{UAH} ARE THE BAHIMA RULING UGANDA?

ARE THE BAHIMA RULING UGANDA?

Early this month, another video clip conveying sectarian messages went viral on social media.  In the message a Muhima (going by the Runyankore accent) is heard reminding that the Bairu are human feces.  Am using the phrase 'reminding' because it is not knew for the Bahima to refer to the Bairu as human feces.  Though the two sub-ethnic groups make the Banyankore ethnic group, the Bairu are the cultivators while the Bahima are the cattle keepers. By comparison, the two sub-ethnic groups are the Ugandan version of Rwanda/Burundi's Hutu and Tutsi sub-ethnic groups.  Like  the Hutu/Tutsi who speack the same languages of Kirundi and Kinyarwanda, the Bahima and Bairu of Uganda also speak one language called Runyankole but differ in accent. Therefore, other than their differennces in physical appearances and traditional lifestyles, their difference in accent of their Runyankore language is another identity factor.  Ever since the era of the early Ankole Kingdom, the reigning Bahima treated their Bairu counterparts as being socially and politically inferior.  Though there are other other serious reasons, Museveni advanced tthe reason of divisiveness to refuse reinstatement of the Ankle Kingdom.  However, the two sub-ethnic groups have continues to coexist amidst their traditional differences. Before Museveni took over power 30 years ago, the Bairu had embraced education while the Bahima had been stuck in their nomadic lifestyle save for à few Bahima families.  When Museveni took to fighting the bush war in the early 1980s he took with him a number of Bahima among his fighters.  Since taking over power the question of Bahima dominance of security forces and some key government sectors.  The regime has always argued that  that dominance is because of historical linkage of Bahima with the Bush war.  Even in the bush, the Bahima/Bairu differences often emerged but were resolved by threats and its a fact that after taking over power the Bairu wereSYSTEMATICALLY sidelined and eventually eliminated from key security command and regime positions.


 In the late 80s, while at a social event the wife of Minister Kuteesa  had a heated argument with Minister Kahinda Otafiire and she referred to him as a Mwiru which infuriated the later prompting him to draw his pistol against the former thus Otafiire had to resign his cabinet post.  Since then, Otafiire has been compensated with two Bahiima wives yet it is very rare for the two sub-ethnic groups to intermarry.  The few instances of intermarriages are those of Col Bright Rwamirama who took on a Mwiru wife and Winnie Byanyima who married Dr. Kiiza Besigye among other controvercial marriages.  In the said most recent video clip the author goes to highlight that while the Bairu are human feces, the Bakiga are double feces.  While the rest of the Ugandans understand a Mwiru to mean a sub-etnic of the Banyankole, to the Bahima, anyone that is not a Muhima, Tutsi, Songora, Hororo, Tuku and the Cushites from the Horn of Africa and other areas of East Africa is a Mwiru thus they consider majority of Uganda's ethnic communities as being Bairu.  Among the Banyankole Bairu such demeaning actions and utterances are business as usual and almost no longer have a big effect.  When Dr. Besigye came out to challenge Museveni's leadership, he was branded all sorts of labels associated with the Bairu.  His Muhima wife's activism was treated by the Bahima mainstream at a betrayal.  Moreover, her family are the only Bahima Catholics since Bahima are only Anglicans and Pentecostals.  The emergence of A mama Mbabazi who is a Mukiga to democratically challenge Museveni's hold on power, puts the Bakiga in the line of barrage from some sections of Bahima.  The video footage concludes by boosting that the Bahima have been ruling foolish Bairu for the last 30 years and that they will continue to do so before advising those who feel offended to leave Uganda.

The Bahima are generally a descent, trustworthy and tolerant ethnic community.  That is how they have managed to settle in different parts of Uganda and peacefully coexisted with the indigenous communities in those areas.  However, the Bahima as an ethnic community have been infiltrated by some migrants who masquerade as Bahima and those are the individuals who are fomenting sectarian sentiments. To some extent, Museveni has significantly contributed to pitting the Bahima against other Ugandans through his shameless practice open nepotism and sectarianism.  In 1980 they rejected Museveni branding him an immigrant in favor of their own Sam Kutesa. He has created and ring fenced some key regime agencies for Bahima thus creating a sence of owning the regime thus "we have been ruling you for 30 years".  Museveni has practised favoritism for some Bahima like was the case in a corruption case involving Local government Ministry Permanent Secretary Kashaka and Cpl. Rwakihembo who killed people in Luzira among the several examples.

The regime enacted a law against sectarianism but applies it discriminately. It turns a blind eye on such nasty developments so that it can turn around and claim that the Bahima areVULNERABLEto reprisal attacks thus justifying military intervention

INFORMATION IS POWER

Viele GruBe

Robukui

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