Museveni’s letter amounts to threats

THE NEW LAND BILL: Augustin Ruzindana



I was a member of the Constituent Assembly that made the 1995 Constitution and I was an MP during its mutilation to facilitate a life presidency.



I have checked the Constitution to see whether there is any provision that gives rise to some of the orders the President gave to the Kabaka in his most recent letter to the latter. What a presidential Christmas message!



When I read the letter I was amazed by its contents, tone and tenor. It was obviously written by someone who was extremely angry. But with whom and about what, the letter does not clarify.



May be the anger about the Bugweri defeat was vented on the wrong party. Or perhaps the amendments to the land law are very crucial for the success of the life presidency project and its success in parliament is hanging in the balance.



The letter begins with a curt “Greetings and salutations to you.” Greetings and salutations mean the same. The constitution provides that the “President shall take precedence over all persons in Uganda.”



However it does not say that the president shall respect no one in Uganda. This letter is couched in the same tone as when the president called His Grace Archbishop Odama “Mr Odama.” It is devoid of civility.



The constitution provides that “executive authority of Uganda is vested in the president.” It furthers provides that the functions of the president “may be exercised by the president directly or through officers subordinate to the president.”.



We shall see later in his letter that, perhaps using this provision of the constitution, the president delegates some of his responsibilities to the Kabaka, who obviously cannot be considered an officer subordinate to the president. But of course constitutional niceties are not a very strong point with the president.



With regard to traditional leaders, in addition to what the president quoted, the constitution provides that “a traditional leader or cultural leader shall not have or exercise any administrative, legislative or executive powers of government or local government.”.



The letter seems to disregard existing constitutional provisions and goes ahead to request (order) the Kabaka to perform roles that the constitution prohibits. The letter starts by rubbing it in that it is the NRM (Museveni) that restored the Kabakaship but with conditions.



Then the president goes ahead to blame the Kabaka for alleged activities of people “associated with traditional institutions, especially in Buganda” who “oppose the National Resistance Movement government.”.



But the constitution addresses “a person… while remaining a traditional leader,” not people associated with traditional institutions. Is the president then accusing the Kabaka of personally having opposed the NRM?



Secondly since when did it become a violation of law or the constitution to oppose the NRM? Are all people associated with a traditional leader part of his/her person? Are all Baganda not people associated with the traditional leader in Buganda? Where does this business of “people associated with a traditional leader” end?



Then he goes on to accuse former Katikkiro Dan Muliika of having held “FDC rallies in Bulange and Kasubi tombs.” This raises the issue as to whether the Kabaka is personally vicariously liable for the activities of his Katikkiro but more importantly whether actually Muliika ever held such rallies.



Perhaps the president was trying to explain away why Lt. Magara shot and killed people in Bulange using an NRM government issued service rifle when Dr Kizza Besigye had made a courtesy call on Muliika at his offices.



Why doesn’t the president come out openly and say that he was unhappy about the Katikkiro receiving Dr Besigye in his office? Does he also want to blame his defeat in Kampala on rallies held in Bulange and Kasubi tombs?



He goes on to refer to a complaint to “some official” at CBS called Kaaya-Kavuma about the radio station’s misinformation about NRM. He made some other complaint to the same Kaaya-Kavuma sometime later and nothing has been done. Kaaya-Kavuma is a respected former Deputy Katikkiro, not just “some official.”



The letter continues in the same tone that the President was making another complaint to some other official of CBS, who this time is the Kabaka. The president then delves into his love of tenants on titled land without an explanation as to why 20 years after he came to power the problem has not been resolved. He again comes to CBS and groups claiming to speak for Buganda and their campaigns that “ettaka ligenda.”

To be continued on Monday



The writer is secretray for research and policy in FDC





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Mmengo egaanyi okuwabulwa kwa Museveni

Bya Kigongo Ssebalamu



AB’E Mmengo bagenze mu maaso n’okukuba enkung’aana z’ettaka wadde nga Pulezidenti Museveni yabawabudde baziyimirizeeko okutuusa ng’amaze okusisinkana Kabaka bamulungule ebyettaka.



