Discuss business despite UNLA Murders

January 31, 2009 at 11:29 am (History, POLITICS)
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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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Why can’t UPDF be like Kenya’s forces

January 31, 2009 at 11:05 am (Africa, POLITICS)
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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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What we know about UPDF

January 31, 2009 at 10:33 am (POLITICS)
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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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SEKADDE SUCCESSION

January 31, 2009 at 9:58 am (History, MEDIA, POLITICS)
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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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Resist power-sharing deals

January 31, 2009 at 9:47 am (POLITICS)
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to ugandans-at-he.

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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THE FDC BUBBLE

January 23, 2009 at 10:06 pm (POLITICS)
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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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ALL OF UGANDA FACTIONS ARE STERILE BUBBLES: NOT JUST FDC

January 23, 2009 at 9:51 pm (Africa, POLITICS)
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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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Banyoro and Bakiiga live peacefully

January 23, 2009 at 8:56 pm (CULTURE, History, POLITICS)
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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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what happened to Rwanda’s King?

January 23, 2009 at 8:37 pm (Africa, CULTURE)
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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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Brief Insight into Ugandan’s Army Commanders(1986-2009)

January 22, 2009 at 12:34 am (POLITICS)
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 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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The truth about Amin murders

January 17, 2009 at 4:10 am (History, MEDIA)
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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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Why Amin Killed Father Kiggundu of Muno Newspaper

January 16, 2009 at 2:43 am (History, MEDIA)
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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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Beti Kamya doesn’t represent Baganda

January 15, 2009 at 1:37 am (CULTURE, POLITICS)
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 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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”Gomesi” as a national dress of Uganda?

January 8, 2009 at 1:56 am (CULTURE, POLITICS)
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 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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Israel will never disappear

January 7, 2009 at 2:17 pm (CULTURE, RELIGION)
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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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Israel is a terrorist state

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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Why Idil Amin Killed Bishop Luwum

January 5, 2009 at 7:15 pm (History, POLITICS)

Brief: That St. Jan Luwum had arms at his palace at Namirembe is not borne out by circumstantial evidence. His death was a ‘step’ in Amin’s longer strategy for his vision of Uganda.

1/6. When the state research bureau came to inspect the residence, they did not take him along. could they have left a man they found arms in his house [he opened the door for them himself].

2/6. The heap of arms at Nile hotel that day were lorry-fulls. If they were in the house of the Arch Bishop, surely lorries would have been used to ferry them  from there, at least in broad day-light or in the presence of UTV and Radio Uganda crews.

3/6. The indictment was read by Abdalla Anyulu. If he was such an important witness, why was he eliminated soon after??

4/6. The man that ‘managed the accident’ ran mad and was taken to Kirinya ward [for violent mad-patients] in Butakika Hospital, from where he was sent to Arua in advance of the Tanzanians. Why was it necessary to incarcerate such an important witness so long as Amin was in power?

5/6. When Janan was invited to Nile Mansions, the other Bishops of the C.O.U. had just authored a document, ”The guns bought to protect the People of Uganda are the ones being used to kill them” [the Bishops' Conference [Lubaga] refused to counter-sign the condemnation - F. Kivengere]. It was reportedly deivered by late Bishop Kivengere and the late Arch Bishop Janan Luwum. On the fateful day of the arms display and indictment, the Bishops had seen the danger and ALL went with the too. Amin did not tell them the agenda of the day. If there was guilt, why was the agenda not communicated in advance ‘come and see the evidence’?

6/6. Conclusion: Bad is bad, even if committed by a brother. the killing of Lt. Col. Oryema [the Arur that reportedly grew up as an Acholi, and the one that had cautioned Amin of his impending arrest by order from Singapore], Hon. Oboth Ofumbi and now St. Janan Luwum can never be justified.

Footnote: Uganda, already a member of the “Islamic conference Organisation” [up to today, 2008] was to have been declared an “Islamic Republic” in July 2009. This was revealed by Arch Bishop Wanni, a former Chaplain General of the Uganda armed forces in the 60’s. So, Amin had an agenda and knew what he was doing. The Bishop, being an Acholi after all, would have been eliminated because of the higher agenda, pretext or no pretext.

Christopher Muwanga,

Nakasero,

Kampala.

