Kampala — A RELIGIOUS sect that preserves dead bodies is seeking to build a multi-million dollar autonomous city in Rakai district.
The Sserulanda Spiritual Foundation hopes to turn 200 square miles adjacent to Lake Victoria into a free trade zone, dubbed Ssessamirembe Spiritual City.
The area covers the sub-counties of Kabira, Kakuuto and parts of Kooki.
The group, suspected to be a cult, allows its members to choose whether to be buried or have their bodies preserved and kept in a common room, when they die.
On Wednesday, Saturday Vision saw three of the former members' bodies in a secluded permanent house in Kabira village, about 20 minutes' drive off the Masaka-Rakai highway.
While two of the bodies lay in coffins, another - belonging to a woman - was on a cradle neatly covered with white linen. Beside the bodies were lit candles. An elderly woman clad in gloves and a lesu was treating the bodies. The members strictly prohibit visitors from taking pictures inside the room.
"We can even preserve your smile if you asked to have it preserved," a member told this reporter.
Saturday Vision also saw three grave yards, implying that the majority of the group's members are buried. Some graves were bigger than others.
"Each grave is given a different value, depending on whether the person was an initiate (has spiritual power)," explains the group's general administrator, Sseewabwewi Kyalisiima.
Contrary to common practice where graves are dug, here they are built up to waist level so that the body lies at ground level. This is allegedly to imitate the legendary Egyptian Pyramids.
Sserulanda's members include high-profile personalities such as Gertrude Njuba, a presidential advisor on land matters. It is headed by His Imperishable Glory Ssaabayimiransibo Bambi Baaba Baabuwe, a Ugandan who has been living in the US for the last 15 years.
God in human form
Baaba is said to wield immense power over his followers, who consider him as a "god in human form." He is said to have got a vision as early as three years of age to build a city and eradicate poverty. His real name was Jozzewafe Mugonza, and he grew up as a herbalist, diviner and healer, operating in Kyotera and Kalisizo in Rakai district. He reportedly later linked up with some Indian businessmen in Kyotera who sponsored him to travel to India in 1969. There he went through what his followers call the "12 stages of initiation" and became a "disciple of a divine living Master of Ancient Wisdom". By the late 1970's, he reportedly started buying land from individual households in Rakai, until he was able to secure a vast expanse of land.
When visiting the place, Saturday Vision found a huge plot which has shrubs and scattered shacks. A dusty murram road winds its way through the grass and anthills to a huge shrine, curved out of a rock. The man-made cave has a purple curtain hanging at the entrance. No one enters with shoes. Inside, a fire place is surrounded by dry grass that is carefully spread out for visitors to sit on. The fire burns day and night. In one corner is a portrait of the spiritual leader, Baaba.
Members are strictly forbidden from eating meat or any animal product, and drinking alcohol. This is allegedly in line with the teachings of Baaba, who combines Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and traditional Bachwezi practices in his religion.
Other practices include common ownership of some assets for the "common good" like land, kitchen, cattle kraal, reference library and burial grounds. Though members are allowed to own some personal private property like houses, cars, radios or television sets, they are all required to contribute to the common good.
Anyone who fails to contribute, risks having their membership cancelled or be denied access to communally owned resources.
The group has a charter which specifies how they will govern themselves in the autonomous city, according to information posted on their website www.sseesamirembe.com. They will have powers to enact their own laws, ordinances, by-laws and procedures, as well as provide and maintain a security force for the protection of the inhabitants of the city. Their judicial system will be led by a "High Chancellor" and only permanent residents of the zone will be eligible to hold the office of a "Governing Chancellor". They will provide their own social services and infrastructure, independent of the central Government.
Key projects already planned by the group include an international airport, an airport city, hotels, international schools, shopping malls, business centres and cultural villages. It is planned to accommodate about 500,000 people.
Chinese investor
To build the city, the group plans to strike agreements with investors. Already, they have signed a deal with a Chinese company, Paradise International Investment, to invest $1.5b (sh2.6trillion) in setting up infrastructure. The investment, set to kick off in December 2008, is said to become the single largest Chinese private investment in East Africa.
However, some people regard the proposed project as a dream. "This is a fairly tale," says an LC official of Kabira sub-county, who requested anonymity. "They have been talking about it since the 1980s but we have not seen anything."
Some people also fear that this is likely to be another cult like Joseph Kibwetere's Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments, which forced its members to live in an isolated community in the hills of Kanungu, western Uganda. Thousands of them were burnt to death in the church on March 17, 2000.
