The Observer (Kampala)
Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda
8 July 2009
opinion
The tabling of the Bill that would ultimately allow the Central Government take over the capital, Kampala, and expand its boundaries, has, as expected, kicked off a storm. The main argument advanced by those tabling the Bill is that taking over Kampala is a constitutional requirement.
Mind you they are the ones who in 2005 included this new article in the 1995 Constitution. Now they are quoting it as if it were a verse in the Quran or Bible.
They argue that Kampala has been grossly mismanaged by the opposition, particularly the Democratic Party. Cities elsewhere, they also say, are managed by central governments.
The proposal in the Bill that gives the President powers to appoint the city's Chief Executive is the biggest anomaly those opposed to it are raising. This particular provision, they argue, will disfranchise residents of Kampala, something that is unconstitutional.
There is also another argument that taking over Kampala and expanding it into Wakiso and Mukono is aimed at dismantling Buganda. My contribution to this debate will be on dismantling Buganda.
The problem with personal or family rule, like we have in Uganda, is that crucial debates like these are not settled by merits or demerits. People have to dig deep to unravel the real intentions of the emperor. His real intentions are always different from the official reasons his aides such as Adolf Mwesige are coached to give.
And to his credit, President Museveni has been an intelligent but dangerous political actor. He does things slightly differently but gets the same results, like [the late President] Milton Obote did.
What Obote achieved by a referendum, Museveni will achieve by a simple resolution of Parliament or a constitutional change. Obote through a referendum annexed two Buganda counties and returned them to Bunyoro. All of you wise people know that kingdoms at that time were built on conquests and if we are to restore the historical status quo, places like Ankole would cease to exit.
Museveni is aware of this too. Instead of annexing territories from Buganda like Obote did, Museveni would rather leave them but undermine the authority of the Kabaka and cause disunity.
Buruuli will not go away but he will stop the Kabaka of Buganda from touring it. He will also install a chief there and incite him to insult Buganda. A head of state getting involved in divisive actions is disgusting. He will create another district called Kayunga and install a chief with the same instructions like that of Buruuli.
And he will seek to install a rival chief even where none historically existed.
[Minister] Sam Kutesa, whose daughter marries Museveni's son, is the most powerful politician in Mawogola. The most powerful military person in Mawogola is Gen. David Tinyefuza, and I fear Museveni might install one of these two as a chief.
Lyantonde District, which is Buganda's Kabula County, faces the same situation. The most prominent people there are Keith Muhakanizi, Mathew Rukikaire, Brig. Pecos Kutesa and Col. Phinehas Manon Katirima, etc. Some of these are nice people but others will help Museveni install a chief there at one time.
Therefore, with the authority of the Kabaka undermined in Bugerere, Buruuli, Koki, Kabula, and I hear, Buvuma, Buganda is being reduced almost to half. There is something eating Buganda from the exterior. That is why some of us are opposed to allowing the same thing to begin eating it from the centre.
I fear [that] Museveni, if allowed to go ahead with taking over Kampala, [he] might evict our Kabaka or even stop him from freely moving within the region. I have always asked myself why it was necessary not to list Kampala as one of the districts of Buganda in the 1995 Constitution. There is nothing that stopped Museveni from developing Kampala even if it remained part of Buganda, unless someone wants to tell me that the President feels bad about developing Buganda, something I have always suspected.
Kampala and parts of Wakiso, that Museveni is seeking to annex from Buganda, form part of Busiro and Kyadondo counties.
My sub-clan head (owesiga) Moses Lubowa, [who stood as an NRM parliamentary candidate against Hussein Kyanjo], is in Kibuye, just after the roundabout. Culturally this is our sub-headquarters which Museveni now wants to take away. I sincerely don't know why Museveni is very hostile to history.
[For] the same reason Prof. Oloka Onyango and Prof. Tanga Odoi have spoken angrily about the taking away of Tororo town; we are [also] ready to battle for Kampala. And we don't have to win this war today, but we must lay the foundation. Because he possesses an arsenal and has lots of money to push through his desires, Museveni might register some temporary success, but he needs to know he is laying the ground for future wars.
The author is Political Editor of The Observer
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