———————————————————————————–

Bishop Luwum, since he did not under go trial, we have to condemn Amin and his hench men for it. It is the same with the late Benedicto Kiwanuka who was not only a personal friend of my grandfather, but also his lawyer. If Amin killed Luwum because he was an Acholi not because he was a Protestant, then why should Amin not treated as a Kakwa killing an Acholi, other thasn a Muslim killing a Protestant?  But since Amin killed even Kakwas like Charles Arube and Eli, we should take Amin as a murderous president like many we had in Africa including Obote, regardless of his tribe and religion.

As for castration, l told you and Rashid can bear witness, there are Blacks in the Arabian Peninsular and even Prophet Muhammad’s caller (Muazin) was Bilal, a Black from Ethiopia. Moreover Muhammad himself had an ancestor in names of Hajara a Black slave from Egypt, mother of Prophet Ismail, and second wife of Prophet Abraham. Muhammad also married Mariam, a Coptic Christian from Egypt. By then Egypt was Black.

L know that Amin’s killings squads employed some Muslims especially Nubians and Sudanese, but there were also Catholics especially Rwandan refugees. Should we condemn the Catholic Church? Think about 1994 Rwandan genocide where Catholic bishops like Misago and priests were inciting Hutus to kill Tutsis even in cathedrals! But Muslims both Hutu and Tutsi never participated. Instead, they migrated as a community to Tanzania. Should condemn Cathlic and Pritestant churches in Rwanda for the genocide?

Ahmed Katerega

New Vision Newspaper

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ENDING THE NORTHEN WAR

January 4, 2009 at 5:07 pm (Africa, POLITICS)

