Buganda's Troubles Is Its Elites, Not Uganda
By Ocii Okelloruk
August 26, 2007
In my previous write-up on the question of Secession and Reconciliation I
pointed out why Uganda is as she is today, mainly due to the heinous political
actions by Baganda elites, thus: a). Their irresponsible connivance to bring
Dr. Obote governments down: i). Ibingira's non-confidence vote; ii). KY's
ultimatum, 'Dr. Obote move off Buganda soil with his new government'. 2). Using
army officers to overthrow Dr. Obote I & II governments - attempt to
assassinate the president notwithstanding. 3). Colluding with Museveni in the
bush war, to overthrow Dr. Obote II government.
All these are political maneouvers that have led to the country's collapse.
Continuous glossing over these actions by Uganda political elites generally, so
not to point accusing finger to appear politically correct, is a disservice to
the nation. Uganda is not going to see stability and economic growth, because
Ugandan political elites do not point accusing fingers.The reality teaches the
opposite. And if anything, the state of the nation will even get worse unless
and until brave men and women begin to shed off the culture of silence and
ignorance, and brave uncharted waters, boldly pointing accusing fingers
whenever and where it is required, with the ultimate goal to bring to an end,
political buffoonery of which the most dangerous consequences is the sea of
illiterate and unskilled human resources the country has today beside ethnic
jingoism.
Of late, like I have pointed out in my earlier write-up, there seems to be
outpouring calls by some Baganda elites for Buganda to secede from Uganda. To
most of these elites, the marriage between Buganda and the rest of Uganda is
not working. At stake is the question of the 9000 sq mile of supposedly the
monarchy land now under control of the central government. How much land from
other regions, are under control of the central government does not seem to be
of any concern to these Baganda elites. All they look for; all they have ever
looked for, since the formation of the country, that they helped create while
working diligently as agents of colonialists, is Buganda interests, even when
what they do causes grieves, suffering, and in some cases deaths of other
fellow country men, women, and children. To the myopic Baganda elites, all else
are irrelevant save Buganda so called "special" status, federo, or outright
secession!
No one ethnic group that now comprise Ugandans came to Buganda in 1900 and
signed any agreement with her to form what is now Uganda. All protection
agreements signed between the various Kingdoms, that culminated into the
formation of the country, were signed with the British. It was those agreements
that made Uganda a British protectorate, not the signatories between Buganda
and the rest of other ethnic groups. Of the groups that signed the protection
agreements were the Baganda, Ankole, and Batoro. The Basoga with their
Kyabazinga were ignored. The rest of other ethnic groups covering the East to
the North were forcefully brought into this new country by the Baganda agents
in cahoots with their colonial masters. The Banyoro lost two counties in the
process. If today the likes of Hon. Beti Kamya thinks the marriage is not
working, then they must first tell us what marriage! What agreement did Baganda
sign with any other ethnic groups comprising Ugandans that led to the
establishment of the country? Is there a document these Baganda elites can
produce so that maybe Ugandans can happily engage in debating whether the
marriage is working or not such that Buganda is let go?
The pre-independent agreement with the British, several years after Baganda
colonial agents helped create the country, that led to independent, only
sugested a future federal status for Buganda. The operative word here is
"future". The suggestion therefore was not and is not binding even today, to
warrant any calls by some Baganda elites, for secession. Dr. Obote even bent
over backward to allow Buganda special status. Why would Buganda be granted
special status and not all the other ethnic groups? Even worse, Baganda have
never appreciated Dr. Obote for granting them special status albeit briefly.
All they were and are still hankering for is their lackey position, as
colonialists' agents, presiding over other ethnic groups; acquiring resources
from their regions to enrich themselves and Buganda. Anything short of that,
the marriage is not working, and Buganda must secede!
