{UAH} Mayiga, Buganda MPs row over central govt ties
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Although the August 2 memorandum of understanding (MoU) between President Museveni and the Kabaka of Buganda may have improved relations between Buganda and Uganda, it has caused sharp divisions among Baganda political actors.
This can be seen in the disappearance of critical MPs from CBS radio; but The Observer can reveal that the matters came to a head towards the just-concluded Ttabamiruka conference in New Jersey, USA.
Although he had been fully involved in previous conferences, Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga was this time round cautious about the kingdom's participation and directed his first deputy and the minister in charge of the kingdom's External Relations, Emmanuel Ssendaula, to write to Gwanga Mujje, the umbrella association of the Baganda living in the Diaspora, to put off the conference.
Reason
Sources have told us that Mengo, the seat of Buganda, opposed Ttabamiruka for three reasons. Firstly, that the organisers had put it on the same day as the Uganda North American Association (UNAA) convention, where 26-year-old Brian Kwesiga was elected president. The event theme; Is Buganda Under Occupation? also reportedly scared Mayiga, and he wanted the organisers to change it.
Mayiga was also mindful that organisers were reluctant to hoist the Uganda flag and sing the national anthem, which would be interpreted by government as a breach of the MOU. Indeed, even at this year's conference at Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel Iselin, New Jersey, it was only the US and Buganda flags that were hoisted and anthems sang.
"But even the Kabaka complained about it in his message at last year's Ttabamiruka. Because it is like they no longer recognise Uganda, and thus are American-Baganda and not Ugandans," said Anna Maria Nankabirwa, the Kyankwanzi Woman MP.
The Kabaka was expected at last year's conference held in Boston but was represented by his younger brother Prince David Wasajja Kintu. Thirdly, Mayiga was not happy that the organisers had refused an official delegation from government.
The organisers insisted that the government would be recognised as ordinary participants, a move that angered the Mengo establishment. Mengo is currently trying to smooth over the historical bad blood with the central government.
"The people in the diaspora are not advised on what is going on here, they have been more confrontational to the central government and this must stop," said kingdom spokesman Denis Walusimbi Ssengendo.
"Why would they deny government officials access to the conference, we are all Baganda and Kabaka's subjects, we should sit down and talk," Walusimbi added.
Confusion
A week to this year's conference, Mayiga met some parliamentary delegates to the conference and some members of Ssuubi pressure group. He explained why the kingdom was opposed to the conference. When he failed to dissuade them from travelling, he instead promised to write to the organisers.
The letter, according to the Buganda parliamentary caucus chairman, Godfrey Kiwanda Ssuubi, was signed by Ssendaula, the same person who signed another distancing the kingdom from the conference. But Nnakirembeka Eng Allan Waliggo, the head of the council of the Buganda clan heads, ignored Mengo's objections to the trip and made his way to New Jersey.
He was later joined by three categories of Baganda MPs; the first group included Godfrey Kiwanda, Betty Nambooze and Deogratius Kiyingi (facilitated by Parliament as leaders of the Buganda caucus), the second category had Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda (facilitated by the Leader of Opposition in Parliament) and the third group had junior Youth Minister Ronald Kibuule, John Ssimbwa and Anna Maria Nankabirwa (facilitated by State House).
Mayiga-Ssubi meeting
However, before the Ssuubi group left for the US, Mayiga met them at Bulange Mengo in a closed-door meeting. Other than the Ttabamiruka issue, sources at Mengo told us, the Katikkiro used the meeting to try and resolve his differences with the group. The group has accused Mayiga of ordering the kingdom's CBS radio to stop hosting them and to sideline Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.
Ssemujju was the direct victim of this order, but other members of the group decided to keep away from the radio.
"What affects any one of us affects the entire group, so when Ssemujju was told not to return to the radio, we all decided not to go back," Nambooze told us.
Although none of the group members is willing to divulge details of what transpired in the meeting, sources at Bulange have told us that the Katikkiro distanced himself from the CBS radio ban.
"I had no hand whatsoever, that was a decision taken by the radio management, and besides, the MOU does not in any way affect political discussions on CBS," Mayiga reportedly said.
Sources within CBS have told us that Ssemujju, who is a regular panelist on the Wednesday political talk show, was informed by the producer Alex Nsubuga to stay away. Instead Siraje Lubwama, a journalist with The Observer, replaced Ssemujju on the show.
In January this year, CBS radio came under the spotlight for suspending Nambooze and Muhammad Nsereko (Kampala central) from the radio's talk show Kkiriza Oba Gaana (Take it or Leave it) as they were adjudged too critical of the central government.
However, CBS denied the claims, and the duo bounced back. But, following the MOU, which is loaded with a spirit of reconciliation between the central government and Mengo, the battle against critical voices appears to be back.
Aliens
Until the August 2 signing of the MOU, Mayiga was seen to be closely working with the Ssuubi group, whose members were some of the main lobbyists for his appointment as Katikkiro.
Their first shock came a day before the signing of the MOU, when Lukwago was blocked from addressing a function presided over by the Kabaka in Lubaga, ahead of the 20th coronation anniversary. Instead of Lukwago, kingdom officials invited his subordinate, Lubaga Division Mayor Joyce Ssebuggwawo to speak.
Yet it seems the rift is only growing wider. For instance on Thursday, two groups went to Mengo to donate towards the reconstruction of the burnt Kasubi Royal tombs. As word spread that the first group of traders from Mityana had connections to the opposition, the Katikkiro's office issued a statement on CBS, claiming that because of his tight schedule, the Katikkiro would not meet anyone.
This group kept outside Bulange without any kingdom official attending to them until a businessman and member of the Masiro reconstruction committee, Guster Lule (Ntake), formally received their Shs 10m donation.
Surprisingly, Mayiga later on received another group of NRM youths, who donated Shs 3.38m to the same cause. Mayiga could not be reached for a comment. He did not answer or return our phone calls.
This hustle over the MOU has been growing over time with some loyalists contesting the way it was reached. Recently former Katikkiro Daniel Muliika told The Observer that the MOU was "illegal" as that it involved the Kabaka in partisan politics. But Mengo officials insist it was legal and is legally enforceable.
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