By Evelyn Lirri
Feb 20, 2004 - Monitor
KAMPALA - The Uganda Peoples Congress has supported Kabaka Mutebi's demand for real authority. The UPC Presidential Policy Commission Chairman, Dr James Rwanyarare, told reporters on Wednesday that the Kabaka's cry exposed the flaws in the decentralisation system introduced by the Movement government. "When early this week, the Kabaka of Buganda decried his being king without power in his kingdom, it justified UPC's rejection of decentralisation where small non-viable units were created, only dependent on funding from the central government," Rwanyarare said. He said UPC has always advocated large, viable federal states such as Buganda with powers delegated to them by law. "If Buganda is made a federal state, it will have powers to raise funds and carry out its activities without having to beg money from the central government," Rwanyarare said. Early this week, Mutebi said that lack of full authority had frustrated his efforts to help his subjects. He said he wanted a federal system of government, which would give him those powers. Before kingdoms were abolished by then President Milton Obote in 1966, the kings had political power. However, the current Constitution requires traditional leaders to remain only cultural heads without political power, which Buganda has strongly opposed. He said that the much-criticised 1967 constitution under Obote did not remove the federal status for Buganda. Obote is the president of UPC. |
© 2004 The Monitor Publications
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