Besigye,Museveni and Kagame are all the same

October 28, 2009 at 12:15 am (2009 -2011 elections, Federalism, KINGDOMS, Kayiira Death, POLITICS)
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Ugandans at heart,

Please go slow on FDC and Federalism together with Kabaka  AND Buganda issues. With all due respect, I have never gotten any impression that Besigye and  Kagame  are different from M7,at least from an ideological perspective.

Why?

From my experience with the three men during “the struggle” – I call it so because it was indeed a struggle for survival of the fittest – none of these men ever advocated for ‘Kabaka’ and Buganda in general. They only used to make fun of  Kabaka that “he enjoys Banyarwandakazi”!!!! And that Baganda are ‘just empty tins and eternally scared by nothing” None of these guys has respect for Kabaka. It is true that for political reasons Kagame and Besigye threw some weight to Mengo and Kabaka i.e Kagame helped to send the ‘Prince’ to the military academy, etc and Besigye has been ‘an advocate’ for Kabaka of recent. I believe this is just to look for temporary allies!!! Those of you who were in Luweero and other areas during the struggle, you know the stories we used to hear and run about the Kabaka. By the way, the long run intention for sending the Prince to the academy is not positive for Buganda and Kabaka. It was planned. I do not want to go into this!!!!!!!!!!!

Guys, if Besigye had been different from M7 and he indeed supports the Baganda, why doesn’t he tell Baganda what befell their men like ‘Afande’ Kayira etc… is it because he (Besigye or Kagame) does/do not know the real story? Why doesn’t Besiigye tell Baganda what they did to Baganda during the Luweero war? Why doesn’t he tell Baganda what they did to Baganda in Masaka and Mpigi who were ‘UPC’ – remember the ‘kabazi’ which they told you it was Nkwanga doing it. Pure lies. It was not Nkwanga men. It was M7!!!  Didn’t Besigye join the ‘camp’ in Kikoma to foresee the ‘Kabazi’  project in Masaka!!!!! How many Baganda perished? Was there any Munyarwanda save for the other guy of Villa – Maria called Muwonge who was hit from his own sitting room with an ax he had fixed the very evening!!! Has Besigye ever told you his position over Kabaka in the Gulu meeting which he attended?Anyway, fool yourselves!!! You will again be disappointed!!!

Concerns about FRONASA are valid but Ugandans may not get a lot about it for the time being until somewhere in May 2010 or even after when all that stuff will be out in form of a book.Be sure, the world will have lots of information from this work.But again, we posted a lot of it on “radio Katwe”. You might have to consult this source for some pieces.

Banange, mundeke. Naye, do not take things for granted. We took things for granted with our Kagame and now some of us regret!!! ‘It is not gold’!!!OK.

LUSOKE WILLY

UAH forumist and former Luwero bush fighter residing in USA

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Mixed bag of sentiments following the president’s visit to Boston

October 12, 2009 at 8:11 pm (CULTURE, Diaspora, KINGDOMS)
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Fellow Ugandans,
Mixed bag of sentiments following the president’s visit and his apparent skipping out of town in the middle of the night.

Mr. Museveni, we were told by some NRM/O operatives that he had skipped out of town in the night without regard to the special celebratory Gala which had been laid out here in his honor.
Mr. Museveni, had been warned for years that there is a tough spirited Buganda crowd in Boston, and this time they were charged more than ever since the dissing of his Royal highness the King of Buganda,coupled with the demise of many Buganda youth, who were killed and some remain detained on sedition and terrorism charges. Folks here wanted a real one on one with Mr. Museveni, similar to what is seen during the charged healthcare debates in America town halls.
He escaped being cross examined by the likes of our Elder, Dr. Lugiira on a myriad of issues of neglect that irk many Ugandans pointing the finger of no confidence at the NRM regime.
Professor Lugiira once had a pointed exchange regarding the NRM policy and intent with an unsuspecting visitor to Boston, Mr. Eria Kategaya, who was asked why they were parting from the edict of a seemingly straight forward 10 point program, layered out on print and distributed globally as their script of governance.
To answer the charge, Mr. kategaya, seemingly paralyzed and shocked by the ambush, gave the canned NRM answer of escapism, known too well to all of us and used to insult our intelligence, “We went to the bush to fight and we can do anything we want, the type of change you seek will not be handed over to you just like that, you have to fight for it”.
As the boos filled the room from every corner from folks enraged by the arrogance of our new official, we were left agasp with an unsettling feeling and perhaps a glimpse of things to come. Little did we all know that the eye of an elder did not gray out of blight, on hindsight, it might have been the best town hall challenge ever faced by an NRM top cadre.
From that point on Boston was written off entirely as a Baganda town, well, by the powers that be and especially the office of the president. When we invited him to our UNAA convention he declined and gave us Mr. Gilbert, who cancelled at the last hour citing some northern Ugandan emergency meeting.
As to why Mr. Museveni, had promised the impossible to us, knowing fully well that his VP could not leave town while he was out himself, we’ll never know.
Certainly, Boston has become quite polarized, folks are suspicious of each other like never before. Like union workers, those who crossed the picket lines lost respect in the community somehow.
However, many of them ignored a rather civil warnings, that, their continued support for a regime associated with such pain in Buganda, would ultimately result in their being isolated as the wretched of the community. Many went to the Gala to dance, some citing “respect for the office of the presidency”, as a legitimate reason for attending.
Of course many in attendance were hard core NRM folks, who could not shy away from the responsibilities of leadership regardless of condition.
Threats were levied, from not being aided by the community, if a relative died to boycotting by the community of all functions thrown by an NRM supporter.
To those pained by the recent events, they could not understand the absurdity of a Baganda involvement in an NRM/O Gala, after the meting out of such a hard and inhumane crushing to the youth of Buganda and the blatant and deliberate staging of such indignities to the person of their beloved King.
The taunting of the last friends of the regime is continuous and frequent, they are repeatedly asked questioned at functions, whether it is deemed morally right to be blind to the plight of the Ugandan people, and at times this results into real altercations within the community.
Matters of contention with Mr.Museveni’s performance in the last 24 years are exhaustive, and it clearly reflects how far the president and the NRM folks have slipped away from the main stream with their un-ending term of governance. Many issues of contention could be discussed and resolved, but few have the spine at this juncture to meet and engage such enraged groups of the diaspora, perhaps the president will get the gumption to address the diaspora seriously on an equal footing.
Although the laundry list of answerable charges is long I’m not sure that the NRM/O folks who were deeply disappointed by his absence are about to charge the community another $80.00 bucks for a no show president.
Here is a list of but a few issues cited by those wielding signs of protest in the diaspora:
  • Museveni and his machinery have killed with impunity in Uganda, case in point the recent orders to shoot rioters and the genocide in the North.
  • Museveni has unfairly encercerated young men and women and now they are languishing in his prison from the recent riots.
  • Museveni encourages the atmosphere of graft, by simply rotating perpetrators to new positions-and is not tough enough on corrupt officials.
  • Museveni does not love the country like a native son, why else has he not followed Kagame’s act to root out corruption, instead he has left all Uganda’s institutions to rot.
  • Museveni, has impoverished Ugandans while enriching his own kind, look at the jets, state houses and the birthing trips by the family.
  • Museveni has been insular while Ugandans die of poverty and neglect in our hospitals,just ask yourself how much money you send home and ask anyone the experience of having a loved one as a patient in any state run hospital.
  • Museveni has refused to create fair and balanced platforms of governance, look at the lossy loop holes associated with his restructuring end product.
  • Museveni and his people have corrupted the entire nation, and we need to closely identify every person and accountant involved in cooking books to steal public fund and put them on notice even if it takes decades we shall recover our money.
  • Museveni has refused to return things that belong to Buganda, and he has put the federo system on hold because he knows it will curtail all the embezzlement of funds by his un touchables.
  • Museveni is selling off the country to his people,  he has also picked judges that are quite partial to his cause.
  • Museveni has not addressed many bread and butter issues, such as employment in the waisted 24 years, he has not even groomed an heir!
  • Preserve the dignity of the King of Buganda and they will not rest unless issues are addressed or power is relinquish, they have had enough!
  • Museveni is messing with county borders and territories to suit an undesirable end.
As a witness to all this, I still pray for cool heads to prevail and continue to search for real genuine solutions for a system fair enough to stop the  current bleeding of the nation and to have both our brothers in the NRM camp to have wide enough shoulders to face up some of the blame of the state of affairs in our country. As to our protesters of the recent violations, remember to include other tribes in order to forge a lasting solution for Uganda.
Tendo
Ugandan in Boston

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If Ugandans are fed up with Unitarism, let them have federo

October 6, 2009 at 3:20 pm (Federalism, KINGDOMS, POLITICS)
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Fellow Ugandans,
Do not allow your self to be split into half between then and now, by some of these illusionists. Uganda’s problems did not start yesterday, and they were not going to be solved by president Museveni alone coming to power…NO! Therefore, when faced with a situation where people demand to opt out of the unitary model of governance, you should start with addressing the causes, and not the symptoms. At that stage, it is late. When some one forces you to expound on why you prefer model A to B, with out first asking you why you arrived to that decision in the first place, then that person is taking un necessary short cuts.  Had model B not been disfunctional, there wouldn’t have been a need to demand for model A.
For instance, when people profoundly report to you that there is a gross public funds mismanagement, but you choose to respond with turn off statements like ” those thieves are historicals” then you’re the problem.
But if you must debate the merits and demerits of federalism therefore, you can not omit the causes that have brought about the thirst to quench the rampant marginalisation we’re seeing in Uganda today. If somebody has a better option to sort out these problems once and for all, then why don’t they table them for scrutiny, instead of the half backed regional tier offer? When the war of liberation was being waged, it was very popular, even with all the losses that were being inflicted on the people that supported the NRA. Like wise, had the unitary model of governance been popular, those agitating for federalism would have found it very difficult to put their message across. Their actions would have been resisted by the the majority of Ugandans, as opposed to a few handful generals and some other opportunists making sporadic noises.
The constitution of Uganda clearly states that, “Power belongs to the people“. There is only one way for those who can, to deal with that segment of the constitution of Uganda. To either flout it, or respect it, but you can not have it both ways.  When Ugandans demand that they want a certain system of governess, because what is being imposed on them has not yielded much since 1962, then they are simply referring you to article number (1) as enshrined in that precious document of ours. Is there anything wrong with that? If you disagree with that part, then you can opt for the lesser strainful panya road. You give five million to some people in Parliament, and they will purge that line and change it to read “Power belongs to me alone“
John Nsubuga
UAH forumist

Listen members, good ideas are not adopted automatically, but driven into practice with courageous patience and determination. Now, get moving!!

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Let us replace ministers in Uganda with ethnic senators

October 5, 2009 at 6:16 pm (2009 -2011 elections, Federalism, KINGDOMS)

When I take a long view of the problems we are currently faced with, I can’t help but think that a modified American style of administrative and political federalism would work just fine for us.
I would like to get rid of the ministerial positions in favour of elected senators elected on the account of ethnicity and  population numerics.

That is to say, if the Acholi have a huge population in the country then they might have more congressmen in the house, but for really large tribes two senators would suffice.We could decide on the “number of millions” of people required to warrant both congressional and senate seats.