Ku Lwokuna akakiiko ka Buganda akasomesa ku ttaka nga kakulirwa Betty Nambooze kaakubye olukung’aana e Katabi-Ntebe. Ne bategeeza nti bataganjudde amateeka nga Museveni talina buyinza kuyimiriza nkung’aana kubanga tezoogera ku ttaka lyokka wabula n’ebintu ebirala ebinyiga Buganda.



Mu lukung’aana luno baasonze 396,000/- okutandika ensawo y’okulwanirira ettaka.

Nambooze yagambye nti ensawo bagyagalamu obuwumbi buna ezijja okusondebwa buli ali mu Buganda ng’awaayo 500/-. Kyokka za kyeyagalire.

Eggulo (Lwakutaano) baakubye olukung’aana olulala e Ntenjeru mu Bugerere.



Bino biddiridde pulezidenti okuwandiikira Kabaka n’amutegeeza ayimirize Nambooze ne banne okukuba enkung’aana okutuusa nga basisinkanye. Museveni ne Kabaka bategese akafubo nga January 11.



Kino Museveni yakikola kutangira kye yayita bannabyabufuzi abalwanyisa muvumenti okwekweka mu by’ettaka ne basiga obukyayi mu bantu nga bababuulira ebikyamu.



Kyokka omwogezi wa Mmengo, Medard Ssegona yategeezezza nti baataganjudde amateeka ne batalabamu pulezidenti w’asinziira kuyimiriza misomo gyabwe.



Aboogezi okuli Erias Lukwago, Nambooze, Ken Lukyamuzi bonna baavumiridde etteeka ly’ettaka nga balumiriza nti ligenderera kutwala ttaka lya Buganda.



Nambooze yagambye nti bye boogera babirinako obukakafu n’olwekyo Museveni mukyamu okugamba nti basasaanya bulimba.



Sseggona yasaanudde abantu bwe yabalaze gye yayise maapu eraga ebitundu bya Uganda eyaakafuluma. Yeemulugunyizza nti wadde ebitundu nga Busoga, Ankole ne Bunyoro biragiddwa ku maapu eyo kyokka Buganda yasanguddwako n’eyitibwa ‘Central Region’. Teyayogedde ani yafulumizza maapu eno.



Kyokka ow’ebyamawulire wa pulezidenti, Tamale Mirundi yagambye nti ebyayogeddwa Ssegona bikyamu kubanga NRM yayingiza Buganda mu konsitityusoni era disitulikiti zonna ezikola Buganda ne zitwalibwa okuba nga zeegasse.



“Okuggyawo Buganda kyetaagisa kukyusa konsitityusoni. Okuggyako nga konsitityusoni ekyusiddwa abo bonna aboogera nti Buganda yaggyiddwa ku maapu beenoonyeza byabwe”, bwe yatangaazizza.



Published on: Friday, 28th December, 2007

K WESONGA wrote:

QUOTE:
Mengo and the kabaka have selfish reasons for what they call "kuteesa for our land". People like Nambooze have also joined the mengo force so as to please voters in their local areas (offcourse they will say we have been sent by the kabaka),knowing fully that the law they are trying to block will be the best for a peasant compared to the current (1995 land act). Most people who are behind fighting this law, dont know what and why they are fighting. I think most of them are here for "kabaka alagidde". Others are DP and FDC factions who have decided to hide under Kabaka and subotage any thing the government palns do do. whether good or bad.

I even believe one time we shall be hearing them quarelling over who needs more attention to the kabaka. They are all conservatives , old men , who once worked with mutebi's military father. I think if they where given a chance for cultural institutions to join policts, they would show their real skins "kabaka yekka"

So please fellow peasants like me, Bibanja holders like me, its not too late you stand out from the crowd and support the current propposed land bill.

EBYO NZE NABIWANDIIKA SSEBO. NAYE LWAKI OLEETA BYESITAWANDISSE NABYO, NOBIWANDIKAKO MBU BYA KWESONGA?????????