But the group's leaders say they are being witch-hunted. "When people like Karim (Hirji) or Sudhir (Ruparelia) are investing, do you first ask whether they are Hindu?" asks Beenunula Eyeenunula, who has been appointed governor of the proposed eco-city.
Eyeenunula also insists that the aim is to attract investments to benefit rural people. "Our spiritual group is a foundation, just like Centenary Bank was founded by the Catholic Church and anybody can access it. Likewise, this city will become a free trade zone, like Dubai."
The trade zone is being aggressively promoted by Kagera Eco-Cities, an organisation owned by Eyeenunula and Njuba.
Commission of inquiry
The group is, however, under fire for its controversial practices. Earlier this year, President Yoweri Museveni set up a commission of inquiry into the activities of the Sserulanda group. There had been reports that the group was making ARVs. The commission was therefore asked to investigate "allegations of divine healing energy and capacity to cure incurable diseases".
The investigations are still going on, chaired by the dean of Makerere University Medical School, Prof. Nelson Ssewankambo.
"There have been a lot of stories and rumours about the foundation in terms of spiritual healing, and how they handle the dead people. We need to understand the organisation's activities, leadership and membership. This is crucial before the Government gives the go-ahead for a free trade zone," says Ssewankambo.
The commission also comprises the director of the Joint Clinical Research Centre, Dr. Peter Mugyenyi, and Dr. Grace Nambatya, head of research at the Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Laboratories. Other members are Richard Tushemereirwe, a state house official, and Harriet Tukamushaba, a state attorney.
Meeting the probe team on Wednesday, Presidential adviser Njuba wondered how the spiritual matters would be established.
"How will you ascertain the spiritual healing? How will you know each individual's reason for joining the project?"
Reacting to the concerns, the probe chairman Ssewankambo said they would conduct public hearings.
"We will advertise so that people come and tell us what they know about the spiritual foundation. When we reach a point where we don't understand the issues of spiritualism, we will notify the President that we are not able to proceed."
Saturday Vision has learnt that the proposal for an eco-city had already been endorsed by the Government in a memorandum of understanding that was signed by state minister for investments Ssemakula Kiwanuka on January 18, 2006. Kiwanuka was not available for comment by press time yesterday.
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I write to strongly object to the scurrilous characterizations of the Sserulanda Spiritual Fraternal Order that have been made by enemies of economic development (particularly when it is not their personal initiative), and by some religious bigots with hidden agendas to discredit and destroy anything that differs. I also object to slanted presentations by some newspaper journalists who seem to intentionally provide a negative, bizarre, and extreme picture of Sserulanda and our humanitarian economic development plan, the Sseesamirembe Eco-City Lake Victoria Free Trade Zone. Millions of people will benefit from this massive development of 200 square miles with Africas first solar airport, lake port, educational facilities, hospital services, and commercial centers that will rival Dubai. Such people seem to want to sensationalize intolerance and fear and omit presenting the opinions of those who know and support Sserulanda non-members and members alike. Articles are written and are imbalanced to enhance suspicions and sell newspapers yet the commission of inquiry was established to determine if the organization has or has not engaged in activities which benefited the people of Rakai. The labels cult scary weird incorrectly placed upon this organization are not the findings of the commission (since the investigations findings have not yet been made). Unproven personal opinions and statements of negativity, religious intolerance, and bias are being issued and printed with little concern for balance. There is little attention to also print the positive supportive views and statements from the silent masses in Rakai or the factual track record of accomplishments and beneficial humanitarian activities that have taken place over the past thirty years.
It seems that some are going out of their way to depict Sserulanda as a weird and strange group to be frightened of. Should people view the honored universal, cross-cultural, cross-religious, ancient, global practice of respectfully honoring the dead by placing their preserved bodies in tombs and mausoleums as weird, frightening, or bizarre? Our House of the Embalmed is such a private mausoleum, a tomb for those we deem to be worthy of great respect and honor, as are all those who depart from physical life. Have the prejudices of people gotten to be so blinding that they have lost the ancient decent manners of remembering to respect those who pass from this life, leaving their bodies behind? Those in ancient Egypt and in other places around the world knew. The august leaders of kingdoms, whether enshrined in tombs, shrines and mausoleums as practiced by the venerable kings of Buganda in the Kasube Tombs or the kings and queens of England who lie in Westminster Abby are all to be respected. The enshrined bodies lying in tombs in the ancient city of Jerusalem, whether Christian, Jewish, or Muslim are worthy of great respect as well. The bodies of great Saints and Popes laying in honored shrines and mausoleums in the Vatican are they scary and strange? When a wealthy family erects a private mausoleum a house-like structure seen in many cemeteries to place their family members in, is that strange and suspicious? When a human body is cremated and the ashes are kept in a beautiful urn in a respected place of veneration, is that diabolical or indicative of negative magic. Practices of burial, cremation, embalming, and funeral rites differ all over the world. Is one better or worse than another and who decides? They are simply different. None are better or worse but all are expressions of respect for life and respect for the transitioning of the immortal soul from life to afterlife. They are neither weird, scary, nor bizarre, yet the blind prejudice of some who write about the Sserulanda mausoleum, which is a private entombed shrine, want to portray us over and over again in a negative light always with a negative sensational headline.