Some ethnic groups too small to warrant a senate seat,would settle for two minority senate seats created to cater to them-folks would have to appeal to these minority tribes to form coalitions.A two tier body: house of commons(congress-parliament), and a house of the lords(Senate)  flanked an elected president  with an elected  ethnically balanced executive chosen by numerics and their ability to work with the president (party affiliation) and of course the judiciary a body that would really represent each district or identified ethnic group.

I’m not too sure why we complicate this matter,with sijui secessionists and foreign policy makers, we can work out all the kinks as long as on the onset all looks fair among tribal eyes.A balanced force(army) truly representative of the numbers in tribes would be required along with a state(district) police augmenting the local town police force.

I think we have enough civility as Ugandans to make such a balanced fair system work for us. I fear the new territorial federation that is being curved out right now may not be as effective, WE DO NOT NEED MORE TRIBALIZATION!!.

In looking at all Otto patrick’s points below against federalism, the one I think would be a show stopper is this one Major Otto,
  • It leads to trouble, expenses, and delay due to complexity of a double system of legislation and administration.

    • I think we already bear this expense with the way our system is.

    This is off the cuff, but we could have a debate on it, rather than say it is impossible.
    Tendo Kaluma
    Ugandan in Boston

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    Major sabiti Mutengesa’s position on the standoff between Entebbe and Mmengo

    October 1, 2009 at 10:52 pm (2009 -2011 elections, CULTURE, Federalism, KINGDOMS, conflicts)
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    I googled the Major sabiti Mutengesa’s name and I landed on a paper on the website for the Havard University link to the Social Sciences Research Council (SSRC) in which the affande makes remarks that are pertinent to what we are witnessing now as the standoff between Entebbe and Mmengo.  He wrote the paper in 2006 and its title is:
     
    “From Pearl to Pariah: The Origin, Unfolding and Termination of State-Inspired Genocidal Persecution in Uganda, 1980-85″ (http://howgenocidesend.ssrc.org/Mutengesa/).
     
    He makes the following remark that I have found interesting against the background of ongoing events:
     
    What ought to be sounded as a caution, though, is however much the loci of collective violence shall shift within Uganda, the enduring problem in the national politics of Uganda shall remain the stalemate in the relationship between Uganda’s national authorities and Buganda’s traditional elite with respect to the status of the Kingdom of Buganda. It is this stalemate that set the stage, however remotely in history, for the events discussed in much of this paper. The selective restoration of traditional political institutions in the 1990s may have helped to ease the longstanding bitterness of sections of Buganda over the abolition of their monarchy but it may be too early to hope that pro-monarchist groups have outgrown their revanchist proclivities. If not, then any future divergence of visions between Buganda insular nationalism and pan-Ugandan designs of nationalist elites at the centre will undoubtedly generate animosities that may precipitate conditions that will lead to scenes the world witnessed in Luwero in the 1980s.

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    Does Kabaka Mutebi is any softer on Buganda’s demands than his father was?

    October 1, 2009 at 10:29 pm (CULTURE, Federalism, KINGDOMS)
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    Dear all
     
    One UAH forumist  asked me two things; firstly whether I was “justified to apply lessons learnt and not learnt by EW Mutesa with what will bounce off RM Mutebi’s head, and secondly “what does Mmengo want”? 
     
    Regarding the first question, what I had in mind when I stated that HH Kabaka Mutebi has shown that he has carefully studied the options that faced his late father is that it appears to me that the present  Kabaka Mutebi is handling similar (but not exactly the same)conflicts better than his late father Sir Edward Mutesa. How do I justify this? I will give you two examples to illustrate my point.
     
    In March 1961 following the DP victory in the self government election, Ben Kiwanuka the DP leader said from Entebbe, and I quote: ” My first step is to work towards an agreement on Buganda. I shall try to meet the Kabaka, if possible, and see what we can do in the ending of the present impasse.. The Kabaka is known to me personally, and if he agrees to have personal talks we might come to understanding”. Kabaka Mutesa, or rather his government reacted by issuing a statement saying that it would not be possible for Mr. Kiwanuka to see the Kabaka “in the manner and the spirit in which he made the statement”. Thus personal ego prevented Kabaka Mutesa from meeting with Ben Kiwanuka, and an opportunity was missed when Buganda might have made a settlement early and not waited until when it was too late and then tried to make a deal with the UPC. The outcome of a Kiwanuka v Mutesa meeting might have impacted differently than a meeting of Obote v Mutesa. We will never know the answer because Mutesa ignored the first option. Faced with a similar call by the head of state for a personal meeting last week Kabaka Mutebi accepted and met with President Museveni even if the invitation was made publicly and in somewhat bad mood. Thus Kabaka Mutebi showed that on this occasion he was interested in substance and not personal ego. Mutebi has thus averted a bad situation from becoming worst, at least for the time being.
     
    The second example is from the Buganda crisis of 1953 which led to the deportation of Sir Edward Mutesa to England by Governor Sir Andrew Cohen. The conflict started over the issue of the East African Federation when on 30 June, 1953 the Colonial Secretary Oliver Lyttleton made a statement during a speech saying, and I quote: “Nor should we exclude from our minds the evolution, as time goes on, of still larger measure of unification, and possibly of still larger measures of federation of the whole of the East African territories”. Buganda Kingdom had always been very sensitive and opposed to the East African Federation because it was viewed that an EA federation would greatly diminish Buganda Kingdom. On this occasion Buganda was alarmed and Kabaka Mutesa through his ministers wrote a protest letter and sought clarification from the Governor. The following day before the Governor had even replied the Mengo letter on EA federation Mengo sent another letter to the Governor asking for Buganda independence, “within a specific stated time”. A few days later still, the Lukiiko refused to nominate Buganda representatives into the Uganda Legislative Council. When the governor asked Sir Edward Mutesa to advice the Lukiiko to drop their demand for independece Mutesa refused, and went further to state that in fact he would publicly demand for independence before the Lukiiko, and that he would discourage the Lukiiko from changing its mind on the Uganda Legislative Assembly. Thus what started as a small misunderstanding quickly snowballed into a full blown crisis. On 30Th November 1953, the Governor Cohen finally asked the Kabaka to give 100% assurance that he would cooperate with the Colonial Government as per 1900 Agreement. Mutesa refused and he was deported. On the other hand we saw during the recent stand off over Kayunga things quickly got out of control with rioting etc. How did Kabaka mutebi respond? By abiding with government prohibition on his trip to Kayunga, by appearing in Masaka a few days later and calming the situation and by meeting with President Museveni yet a few days later. These were two different conflicts but it appears to me that Kabaka Mutebi this time handled his conflict with President Museveni better than his father did his with Governor Cohen.
     
    Does it mean that Kabaka Mutebi is any softer on Buganda’s demands than his father was? My answer would be absolutely NO, as far as the substance of the demands are today.
     
    This brings me to your next question of what does Mengo want? It would appear at first glance that Mengo’s demands are obviously in the public domain. I have myself posted here what I have seen from public documents published by Mengo as a list of their demands which include, firstly, restoration to the Kingdom of Buaganda the 9000sq mile of land currently held by the Uganda Land Commission, which in turn has decentralized authority over to various districts in which the lands are found, secondly, the City of Kampala to become part of Buganda Kingdom area, thirdly, Uganda should become a federal state with proposed 13 states, forthly, recognition of special status of HH the Kabaka, to include immunity from prosecution, immunity from personal taxation, to rank third in national protocol in national activities happening within Buganda, and lastly, the Land Act 2005  to be reviewed to give greater protection to land lords . These are the five major demands that Buganda has stated publicly. However, with Mengo experience has shown that nothing is straightforward or should be taken for granted. So, for instance under the demands for the Kabaka immunities and protocol ranking, Mengo could still smuggle in at a later date a notion that by ranking third in protocol after the president and vice president respectively during ceremonies held in Buganda, the Kabaka was therefore regarded as “the figurehead of Buganda”. This would completely changethe dynamics of the notion of a cultural figure, as the kabaka is at present.
     
    So, if you asked me to state entirly all that Mengo wants, I could not with certainty say what they are. I much less can say categorically that I know all that Mengo wants, because with Mengo you just never know for certain. Mengo is full of surprises.
     
    Best regards
     
     
    Pilipo Oruni

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    Only dictators order for the close of a radio station

    September 30, 2009 at 5:19 pm (Federalism, KINGDOMS)
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    Sseruganda Kituuka;

    That was a well thought out response to Guma. It’s people like these who have bought our country to its knees. People like these are bad for the entire nation because, they believe in dictatorships. There is no constitutional order as far as Uganda is concerned. Power lies in one individual and everybody looks up to him for influence. If the president doesn’t have your ear, you’re of no use. Guma is looking for influence from the dictator and whatever he says, is what the president is thinking.

    We have so many solvable problems but, because power lies under one individual, nothing is done. If someone tries to do something without the state house blessing, then it won’t be done. There’s no way, President Obama, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan or for that matter, in Europe, could order for the closure of a radio station. The amount of money in compensation for the economic loss, would compel anybody to think twice before making that move. That’s why it’s a dictatorship 100%. Abaganda Bagamba nti Ekivumo Tekimenya Ggumba. With exception of Obama, the rest are no longer there and still one president is ruling!!!! What a pity!

    There is no way we could have so many unnecessary cabinet members if we had a Federal system of Government. Imagine having 70 ministers!! For what reason?????? The amount of money spent on each cabinet member, would be enough to maintain a Medical Dispensary in a rural area. For those of you who live in the west, the sticker price for a Fully Loaded Toyota Land cruiser is over $75,000 dollars. Imagine a poor country like Uganda purchasing 200 of them, how much would it be? In Uganda, gasoline for that truck for a full tank would be close to $100 dollars per day. Just try to figure out with a calculator how much it would cost to maintain that vehicle per month, that’s if it doesn’t brake down due to the poor road conditions. The vehicle has to be driven every day, 7 days a week, 365 days. It takes the children to school, takes the wife to Owino, Nakasero, markets, takes matooke to grandmother’s house, goes back to pick up the children from school and then picks up the boss. Then it will stop by little London for a beer and that’s the whole day. Imagine that kind of driving the entire week, month, year!

    This is why you see these protests but the people in power don’t see it that way. Government is the only source of employment in Uganda and that’s why you have to create more, and more, districts. This is insanity and now the Janat Mukwayas’ and Bukenyas’, talk about abolishing kabakas’ as a solution. We always thought that, people who’re somehow, educated, could be helpful to the presidency but, Not when the government is the only source of employment.

    Whoever helps to table that bill in parliament for rubber stamping, because, our parliament is meant for that, will have put the last nail in the coffin of NRM’o. Please STOP playing with peoples’ lives.

    Byebyange.

    Ssabasajja Kabaka Awangaale

    Muzzukulu wa Nduga e Katende

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    Can NRM MPs table plan to abolish kingdoms

    September 29, 2009 at 12:03 pm (2009 -2011 elections, CULTURE, Federalism, KINGDOMS)
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    Summary: Some politicians, when lacking in “gymnastics of the Mind”, forget what took them to parliament and start thinking that, with sufficient gun/power, they can out do the English King Canute, who once ordered the sea-tide to ’stop’. Some, like the so called workers’ MP. Pajobo, instead of trying to save the NSSF and the Workers house, is busy calling for the abolition of Kingdoms, as though they were created by Acts of Parliament, in the first place. Did the “sugar cane cutters” of Kakira send “Comrade” Pajobo to Parliament to abolish Kingdoms or to fight for a minimum living wage, a feat he has failed to accomplish!!??

