader of opposition). In fact KY contemplated joining hands with DP to fight UPC but due to the foolish politics of religion by some Baganda of that time, this proved futile until DP was dilapidated of nearly all its members in parliament one by one; by way of crossing over to UPC.
Bw’ova ku byange ng’ogenda ku wangatto!
Nviiri
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February 15, 2009 at 12:15 pm (History, KINGDOMS)
Tags: Robert Nviri
On 30th Nov 1953, when the Governor Sir Andrew Cohen surmoned Sir Edward Muteesa to Government House in Entebbe, after Sir Edward refused to budge from the numerous threats made towards him, Sir Cohen handed him the deportation order. Without looking at it, Sir Edward passed it over to his Katikkiro, Owek. Paulo Kavuma, and kept on staring at the Governor. He (Sir Edward) just calmly asked them, “Does this mean that I am under arrest?” The Governor hissed out, “Yes”. Two white constables then walked in to take away the Kabaka. He then allowed them to walk him out of the office. Upon reaching outside, his deputy ADC, Robert Ntambi (RIP) being concerned over the safety of his Kabaka asked him, “Ssebo, nkube?”, meaning “Sir, should I shoot the bastards?” Sir Edward being the Royal and British trained military personnel he was, replied calmly with wisdom and guidance, “Tokuba, baleke” meaning “Just let the poor souls be!”
Please note that Sir Edward himself was armed with a revolver which he later handed over to the accompanying British officer in the aeroplane when they were already airborne, and could have done a Terrance Hill to those two poor souls, but he couldn’t kill an innocent man. And lo, some Baganda bashers and haters spew lies on this forum of how Sir Edward killed innocent Banyoro in Karuguza, my foot!
Actually, Sir Edward was not only a British trained military officer, but was an instructor himself in the Grenadier Guards. As one might guess, British Army is not some taka taka African army where some officer might be made an instructor simply because of some top connections. Sir Edward was worthy his pips and medals and so, had to make the right decision at the right time after weighing a situation that deserves a split of a second action.
Sir Edward though still a minor, had the advantage of receiving lectures from his father; the late Sir Daudi Ccwa II. It was not just by chance that he was made the 35th Kabaka of Buganda. The British had tried to do the same to Sir Daudi Ccwa II, himself also a trained British Officer, but he was much wiser for them also. The Cohen Plan “B” was to be executed in the beginning of November 1939 (Note the coincidence of the month of November) by the then Governor, Sir Philip Mitchell, but due to the failing health of the Ssabasajja, the British thought it unwise in Military Strategic terms, to appear to be antagonising a sickly man (equivalent of shooting a defenceless man in the back). They instead banked on ‘terrorizing’ the next of kin. Unfortunately for them, the next of kin was even more tough a nut to crack than Sir Daudi Ccwa II.
When I tell some Ugandans that Sir Edward’s resistance to the British gave a booster shot in the arm of the Mau Mau, they cant comprehend that history. You see, sometimes we just cannot write the whole thing down here on the forum for theUgandans to understand everything.
Robert Nviri
Respectable Buganda Nationalist
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February 15, 2009 at 12:22 pm (History, KINGDOMS)
Tags: L/Cpl (rtd) Otto Patrick
1/7 If you chanced to access a Top Secret memorandum C. (53) 324 written by the British Secretary of State (Minister) for the colonies to the British cabinet on 18th November 1953, you would learn that HM EF Mutesa II had very few options when he was summoned by Andrew Cohen for interview.
2/7 The governor (Cohen) already had instructions to ensure that Kabaka Mutesa complied with instructions to leve the country. The memorandum stated that, “If the Kabaka refuses to come to this country to see me then I propose to authorize the Governor to put into operation the plan described in paragraph 6 above.”
3/7 Para 6 of the memorandum was a detailed military plan (referred to by Secretary Lyttleton as “extreme action”) that was supposed to be executed from the day of the Kabaka Mutesa/Governor Cohen meeting (30.11.1953) to 8.12.1953.
4/7 Note that on 16th November 1953 4th Battalion K.A.R started moving back to Jinja from Kenya ready for military operations in Buganda “in support of the police” to carry out what the memorandum called a coup d’etat had the Kabaka tried to
“…embark on an open trial of strength with Her Majesty’s Government.”
5/7 That “Top Secret” memorandum in part states that, “General Erskine has agreed to make available one battalion of the King’s African Rifles which is now moving into Uganda ostensibly as a routine transfer. He has also agreed to have a reserve battalion on standing by at three days’ notice but if this or any further reinforcements were called upon he might have to ask additional assistance from the United Kingdom.”
6/7 So then, Kabaka Mutesa was alot wiser than you can possibly imagine, by avoiding any childish action of the type that you call “Terrance Hill”. Had he tried, he would probably have been subjected to an emotional experience that would have denied him the chance to see 1966, itself a continuation of the 1953 intransigence.
