{UAH} Kabaka Mutebi II has been dragged into politics

As a traditional leader, the Kabaka of Buganda is expected to remain politically neutral, leaving politics to his executive and legislative branches of government. Consciously or not and aware of short, medium and long-term consequences or not, Mutebi II has by signing a deal with the president of Uganda entered Buganda and Uganda politics and therefore subjected himself to criticism.

Mutebi's late father Kabaka Mutesa II ran into political problems when he negotiated constitutional and administrative changes directly with the Governor, Sir Andrew Cohen. The Lukiiko objected to the Kabaka's actions.

What saved Mutesa from serious trouble was a statement that a colonial official made in London to the effect that at some future date Uganda together with Kenya and Tanzania would form a political federation that would devalue the status of Buganda. This presented the Kabaka with a God send opportunity. He used this statement as an excuse to reject further discussions with the Governor and restored his credibility among Baganda. The Kabaka's popularity rose when the Governor exiled him to London for non-cooperation. This single act saved the Kabaka because Baganda refused to have another Kabaka as the Governor wanted. They instead together with the rest of Ugandans demanded his return as Kabaka. The Governor complied.

The Kabaka was again dragged into independence politics when he accepted to become the first president of Uganda. This time he did not have another God send opportunity to save him from political troubles. He lost his kingdom, properties and eventually his life in exile. But he is a hero because he refused to devalue his kingdom by succumbing to political pressure from the central government.  

Ronald Mutebi should have drawn a lesson from his late father's experience. But apparently he did not or did but decided to go ahead and sign a deal with Museveni willingly or at gun point thus entering into politics that has made him lose his neutrality because Baganda and other Ugandans have begun to criticize him for signing what appears to be a very bad deal and opened a Pandora's box, explaining why the MOU has been hidden from public view.

Originally presented as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to begin real negotiations about the return of Buganda properties, we now know from Mengo spokesperson that it is an agreement which was negotiated and signed secretly to avoid public interference and entered into force on August 2, 2013 without ratification by Lukiiko or Uganda Parliament since there appear to be national implications.

While we had thought that the committees to be set up by Mengo administration and central government respectively were to begin negotiations about the return of properties, Mengo spokesperson has told us that the committee(s) is only to determine the value of properties for compensation because some of the properties including land were sold and can't be returned to Buganda.  Some properties have been lost because of administrative arrangements since 1964. Thus Buganda is getting compensated for its properties which will continue to be occupied by those who got them legally or illegally. That explains why the Kabaka was urged or forced to accept that he won't evict anyone in his realm and everyone in his kingdom will practice their cultures freely thus creative nations within a nation. Thus, the Kabaka without perhaps realizing it has formalized Buganda occupation.

There is one card remaining to save the Kabaka and Buganda kingdom: the people of Buganda either directly or through Lukiiko who are sovereign and have a final say in the decision making process can say no to the deal Mutebi has entered into with Museveni.

Museveni is trying to behave like Louis XIV who was France and forced everyone to do what he liked, including forcing those he feared to live with him in his palace at Versailles. In Uganda there is no room for a Louis XIV to force people to do what he likes or govern with divine authority. Therefore there is still a chance to save Buganda and indeed Uganda from permanent occupation. To succeed, however, we need to work hard and strategically singly and/or in concert as Ugandans.  

Baganda should therefore discuss Buganda occupation at the Ttabamiruka conference in New Jersey, USA scheduled later this month (August 2013) and Ugandans should continue with the work of the National Technical Committee on Federalism including convening a national conference at an appropriate time to determine how Uganda should be governed.

Eric