    The following post tries to show that, while it is true that kingdoms may be “raped”, denied resources, freedom space and time, they cannot be abolished from the peoples’ minds and daily life. Such a fuile affront would only be a waste of the taxpayers’ money.                    Nice reading

    1/4. On abolition of Kingdoms as advocated by the NRM MP’s: How can you abolish something you never created? Can a Kingdom 500 years  or so old, be abolished by the stroke of a pen? I think “No” for the following reasons:

    1. One would need to rub all the history of that kingdom from historical record and from people’s minds, an impossible task.

    2. One would need to kill all the Royalty [Royal families and clans, etc] and then the whole population [All Banyoro or Baganda, for example]. [Tamale Mirundi thinks the 1917 Russian revolution destroyed ALL the Romanovs – a lie since even today there are many scions of the Romanov dynasty in Germany, England, etc. For example, during the re-burial of Emperor Nicholas recently, the Royal family of Russia turned up in numbers.  {Comment: It is not clear as to why Mirundi likes exaggerations and lies, even on subjects beyond his grasp}], etc, etc.

    2/4. So, if it is impossible, what do the politicians mean then, when they say they want to abolish Kingdoms? The answer is mainly based on ignorance but the following are among the reasons:

    a) Many think that, by robbing Kings of their physical resources, they will have abolished them.

    b) Others think that, since they are not armed, when you surround their palaces at night and illegally put hem under ”house arrest”, you are capable of “abolishing them”. Just by enacting a law that the “Kingdoms do not exist from to-day”, they will indeed disappear.

    c) Others think that, by demeaning them and imagining that they do not exist, and by reducing their prestige, they will disappear from the minds of the followers.

    d) Still, others think that by DENYING THEM SPACE AND TIME, and by denying them their fundamental freedoms, they will have “managed” them.

    e) Many still think that, by denying them mention at public gatherings [in protocol] and by occupying their palaces, by denying them income, they will have “abolished the Kingdoms”.

    3/4. However, all such actions, taken singly or severally, do not remove the kingdoms since these kingdoms are in the peoples’ “blood and mind”. It constitutes fun when even people that have no Kingdoms in their cultures start talking about the need or no need for Kingdoms. Funny indeed.

    4/4. Request: let the MP’s devote their time and other resources to serving their electors, and not question god-ordained order in society.

    Christopher Muwanga,

    Nakasero,

    Kampala.

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    1964 replicated

    September 29, 2009 at 12:30 am (2009 -2011 elections, Federalism, KINGDOMS)

    It is 45 years on.

    The year  is 1964:

    The issues then were:

    1. Un-armed civilians were shot at Nakulabye suburb, at the beginning of Hoima road. All future politicians, including M7, talked about this “Crime against humanity” for decades.

    2. The other two issues were:

      • One, which portrait should hang above the which: That of the Executive Prime minister [Obote] or that of the C-i-C and head of Sate {Sir Edward}?
      • Two and now replaying itself in Uganda today: Why does Mutesa, with his Nabagereka [His Queen] draw bigger crowds in Buganda [and sometimes outside Uganda] than the “elected leader” of Uganda {Obote}?

    3. What followed soon after, in ’66, is not history yet. Today, we hear complaints: “he has refused to take my calls [of all accusations] for TWO years!!!! Brrrrrrrr. He must come and meet me at my house.  So, people who sweep the streets and prostrate before H.H the Kabaka, Chairman Mao [not Tse Tung] style you are pocking the “Lion” in the eye.

    4. 24 have been executed without trial by military and Kiboko [whip squads]. About 1, 000 in are lnguishing in concentration camps but, unlike back in ‘66, the state of emergency , now in force for three weeks, has not been declared. This is not a country but someone’s own farm, where the populace are animals to be treated by the owner, as he may wish.

    Who said history does not repeat itself???

    Christopher Muwanga,

    Nakasero,

    Kampala.

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    Regional Tier should come with a Regional EC & suggestions on media

    September 23, 2009 at 11:50 am (Federalism, KINGDOMS)
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    The President has once again brought back to the fore the matter of the regional tier government. Am a firm believer in federalism for Buganda and all Uganda. There are various NRM functionaries who keep presenting that Baganda professing federalism are actually professing feudalism. This offcourse is not true. The push for federo is not a push for Buganda to return to the pre-1983 set feudal up!.  Federalism is about creating a shock-absorber to shield the common man from direct impact of internationally sponsored neo-colonial  political-economic programs; its about furthering democracy without removing our true indigenous identities; its about cutting down the cycle of military rule; its about allowing people based accountable institutions to thrive; Re-distributing Uganda’s wealth away from the incurable corrupt center, and creating provincial units that would later be governed by a government of the Federal Republic of East Africa.

    There has been elected leaders and democracy in Buganda even before the NRM. The NRM many times has to be propped up by the army and other coercive groups. Mengo and the Buganda Kingdom has always been kept alive by the people. Even when the NRM chooses to close down all media propagating the Buganda kingdom, the kingdom peoples are always available to support and keep their kingdom going. The NRM military will have to keep deploying against kingdom peoples showing support for their king. They will deploy against his kingdom tours, against electing any politician supporting the kingdom views, against business empires supporting the kingdom and yet the NRM always struggles to posture as the kingdom’s best friend.

    Any media and individual who question this “friendship” are viewed anti NRM and solely for this reason- the economics and social-cultural freedoms and rights of radio stations must be shut down! The NRM should tell the world that media houses and businesses can only operate in this country if they coalesce the population in support of the NRM or spend all the airtime creating musical super stars local and international.

    It is true that the Government of Uganda is the boss of the Buganda Kingdom government but the assumption in HE. M7’s tone of speech is that NRM –the political organisation/movement is a boss of the Buganda Kingdom. This is part of the problem. The kingdom structures must be re-aligned to reflect modern connectivity with the Uganda government and in time with the government of East Africa. Attempts to arm-twist and forcefully create and define the relationship can not produce anything long lasting.

    About the regional tier, some of us are ready to welcome it as a middle ground only if the NRM stops presenting it as a tool to undermine the original rulers of the communities for which it is intended. This regional tier government must take further step to protect the authority of the original rulers of the Ugandan communities. The authority of these original rulers of the Ugandan communities is not forced upon their communities. Their authority is people based and propagated and government is for the people, by the people and of the people. Any thing that wishes to undermine the wishes of the people is tantamount to dictatorship and this world will today, tomorrow and forever struggle against any and all forms of dictatorship.

    As HE. Museveni and his NRM prepare to bring back the regional tier arrangement, please make it more acceptable for the intended consumers and present it so as to achieve a meeting ground between the two opposing minds. In this regard, the government should include a provision for regionalization of the electoral commission.

    The law should provide that the original ruling structures of the communities to form a regional government should have the power to appoint the Regional Electoral Commissions.  These original ruling structures are what the NRM has chosen to refer to as Cultural leadership institutions. They are not just “cultural” and the struggle to keep them merely cultural is likely to keep fuelling tensions in this country. In Buganda, the kabakaship with Bataka should be the appointing authority for managers of democratic elections and voting processes. This would not stop NRM to compete with DP, PPP, UPC or FDC for the various elective positions including representatives to the national assembly, regional tier assembly, district/county assembly, sub-county, etc. ; National presidency, regional semi-presidency, district/county semi –presidency, etc . This would be the key to the true realization of democracy in Uganda, a major step towards resolving the long standing question of fully without force integrating Buganda and other indigenous communities into Uganda.

    Such regional electoral commission would dilute the fear of electing regional mini-presidents- a Katikiro in Buganda’s case. In the case of Buganda kingdom, a Katikiro elected through an election system supervised by a Kabaka appointed regional EC would maintain the idea of Kabaka appointing the chiefs while at the same time moving the Kingdom towards full democracy. The regional tier government would slowly be allowed semi-autonomy over the region thus allowing federalists some peace in the country. The government should for instance consider removing the office of RDC and instead depend on Professional Non-Partisan National Intelligence Gathering Bodies.

    Government should at the same time move away from the thinking that whenever a media house does things that those in government do not like or things which are considered to endanger the public peace, etc- the offending media house should be shut down. This hurts the economy, the politics and society in general. Am of the view that government should view the various items regularly published or broadcast just like the many vehicles regularly using our road network. Whenever a vehicle breaks acceptable road contact, it is put off the road temporarily to pay a pre-determined penalty charges or for the proprietor and driver to face the full course of the law.

    Similarly, offending programs or articles may be temporarily discontinued for the offending presenter or proprietor to remit a pre-determined penalty charge/fine or for them to be taken to court and go through the full legal process. The Broadcasting Council is almost like a police force which goes on the road to confiscate the property of wrong doers. I do not think it is right for the Broadcasting council to issue an operating license covering the period of just one year. The economic life of the business is too long. The license supplier is not in any event the owner of the business. The job of the Broadcasting Council should be establishing the availability of a TV or radio frequency and then issuing a license renewable atleast after five years so as to reflect recoverability of investment and profits.

    Also, why having two bodies sometimes competing with each other as they do almost the same job. The Uganda Communications Commission has got true electronic experts and regarding word and voice sms based companies- both the UCC and UCC do monitoring and require huge fees to be remitted. Probably they compete similarly regarding internet and telecom companies. As Ugandans chat out a way forward in the aftermath of Mengo Vs NRM riots, it should be considered that the Uganda Broadcasting Council should completely be dissolved into Uganda Communication Commission who has more expertise, have a whole building in town, more experience, are politically non-partisan and have lots more facilities.

    HAKIMU. N. SEMUWEMBA

    –
    EA Samurai

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    Kingdom of Buganda has been advocating for peace and unity in diversity

    September 22, 2009 at 11:14 am (Federalism, KINGDOMS)
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    It is the Kingdom of  Buganda that has been advocating for peace and unity in diversity in our nation of Uganda, especially since 1955 when the then kabaka Sir Edward Mutesa became a constitutional monarch..
    Most politicans have acted with dishonour. It is not a question of “the central government surrendering power to the regions” as G. Bukenya puts it.
    Power comes from the people and belongs to the people; vested in their soverign kingdoms and “tribes”. And since it is inevitable that we need a central government, let the people DECIDE the amount of power to give that central government. It is a question of the kingdoms and the “tribes” surrendering some of their powers to the central government and not the other way around.
    As an Acholi, I thank and support the Kingdom of Buganda and Ssabassajja Kabaka Mutebi in their quest of trying to negotiate what powers should be surrendered to the central government of Uganda. The problem is that politicians of the day are too greedy and power hungry and they want more power than they deserve or can handle.
    I agree with the sentiments expressed by John Lema. People who want to run Uganda like the North Korea of Kim IL Sung should forget it. We need more common sense now.
    Regards
    Pilipo Oruni Oloya

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    Uganda issue by VP,Bukenya Gilbert

    September 21, 2009 at 8:37 pm (Diaspora, KINGDOMS, POLITICS)
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    The Uganda Issue

    My brothers and sisters, Uganda must move forward.