In his contribution to a discussion about the 20 year-long war in Northern Uganda, one Forum member has stated thus: “…There is only one cause for now: Mu7 (Yoweri Museveni) leaving power. The rest of the issues will have to be dealt with thereafter.”
The Forum member is 100% right.
We all know why the people of Northern Uganda voted overwhelmingly against Yoweri Museveni and his NRM party in the 2006 elections. It is because opposition leaders, like Dr. Besigye of FDC, had promised to end the war in weeks, if not months, after the elections. Suffice to say, therefore, that if President Museveni and the NRM party are voted out of power, THE WAR can be ended at a mere stroke of a pen. Noteworthy, Ugandans would additionally enjoy the long-term peace dividends and democracy that would ensue as a result of  the inevitable political and constitutional reforms in a post-Museveni and post-NRM Uganda.
Museveni and the NRM political infrastructure are Uganda’s main problem. They fanatically anti-democratic, and instinctively allergic to peace and democracy. They love war and hate peace.
Ending the War in Northern Uganda:
For anyone who has been awake to the political history of Uganda, and in particular the GREAT TRAGEDY OF NORTHERN UGANDA over the last 20 years, the facts are there to see… By all indications, Joseph Kony and his LRA fighters desperately want the war to end. [All they are asking for is for President Museveni to tell the International Criminal Court (ICC) not to poke its nose into Uganda's national affairs].
What the people of Northern Uganda want is for the war to end, and national reconciliation to take place. Most of the people of Northern Uganda want Kony and his fighters to be forgiven – JUST AS WHITE SOUTH AFRICANS WERE FORGIVEN BY AGGRIEVED BLACKS VIA THE TRUTH AND RECONCILLIATION PEACE-MAKING DYNAMICS.
Ask Archbishop Odama in Gulu - ask any of Uganda’s church leaders – all of them have said publicly that they want the war to end. Ask the Acholi MPs, and the Northern Ugandan MPs in Parliament – and they will say the same. Ask the Opposition politicians in Uganda – and the majority of Ugandan people - and they will tell you that THE WAR MUST STOP, and IF THAT MEANS FORGIVING AND RECONCILING WITH JOSEPH KONY, SO BE IT!
Yes, Kony and his LRA may have committed certain crimes in the course of battling the NRM regime in Northern Uganda (even Museveni and NRA/UPDF have committed certain crimes in Luwero, Northern Uganda, Congo, and elsewhere), but the Kony/LRA outfit have always begged and cried for President Museveni to negotiate with them to end the war. In all probability, Joseph Kony and his fighters (many of whom were forced to fight) do not love being and living in the bush indefinitely. After 20 years in the wilderness, they want the war to end. THEY WANT TO GO HOME!
There are some in Uganda, Africa, and the wider world, who think and believe that it was okay for South African Whites to be forgiven for their apartheid era sins and inhumanity, but that Ugandans cannot and must not forgive and reconcile with Joseph Kony and the LRA. Why must justice be selective? Also, why are we expected to forgive President Museveni and his NRA/UPDF armies for the grave crimes they have committed in Uganda since 1980, but not forgive Kony and his LRA? Why is the world silent about the crimes committed by Yoweri Museveni and the NRA / UPDF? Why doesn’t the world ask the ICC to indict and try these people, in order that justice is not seen to be selective?
The only way Uganda is going to be stable and peaceful is when Ugandans learn to forgive and to reconcile with each other.
Unfortunately, the militaristic establishment called National Resistance Movement (NRM), and its war-loving leaders and generals are sworn proponents and practitioners of WARRIOR AND GUN-BOAT POLITICS. They  will not end war in Uganda. They will, instead, cause more wars and violence, by their repressive and dictatorial tendencies.
Which leaves Ugandans with ONLY ONE CHOICE - TO THROW PRESIDENT MUSEVENI AND HIS NRMO PARTY OUT OF POWER, COME 2011 ELECTIONS. Let us do it the Kenyan way - Let’s do the ‘Raila Odinga’ way! In 2011, Ugandans must jealously and courageously guard their votes. They must refuse to compromise with the oppressors and dictators, who will be seeking to cheat heir way to power. In the event that Museveni and his NRM military establishment should attempt to steal votes, Ugandans should unleash a storm of PEACEFUL CIVIL DISOBIDIENCE.
Unity of All Opposition Forces:
The problem with the current political opposition in Uganda is the growing disunity among its ranks. In-fights within FDC, DP, and UPC and near-childish mutual suspicions and lack of trust between the parties is common-place. Adding to this, some opposition parties are poorly spread and badly organised, without effective campaign infrastructure in the countryside. Attempts are being made to overcome these weaknesses, but, thanks to President Museveni’s brutal repressiveness and political machinations, the opposition have an uphill task to overcome.
If they are to win the 2011 elections, the Ugandan opposition MUST FORGE A ROCK SOLID UNITY, across political party divides, and across ethnic and cultural divides. President Museveni and his militaristic NRM organisation will be kicked out of leadership if all Ugandans can unite around the issues and visions that are important to them. And these are many in Museveni’s Uganda today - ending the Northern war, sharing of resources, constitutional reform to ensure proper democratic and political dispensations, land issues, economic empowerment of the people…
The plan is simple – CONVERGE AND UNITE around common objectives, grievances, and ideas – AND YOU WILL KICK YOUR TOMENTORS!
In today’s Uganda, the people of the North are greatly aggrieved by Museveni’s/NRM’s inability to end the WAR. They are also aggrieved by the economic and political alienation. They are increasingly pained by the stealing of their LAND  by the NRM rulers. The Baganda – are greatly angered by the refusal of the NRM regime to deliver Federo, and to return EBYAFFE (property and land grabbed from them in the years past). Now they are angered by Museveni’s/NRM’s determination to steal their LAND. The Karamajong are very disturbed by the genocidal actions of the regime, committed in the name of dis-armament, and the political and economic alienation of their people. All other ethnicities and groupings have deep-seated grievances against the NRM dictatorship.
WHAT UGANDANS HAVE TO DO IS TO SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH – COME 2011, WE WILL VOTE AGAINST THE MILITARISTIC AND ANTI-PEOPLE REGIME OF PRESIDENT MUSEVENI. 20 years of NRM rule has been enough for Ugandans to conclude that Museveni can’t deliver, and NRM can’t deliver.
Why Unite?
Thanks to their  20 year experience and track-record of anti-democratic and anti-people politics, the militaristic NRM dictatorship is powerfully entrenched with its repressive, iron-handed rule, ever ready to clamp down on opposition politicians and their supporters, and to steal their votes to ensure that NRM is the only governing outfit in the country. VILOENCE AND MILITARY FORCE IS WHAT THEY HAVE USED TO ENTRENCH THEMSELVES IN POWER.
So, All Ugandan opposition parties, and all freedom-seeking Ugandans have a patriotic duty to shed their divisive tendencies – and focus all their efforts and actions onto the supreme OBJECTIVE of eliminating General Museveni’s anti-democratic tendencies. Of course, President Museveni can easily count on his various military outfits to cling to power. But, Ugandans can learn a thing or two from neighbouring Kenya – the People’s Power is mightier than the Gun!  Armed with their VOTE, and hardened by their DETERMINATION and LOVE FOR DEMOCRACY, the People are and Un-beatable and Unwinnable!
If the People are united and determined, and if they are armed with their VOTE, DEFEATING MUSEVENI AND THE NRM IN 2011 WILL BE LIKE DRINKING WATER. MUSEVENI AND NRM CAN GO, AND THEY WILL GO IN 2011.
Dr. Vincent Magombe
Africa Inform International.

