Joachim Buwembo
7 November 2008
opinion
It was reported last weekend that the Kingdom of Busoga had got a new Kyabazinga, to succeed the late Henry Wako Muloki.
I am yet to learn or master the name of the new Kyabazinga. I should, when the dust settles. But at the moment, with so many voices challenging his election and several other contenders claiming the throne, it is better to wait before saving the name permanently in my memory.
That such confusion should reign in Busoga region poses a serious challenge to the idea of those regional authorities provided for in the 1995 Constitution, where several districts can come together to form a regional government.
This came up as a modern, 'democratic' alternative to the 'federo' that the Baganda were demanding. It was decided that the districts of Buganda could be deemed to have agreed to cooperate under a regional tier government.
Several times, attempts to activate the deemed regional tier have failed as the Mengo representatives insist on what they call a 'conc' federal status. In the early 2000, the district councils of Busoga came together and decided to form a regional tier for their kingdom. Many big persons in the political establishment, including ministers in the central government, backed the regional tier. And so did the Kyabazinga.
The Busoga Charter was launched amid fanfare in Kamuli, Uganda got itself the first regional tier government. All district councillors, top central government officials, some religious leaders and many wananchi attended the massive celebrations to mark the birth of the Busoga regional tier.
The public was expected to see a modernised kingdom, deeply rooted in democratic principles since its top council was composed of elected representatives.
The Busoga regional tier is five years old. It would have been expected to play a central role in the sub-region after the death of the Kyabazinga, to steer the kingdom amid solid stability and anoint a popular, unchallengeable Kyabazinga.
So what happened to the Busoga regional tier government? An elected regional administration working closely with the king should surely have an enviable mobilisation potential.
What is the tier government doing about the biblical old disease of leprosy that still afflicts some peasants in Busoga? What does the regional tier think about the Kyabazinga's subjects who still suffer from jiggers? What strategy does the regional tier government have to end the rampant eating of its people by crocodiles?
The regional tier government seems to have adopted a very quiet working style, keeping most, if not all, of their plans top secret. But even without hearing many great ideas coming from them, we were all encouraged when sometime recently we heard of the appointment of Prof. Wasswa Balunywa as Busoga's Prime Minister.
Given Balunywa's accomplishments at national level, including being father of private higher education and contributing to many enterprises, we thought Busoga was about to make a spectacular take-off. Then as fast as he had come, Balunywa was out. His premiership lasted a blink. We hadn't even been told what his relationship with the regional tier government was. Busoga is one of the loveliest regions of this country.
And so close is Busoga to the capital that a healthy person can start walking from Kampala after daybreak and reach Busoga before sunset, using the highway. By shortcuts he can get there earlier. It is therefore unacceptable that problems like widespread eye disease, expected more in far away areas like Karamoja, should harass villages in Busoga.
Surely, medicines and instructions can be taken there on foot from the Ministry of Health headquarters, if there is a shortage of cars. Uganda and the central government should not allow Busoga to become a laughing stock.
Mr Buwembo is a veteran journalist
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