    We should not delay its development any longer.

    I am a very strong supporter of King Ronald Muwenda Mutebi and the Kingdom but I am also a very strong supporter of the Democratic Republic of Uganda in which the Kingdom is.

    This means that we have to leave political power to the elected leaders of Uganda and cultural power to the Kingdoms and other cultural leaders within Uganda. These leaders know details of everything and if we give them time and a suitable environment they will surely come to a consensus. Distorting this will mean violence because we will react before knowing the bottom line of the situation.

    We, the Baganda must know that we live in Uganda with other people of the same rights. When we demand, they also have a right to demand. When we destroy their properties, they may also have a right to do so.

    Why can’t we live in harmony, love each other, respect each other and stop abusive language and the feeling that you are the only one!!!

    My friends in the Diaspora just imagine you being segregated and even forced to leave where you are now because the natives don’t want you in their countries anymore? Would you welcome that?

    Let us stop inciting hatred and confrontation. When one draws the gun what happens?? The innocent suffer and even die.

    The question of a regional government is the answer to devolution of power. If the central government surrenders power to regions to manage education, health, road networks, culture, agriculture etc. this is a good beginning and regions can ask for more in the future after proof of efficiency and effective management.

    Whatever we aspire to achieve, must be supported by other Ugandans.

    We cannot work in Isolation.

    Friends, alone we can do so little but together we can do so much.

    Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit and intent on one purpose of developing our motherland.
    Gilbert Bukenya
    Vice presdient, Uganda
    UAH forumist

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    M7 needs to address Buganda’s problems

    September 18, 2009 at 11:17 pm (2009 -2011 elections, Federalism, KINGDOMS)
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     President Museveni himself said that the riots were not about His Highness the Kabaka going to Kayunga, but rather it was “whether or not we should have political Kings”. The President went on to accuse the Kabaka of interfering in politics. He said the Kabaka should keep out of politics because he is not an elected official.
     
    So, a lot has been brewing underground which is not obvious to the ordinary person, you and me. But President Museveni knows that he has a conflict or strong disagreement with the Kingdom of Buganda. That, the President himself has said so. Kayunga was just the spark that ignited the crisis, otherwise it could easily have been anything else.
     
    For this conflict to have reached this extent that almost anything could ignite it into a crisis what does that tell you about government? To me I see that the government is confused, desperate and does not really know what to do? I think the government has been using the Ssabanyala as a stalking horse really, to test Mengo’s resolve but also to try and undermine the Kingdom of Buganda generally and His Highness the Kabaka personally.
     
    Instead of addressing Mengo’s legitimate demands the government has resorted to meddling in the Kingdom of Buganda in the hope that the Kingdom generally and His Highness the Kabaka personally will be disgraced and discredited. But the strategy has backfired.
     
     Here is another example of NRM government meddling in the affairs of the Kingdom of Buganda. In his statement to Parliament on the crisis on 15Th September 2009,  President Museveni said, and I quote: “In order to stop the Kabaka and the Kingdom officials from meddling in politics, there should be a meeting of all the political leaders in Buganda, the religious leaders, the clan leaders to give their contributions on the way forward. This meeting could be called “Tabamiluka”.
     
    Now, I am not a Muganda and I don’t know what the word “tabamiluka” means, perhaps a Muganda will explain what this concept really means in due course. However, it seems to me that this is yet another attempt by President Museveni to divide the Baganda. I stand to be corrected, but this “tabamiluka” is an alien thing, invented by President Museveni and it has certainly no role in the formal cultural or political organisation of the Kingdom of Buganda. Once again, Prseident Museveni has come out with a concept from thin air and he is now trying to imply that this is a Ganda cultural process. It is wrong. President Museveni is inventing things that do not exist in the Kingdom of Buganda. THE PRESIDENT IS MAKING A VERY SUBTLE ATTEMPT TO START A NEW NARRATIVE ON  BUGANDA CULTURE AND HISTORY. That is how he pulled the Ssabanyala completely out of thin air. The President  is trying anything except a proper constitutional attempt to address the federal demands of Mengo. And Mengo has almost written him off.

    Regards
     
     
    Pilipo Oruni Oloya

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    What is NOT Wrong with Traditional Tribal Leadership

    September 17, 2009 at 11:14 pm (CULTURE, Federalism, KINGDOMS)
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    Thursday, September 17, 2009

    Imagine that the first foreign contacts with Afrika were gradual, peaceful and respectful. Afrika would now have a bigger population. The social fabric would have evolved rather than disrupted. Foreign religions would have blended with Afrikan’s, providing more meaning. Instead, the contacts were violent and traumatic, stripping her of her dignity, with repercussions that reverberate to this day.

    In Afrika today, there is a small percentage of the filthy rich, few of whom have achieved wealth by dint of skills in industry and commerce. Many have looted the coffers of the state, leaving poor infrastructures and poor service deliveries for the rest of the taxpaying population.

    What kind of people are these looters? They are the people who went to missionary or other related schools. Many of them profess to be Christians. Some who are serious about Christianity have but a perfunctory knowledge beyond claiming to be “saved.” Generally then Christianity is not a way of living but a social occasion on Sunday. A few of the “educated” class have read western classics, and may be aware of the genesis of how and why they think the way they do. Many, however, excelled in the utilitarian school subjects in order to earn a living in the new Afrika. This latter lot may not be cognizant of from whence their thought process originates.

    All this is operating in a milieu in which traditional cultural wisdom no longer has leadership. The young person now looks to Europe and America as the source of what is good.. Armed only with the natural ego-centric self, the desires of acquisition and the destruction of those perceived to stand in the way becomes the mode of operation. There in lies what ails Afrika. But it should not be that way.

    If traditional African wisdom, through traditional leadership, were revived and practiced it could provide the umbilical cord to extend to the new way. We have many such models in Afrika—for examples Ghana and South Africa—and other parts of the world, such as Japan.

    Now, let us take the case of Uganda in which Mr. Museveni is reputed to have fought for the revival of traditional tribal leadership. It is evident that his motivations were only self-serving, to gain favors originally from mainly the Baganda population. Now the exercise has been extended to others for strategic political expediency. The next person who comes to power (the sooner, the better) should take the case of traditional tribal leadership as a matter of top priority. Genuine and honest debates should be devoid of political horse-trading. Let us put this dog to rest and attend to other business of living.
    Odiya
    UAH forumist

    3 Comments

    Buganda has the right to demand for federalism

    September 17, 2009 at 10:48 pm (Federalism, KINGDOMS)
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     “I told them from day one that don’t request for federalism, because when you demand for federalism you are asking for political authority and political authority must be held by elected people, of course now Museven is right to force an elected Katikiro-(Edward  Mulindwa, UAH, 16/09/09).
     
    I do not agree with the assertion cited above, that the Kingdom of Buganda/Mengo is wrong to demand for federalism. Yes, the Kingdom of Buganda has every right to demand for the sharing of authority/power with the central government of Uganda under a federal system. I keep referring to the 1900 Agreement, because that was the basis by which Buganda became part of modern Uganda. Under article 6 of the agreement the Kabaka was clearly recognised as  “the native ruler of the province of (B)uganda”. Under article 10, the Kabaka’s power of state were devolved to the three state ministers; ie, the Katikiro (prime minister), Omulamuzi (chief justice) and Omuwanika (chief treasurer/finance minister). Both Kabaka Daudi Chua and Kabaka Mutesa II ruled the Kingdom of Buganda more or less as a constitutional monarchy under this agreement.
     
    At independence Buganda enjoyed full federal status within a largely unitary structure of central government until 1966 when the Kabaka was deposed. The following year the constitution was changed to a fully unitary one.
     
    In 1960 the then Kabaka Sir Edward Mutesa reorganised the Kingdom government, adding more ministerial portfolios of education, health, information, youth and sports, and works. 
     
    Kabaka Ronald Mutebi has made further modernisation in the informal ministerial portfolios of Mengo cabinet making it more in tune with the 21st century. New portfolios include gender, information and IT, culture and antiquities, and the environment. Kabaka Mutebi has also appointed some of the most able professionals to head ministries of Mengo cabinet. All that is left is formal recognition of the government at Mengo through the granting of a federal system.
     
    The current problem is not caused by Mengo or His Highness the Kabaka but is the result of a fallacy of the 1995 Constitution which in effect abolished constitutional monarchy  in Uganda. Although the Odoki Constitution Commission returned that 68% of Ugandans and 97% of the people of Buganda favoured federalism, the NRM government ignored those wishes and proceeded  to impose a unitary constitution on Uganda. This is largely what is causing the current Buganda crisis.
     
    President Museveni himself has realised that the current system of unitary government is neither fully effective nor responsive, thus the President has proposed and had a law enacted for the creation of a regional tier “version” of federalism. Mengo is vehemently opposed to the regional tier system mainly because it does not address its demand for federalism. However, President Museveni has now vowed to implement the system next year, Mengo’s opposition regardless.
     
    There are two main problems with the regional tier system, which in the end makes it too doomed to fail. Firstly, the regional tier system would merely serve as an additional layer of central government bureaucracy. Whoever will be at the head of that bureaucracy will  perform a role akin to that of a “Regional RDC”.
     
    The second and more serious problem is that the regional tier system lacks the two most important factors necessary for effective and responsive functioning of a  regional government, namely points of focus of identity and loyalty. In Buganda a Katikiro elected under the regional tier system would sit awkwardly along side the Katikiro of the Kingdom of Buganda. He will presumably be referred to as the “government Katikiro”. Needless to say, the “government Katikiro” will neither enjoy the loyalty or focus of identity of the people of Buganda, and will merely serve as an additional point of friction between Mengo and the NRM government.
     
     
    Outside Buganda, for example in Acholi, Lango, Teso, Busoga, Bunyoro-Kitara, Tooro, etc, the position of a “Regional Chairman/Katikiro” may attract politicians clamoring to contest it in election. However, this will mainly be because of the financial rewards accruing to the job, while eliciting less support from the people.

     
    Thus the regional tier system would neither answer  the demands of Mango for constitutional monarchy, or the  increasing demands for regional autonomy in most parts of Uganda . What it will do, however, is bring to an end any remaining semblance of relationship between Mengo and the NRM government.  The regional tier system may yet become the proverbial “last straw that broke the camels back”.
     
     
    Regards,
     
     
    Pilipo Oruni Oloya

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    Video:’Civilians Will Be Shot’ Speech by Museveni

    September 16, 2009 at 9:52 pm (2009 -2011 elections, Genocides, KINGDOMS)

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    Obama and M7:Respect and be proud of your cultures

    September 16, 2009 at 5:41 pm (CULTURE, KINGDOMS)
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    he anti Obama attacks based on his healthcare proposals, where he has been labelled un-American by some quarters in the USA, these occuring concurently with riots in Kampala over Kabaka’s planned visit to Kayunga that was stopped by government gives new meaning to the saying ‘there is no place like home.

    It is a timely lesson for Obama that he should never forget his father’s land, his roots.
    In Africa they have another proverb that says, when you migrate, you do not uproot the pumpkin. In otherwords, when you leave, you might find yourself back to the same place, and this un-uprooted pumpkin might be the food that will keep you going in that dark hour.

