Masindi — Between November 12 and 13, cultural leaders (13 of them) from across the country, met at Masindi Hotel in Bunyoro Kingdom to discuss issues that affect them.

Buganda and Tooro that are two principals of the seven more recognised cultural institutions did not attend. While Buganda gave an official explanation for snubbing the invitation, arguing that the king could not attend a meeting of cultural leaders where there were appointed ones - hitting more or less directly at the Banyala and Baruuli leaders, observers say what stands out more is that the Kabaka stayed away from a meeting that was bound to mark a second meeting between him and President Museveni since the September riots.

For its part, Tooro said it only missed the meeting due to poor coordination after the appointed delegate had to travel suddenly. Tooro insists it was aware, involved and in agreement with the objectives of the meeting though it failed to attend.

Isolate Buganda

Inside Politics can reveal that the Masindi meeting was primarily aimed at placating the apparent growing government discomfort with their external sources of funding, partly blamed for fuelling the Buganda September riots. The second reason was seen as the government's effort to put Buganda in its place. The snub by Kabaka Mutebi was seen in some circles as a direct reaction to that. Buganda's information minister, Mr Charles Peter Mayiga, told Daily Monitor, that the Kabaka could not attend a meeting with appointed cultural leaders.

"Initiative of the cultural leaders to discuss but also to send a message to the government that their intensions are genuine for social, economic and cultural engagement and that we mean no animosity - that's the message we want to send, laid against the backdrop of government discomfort with cultural institutions and their funding, the meeting helped - walking towards a positive synthesis to negate previous animosity," said Tooro Kingdom information and foreign affairs minister Phillip Winyi.

Mr Winyi said there was no reason for Buganda to stay away from the meeting arguing that if the Kabaka felt the representation was below him, he could have delegated.

Officially, Bunyoro which since discovery of oil in the sub-region seems to be the blue-eyed kid and a major staging ground between Museveni V Buganda fights, sponsored the meeting that allowed the leaders the two-day stay at Masindi Hotel. Some sources say the money came from the central government.

With Buganda staying away, the other cultural institutions gave their unreserved support to Buruuli and Bunyala to be recognised as independent cultural institutions and asked the government to compensate or pay rent to facilities it is using in those domains, a major slap in the face of Buganda.

While the government might have tried and succeeded in isolating Buganda as it pursues the fight for what it claims belongs to her, President Museveni did not return with a full grin. Hardly hours before he arrived at Masindi Hotel, Nkore's unrecognised king, Prince John Barigye, left the conference.

In the memorandum that was to be presented to Mr Museveni on Wednesday afternoon, was a demand that the Kingdom of Ankole should be recognised. Prince Barigye and President Museveni belong to the same ruling clan in Ankole, a minority in that area. That Prince Barigye has gained support of other cultural leaders to re-assert his claim for recognition of the Ankole throne; his enthronement could present new challenges. Just last month, Mr Museveni was chief guest at the crowning of king for the Bakonzo.

Buganda focus

But the focus is remaining on Buganda where two months and still counting, the kingdom's CBS radio remains closed and talks between the kingdom and the central government seem not to have moved since that handshake between Mr Museveni and the Kabaka on September 30.

In Masindi, Mr Museveni lectured the leaders on their roles, promised budgetary support to their respective kingdoms in the next financial year and a share on royalties from natural resources discovered in their cultural institutions under the regional tier system which the leaders unanimously backed.

This effectively was a blow to Buganda's quest for federal states. Mengo which snubbed the invitation looked more isolated when the cultural leaders wrote a joint memorandum declaring that "all cultural leaders under this forum are equals".

The Issabaruuli Ssalongo Mwogeza Butamanya and the Issabanyala Capt. Baker Kimeze whom Buganda doesn't recognise, attended the meeting. Mengo avers that Nakasongola and Buruuli, which constitute Buruuli and Bunyala respectively, are part of it and views leaders from there as state creations to weaken the kingdom. The cultural leaders further petitioned the government to offer privileges to Buruuli and Bunyala.

"As a special request, the assets in Buruuli and Bunyala should be transferred to the ownership of the cultural institutions in those areas", the memo addressed to Mr Museveni dated November 17 and signed by the Omukama of Bunyoro, Dr Solomon Gafabusa Iguru, reads in part.

Forum reach

The Iguru, who is the chairperson of the forum for Uganda's cultural leaders and kings, said the forum reaches out to over 20 million Ugandans who are under the cultural institutions which have formed the network. Bunyoro, the host of the forum, agrees that its relationship with the central government is cordial.

"We have absolutely no problem with the central government. It is our partner in development," Bunyoro Kingdom's deputy premier, Mr George Kyaligonza, who was in charge of protocol at the meeting, said.

Mr Museveni said the forum will help unite Ugandans. He cautioned cultural leaders against engaging in partisan politics adding that the country has enough politicians. He said the cultural institutions should concentrate on preservation of culture and uniting the people. The leaders concurred with the President when they unanimously agreed that their cultural institutions will neither participate in politics nor be used as platforms "for disgruntled politicians".

Buganda is, however, unmoved by the forum. Mengo has persistently accused the government of trying to use Bunyoro to marginalise it - an allegation Bunyoro Kingdom and government have denied.

"We shall continue pushing for our demands single-handedly as we have done previously," Mr Mayiga said. He said Buganda singularly pushed for the restoration of cultural institutions and registered success in its pursuit. "None of the people who are in that forum supported us on this."

Cultural institutions were restored in 1990s under the NRM government. They had been abolished in 1967 under the Obote I regime. But cultural leaders demanded for the recognition of Ankole kingdom, Mr Museveni said unlike Buruuli and Bunyala institutions that were backed by resolutions of Nakasongola and Kayunga districts councils, that had not been done in Ankole.