MUMBEJJA GWE WALUKA OLUKWE, NZE NVUMIBWE WANNO. NGA OLEETA EBIGAMBO WANNO, NOBIWANDIIKA KO MBU BYA KWESONGA FROM MALAYSIA. BWOBA TEWABIJJA KU CONNECT WALILAZZE SOURCE YABYO.... NOLYOOKA OLUMILIZZA MBU BYA KWESONGA nga olinna obukakaFU.... KI TEMWOGELA MAZIMA ABANTU ABAMU??????????

Kabaka Mutebi of Buganda is trapped



London, UK

2007-12-18



The Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Mutebi has been trapped into a meeting with President Museveni according to a report by A. Katerega and published on 17th Dec, 2007.



President Museveni has for once kept his word to meet the Kabaka of Buganda, but then the President insisted that him, and not the Kabaka have foreknowledge of the Agenda of the meeting.



It seems that Buganda has fallen for this old trick and may not have learnt anything from the era of Katikiro Mulwanyamuli. According to Medard Lubega, a Mengo Spokesman, “this meeting has been long overdue and is about 2 years late”, according to a report in Bukedde, the sister paper of government owned New Vision.



Mr. Lubega informed the press that the Kabaka will go with his trusted advisors but when asked about what will be discussed at the meeting, this is how he replied.



“It’s up to the President to bring up what will be discussed. The Kabaka and his advisors will be prepared to talk about anything placed on the table. They expect the President to bring about land issues in Buganda since he knows things are not good in Buganda these days”.



It is clear from this explanation that the establishment at Mengo has never learnt anything from the past. A meeting between the President and the Kabaka of Buganda is not a tea party. If serious issues are to be discussed then both parties must have prior knowledge of what is to be discussed so they go with as much information and knowledge as possible.



What the President has done is a political ambush because the Kabaka should not live his palace to go to Museveni. If Museveni wants to see the Kabaka, he’s the one who should go to Mengo. Reason: It is the Kabaka and Buganda who are the Victim and Museveni and the central government the villain. Let’s not forget that Dr. Obote built an alliance with Kabaka Yeeka party in the early 1960’s because he went to Bulange to see the Kabaka. But as a compromise, this meeting should have taken place at a neutral place and not State House.



Did the Bakungu (Kabaka’s Advisors) think about what they will eat, drink during the meeting and who will serve them? How are they going to discuss anything meaningfully if they have not prepared for the meeting? Buganda would like to know who went with the Kabaka for this meeting and was Bishop Mpalanyi Nkoyoyo one of them. Will there be any photo opportunities of the Kabaka and the President which the later might use for propaganda purposes?



What is there for Buganda to discuss with the a President hostile to the Kingdom anyway? Buganda should not enter any negotiations with the President and his government unless all the Kingdoms properties stolen in 1966 have been returned. Entering any negotiations with President Museveni to discuss these issues is a waste of time since the law states clearly that anyone who lost their properties during the 1966, 1972 has a right to get them back.



“Give us our land back, and then come and we talk about the prisons and barracks you’ve built on it and the ground rent you should pay”, said J Mukasa “The President is playing a ‘get me if you can’ game”, said M Nsombya “He’s got the loot, and wants to test the resolve of the victims of the theft”, Moses continued.



Buganda needs to learn from the mistakes of the past and not bee fooled around by the President the way he has done for the 20 years. Remember the same tactics were used by the President when he called all leaders of opposition to a meeting that had no agenda. Luckily, the opposition did not fall for the trick and refused to go. Those who went found themselves discussing Movement politics.



And the President is clever because recently you must have noticed that issues concerning Buganda are never in the New Vision. This is because he wants to project an image of a calm Buganda under his control.



Time will tell us whether Buganda or the President gets something meaningful out of this meeting. But with or without any benefit, the Kingdom of Buganda is making a mistake to negotiate with a thief (Uganda government) over stolen properties.





Michael Senyonjo

Political Analyst, Strategist London UK FROM UKVERSION