    It is only in Africa, Obama’s real fattherland, that he has not met such bitter racist type of criticism. A child remains a child at home, however nasty they might appear. That is how Africa percieves Obama.

    Coming back closer to home in Kampala, the riots have left me thinking about how vital is our cultural diversity. This cultural variety is God given, and it is time we shifted attitudes and began to appreciate and uphold these historic divisions that have nurtured and knit the society we are today.When we talk about eradicating tribes, languages, we are actually attempting to eradicate identities that have existed for generations! We should find ways of upholding the same.(Ofcourse there are some practices that are abusive, but we do not want to throw away the baby with the bathwater!)

    I am reminded of an incident that happened here in Kampala not so long ago, where a man and woman separated after giving birth to three children, one boy and two girls. Now, these children had been so attatched to their Maternal side (what they call in Luganda the Kojjas), because of the abusive behaviour of ther father who had taken another wife and abandoned their mother..So all property, friendships, hopes,etc were with their maternal side.
    Even during the marriage process of one of the girls, it was her uncle from her mother’s side who took the bridal gifts meant for her father! Her father never attended her give away! Such was the intensity of the gap in between.

    However, things  turned out so bad a few months back,and these people called their ‘maternal relatives’ ,got into sharp quarels over land and finances that one of these children had borrowed. The whole maternal side turned aginst them, and they were real treated like outcasts.Their property was grabbed by their maternal uncle, and their aging mother left homeless. What cruelty!

    Obama is suffering the same fate in America. He has not wanted to identify himself so much with Kenya or with Africans, but with comments that have began, labelling him now un-American, I think he has to think more deeply about appreciating his real roots before it is too late.

    One’s paternal roots should never be taken for granted.

    Linda Akullo
    Kampala

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    Commentary on:Cooporation,Collaboration and Consensus between M7 and Buganda

    September 15, 2009 at 3:16 pm (2009 -2011 elections, CULTURE, KINGDOMS)
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    To the present and future generations,greetings.
    The quest for cultural independence,like that of political independence from the colonialists,is not about to go away anytime soon.This quest is inalienable,its a propensity inside each of us.You can not grant it.
    So,the right thing to do is the quest for corporation from the stakeholders.Short of that,this whole thing can and will make or unmake any present or future administrations.
    Emille Durkheim,considered to be one of the founder fathers of sociology,contend that if you discard elements culture,better replace them with something similar…or else the backlash can be catastrophic….
    Recent events in our homeland seem to point that direction.All the stakeholders,including the president ,need to collaborate and develop a constitutional framework that will accommodate all these elements.
    Force must be off the menu,and a healthy dose of a national consensus must be  the order of the day.The ugly past can avoided thus.
    The cheerleaders of the dead regimes,who are now gloating  over what’s happening in Uganda,are sore losers,whose postings of hate on this forum are well known.We are watching you.Your utopian ideas will have to be directed elsewhere.
    Cheers,

    sebastianWanzama-Piro,Y(OU)NITED

    UAH forumist

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    AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF UGANDA

    September 15, 2009 at 3:11 pm (2009 -2011 elections, KINGDOMS)
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    AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF UGANDA
    From Dr. Vincent Magombe – Ugandan Writer and Journalist / Director, Africa Inform International.
    (London, UK. 15/09/09)
    Your Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,
    ON THE GOVERNMENT CLAMP-DOWN ON THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS
    OF THE PEOPLE AND THE MEDIA.
    In the wake of the violent and tragic clashes, which took place in various parts of Buganda Kingdom, in the week beginning  07 September 2009, between the Ugandan state security services and supporters of the Kabaka of Buganda, His Royal Highness Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, you, Mr President, and your security operatives have taken a number of repressive measures aimed at silencing sections of the Ugandan populace and bringing about an enforced stability of sorts.
    These measures include, among others:
    1. The arrest of hundreds of Buganda Kingdom supporters, some of whom had rioted in protest against your Excellency’s decision to forcefully intervene and stop the visit by His Royal Highness Kabaka Ronald Mutebi to Kayunga – a locality within his Kingdom.
    2. The arrest of a number of Ugandan media practitioners, most prominent of whom is Mr. Kalundi Serumaga, the widely respected current affairs commentator / analyst, who is also the popular host of the Radio One Talk Show. Mr Serumaga was reportedly kidnapped by security operatives, and beaten in so rough and harsh a manner, that will remind most Ugandans of the darkest days of dictator Idi Amin’s rule, when journalists and anti-government politicians were grabbed by military personnel, in open daylight, and taken to prison / torture chambers.
    3.  The closing down of independent media outlets - a number of radio stations were closed down, followed by the suspension of several journalists and media practitioners from freely practicing in their trade.
    National and International Concerns:
    Various Human Rights organisations, both local and international, are expressing grave concerns about the brutality meted out to many innocent Ugandan citizens by the security forces, in the course of suppressing the revolt by Buganda Kingdom loyalists. Images of beatings and brutal harassment, by police and military operatives, of Baganda activists, that were beamed across the globe on mainstream TV networks (BBC, CNN, SKY, Aljazeera, etc) have greatly dented your government’s reputation, and cast Uganda in a very dark light.
    Global campaign organisations, such as the New York based Committee to Protection Journalists (CPJ), have also weighed in, calling upon the government of Uganda to stop harassing media practitioners and restricting media freedoms and political debate in the country.
    Need to Do the Right Things – and These Are:
    1. Release Prisoners and Work for Harmony and Peace in Buganda and Throughout Uganda:
    Mr President, in order to de-escalate the increasingly deteriorating situation in the country, and bring about harmony and peaceful co-existence amongst Ugandans, it is most appropriate that you order your security services (the police, army, presidential guard brigade, and intelligence outfits) to stop arresting, harassing, beating, torturing and tear-gassing innocent citizens, whose only crime is to exercise their freedoms, as guaranteed by the constitution of Uganda.
    2. Free the Media in Uganda:
    Your Excellency, have you asked yourself  any of these questions:
    - Why did so many Ugandans, including yourself, engage in so many political struggles and battles in the last 5 decades, in order that Ugandan citizens could enjoy their human rights and freedoms, only for your government to turn round and destroy the very freedoms and rights, that people died and sacrificed so much for?
    - Why did you and your government allow the flourishing of so many independent media outlets (fm radio stations, newspapers, etc), only to start frustrating and hampering their smooth running and development, using Idi-Amin style methods?
    Mr. President, it is absolutely essential that you immediately apply your authority, not for the purpose of putting an end to, but advancing free speech in the country. If Uganda is to build a truly democratic society, then the media has to freely play the role of public watchdog – relentlessly quizzing and questioning public servants, and speaking out on important issues of concern to all sections of the country’s citizenry.
    It is high time that Uganda, as a country, entered the world of modernity and true civilisation – whereby governments, public institutions, as well as public servants are unreservedly subjected to intense and continuous scrutiny in their work and ultimately held accountable for their actions.
    Your Excellency, it is with all the above in mind, that you are being called upon to immediately order the release and freedom of any Uganda media practitioner, who may be currently languishing  in prison or on remand, or facing prosecution for merely carrying out their professional duties.
    One such person is Mr Kalundi Serumaga, whose name has already been cited in this document. Your Excellency, as you are well aware, Mr. Kalundi Serumaga happens to be the son of the late Robert Serumaga, the prominent Ugandan writer and political activist, who died in exile in Kenya in 1980, while struggling to liberate Uganda of bad politics. Are we now wanting to sacrifice the life of his son in the same way, by either incarcerating him or exiling him? Are we trying to make sure that his nascent political and creative activism is never realised fully for the benefit of his motherland Uganda?
    Ultimately, what is needed is the disbanding of all outdated and archaic laws and rules, which are hampering, rather than advancing, media freedoms and freedom of expression in Uganda.
    3. Use Dialogue – Not Violence, to Resolve Entrenched and Complex National Problems:
    Mr. President, for the sake of Peace, National Unity and Reconciliation in Uganda, you should reconsider your positions, in regard to the demands by Buganda Kingdom, in a way that solutions can be achieved peacefully and amicably.
    Agitation for Federalism, or active campaigns by Buganda Kingdom supporters against the Land Bill, must not be seen by you as anti-Ugandan or, for that matter, evil deeds by evil people.
    Your Excellency, military force should not be used to stop public discussions and debate on vital matters of concern to Ugandan citizens. That the Kabaka of Buganda should participate in these debates, as was supposed to be the case in Kayunga, is a very normal thing that should be permitted to freely transpire, without unnecessary interference of trigger-happy security forces.
    4. Those who have Committed Crimes Against Humanity Should be Held Accountable:
    In the circumstances, it is imperative that all the state authorities and security operatives who are found to have violated existing national and international laws and conventions, especially those involved in the murder and torture of innocent civilians, are brought to justice. Ultimately, the relevant national and international bodies and institutions involved in the dispensing of justice should investigate suspected violations, with the view to indicting and prosecuting those who are deemed to have committed crimes against humanity.
    Conclusion:
    In Conclusion, Mr President, the onus is on you, as ‘Ugandan Citizen Number One’, to positively and constructive, rather than negatively and destructively, exercise the enormous power, bestowed onto you, thanks to the good and considerate will of the rest of Ugandan citizens.
    You excellency, in seeking to stabilise an increasingly insecure country, and in attempting to unite a visibly fractured society, it is imperative that you provide good and compassionate leadership, with the ultimate objective of satisfying the wishes and aspirations of Ugandan people.
    You, Mr. President, are supposed to be the ‘Peoples’ President’, not your own President. And Uganda can only thrive and prosper, when the People feel that they, and not their President, can claim ownership of their country.
    Whichever way you chose to deal with the current impasse in the country will determine  the course of that country and the fate of her Peoples now and for centuries to come! Better make it good your Excellency!
    This communication has been written by Dr. Vincent Magombe – a concerned Ugandan citizen and journalist. It has been written as an Open Letter to President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, for no other reason, other than to publicly state the acute concerns and worries being felt by most Ugandans at this point in time.
    Dr. Vincent Magombe
    Africa Inform International
    UAH forumist

