The Observer (Kampala)
Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda
27 August 2008
opinion
On a Friday evening, August 22, at the London School of Economics' Bankside House, Sumner Street, the Uganda federal champions organised a federalism conference opened during a low key ceremony.
I commend former Buganda Katikkiro Dan Muliika and former Obote Energy and Communications Minister Akena P'Ojok for having the courage to speak to an almost empty hall.
Only 10 of the expected 50 delegates were available to listen to the first two presentations.
Mulika is a darling of many Baganda in London. Before speaking at this federal conference, Muliika had addressed another one on human rights and was due to speak at the Buganda festival. The other darling is Yusuf Nsubuga Nsambu, the ageing Deputy katikkiro. He had been invited to speak both at the federal conference and the festival but didn't make the journey.
The Buganda Festival 08 at the African Caribbean Leadership Council in North London, despite the live band and expected performance by Irene Namubiru, was also poorly attended.
I will in future share with you the little I gathered about why fewer Ugandans turn up for many London meetings, yet there are hundreds scattered all over the place, some even lonely and homesick.
I want to concentrate on the federal conference, the reason I went visiting. The following day, August 23, attendance at the federal conference improved to about 25 people.
The 25 or so were quality debaters capable of making you forget all about the numbers. Beti Kamya (Lubaga North MP), Dr. Abed Bwanika (People Development Party President and Buganda Research Minister), made up the Kampala team.
MPs Hussein Kyanjo (Makindye West), Erias Lukwago (Kampala Central) and Buganda Civic Education Central Committee (CECC) Chairperson Betty Nambooze were missed by the Londoners.
Other speakers included; Akena P'Ojok, Prof. Fulgentius Lugemwa (Pennsylvania State University), Dr. Stephen Lwetutte, Dr. Ochoro Otunnu (Olara Otunnu's brother), and Mrs Jean Matovu (activist).
The topics for discussions included; Decentralisation is Not Federalism (Prof. Lugemwa), How to Tame the Arrogance of a Detached Central Administration (Beti Kamya) and How Federal will Reduce the Looting of Uganda (Jean Matovu).
Prof. Lugemwa helped me appreciate federalism even more. Without making a direct reference to what is taking place back home, the Bio-Chemistry academic made decentralization look kiwaani.
More important to me was his explanation that under decentralization, power is merely delegated and can be withdrawn at will. That is exactly what happened in 2001 when the Constitution was changed and the power to appoint and discipline the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) was withdrawn.
Under decentralisation, the district leadership remains accountable to the centre and not the local tax-payer. The district administrators more or less are agents of the state.
But most significantly, this meeting, especially through Akena P'Ojok, attributed the crisis in Uganda to the arranged and forceful marriage of all Ugandan indigenous communities by the colonialists.
When the entity called Uganda was being created, the rules of engagement were not properly crafted. And to make matters worse, even the poorly crafted rules under the 1962 Constitution were put aside by Dr. Milton Obote who dissolved the marriage but continued enjoying its benefits.
What is happening today is that the communities; Buganda, Bunyoro, Acholi, Bugisu, Busoga, Ankore, Tooro, don't have a relationship. Instead, there is a relationship between us individually and the heir to the colonial throne, Yoweri Museveni.
Matters affecting us as partners in this marriage are never discussed amongst us but with the colonial governor at Entebbe State House, like was the case under colonialism. That is why the Kabaka of Buganda, leader of one of the parties to the marriage, must travel to Entebbe to convince the emperor about what his subjects want.
The conference therefore suggested that this forced marriage, which P'Ojok called "forced consent", must be broken down. When a wall is faulty, you don't paint it, you bring it down and reconstruct it; I think it was Daudi Mpanga who proposed.
That is the argument I have been making at CBS all the time. That while all the villagers can gather in a valley to build a bridge, the responsibility of digging a pit latrine or erect a kitchen remains a domestic matter of each individual family.
What is happening in Uganda is that we surrendered, either willingly or unwillingly, all our rights and responsibilities to the presidency. That is why Museveni can compare himself to God. Jean Matovu put it more dramatically when discussing the powers vested in this sole individual or power appropriated by him, according to Mpanga. That the individual is the one who distributes stalls in the markets, resolve disputes between a husband and wife, preside over boda boda disputes, appoint heads of NGOs, and look for husbands to marry his daughters.
Beti Kamya summed it well: "if you want to know what I mean, try attending an all English people party when you are the only black person. They will be uncomfortable trying to make you comfortable and you will be uncomfortable trying to make them comfortable, because they are uncomfortable trying to make you comfortable."
Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda, The author is Political Editor of The Weekly Observer.
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