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Weaker pound sterling good for Ugandans?

January 4, 2009 at 4:56 pm (Finance)
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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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English,Luganda and Morbid Jealousy

January 4, 2009 at 4:48 pm (CULTURE, KINGDOMS, POLITICS, Uncategorized)
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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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English,Luganda,China and Development

January 4, 2009 at 4:33 pm (CULTURE, KINGDOMS, POLITICS)
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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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Islam,slavery and N.Uganda

January 4, 2009 at 4:13 pm (CULTURE, History, Uncategorized)
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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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Who is Moses Kigongo

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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IK Musazi was not part of UPC

January 4, 2009 at 12:43 pm (History, POLITICS)
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Each generation must discover its historical mission which it must fulfil or betray’

(Frantz Fanon, Wretched of the Earth)

Upon discovering his generation’s mission, did IK Musazi fulfil or betray it?

1/10 The UNC was formed in 1952 by IK Musazi who it is reported, had first desired that the Kabaka of Buganda should be the leader of that party. The party was overwhelmingly Protestant, and in the early days, mainly composed of Baganda old Boys of Budo who formed 70% of the governing council. The UNC’s predominance of Baganda, in a country whose other communities felt with justification that the colonial authorities were favouring Buganda, and the preponderance of Protestants against the backdrop of favouritism for that denomination by the colonial government meant that the party, which also made claims to being pan-Ugandan and Pan-Africanist, had life threatening congenital abnormalities.

2/10 IK Musazi got caught between the hysteria of being born a Muganda and the history of finding himself a Ugandan. His subsequent treatment by his colleagues and associates such as AM Obote was incidental to those realities. Although Mr Muwanga reduces IK Musazi’s predicament to Gandophobia, when one examines the events and processes that surrounded the emergence and eventual demise of the UNC, one begins to wonder about the real phobias that obtained during those years of the heady history of the country that we have accustomed ourselves to calling ‘Uganda’. Was it Gandophobia or ‘Gandachauvinophobia’: the aversion to Buganda chauvinism and insular nationalism? Was it not Buganda’s ‘Ugandophobia’?

3/10 In 1953, when the UNC was just a year old, the political situation in Buganda changed drastically. HRH Kabaka Mutesa was deported to England when he when he obstructed Andrew Cohen’s democratisation agenda and pressured the colonial government to grant Buganda independence. The Kabaka’s stance was also partly a reaction to a speech by the Colonial Secretary, Mr Lyttleton in which the latter hinted on an East African federation, to which isolationist Mengo was opposed.

4/10 The UNC was then hijacked as the platform for agitation for the return of the Kabaka, thus turning the party into a tribal outfit, making it lose its nationalist credentials. During the crisis of the Kabaka’s exile, UNC membership climbed to 50,000, from about 5,000.

5/10 The UNC, not only demanded for the return of the Kabaka, but as if to contradict its own name, made the independence of Buganda its rallying call. This only served to alienate and estrange the original social base of the UNC particularly in the cash-crop growing areas of Lango, Acholi, Teso and Bukedi and to make them rethink their future association with an organisation whose orientation was exclusively Gandacentric.