    2 Comments

    M7 is to blame for the 11th September riots

    September 15, 2009 at 1:06 pm (2009 -2011 elections, KINGDOMS)
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    I need someone to tell me what blame Mengo has on the Bugerere Royal visit. Should some one just sit by when he is being denied access to parts of his house? I was in Bugerere during the riots and never did i see any disgruntled Munyala. M7 came out and like one with a worn out mind forgot what he all along been deceiving , that it was a Banyala issue by stating it clearly that he had a personal grudge with the Kabaka for the later not picking up his calls. Someone should tell me whether it was Buganda that was acting unconstitutionally or the government. Gwe Kintu, supposing u were a witness and had come out to give eveidence, is there any thing you can show to justify that this was a Mengo endorsed riot? You have the right to be ignorant but u dont have the right to misinform the public, this was something that just got out of hand and if u may know one of the most radical people at Mengo called me and told me to exercise calm and he even regreted what was happening because they couldnt in any way control it. (A Nkobazambogo advance team was already in Kayunga to prepare for the Kabaka’s reception and also unify all Buganda youth activist groups in the area). All this should be blamed on the ego of one man, the president who doesnt want to abide by the constitution. (THE CONSTITUTION STATES IT CLEARLY THAT kAYUNGA & NAKASONGOLA ARE PART OF BUGANDA)

    jose lukyamuzi

    1 Comment

    Buganda has been DISPROPORTIONATELY TOLERANT

    September 15, 2009 at 11:09 am (2009 -2011 elections, Federalism, KINGDOMS)
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    Dear all,
    I do not condone secterianism, but I think it is fair to say that as a region Buganda has been DISPROPORTIONATELY TOLERANT. Buganda has generally welcomed all Ugandans to work, study, settle and prosper in Buganda. To my mind Buganda has elected people from other “tribes”/communities to represent them in Parliament, these included Daudi Ochieng (Acholi), Ojok Mulozi (Acholi), Dr. B.N Kununka (Munyoro), one Asian and One white. Today, there are many business men and women from other parts of Uganda who own bussinesses, land and estates deep in the heartlands of Buganda who have never been segregated against, and have only recieved coopreation and support from Baganda. It is fair to say that the same would be very difficult to comeby in other parts of Uganda.
    The problem has to be with the failure of our constitution and political process which have consistently failed to bring about longlasting stable and peaceful Uganda. Instead Buganda and the Baganda have borne the brunt of political and social instability leading to deaths and untold suffering.(As an Acholi I am tempted to refere to our own sufferings here, and so would Ugandans from everywhere). To the Baganda these visitations are foreign.
    And the setiments are bourne by the facts. The latter KAR of the 1940s and  50s that were used by the colonial governement to brutally suppress the 1945 and 1949 rebellions in Buganda dispropotionately consisted of men from the northern and eastern Uganda.
    After Independence, the army and men who stormed the Lubiri in 1966, deposed the Kabaka, and assisted in the abrogation of the Great Lukiiko and Saza Councils disproportionately came from other parts of Uganda.
    The Military coup of Iddi Amin in 1971 and the subsequent brutal regime visited upon Ugandans including the Buganda ofcourse, was staged by men who disproportionately came from outside Buganda.
    The military coup of 1985 and the subsequent deaths and sufferings it caused in Buganda and other parts of Uganda was staged by men who predominatly came from outside Buganda.
    The Luwero NRA war and the subsequesnt untold genocide  it visited on Buganda was orchesterated by men and women who predominatly came from outside Buganda. The fact the Baganda were later sucked in and participated on the side of Yoweri Museveni was the reaction of victims trying to survive a brutal war.
    The events of the last few days which led to many deaths of the people of Buganda was the result of the brutish suppression by an army which is disproportionately staffed by men and officers from outside Buganda.
    I therfore fully understand the sentimants which was allegedly expressed by Bosco Musisi. There is indeed a need to get rid of the “cocroaches” out of Buganda and Uganda too.
    A NEW BEGINNING
    The events of the past few days have set all our minds focused on the way forward for our country. I personally would prefer to see the following happen.
    1. The government to kickstart a genunie debate on the future form of governance which Uganda should have, in particular the constitutional issues of federalism with a view of finding a lasting solution.
    2. The government should persue these debates in the national interest through muli partisan approach, so as to take on board the views of the opposition parties.
    3.The oposition parties should come out clearly and contribute constructively to the constitutional debate about federalism or otherwise.One welcomes Mr. Ochieno’s stated approach of new politics of  “not sitting on the fence”. Therefore, the opposition themselves should state their comprehensive policy positions on the difficult issues of federalism. The opposition have opportunity to state their policies on these issues during the forthcoming party delegates conferences, and national elections compaigns and on forums such as UAH. Stating merely that ”we shall give federalism to Buganda” is no longer enough.
    4. Parliament should in due course come forward with the neccessary law authorising a new Constitution that addresses all the particularisms of the different “tribes” and regions of Uganda. The Odoki Constitution Commission found that 68% of Ugandans were in favour of a federal constitution. The time to implement these wishes is now.
    Pilipo Oruni Oloya

    1 Comment

    Byaruhanga is being unrealistic on the Kabaka

    September 15, 2009 at 2:36 am (2009 -2011 elections, KINGDOMS, POLITICS)
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    Dear Mr. Byaruhanga .
    As a Presidental Advisor I welcome your proposal for a “new law to regulate” cultural leaders. That law would be a Federal Constitution. Under a federal constitution, the Kabaka’s “powers of state” would be devolved to the Katikiro. At the moment because of  lack of a fedeeral constitution the Kabaka is caught up deep in the politics of his Kingdom.
    You are mistaken in your assertion that the Kabaka is “apolitical”. His Highness the Kabaka is the embodiment of the kingdom and people of Buagnda. The Kabaka is a deeply political animal by nature. But if you want to remove His Highness the Kabaka from the hazards of daily politics then you must grant a federal constitution. Simply writing the “do” and “don’t” for His Highness the Kabaka to follow will not work, BE WARNED.
    THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM
    1. Mr. Byaruhanga I wish to draw your attention to an embarassing situation regarding the current “status” of His Highness the Kabaka. In the last few days I read in the press (The Monitor, 10, September, 2009) where President Museveni was quoted as saying that he tried calling His Highness the Kabaka for the last two years but the Kabaka would neither pick nor return his calls. The question is, did the President try to call His Highness the Kabaka to discuss cultural matters or was it about government Policy? It is more the latter rather than the former. So, His Excellency the President of Uganda is himself dragging the Kabaka squarely into politics through his action of calling the Kabaka to discuss Policy. The Kabaka should be permanently out of politics, not just when it suits the government.
    2. In the same press report, President Museveni was quoted as saying or implying that His Highness the Kabaka wanted him (the President) to discuss these issues with the Katikiro, but that he “does not want to deal with unelected officials” (The Monitor, 10, September, 2009). So, in trying to aviod dealing with the Katikiro who is not an elected official, the President ends up dragging the Kabaka into politics whenever he discusses with him Policy. How?  Because the Kabaka might have to give the President his opinion about policy which is political. The way out of the ampasse is again the grant of a federal constitution, which recognises the government of the kingdom/state of Buganda. In that way the Katikiro will become an elected official, and the President can then discuss policy with him.
    3. In order to address the 1961 situation that you refer to below, the solution was found by way of granting Buganda a Federal Status in the Constitution during the Lancaster Conference. At the subsequest Lukiiko elections in 1962, the Baganda participated in the elections peacefully and no one had their banana plantation chopped down.
    Regards
    Pilipo Oruni Oloya

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    Lessons from Buganda riots

    September 14, 2009 at 8:03 pm (2009 -2011 elections, KINGDOMS)
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    Dear all,

    Here in below is a lesson;  the following names are among those of individuals who have been arrested for sanding up for the Kabaka’s right of Movement:- Asiimwe, Aine, Nyabanunu, Masanwa, Muhangi, Twinamasiko, Barigye, Mafabi,  Avunaro, Hafashimana, Nyanzima, Othieno, Irumba, Orengo, Twinomujuni, Magemose. The majority of the names released by the police are ocommon baganda names, but in there you find names from all over Uganda.

    It is here that I ask all, to note that this is not a Baganda issue, you ignore it today and tomorrow it will be in your “hood”.  For long, Acholi was a distance away, it was a flung northern Uganda place, well what they have been experiencing for twenty something years in at the doors steps of Buganda. As I said then we have a “Jigger” in our toe, if we do not eject this jigger, we are going to have all the toes infected, and before we know we will be having our leg amputated! We can not allow the country to go down the political and social sewer because of one man. Ugandans and friends of Uganda we better get out of our slumber.

    I am done being polite!

    Ssemagulu

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    M7 & His Cheap Popularity Politics-(CCP).

    September 13, 2009 at 11:04 pm (2009 -2011 elections, KINGDOMS, PRESIDENCY)
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    Cheap popularity politics has always engulfed m7’s way of hundling political issues & personal issues mixed together, he has succeeded in some ways and the shortcomings have overtaken his advantages in the shortest run.

    On Otunnu; Otunnu may not be the die-darling to embrace when referring to a political savior in Uganda neither on Kabaka issues, but nrm and its m7 have tendency of a slogan used by St Mary’s College Kisubu of “NN”, Neglect nothing, so in this context is why Otunnu may mean something to this inept nrm/o group of mafias.

    These small things that m7 has not neglected have kept people in the dark of who the real m7 is, kept him in power for over 22 years now. It is now evident that m7 actually does not intend to fulfill his promises to Buganda or any other individuals he may have promised anything, but have also created some problems in the country and seen other issues and people who wouldn’t have been important in exact politics like Ken Lukyamuzi, Nambooze, Mulindwa Muwonge, Peter Mayiga and many others you may care to know in your respective regions, these people have elevated themselves to levels of belittling m7 and his govt or even singing his praises like Peter Sematimba, ngoma ngime and baguma isoke etc.

    M7 works in undermining ways, violation of individual rights, isolation and limiting freedom of movement, he had barred Otunnu from acquiring a Ugandan passport, for what?, under normal circumstances and what Otunnu has on his record, he will never become a Ugandan president, lets face it why waste time on Otunnu, but the time and attention put on Otunnu may elevate him to credible standards that may prompt m7 to waste his life thinking that he is going to become what he fears most, ” some one to undo his questionable legacy” as if he cares so much about it, this is a classic example of how m7’s twisted mind works, because he came to power as a nobody himself so he thinks no body should become like him on his watch, he forgets the timing and the environment that things occur.

    This same impact of neglect nothing has seen m7 starting personal cheap politics projects like creating more and more districts to divide and rule, if one big district is taken up by the opposition he creates more smaller regions within the big one, meddling in Busoga’s Kingdom, refusing a King in Ankore, Bunyoro and bafuruki in an oil hide and seek deal, inciting and creating fiefdoms in the Buganda Kingdom as a personal project, since he failed to tame the Buganda Lion, the Kabaka, he thought as the Baganda say that “enkoko y’omwavu teggwa kwebaaza”. In this translation, If a poor man gives you chicken he expects you to be thanking him all the time at all open opportunities.

    If actually possible; m7 would be so glad to have as a slogan on CBS thanking him for restoring kingdoms all the time, all day 24/7, and to his disappointing amazement it did not happen and instead the Kingdom challenged his govt on every unpopular move he has tried to weave, like the land grabbing scheme, bibanja holders association and extending Kampala’s borders, leave alone m7 himself thinking that Kampala is not in Buganda and of recent withdrawing the Kabaka’s security army men and limiting/stopping the Kabaka from visiting his subjects in Kayunga-Bugerere.

    Previously kids of Buganda in Nanziga (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4b1s8SuJQQ&feature=related)

    , featured in a song that rhymed as “even the breast feeding Kids can see that Kampala is in Buganda” this set m7’s brains on fire, he would have put those kids on firing squad, for challenging him, but he feared to risk being another Idi Amin. M7 has waited for such an opportunity to show his might, but the Kabaka kept on dodging him, refused to answer his phones and put m7 in his place of being a classical commoner/omukopi. But as you may know we have two types of commoners those who are well behaved and those who are not; m7 falls in those without manners and thinks that military might is the solution, that is why he even set baraalo on the farm of his former benefactor the Mzee Byanyima. Mzee Byanyima couldn’t believe the level of disrespect that m7 harbors after opening doors for him in his house during those trying times of m7’s youth.

