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Angry speech that sparked Mengo arrests
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Written by President Museveni
Wednesday, 23 July 2008 20:36
On Saturday, July 12, President Museveni went to Gombe Sub-county in Wakiso district, near Matugga, to launch the first Bibanja holders association. The President delivered a 45-minute speech in Luganda before launching Jagala Kavule Bibanja Holders Association.
In his speech, he warned Buganda officials against abusing him. The President said time to deal with them had arrived. Police boss Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, Luwero Minister Nyombi Thembo and Nakaseke Woman MP Rose Namayanja were present. Below we translate into English the speech that clearly set the tone for the arrests of three Buganda officials less than a week later.
What has brought me here today is to launch the association of Bibanja owners so that they can defend themselves (clapping).
Look at these people and compare them to those seated this side (next to Museveni). Those of us seated this side, including myself, look tender like children (clapping). Look at us; we are all shinning like ripe bananas. But look at these ones (bibanja owners), their condition! Those persecuting these people will invite curses (kisirani).
Colonialists tried to correct their own mistakes on land by enacting the 1928 Envujjo and Busuulu law. What we are doing now is not new; it is something that has existed for years. The only new thing is that there is more thirst for land. People want to buy land for investments which was not the case before.
There is a man called JOMAYI, where does he live? (Kampala). He has bought Nalumunye. All these buy because they want to foster development which is not bad. But we must make sure that people occupying the land don’t suffer.
The colonialists are the ones who brought all these mailo things. They realised their mistakes after 20 years. People were about to strike. Remember the Bataka Movement in 1920. In 1924, a colonial governor, a white man and not Museveni, the caring son of Kaguta, but a white man who is not related to the people here, saw the injustice; he said let us reconsider.
The colonial governor set up a committee to investigate the matter and a report was tabled in 1927. In 1928, the colonial governor issued a decree making two announcements.
Nobody was allowed to evict tenants (kibanja holder) except with permission of the governor. Secondly, the ground rent was fixed.
Therefore, development is good and people want to turn gardens into factories and residential houses.
The question is, what do you do to the people occupying the land? There are two things to do. First, the occupant must accept to leave. The second thing, if he accepts to leave, you must reasonably compensate him. Not on your own terms (clapping).
Me, the person addressing you, don’t think I am a poor man, (ogusajja tegulina taaka gukwatibwa obujja) that the man has no land and is jealous towards those who have land.
I don’t think there are many people with more land than myself in Uganda and may be in the world. But I cannot evict someone from his kibanja. He has to accept, if he refuses, I leave him.
During exile, when the past governments of Amin and Obote were persecuting me, my land was distributed to people. They told them that I was dead and they should feast on my property.
But in 1979 when I returned, people thought they were dead because I was in army combat. I said no and I discussed with them. All our land in Rwakitura, Ntungamo and my wife’s land had been taken.
Therefore, those landlords especially politicians who are hiding in Mengo, the liars… For example, when I came here you sang the national anthem and this Sserunjogi forgot our anthem, ‘Ekitibwa kya Buganda’. I reminded him that there is something you have forgotten. He had invited the priest to lead us in prayers and I said no.
These people of Mengo calling themselves Mengo officials; those ones shouldn’t be at Mengo. Who elected them?
Okay, the Kabaka is the one who appointed them. But if it is Kabaka who appointed them, they should concentrate on cultural matters because the Kabaka is cultural. Those he appoints should concentrate on culture. If they meander in politics, where do they leave you? This LC-I man we elected, he has not just emerged from nowhere. LC-II, we elect them, LC-III, we elect them, sub-county councilors are elected, Wakiso district councilors are elected. Why are people at Mengo not subjected to an election?
I didn’t want to go into that because I want to speak with the Kabaka. And I explain to him what the Movement will tolerate and what it will not tolerate.
These Mengo people were appointed by the Kabaka to deal with cultural matters. Because Article 246 restored hereditary rulers to deal with their cultural matters like they did before. Those people in Mengo who abuse Museveni, plotting against the Movement; who elected them to go to Mengo and speak about politics? Cultural matters are not ours, they are matters of the Kabaka and clan leaders. But politics is ours the common people. This grave you see here is for people who fought for democracy. These skulls here [in Luwero] are for people who fought for democracy. The people in the grave and us the survivors are the ones who fought for democracy.
This Land Act (Amendment) Bill 2007, we will make sure, it is enacted. Those saying it will not be enacted I want to assure them, it will be enacted. That is what has brought me here.
I was quiet but it appears some people take good manners for stupidity. If you are good mannered and you don’t misbehave, they take you for a fool. These poor people here are the ones who supported me during the struggle.
These ones shinning like bananas were very few. And whoever thinks I will abandon them does not know what Museveni stands for (clapping).
We don’t want to dispossess you. We are dealing with two issues. The tenants must not be evicted. Secondly, he has to accept to vacate before compensation. Thirdly, if he accepts compensation, you must agree on the value, or government can determine it or a neutral body. Fourthly, if you evict people illegally, we shall punish you. Those are the four things in the Land Bill.
These proposals from you that payment should be made at parishes, etc., we shall consider but the main points in the Bill are four.