6/10 In the biggest meeting ever to be held by the UNC, no non-Baganda were invited, and two elected Lukiiko members were among the key-note speakers. The resolutions of that meeting served to make it clear for non-Buganda UNC members as to the party’s calling. That resolution was, for all intents and purposes, the party’s swan song as a national organisation. The Uganda Post of September 25, 1953 and Uganda Herald, of October 24, 1953 carried the resolution which I partly quote:

“We disagree with being united with those territories which have different customs, ways of living, and agreements which are entirely different from ours. For that reason, we, the members of the UNC, Buganda Branch, have met and decided that Buganda should be removed from the colonial office into the Foreign Office….In this determination to move from the colonial office to the Foreign Office we know that all our brothers who are the areas surrounding us, such as Toro, Ankole, Teso, Lango and other areas of Uganda, approve of this move and have the same determination. They are ready to hand in the same resolution. The reason why we have not mentioned them in this resolution is that Ssabasajja Kabaka of Buganda does not rule those areas. However, we confirm that in a few days, they will hand in their resolutions so that this decision …includes their areas as well. This decision …will be presented to Ssabasajja Kabaka and his government so that it can be discussed in the Lukiiko.”

7/10 With such a resolution and all its underlying attitudes, the writing was on the wall for non-Baganda UNC’s to find their own level. The logical consequence was the split-up of the party into the Gandacentric component that wanted an independent Buganda, and component for those with ‘different customs’. This led to the emergence of two UNCs, each of which was claiming to be the true one, one of them, IK Musazi’s, holding the views above, i.e., BNC, and the other one, AM Obote’s claiming to be Pan-Ugandan. There was also that non-starter, GL Binaisa’s United Congress Party (UCP). It is up to the reader to judge which of the two UNCs was destined to take centre stage as the future ‘nationalist’ organisation. I should point out that it would be incorrect to deduce that every Muganda member of the UNC supported IK Musazi’s abuse of the party by using it to pursue an exclusively Buganda agenda. In September 1954, Luyimbazi Zake strongly protested against the increasingly ‘tribalist’ and Ugandophobic stance of the party and went ahead to resign. It is in light of some of those observations that I would posit that, claims by Mr Muwanga regarding ageism and Gandophobia may be a smokescreen, and a little bit economical of the truth.

8/10 The return of the Kabaka in October 1955 marked the beginning of the end of the UNC. Its membership suddenly dropped from 50, 000 to 10,000 due to desertion back to the truly Buganda organisations, and generally to traditionalism. The deserters were later to re-emerge as Kabaka Yekka Even the UNC Secretary-general, Abu Mayanja ditched the UNC and joined the Kabaka’s government as minister of education.

9/10 What further tainted IK Musazi was his association with the so-called Uganda National Movement (UNM) formed by a furious and xenophobic demagogue, one Augustine Kamya, a Kampala cobbler. Ironically, key Buganda elites viewed Mr Kamya as an embodiment of the Kingdom’s aspirations and all fell in behind him (very much like the mechanical solidarity that runs key Acholi leaders into Mr J Kony’s cheerleaders). These included, as stated, IK Musazi’s ‘UNC’ (really BNC), another Budo old boy/Protestant outfit, Eridadi Mulira’s Progressive Party (PP), and GL Binaisa’s United Congress Party, one of the fragments of the fractured UNC. The UNM was used by Mengo as an instrument of terror during the trade boycott of non-African goods. Due to its terrorism, the UNM was proscribed by the colonial authorities and its key leaders including IK Musazi were arrested in various parts of the country. Musazi was also haunted by a history of forgery committed in the 1940s (see http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1951/mar/08/mr-ignatius-musazi-deportation )

10/10 After the October 1958 elections for the expansion of the Lagco, what was left of the UNC was the non-Buganda wing of AM Obote.. As soon as the new Legco met, a new ‘party’, the Uganda People’s Union (UPU) was formed, comprising the majority of the African representatives that neither belonged to UNC or DP. They were mainly leaders of their districts of origin. Against the background of the crisis caused boycott mentioned above, the UNC and UPU leaders in the Legco (where IK Musazi was not a member) closed ranks and formed the UPC. IK Musazi had long got entangled in exclusively Buganda battles to even be available to be excluded in the leadership contest for the UPC….I am not sure whether the Engur that Mr Muwanga has referred to is Mzee Engur, the interpreter for Lango colonial officers. I think he was not helped by the fact that his formal training was just as a medical dresser.

L/Cpl (rtd) Otto Patrick

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