    Looking at m7’s record, he has climbed ladders on other people, begiining from Luwero triangle to being so disrespectiful and disrespect is his slogan as he looks for a way to turn tables on anyone he thinks does not hold him in high esteem and demand respect from those individuals or groups that do not care to worship him. He fires his own allies on radio and the only person he seems to agree with is Kahinda Otafiire as they are both in the same category of disrespectful buddies.

    Mayiko Makula

    Kampala

    1 Comment

    Baganda: “We stand by our rights and demands”

    September 13, 2009 at 7:40 pm (2009 -2011 elections, Diaspora, KINGDOMS)
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    Baganda: “We stand by our rights and demands”

    A collection of angry, disappointed and bitter Baganda met here in East London, Dunning Hall to discuss the horror unfolding back home.

    It was a sombre occasion dominated by talk about bullets, deaths and funerals caused by a decision by the central government to refuse the Kabaka from travelling to Kayunga, Bugerere Country.  Government’s unreasonable demands, together with the Kabaka’s determination to head to Kayunga forced the government to place His Majesty under house arrest.

    Baganda agreed that President Museveni and his NRM are an occupying and colonial government that has to be resisted and resolved to:

    • Become angry and show their anger at the state of Affairs in Buganda and Uganda.
    • Not to fear military might and take responsibility for the benefit of their country.

    • They declared that anyone who has died during the last 3 days of Museveni mayhem and brutality is a hero of Buganda who cannot be forgotten.
    • They have agreed that the reason why Britain is such a great country is because the people here never forget those who die in the battlefield for their cause.

    All Baganda pledged to work together with other nationalities of Uganda for the long term benefit of their people and country.  They resolved that President Museveni’s methods of divide and rule will sink NOT only Baganda but the rest of the country and must be resisted.

    The most striking resolution was the support for fellow Baganda who are battling forces of occupation.  They declared that mass action was a right and legitimate way of expressing anger and resisting blackmail by the central government.  Baganda blasted the Military government in Kampala for using excessive, unnecessary and illegal force to prevent people from exercising their constitutional rights.  They deeply regretted that the Kabaka is under house arrest and:

    • Unable to attend a scheduled function in Bugerere on Saturday 12th Sept 2009 because of presence of a hostile army of occupation around his Banda palace.

    However, Baganda welcomed, a decision by the Kabaka not to force his way to Kayunga without state protection.

    They decided to treat with caution, a statement purportedly written by Katikiiro Walusimbi in relation to the cancellation of the Kabaka’s visit to Bugerere.  They resolved that the statement could be a propaganda publication by the occupying army authored by Inspector General of Police Kale Kaihura with the intention of confusing Baganda.  They concluded that the statement was not on Buganda Kingdom’s head paper, nor was it read by Buganda Kingdom Information Minster Peter Mayega.  It wasn’t read through C.B.S Radio, the official channel of Buganda Kingdom.  People should be aware of impersonators.

    Furthermore,

    • There was a resolution to hold President Museveni personally responsible for the life and safety of Buganda Activist Engineer Alan Nakirembeke Waligo, Jaunalist Robert Serumaga and anyone kidnapped or murdered since the conflict began 3 days ago.
    • A resolution was passed by members urging people to resume the total and indefinite boycott of New Vision and Bukedde, both government owned Newspapers in retaliation for the government decision to illegally closed down 5 Radio Stations including Radio Buganda’s CBS.

    Most importantly, Baganda here declared that they have no quarrel with any Ugandan from anywhere, of any ethnicity or background but categorised their enemy as:

    • President Yoweri ‘Kimeze’ Museveni.
    • The Army and Police occupying Buganda under the command of Museveni and
    • Baganda, or those calling themselves Baganda and working with Museveni and his forces of occupation.

    Baganda further emphasized that the biggest threat to Buganda and Uganda are Baganda working with Museveni against the interests of Buganda and Uganda.

    At the end of the meeting, all Baganda vowed to work for the restoration of the dignity of the Kingdom of Buganda and Uganda and concluded that:

    • All conditions placed on the Kabaka and Buganda by the central government, which must be met before the government can guarantee safety for the Kabaka’s visit to Kayunga are illegal, unreasonable and unacceptable blackmail.  They must be rejected.  (UK Version shall report on these conditions in the next posting).

    • Baganda confirmed that there should not be any negotiations between Buganda and the central government, or a meeting between the Kabaka and President Museveni until all Buganda’s demands are met.  Buganda’s demands include return of 9000ssq. Miles of land, County headquarters and Federal system of government for Uganda.

    Reported by Michael Senyonjo in London,

    Dunning Hall,

    Forest Gate.

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    Why M7 has arrested Kalundi Sserumaga?

    September 12, 2009 at 4:30 pm (2009 -2011 elections, KINGDOMS, conflicts, torture in uganda)
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    DearNetters,

    Word trickling out of Kampala has it that a print journalist/radio broadcaster (One Serumaga) was last night arrested as soon as he stepped out of the studios of WBS TV station where they had conducted a live telecast debate on current saga in central uganda.

    I watched the WBS programme and was impressed by Serumaga’s courage. He went a notch higher in livening debate on the impasse between Buganda and Central government. If he has been arrested, then this could be why:
    1.he gave a genesis of the NRMO, and said the first rebel core committee was composed of about 8 members: 4 Baganda and 4 westerners, but by the time of coming out of the bush, all Baganda, apart from Lule were six feet under, giving example of one Seguya who was alledgedly poisoned! He posed the question why is it that one side came out alive and the other side were all finished? he argued that instead of Museveni saying he asisted Baganda, it was instead Buganda that assisted NRA war-effort, so the proverb of removing thorns from one’s leg could only mean sense if Buganda removed thorns from Museveni’s NRA feet, not the other way round.
    2.then he said the fracas seen on the streets was a reflection of the leadership style, remarking that he could only explain it as Museveni was a badly-brought up person, for even the ordinary Mukopi were of two types: one who was polished in mannerisms and could be accepted in community of well-behaved, and the other of a badly behaved person who will be around to spoil things for people, which he thought Museveni belongs to.
    3.Kalungi dropped the bombshell saying he saw it like Uganda was under colonial occupation, and UPDF and army of occupation, asking why the Bunyoro oil fields were guarded by Presidential Gurad soldiers and Saracen security Guards of Salim Saleh? He allerted Banyoro that while they were venting their anger over Bafuruki, the oil-sale agreement was being concluded with british frims with total disregard of the Banyoro who have not asked what would belong to them when mining proper begins.
    4.He went full blast and listed occasions when the Uganda constitution was intentionally violated by the NRMo Government, and this one of preventing Kabaka to go wherever he deemed necessary was one such occasion of NRM violating the constitution.
    5.When asked to summarise the good things of the week according to him, Serumaga said he was amused by the involvement of Kabakumba Matsiko, Matia Kasaija, Kale Kaihura, sarcastically portraying that it was leaders from Western Uganda tormenting Kabaka and Buganda…
    Could it be some of these….that  has caused him some trouble. In current Uganda, one has to be real courgaeous to utter these issues in a live Television broadcast…and Serumaga did nit last evening.

    Geoffrey Obiny

    UAH forumist

    7 Comments

    Ugandan Army a Disgrace to the region

    September 12, 2009 at 8:23 am (2009 -2011 elections, KINGDOMS, military, security)
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    What i saw on Kenyan Television yesterday left me terrified.For so
    long i have been told that the Ugandan is not professional rather a
    personal property of Yoweri Museveni.How can the Army deploy itself in
    the streets to quel Civilian unrest?????
    Here in Kenya we usually have civilian unrest……but then i have
    never seen Military Officers on the streets.In fact the Kenyan law
    enforcement is professional.There are four types of officers tasked to
    deal with civilian unrest ie
    1.Regular Police Officers
    2.Administration Police
    3.General Service Unit
    4.National Youth service

    we heavily depend on regular police to quell chaos because they better
    understand the law and they are the only police officers who can
    present you to the court of law.Administration police come in when the
    regular police need a back up.The General Service Unit is  a semi
    millitary unit with more than three quarters of its officers trained
    in Israel.They are the last resort to deal with civillians
    I have never seen our Army on the streets……not even during the
    post election violence.Even on post election i only spotted two trucks
    of Kenya Army in Naivasha and they were not there to chase youths
    around but to clear a road which had been blocked by
    youths………What a shame to Ugandan Army to chase un-armed youths
    at the streets of Kampala!!

    Musoto

    Kenyan

    UAH forumist

    3 Comments

    Nobody can abolish kingdoms in Uganda

    September 12, 2009 at 7:21 am (2009 -2011 elections, KINGDOMS)
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    The same story: “Abolishing Kingdoms”. By this , M7 means denying them the ‘rights platforms’ like denying them their rights to freedom of speech, freedom to own property etc BUT CERTAINLY BOT REMOVING THEM FROM HE PEOPLES’ MINDS AND PRACTICES.

    Like before, I still insist that M7, or any other politician/president cannot remove kingdoms for he following simple reasons:

    • Kingdoms are rarely created by decree, at least not in the case of Buganda.  It is not a ’switch-on’, ’switch-off’ process’.
    • Kingdoms exist in the 4 physical dimensions summarised in Space and Time. This means that, for M7 to abolish Buganda, for example, he would need to carry the space between L.Victoria and L.Kyoga to another location
      .
    • To remove Buganda in time, he would delete all her history over the last 600 years or so when the clans united into a centralized state. This is a very tall order, indeed.

    So, does it mean that M7 is completely wrong?

    No. At least not in the figment of his /his cronies’ imagination because:

      1. When ‘abolishes’ the Kingdoms, the stake holders do not vanish into thin air BUT they loose their interaction with the BIG man. They may not make news or get space in the Government media.
      2. They may loose their property [land houses, etc] to the state functionaries.
      3. He remains he only news-item in the country [egoistic reasons]
      4. They do not loose TAXES as they collect/control none now [they depend on voluntary contributions, sell of certificates, etc]. So, abolishing hem will not increase GoU revenues.
      5. The big man and his henchmen will get a monopoly of media space: a win for them.
    • CONCLUSION: The abolition of monarchies will not remove them from reality or from the peoples’ minds. The claim that M7 created them is an illusion, first of all, as he did not create them, so can’t he remove them – only he can press the stake holders and violate their rights in space and in time but not for ever.

    Christopher Muwanga,

    Nakasero,

    Kampala.

    ————————————————————————–

    The challenge with such resolves is that they dont achieve much. Yes the activities of Kingdoms may be curtailed by the political leadership or by anybody who is more powerful than the constitution that gives these bodies the mandate and freedom to do their things, BUT, how about the people who believe, trust, cherish, and worship their kingdoms and Kings to the bone?
    Like one singer said, “something inside is so strong……” The issue of kingdoms and Kings is so entrenched in the lives of some people that you may have to kill all of them to get rid of it? Let us consider this, how many of us expected Buganda Kingdom to be this strong, especially, the young generation, to be that strongly in love with their Kingdom? I believe that even at the time of restoring Kingdoms’ actitivities, the political leadership in Uganda did not invisage this kind of support from the youths (most of whom are Museveni generation boys and girls).
    I think agos should be barried/sucrificed for the common good of peace and tranquility for all of us. The Banyala can have their leader if they wish but that does not and should not stop the Kabaka of Buganda visiting his subjects in that area. Havent we had the Kabaka, the Omukama, the Kyabazinga or even Rwot visit areas where there are other cultural leaders? Have we had any violence met on such visiting leaders? Ofcourse isntigating the Banyala against the Kabaka of Buganda is non productive and is recipe for unnecessary suffering for the people of Kayunga and other areas as we have already seen.
    Like Jesus said that let my people be, the people of Buganda should be let be. If peace and harmony is to be realised in our country, the central government should not be seen to fight unnecessary wars with cultual leaders. At the end of the game, the central government may find itself with more egg on its face. It is a simple matter, as long as the cultural leaders have not taken arms to fight for political offices, as long as their actions are not affecting people’s socail economical development negatively, they should be let to be.
    We can have a peaceful Uganda with fully operational Kingdoms operating normally and leading their people to prosperity. Violence is no answer. it is only a resort of the weak minded.