What are the differences? Is it because we respect the sanctity of life as the living energy of the Supreme Lord so much that as practicing vegetarians, we refuse to kill to eat? Is that weird? Is that sorcery? Is it that we recognize the divinity of all souls regardless of tribe, religion, nationality, or color? Is that negative or un-Godly? Or, is it that some people only accept those who see the world, religion, service, ethnicity or herbal medicine as only having value if it corresponds to their own beliefs and practices and that if anything or anyone differs, they are to be automatically demonized, called bizarre and painted as negative. That is bigotry! That is ignorance and that is what the next President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama fought against and won in order to bring people to a higher consciousness of non-judgmental respect for diversity.
Now, it is Ugandas time to win that battle against prejudice and negative judgments based upon, unfounded rumor, ignorance, and biased thinking that is encouraged by sensationalized slanted and biased cult reporting and other unfounded labels. Barack Obama was no more a terrorist or one who associated with terrorist because of his middle name than HIG Bambi Baaba Baabuwee is a sorcerer because of a lifetime of seeking to end poverty for ALL Ugandans irrespective of religion and tribe. He is one who believes in the natural healing power of herbal medicines, a power that originates from the Divine Source, which infused life saving benefit in plant life in service to benefit human beings. All across the world respect for the value of human life, planet life, and sacred service to all is increasing. Why is such praiseworthy merit portrayed with suspicious negative unbalanced reporting? Let it not be forgotten that a lifetime of service by an unassuming humble native son of Uganda is responsible for 1.5 BILLION dollars being invested in Raiki District within the next few months through a joint venture partnership between Chinese investors and Kagera Eco-Cities Ltd. (a company established by two members of Sserulanda). It is happening because of the efforts of Sserulandas founder, a Ugandan Born Saint, HIG Bambi Baaba Baabuwee and those who join him with belief in universal selfless service and sharing as a key to the elimination of poverty.
As an African American who is among many who are aware of the unbreakable connections to the land of our ancestors birth and to our obligations to work toward development on our ancestral continent, we have made irrevocable commitments to join with others to work toward creating positive change in the world. The bodies of the children of Africa who were born in Uganda, in America, and in the Caribbean lay in rest within their final resting place inside Sserulandas mausoleum. Do you reject our return? Do you reject our service? Do you not understand that we return to bring back the energy of our ancestors and to serve Africa? We see a son of Africa, one born in America, poised to enter the office of the President of America. America has changed and Africa too must change. We can no longer be caught up in narrow-minded prejudiced suspicions and name calling because of evangelical religious crusades, ethnic, political or racial differences whether we live in Uganda or the USA.
The spiritual fraternal order of Sserulanda Nsulo Yobulamu believes in the fundamental universality of all spiritual belief whether that is Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, or others. We support each persons right to worship, as they desire and we do not force or promote anyone to believe as we do. Belief in the goodness within humanity and the supreme universal goodness of the Divine Source is not limited to one location, group, or creed. We value selfless service to humanity as a core principle, a fundamental truth that our ancient Ugandan ancestors practiced as "Kyenkola bannange saagala bakinkole, nga kibi. Do Unto Others As You Would Have Others Do Unto You. We do not believe in devaluing anyone because they practice something different than ourselves. Yet, Ugandan newspapers continue to highlight inflammatory sentiments frightening people about cults or strange burial practices rather than highlight the principles, practices and precepts of Sserulanda that are like any others that honor the departed, preach selfless service, encourage economic development to address poverty, and practice total non-violence and peace which is what Sseesamirembe means.
President-elect Barack Obama has taught America to remember the principles of tolerance and respect for differences among those who may be different, look different or practice love of the All-Good, All Mighty and Supreme Lord in different ways. They tried to paint him as different therefore unsafe and treacherous. However, he has taught us to remember that different does not automatically mean dangerous, diabolical, or devalued. That is something that Ugandas newspapers and some who support religious persecution should re-visit concerning the work and intensions of Sserulanda and the Sseesamirembe Eco-City economic development plan.
Ensikire K. Nemigero Fairfax, VA November 7, 2008