{UAH} REACTION ON PRESIDENT MUSEVENI'S STATEMENT ON HIS APPOINTMENT OF KYABAZINGA AS AMBASSADOR

KYABAZINGA SHOULD BE FACILITATED AS TITULAR HEAD OF BUSOGA REGIONAL GOVERNMENT
By Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi
Brothers and sisters, l watched President Yoweri Museveni on Bukedde
TV I's Agataliiko Nfuufu on Saturday 10.00 pm news on February 11th
2017, where he said that his appointment of Kyabazinga of Busoga as
Ambassador did not contravene the constitution.
I also read the story in today's New Vision Monday February 13th 2017
which was elaborate on the same function and issue.
As l said on Salaam TV two weeks ago, the appointment of a traditional
leader as an ambassador is political but not partisan and therefore
does not contravene the laws of Uganda as mu brother Haji Asumani
Basaalirwa, President of Justice Forum (JEEMA) wanted to imply.
Ever since, Constitutional Court retained a serving officer, the late
Gen.Aronda Nyakairima, as a Minister, saying that a ministerial
position was political but not partisan, the same constitution will do
to the traditional leader.
Then , Twaha Mukiibi, a moderator of Akafubo Program on Salaam TV
cited Article 246 of the constitution which bars a traditional leader
from exercising legislative, executive, judicial and administrative
powers. I replied that it was intended to bar kings from becoming
absolute monarchs as it was the case in the days of Kabaka Mukwaabya
Walugembe Muteesa l and Daniel Bassammula Mwanga ll and since 1955,
traditional leaders are constitutional monarchs or titular heads.
Such powers exercised by ambassadors, l said, are delegated from the
Executive as a provisionally and temporarily.
l concluded that, having said that, personally l think to avoid
controversy, a Regional Government Bill which has been in parliament
for 10 years be passed so that Regional Governments of Buganda,
Busoga, Bunyoro, Acholi and Lango, which were deemed to have started
operating on July 1st 2006, be perationalised s that the Kyabazinga
becomes titular head of Busoga and is facilitated by both central; and
local governments in that capacity.
However some leaders in Central Government, Parliament and Busoga have
tiold me that it cold not work because Mmengo rejected it. T
Although l know that a clique at Mmengo which fears a directly elected
Katikkiro and Lukiiko rejected it despite the fact that it negotiated
for it where a quarter of the Lukiiko would be nominated by the Kabaka
or Kyabazinga for that matter, and shall form a standing committee
with exclusive powers on culture including kabakaship or
Kyabazingaship, and a candidate for Katikkiro would belong to the
indigenous communities of those areas like Baganda or Basoga, even
Central Government did not a political will to devolve power to the
regions as it is the case in Kenya, South Africa and UK under a quasi
federal form of government.
Otherwise Baganda conservatives opposed introduction of Resistance
Council/Committees which later became Local Councils/Committees, and
preferred a return to saza, gombolola, muluka and batongole chiefs as
it was the case between 1900 and 1966/67, but government insisted on
RC now LC system and it was the pillar for decentralization.
Mmengo wanted the abolition of districts, according to proposals it
submitted to Odoki Commission by Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, led by Mayanja
Nkangi, and wanted powers decentralized at the districts be
decentralized at 18 sazas as it was the case since Sir Andre Cohen's
reforms in early 1960s that had put primary education and primary
health care at the districts else where and sazas in Buganda, but
government rejected it.
Mmengo did not want dividing traditional districts of Mpigi, Mukono,
Luwero, Masaka and Mubende into more districts saying that it was
balkanizing Buganda. Government rejected it and there more than 2o
districts in Buganda the latest being Kyotera and Kassanda to commence
on July 1st 2017
Mmengo wanted a district status for Mmengo other than a municipality.
Neither the municipality which is a constitutional provision, nor a
district, were given.
So government should not hide under Mmengo clique to deny Uganda,
Busoga, Bunyoro,Acholi Lango and other regions regional governments.
It should base on Odoki and Sempebwa and other reports which support
devolving power top regions, where there are traditional leaders, they
should be the titular heads of those regional governments.
Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi is a journalist, national analyst on political
and social issues and Administrative Scretary of NRM Buganda Regional
Task Fotce.

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