    Frank Mutagubya

    UAH forumist

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    How can we not thank m7 for the joy ride?

    September 12, 2009 at 7:16 am (2009 -2011 elections, Federalism, KINGDOMS)
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    And how can we not thank m7 for the joy ride?

    M7 now graduated from 27 guns to using swams of tanks, mambas and battalions of both militarized police and army combined in all regions in Buganda to solve simple issues like one barring one single Cultural leader of the freedom to travel from one place to another. Mark you the person is traveling in only one direction from Kampala to Kayunga and fro. It may happen to anyone as long as you are in the opposition or if you are not known to be an nrm sympathizer, Wait when Lt Musisi former UNAA president visits Uganda, a sledge hummer will be used to crack a nut, (okukozesa embazi okwasa ekinazi).

    To me those are acts of cawardness not bravity as we are meant to believe without queries. It sounds like an animal farm story by George Orwell. m7 & his short sighted government continues blundering on issues as put down for you as below; because doing so though, makes him unpopular among the masses he can now embark on a hundred percent on rigging elections come 2011 as he has always done clandestinely this time around it will be done in the open.

    The key issues are:
    1. The Buganda issue of Federo, confiscated property and Land in the hands of govt.
    2. Lynching of Land lords in Buganda which resulted in formulating the killer wanainchi squads as in bibanja holders
    3. The takeover of Kampala by the central government
    4. The divisions among the Muslim community (Pro-government Mubajje) verses (Pro-Kayongo faction)
    5. Militarization of the Police
    6. Safe houses & extra judicial security groups like K.A.P of Kakooza mutale
    7. The unending government deals (AGOA, Diary cooperation and the kichupulistic sale of Entebbe International Airport)
    8. The sale of government parastatal bodies and the money is fully un accounted for
    9. Famine especially in Teso,
    10. Government excessive expenditure and International Relations.
    The m7 govt. is faced with a lot of dilemmas too from different regions rendering him unfit to stand for 2011 elections.
    11. The issue of what the people in the north commonly call genocide, the camps, Kony war, the promises that Kony will be no more and yet he is still around and alive.

    The following are some of the problematic regions:

    a. The Buganda issue. Because there is no known solutions available, the m7 man came out to tell Buganda that it won’t discuss any more federo, because Buganda was offered a regional tier that even does not make sense to m7 himself, this agitated Mengo and caused unrest to the central government.  The government has put its foot down and told Mengo to go and hang, thus the recent clashes between the militarized police, the army and the people in Buganda region for refusing the Kabaka to travel wherever he chooses.

    b. The recent discovery of Oil in Bunyoro, On the whole it is good news for the country, and the people of Bunyoro where the oil has been discovered. Bunyoro Kingdom believes it should have a stake in the Oil business and the government has been playing hide and seek, by not being too open about the discoveries, the prospects and its plans for the oil revenue and when to take off, it seems like high profiled nrm stalwarts have a big stake in the oil and have land in the oil rich region before the indigenous people of Bunyoro even got wind of it..
    c. The issue of “Bafuruki” immigrants and the unti-intellectual advice given by m7 has set bad blood brewing between the indigenous Banyoro aand the Bakiga (Bafuruki). The Bakiga have amassed chunks of land slowly but surely in (Bihanga, Kamwenge, Kasese, Mubende and now in the Bunyoro areas of Kibale). This is a highly contentious issue and needs a sober and realistic approach by the m7 government. M7 has to play safe and also solicit for allies in this “Bafuruki” Saga. It has to bank on its allies in leadership who hail from Bunyoro region.

    The Issue of government taking sides, has set the Bakiga, to put up offence and are not ready to let go without a fight. The Bakiga are highly placed in several Ugandan positions, in government, civil service and government bureaucracy as you can tell.

    Those who are closer to the Mafioso govt. say, a cross-section of Bakiga in Kampala, Entebbe, Jinja and Kabale were not over-joyous when Dr. Ndugu Rugunda  was forced out to represent Uganda at UN headquarters in New York because they view it as no less than a naked demotion.
    It is highly believed that the NRM government enjoys a majority vote of the Bakiga women while the opposition FDC has a good number of votes among men and those who repelled the blackboard.

    d. The Politics of Teso has also been so dear and sends chills to the NRM leadership. Political observers believe that in order to rejuvenate the Teso region back into the fold, a new strategy is has to be devised so that the Iteso and arrow groups get a fat position, Mike Mukula could be the man to talk to since he rose above the corruption allegations or in simple algebra was let off the hook, it does no good to castrate our signature values as in corruption, since also one of our corrupt man by the fine names of Amama mbabazi was left with his loot intact.

    e. The issue of the return of Olara Otunu to the Political arena in Uganda is another puzzling factor that is keeping the inept corrupt regime on its toes. Otunu has served as a leader at University (NUSU Makerere University), Uganda’s permanent representative to the UN as an Undersecretary for children affairs and Minister of Foreign Affairs under his Uncle the late General Tito Okello Lutwa.  He is from the Acholi tribe which is dominant in Northern Uganda. The Acholi cover the current Gulu, Kitgum, Pader and Amuru districts. His entry onto the Political scene is likely to set other forces in motion like the strong links with the Catholic Church in the Acholi region and rejuvenation of the old UPC party network at the rural and urban north level.
    f. It is also believed that Otunu is a close associate of HH the Kabaka of Buganda.The FDC’s strong working relations with Mengo will be boosted by Olara Otunu’s entry and  Mushega has been tasked to win the entire Ankole and Rukiga sectors of southwestern Uganda. Political strategists say, the Political ground is now pregnant with high expectations and the drawing board has predictions that: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” after the regime seems to have failed to win back Nuwe Amanya mushega to the rails of corruption, bribery and Mafia style of group of companies as in nrm/o.
    g. Many observers believe m7 is poised to pull a quick one and surprise Ugandans with a reshuffle in the cabinet and the army hierarchy in order to build a winning team. Talk is ripe that there is going to be a combination of forces to prepare for 2011.
    h. The issue of disgruntled NRM historical, DP, FDC, UPC and all other playing forces like the Federo, the Pro-Kayongo Muslim force will all aim at bringing down the NRM rotting regime. Keen observers believe that we shall have a unity government come 2011 with many opposition forces in the new government of National unity.
    i. The issue corruption & bribery; the issue of  highly corrupted nrm cadres and bribery has also discredited the m7 govt, wastage of tax payers money like ferrying voters from Kampala to the recent UNAA elections has seen nrm extending its testicles sorry tentacles to USA, and waiting for dual citizenship, so much rigging is being planned.
    j. The issue of Land; and who should own which property or business and where is a silly take over of private entrepreneurs way of conducting business. M7 has meddled with independent people’s business, m7 in his own understanding believes people should be made poor in order to respond to his politics of backwardness and thus if you open up to his inept ideologies then you should be rewarded in terms of cars, a govt post or chairmanship Bitature style, get business and pay allegiance to him as a mafia style kind of business or govt. in Uganda’s case.

    m7 has belittled himself as a commoner that he is and has gone too far below in using his common sense and the way he hundles very common issues and blows them out of proportion has for example seen people like Ken Lukyamuzi become MP’s. that they wouldn’t have been in the first place to Ken Lukyamuzi’s daughter now as MP uptill to campaigning for Sematimba as a mere LC5.

    The man is like he expects no more Heaven after death and has decided to build his own heaven on earth and everyone is expected to worship or else risk loosing your freedom of movement a name that we now know means a lot to him so as to be included in his own party nrmovement.
    Mayiko Makula

    Kampala__________________

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    Statement by Ugandans from Buganda Centre UK about the riots

    September 11, 2009 at 1:42 am (2009 -2011 elections, CULTURE, Diaspora, KINGDOMS)

        “Oguliko aseesa…………… “Awangaale Ssaabasajja Kabaka wa Buganda”

     11th Sept, 2009

    Statement by Ugandans from Buganda Centre UK

    We Ugandans in the Diaspora are concerned about the deteriorating security situation in Uganda. 

     We regret the death of Ugandans shot in cold blood by security forces while exercising their rights which are guaranteed in the constitution.  Our inner most condolences go to the families of the deceased.

     In addition

    1. We are concerned about the continued flagrant abuse of constitutional rights of Ugandans by Uganda government.
    2. We are of the understanding that the government has a responsibly to protect and guarantee freedom of movement within Uganda for all Ugandans including all traditional leaders.
    3. We are shocked by a decision by security forces to switch off air, transmission by C.B.S Radio and other radio stations.

     Given the above occurrences,

     We strongly support the current civil mass action by Ugandans in the process of standing up and protecting their rights.

    1. We also call for a total and indefinite boycott of government owned New vision and Bukedde newspapers, as a consequence of the government decision to close down private media stations.
    2. We also call for a total switch off of both governments owned Bukedde and Vision FM radio stations.
    3. We call for a total boycott of goods and services provided by government associated companies including Zain Telecom, Warrid Telecom and UTL Telecom.
    4. We call for a total restriction of movement of all government vehicles in Uganda until government guarantees freedom of movement for all Ugandans

     Now that we have come to this crisis point, its best that before issues are resolved, the following has to be done.

    1.  Government has to commit to guarantee all civil rights of all Ugandans as enshrined in the 1995 constitution without any conditions.
    2. Government has to ensure that injustices inflicted on Ugandans during the 1966 crisis are corrected.  There must be a complete return of the 9000 sq. miles to Buganda, a return of all county headquarters to the kingdom and introduction of Federal system of government for all regions of Uganda.
    3. There must be a complete overhaul and removal of the current Electoral Commission and replace it with one agreed upon by all stake holders.  There must also be implementation of recommendations by all observers, as made after the 2001, 2006 general elections, in order to facilitate the conduct of free and fair elections in 2011.
    4. There must be a complete stop to the rampant government corruption that has left 2 million Ugandans facing starvation and unimaginable poverty.
    5. The government must remove from parliament the 2007 Land Bill and 2009 Kampala Bill because they are malicious, ill intended and aimed at destroying the cultural and good inter-relationship of the people of Uganda.

     Ugandans in the United Kingdom
     
     

    Buganda Centre- East Branch: 130 Upton Lane, Forest Gate, London E7  9LW  

     Tel: 020 8552 5027,  Fax: 020 8470 7944,  www.bugandacentreuk.com,  emails: info@bugandacentreuk.com,   bugandacentreuk@yahoo.com

     Registered in England and Wales  Number: 6469609

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