7/7 The difference between 1966 and 1953 was, that Governor Cohen had alot more manoeuvrability than AM Obote, otherwise the basic plan was the same. Cohen had plan A and B. Plan A worked and that saved the day. AM had only Plan A, namely, Cohen’s Plan B, a Zero sum game. I see UPC supporters somewhere (with the usual opportunism) saying that Cohen was outrageous. I think what they(upc supporters) really mean is that, Cohen should have put into play Plan B (the one to that should have been executed by General Erskine…the extreme action…it would have saved the UPC the 1966 entanglements…that is what Mr Ochieno probably means).
L/Cpl (rtd) Otto Patrick
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February 19, 2009 at 12:50 am (POLITICS)
Tags: L/Cpl (rtd) Otto Patrick
Which tax payer? Who is their political class accountable to? Once again, I will tell people that the population of Uganda has no solid stake in the management of public affairs because it lives outside that domain: 85% peasants, dying at 45 years of age, living in a non-monetary sector, in the rural countryside, untaxable because they do not produce any surplus to be taxed, about 50% of them are illiterate, 50.2% 15 years and below, wearing nappies, the highest in the world….that is not the kind of population that takes its government to task. Never!
We need to start thinking less traditionally about our socio-political reality. The whole notion of ‘tax-payer’ is completely out of place in Uganda.
That aid is unearned income and you know what unearned income does. If government was depending on money deducted from 20 million Ugandans wage earners, it would think twice before squandering it. It would be someone’s sweat and they would demand for accountability. But who in Uganda identifies with ‘donor’ aid as his money? If we do not come to grips with the relationship between paying tax and governmental accountability, then we shall keep fooling ourselves for ever with democracy for ever.
That is why I always insist that we need to proletarianise the population-urgently-create wage earners, get rid of the passive peasant class. A population that is largely wage-earners or proletariat is a population that you do not fool around with. The impunity of our political class now is a logical consequence of the fact that the country is largely peasant. That is why some of them are interested in preserving that passive class that will vote for them just because of a piece of soap. A wage labourer will tell you not to insult him by bribing him with money he contributed as PAYE or income tax.
What tax do the peasants pay?
“They … removed UPC I government because they wanted to scuttle public spending”
The Common Mans Charter may have talked about increase in ‘public spending’, but for those that engineered the deposition of AM Obote, ‘public spending’ per se was not the primary problem. The real problem was the source of finances for such expenditure: expropriation/nationalisation of foreign owned enterprises. That was the primary contradiction.
We know that Uganda was broke right from the cradle: independence was on 9 oct 1962, 24 hours later, on 10 oct 1962 there was no money to finance the return of the colonial administrators to London. The first structural adjustment facility was arranged there and then (what ever structures there were to adjust on day one). If AM Obote had asked for grants to finance his ‘public spending’ (whatever that means) instead of expropriating foreign multinationals, he would probably have lived longer and may be succumbed to internal contradictions.
Remember also there was the contradiction between the two global powers. AM Obote played into that with the adventure to the left, to defend a non-existent proletariat, as though that was the country’s primary challenge….remember the Blue Belt and Red Corridor?
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February 19, 2009 at 1:07 am (History)
Tags: L/Cpl (rtd) Otto Patrick
1/8 The language that was used by the colonial administrators in relation to the Kabaka of Buganda, in this case Kabaka Mutesa II was “interview”, “summon the Kabaka and educate him”, “bring the Kabaka to his senses”, “acceptance of decisions of future co-operation”, “if he refuses to comply”, “in the interview I shall require the Kabaka”….etc. All those are quotations from a memorandum by the British Colonial secretary, Oliver Lyttelton around the 1953 crisis which as you very well know culminated in the Kabaka being shut out of Buganda.
2/8 Alternatively, let us look back at some years earlier at the situation of Kabaka Mutesa II’s grandfather, Kabaka Mwanga, following the events of 24 Jan 1892 when a Catholic shot and killed a Protestant at Mengo, all in self-defence. Kabaka Mwanga (himself a Catholic) tried the culprit and duly acquitted him. Capt. Lugard demanded that the catholic be handed to him for trial and execution. Kabaka Mwanga rightly deemed that to be an infringement on his authority and he refused Lugard’s orders. Lugard immediately issued rifles to Protestants, deployed his Sudanese troops with two Maxim guns and by the time the “negotiation” dust settled, the Kabaka with his Catholic followers were out of Mengo, on to Bulingugwe Island at the mouth of Murchison Bay, where they were flushed out, running on to Bukoba. Buganda negotiators! What negotiation was that? Of course you know how Kabaka Muwanga’s reign eventually ended in 1897. Negotiation?
3/8: Bottom line, there was no question of negotiation! For anyone to think otherwise is to be deluded, and is to harbour false loyalty to Buganda; and an impression of non-existent glory. That cannot help us, you and I, to grow up.