But these Mengo people, the CBS, those who abuse Museveni, those who are sowing seeds of division. They say people with long noses are the ones evicting people, what do you want me to do with my nose? Bring a flat iron and I flatten it. When we were fighting, why were we not looking at people’s noses? We were looking at one who can fire a machine-gun. Those ones checking the nose, where have they come from?
These doctors checking noses, to know who has a pointed nose, a long one; what does someone’s nose have to do with you?
As long as someone breathes, that is most important. Real fools, fools, wajinga tu, wajinja! We shed blood to bring this unity and you are talking about people’s noses! What do you have to do with people’s noses? Or their colour, or what? That is not your business.
Now this JOMAYI who is harassing our people, did we check his nose? Let us go and check JOMAYI’s nose. Let us get a doctor to check JOMAYI’s nose. And we should announce the results at CBS, his nose’s height.
The language of these people is that of real enemies. Someone who wants to divide our people is a real enemy. These FDC and DP, when we defeated them, they retreated to Mengo. That is where they want to launch their war against the Movement.
What has brought me here today, because we have tried to speak hoping people will listen, but it appears they are not hearing well. It is to launch these people you have seen, they don’t shine like these ones here; you can count me, don’t you see my chicks are like those of children!
I have come here to launch the association of these people and I will speak to them to choose a good name. We will not abandon them, don’t fear. Form an association for you to have a voice.
You know I am a powerful man, I am a fighter, and there is nothing I fear. But today I have a microphone which is helping me to speak to all of you. Your association is like this microphone, you didn’t have a microphone. You were speaking from your houses. With an association, you now have a microphone. You speak out.
These ones have captured CBS and it is where they speak from. Your voice is not there at CBS. The CBS is for opposition and land owners. So where will the tenants speak from? I am going to get you a radio and you will get it very soon. It is being tested. Let these people use CBS and for you use yours. Let us see which one will be the most powerful radio.
I don’t want to say much. You have heard their memorandum. They are not saying they want to snatch the land from the owner but co-existence. In other countries, like Tanzania, this system was there. It was in Rwanda and Burundi. These three countries have reversed this. They reversed land ownership, they did it in Tanzania and we know it. But that is not the proposal in our law.
Like you know, the Movement is for everybody and all of us must move together; the short and tall, a Muslim and a Christian. Even these things of ours in Bulemezi, what we used to do... My supporters in Nakaziba, Singo, one time told me, don’t move, and we sat. After two hours, he returned and said you can move, I have bewitched Obote.
Those who want to cause confusion, or want to block, some people think they can block this Bill in Parliament and they get power to harass peasants. They want to harass ordinary people so that they hate the Movement.
What brought me here is to thank you for getting a microphone. Those threatening you may be the RDC or Police; they are playing with fire.
There is a man who used to guard our camp at Kufu. He was called Ssenabulya. When I went to Kyankwanzi I was told Ssenabulya was chased from his kibanja where he used to protect us from. There is Kakwaya who used to supply us food, I am told he was evicted and his children are in a trading centre.
When we bring this Bill to protect these people, they say it is unnecessary. They want to grab Buganda land. Are these people not Baganda? Is Buganda for only land owners? This anthem we sang here was no longer sang in Uganda. It is the Movement that restored it. We brought it together with all Ugandans, poor and rich but the poor mainly.
Those playing with us should stop. Because the power we had when we were fighting we still have, and it has multiplied.
Abusing people, abusing me on radio like I am a child. Who is that one abusing me? (Nambooze) chorused the audience. No, it is not Nambooze abusing me, there is someone sending Nambooze to abuse me. I no longer accept this Nambooze stuff. There is someone sending Nambooze to abuse me. My child cannot abuse a person and I keep quiet. I must straighten them up. If he refuses, I disown him.
People sending Nambooze to abuse me on radio must stop. I have done nothing wrong. Wrong doers are there, they are not talking about them. They are abusing Museveni. Therefore, the Bibanja Association we have launched, don’t think it is for fighting land owners. If they respect the law, we shall work with them like the case has been.
But lies, lies, lies, lies, they want to grab Buganda land, they want to grab Buganda land.
I have put in place a Presidential Task Force. They are the ones helping me to sensitise people. Nambooze has passed here telling lies; we are going to expose her. We may not expose her lies in every place and that is why we have put in place a task force and issued an order to stop her lies.
But those Namboozes and FDCs in Mengo; the others said this government will collapse before 2011 but the years are passing and the government is still strong. They said there is a tsunami that will sweep away this government. That tsunami will sweep away Besigye if he doesn’t follow the law.
You association people, come here with the IGP. I have ordered the IGP to create a special department to defend tenants. He is going to give you a telephone contact.
Those thinking they are going to play on our brains must stop. We have no problem with anybody. We have no problem with Mengo. We are the ones who restored Mengo. They cannot force us to abandon our cause and we forget peasants.
We will not keep quiet when the opposition seeks to use Mengo to divert us and make Movement unpopular in Buganda. These are the two things they are pursuing. Divert us and make Movement unpopular. We also have our mouth and we will speak and we have started.
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