|
 Anger amongst the people of Buganda, especially those living in the Diaspora, regarding last Tuesday's destruction of the Buganda Royal Mausoleum is spreading like a wild fire all over Europe. Henry Gombya reports on a flurry of activity by Buganda royalists who have opened up bank accounts in which money is beginning to flow in preparation for the reconstruction of the Kasubi Tombs.
The Baganda people living in Europe have asked officials in the Kingdom of Buganda not to accept a penny from the Uganda government towards the reconstruction of the destroyed Kasubi Tombs.
In an unprecedented show of strength, the Baganda living in Europe jammed phone lines to the now very popular Tompalampa show on Ngoma Radio, to show their anger against what many said were obvious signs that the Ugandan government under the leadership of President Yoweri Museveni was behind the torching of the Kasubi tombs.
One listener, Shamila Wanyana Mubiru appealed to the Buganda Government not to accept money from the Museveni regime. "We are tired of Museveni. We do not need any money from him. We the Baganda will rebuild our King's tombs," she said. Her appeal was echoed by the Buganda deputy Minister of Information, Mr Medard Lubega Sseggona.
Speaking on the programme from Kampala, Mr Sseggona said: "If the Museveni government wants to help us reconstruct the royal tombs, let it repay us the Uganda Shillings 20 billion (approx. US$9,319,670) they owe us (the Buganda Government) already. We will then use part of that money to repair the damaged tombs. They do not have to give us money out of pity when they owe us so much," he said. Another caller Habibabinah told the radio that it appeared that Museveni and his cohorts were now embarking on a strategy to remove every source of revenue from the Buganda Government. Kakande from London said accepting money from Museveni to rebuild the tombs would render it government property. "We cannot let ourselves be put in that situation," he said.
Many callers to the programme anchored by this writer, Rtd Maj Twaha Mukiibi and Moses Nsubuga, were incensed to see the Buganda Monarch shed tears at the scene that met him when he went to visit the destroyed tombs last week. Mwanje who called from Oslo in Norway said the Kabaka's tears meant all Buganda was now in mourning. Mr Sseggona told Tompalampa listeners that official mourning for the destruction of the royal tombs last Tuesday will start today March 22 and last for a week. "Every Muganda is requested to adorn black clothing for the whole week. If you are going to wear a Kanzu (a white cassock for Baganda men), you are requested to add a bark cloth (this signifies one is in mourning in Buganda). We are asking those working in offices in Europe and the United States to turn up for work dressed all in black and men to adorn a black tie throughout the mourning period."
Asked why the Baganda who were mainly responsible for ushering Museveni into power 24 years have now turned against him, Mr Sseggona said: "The Baganda are still very unhappy at they way Museveni refused the Kabaka to visit his counties of Bugerere and Buruuli." He went on to add that anger was still simmering when the tombs got burnt and Museveni came visiting despite attempts by the Buganda officials to advise him not to make the visit.
Sseggona angrily denied suggestions made by the Uganda Army spokesman Lt Col Felix Kulayigye that the shots fired by President Museveni's bodyguards into the crowds at Kasubi had been fired in self-defence. He also described as utterly baseless comments made by the Inspector General of Police Maj Gen Kale Kayihura that Baganda royalists had prevented fire engines from accessing the royal tombs in order to put out the devastating fire. "Out of the five fire engines they have here in Kampala, only one was sent and that one was allowed access. Soon after attempting to put out the fire, it ran out of water and had to leave in order to get more water. How can you send a half-empty fire engine to put out a fire of this magnitude?" Sseggona asked. He said that not a single fire engine had been damaged by the protesters as police Chief Mag Gen Kale Kayihura had said earlier in the week.
The Buganda Minister explained that angry royalists indeed tried to prevent police patrol cars that tried to enter the Mausoleum. "What they wanted was fire engines to put out the fire, not police cars with heavily armed officers in civilian clothes," he said. These were the officers whose photos were taken by many photo journalists covering the fire. These and soldiers from the Presidential Guard Brigade, commanded by President Museveni's son Lt Col Kainerugaba, ended up shooting seven people, three of them fatally.
Asked to say where he thought the road forward for Baganda was in an environment where the Ugandan President had now twice ordered his security to open fire on innocent people in Buganda, Mr Sseggona said he had no doubt in his mind that the road ahead for Buganda was indeed a very difficult one now. On hearing this, Tamale, a caller from South London proposed that since the Baganda are now finding themselves unprotected by the Central Government, they should form a Buganda Volunteer Defence Force that would help bring an end to what he called ‘a systematic killing' of the Baganda by the Museveni Government.
The Chairman of the Baganda Clans in Sweden Mr Sseruwu told the programme that all the Baganda in Sweden were shocked and hurt to see the royal tombs at Kasubi go up in flames. He said that they were all united in making sure that they join in the effort to collect funds towards the reconstruction of the royal tombs. A meeting to that effect is being held this Saturday in Sweden. Several similar meeting are scheduled here in London this weekend.
Not since the dictatorial regime of Idi Amin has so many Ugandans expressed their anger at what is going on in Uganda at the moment. Community radio stations in Europe and the United States are discussing the Ugandan political climate more than ever before now. Chat rooms on Ugandan sites are full of men and women suggesting various ways to end the Ugandan political crisis. But one can easily sense anger mounting among many Ugandans, especially the youth, who feel the present Ugandan regime has done more harm than good in its 24 years of existence. They are fed up with it and are ganging for regime change now.
The head of the Baganda Clans in the United Kingdom Mr Fred Ssemugera has given the bank details below for all those wishing to contribute towards the reconstruction of the Kasubi Tombs:
POUND CORRESPONDENT BANK IN LONDON
NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE BANK: NATIONAL WEST MINISTER BANK PLC
41 LOTHBURG LONDON EC2P 2BP
SWIFT CODE : NWBKGB2L
OUR ACCOUNT NUMBERS : (1) POUND STERLING ACCOUNT: 440/ 00/04594029
: (2) US DOLLAR ACCOUNT: 140/00/06097650
SORT CODE : 60-00-04, OVERSEAS BRANCH
TITLE OF ACCOUNT :
CENTENARY RURAL DEVELOPMENT BANK LTD
OUR SWIFT ADDRESS : CERBUGKA
EURO CORRESPONDENT DETAILS
Name & address of Bank: Sparkasse Aachen
Zentralen friedrich, Wilhelm-Platz 1-4
Munsterplatz7-9,52059 Aachen Germany.
Bank's Sort code: 39050000
Swift Address: AACSDE33
Title of Account: Centenary Rural Development Bank Ltd
Account no 047291539
Please don't forget to quote all details in full to enable a fast funds transfer.
|
Sulaiman Kigundu`s death (1)