4/8 Am also not aware that Buganda affairs were addressed in the British Foreign Office and not Colonial Office , particularly because it was not the case. The fact is that, the affairs of Buganda were formally passed on to the Colonial Office in 1902, and not because they were up to that time in the hands of the Foreign Office, but because they were in the hands of the War Office: Buganda was still being ‘pacified’.
5/8 The 1900 agreement that set the terms of the relations between Buganda and Britain clearly states under Article 3, that, Buganda “shall rank as a Province of equal rank with any other provices into which the Protectorate shall be divided” In other words, Buganda was a province (just like Karamoja) and not a country to be related with through the Foreign Office.
6/8 In fact the 1953 crisis was precipitated by Kabaka Mutesa’s (deluded) insistence that Buganda should be moved from the colonial office to the Foreign office, and immediately granted independence. If it was “for quite a long time” as you are saying under the Foreign Office, then what was the Kabaka demanding for?
7/8 I am sure Buganda historians have heard about the letter that Kabaka Mutesa wrote on 6th August 1953 in reaction to the Colonial Secretary’s mention of the possibility of an East Africa Federation. In that letter, Kabaka Mutesa made three demands, namely, that, there would never be a federation of East African territories, second, that Buganda affairs be transferred to the Foreign Office from the Colonial Office, third, that Buganda be given independence. That was a violation of Article 6 of the 1900 “agreement” (really 1900 Undertaking by Buganda to be good boys!)….see the ‘agreement’ at this link: http://www.buganda.com/buga1900..htm.
8/8 Yes, there was a difference between the British Foreign Office and Colonial Office. I am sure Buganda historians also know it now particularly as it relates to Buganda’s history. The difference between those two offices is what caused the 1953 crisis, when Kabaka Mutesa wanted to negotiate, and the other party wanted to interview, give orders, and if necessary, fight it out. Very clearly, Buganda negotiators if there were any, were hapless, hopeless and jobless.
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February 24, 2009 at 6:43 pm (History, POLITICS)
Tags: L/Cpl (rtd) Otto Patrick
1 The areas of Buganda as spelt out in the 1900 agreement was assumed to be 19,600 Sq Miles. This estimate was made by the UK War Office, intelligence section. Article 15 of the agreement states: “Assuming the area of Buganda amounts to 19,600 square miles, it shall be divided in the following proportion: Forests 1,500, Her Majesty’s Government under the control of Uganda administration 9,000, His Highness the Kabaka of Uganda 350, Namasole(the King’s mother) 16, mother of Mwanga 10, Princes(Abalangira) 32, Ab’amasaza(County Chiefs) 160, Official estates attached to the posts of the Ab’amasaza 160, the regents each got 32 totaling 96, Mbogo family 24, Kamuswaga of Koki 20, one thousand chiefs 8,000, Christian churches 92, Government stations i.e Kampala, Entebbe, Masaka, Mubende and Njeru, 50.”
2 The same article 15 of the same agreement further notes…and this is the important point: “After a careful survey has been made, if the total found to be less than 19,600sqm then that portion (9000) of the country to be vested in Her Majesty’s Government shall be reduced in the extent by the deficiency found to exist in the estimated area,”
3 The survey was started two years after the 1900 agreement, the year of handover of Buganda from the War Office to the Colonial Office. The survey was interrupted by WWI and finally completed in 1937. The surveyors, Sergeant Major.E.Vaughn, assisted by WV. Morris found out that, the actual are of Buganda was 17,301 sq miles.
4 Therefore the actual area of Buganda fell short of the estimate by 2,229 Sq Miles (19,600-17,301=2,229). According to that same 1900 agreement, that shortfall was to be deducted from the 9,000 sq Miles, the famous
5 in addition to the above facts on “Akenda”, it may not be even as much as “Akakaaga” (6,701 Sq Miles) but rather, “Nkumi nnya” (4, 227 Sq Miles).
6 The 17,301 Sq Miles included swamps. When they were deducted, the land area left is 16,138 Sq Miles.
7 Therefore the shortfall to be deducted from the 9,000 according to Article 15 of the 1900 agreement became 3,462 Sq Miles (19,600-16,138). The Akenda then became 5,538 Sq Miles .
8 When Buyaga and Bugangaizi reverted to Bunyoro after the 1964 referendum, Crown Land in Buganda was further reduced by 667 Sq miles, therefore leaving 4,871 Sq Miles.
9 When Ranching Schemes were established in Buruli, Masaka and Singo, crown land was further slashed by 644 Square miles, therefore reducing “Akenda” further to 4,227 Sq Miles.
L/Cpl (rtd) Otto Patrick
(link to the agreement: http://www.buganda.com/buga1900.htm)
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February 25, 2009 at 6:44 am (CULTURE, KINGDOMS, POLITICS)
Tags: Ahmed Katerega -NewVision
Attorney General made a presentation in parliament recently while answering Kampa