Quite frankly this is the mentality that has killed Africa. Many times one
comes across a couple of buffoons scheming to become "independent" from other
Africans, but the same buffoons would pay absolutely no attention to a
foreigner, like European or Asian, displacing them from their land. How much
land have whites bought in Buganda today that has led to the displacement of
the ordinary indigenous toiling Baganda masses? The Hon. Kamya and Kyenjo
however, are instead fixated with Dr. Obote's political move that disbanded
this "special" men/women status. That the state has got roles to play in any
society, and therefore must own and control the nation's resources, like land,
which is grounded on genuine political and economic ideology, does not seem to
ring a bell to the Kyenjos of Buganda. To them, I wonder if everything must be
unscrupulously and heinously done. Baganda toiling masses are facing
unprecedented poverty in the countryside as if Baganda have never been
privileged to occupy variously powerful positions in previous true national
governments.
From the dawn of colonialism, no ethnic groups has benefited from all the
governments of the country like the Baganda. Name any political era, and you
find that the Baganda benefitted immensely vis a vis the rest of Ugandans. The
Baganda were the immediate administrators after colonialists during colonial
era. When independent came, the Baganda featured prominently in running the
country despite Dr. Obote's move to disband the monarchy system. Most
ministries were controlled by the Baganda. When Amin came to power, again the
Baganda were the people who benefited the most. They literary ran the country
politically and economically, including businesses. Amin kicked out the Asians,
who had dominated businesses, and it was the Baganda who took over from where
the Asians left. Baganda and Banyangkole control shops after shops in Kampala.
When Dr. Obote came back again by 1980, the Baganda alongside the Banyangkole
featured prominently in running the affairs of the country.
How secession is going to benefit Baganda more than the benefits they have
acquired from since colonialists set foot in Africa, I seriously wonder.
Further, how much cotton plus other cash crops were being produce while
Uganda was still a British protectorate, and how much did Buganda benefit from
those cash crops? By 1950s Uganda cotton produce was bringing in revenues into
the tune of 350, 000.00 pounds; which amount forced the British government to
stop dishing out subsidy to the colony. Where did that money go? That money
went into building Buganda and Kampala, where colonial administration was
sitting. But despite the many land barons and wealthy individuals in Buganda,
ordinary and toiling Baganda in the countryside are awashed in poverty. Dr.
Obote ushered in socialist ideology that presided over putting in place
infrastructure; raising and training human resources, et ceterra, that many
Ugandans benefited from including Baganda ordinary masses. But the myopic
leadership of Buganda had to fight to see it go so they can continue exploiting
the masses. It has been 21 years now since Dr. Obote was driven out of
power, only to come back in a coffin, but the Baganda elites who see to it
that his government go, have nothing to show Baganda, leave alone Ugandans, the
fruits of their sweat.
If today Baganda are hurting economically, with thousands of destitute
children on the streets struggling to live, it cannot be because Ugandans
generally are oppressing Baganda. After all the entire Northern and Eastern
Uganda population are in camps; their economic productivities ceased over ten
years ago, and are basically living on handouts from donor nations and foreign
NGOs. Baganda's cry for secession therefore is misplaced and short sighted at
best. It was them Baganda elites who connived with Museveni that ushered NRA/M
into power. If "fundamental" change is today biting Baganda hard, some of her
incompetent elites should not blame Uganda, but the system they helped put in
power. Blaming Uganda and shouting for secession as the solution is akin to
chasing rats when one's housing is burning! The Hon. Beti Kamya and Kyenjo of
Buganda should stop walking like ducks with one leg spread to the FDC and JEEMA
respectively and another to Baganda nationalism,
demonstrating lack of ideological direction. The last time I checked, even
Northerners are members of JEEMA.
If all the benefits accrued to Buganda under the various previous
governments, and the advantageous positions they occupied therein were of no
help, I highly doubt even if they were to secede, the secession would be
helpful. Simply running across the border to Rwanda and seeing that there are
some semblance of development does not mean a seceded Buganda can as well
develop! For one, Rwanda just got off genocide of "Tutsis", an era that has
changed the way Tutsis look at Hutus. Two, the world is trying to avert another
genocide in the country by pouring in donations; helping in building
infrastructure, et ceterra. Without these contributions, Rwanda would just be
struggling, if not altogether awashed in further bloodshed. The country does
not have natural resources; economic activities are non existence. For Baganda
to think that Rwanda and Burundi are existing yet with small populations simply
defy logic. Africans are under threat of globalization. Without pulling and
raising its human resources as quickly as possible, Africa is headed to be
subsumed, exploited and oppressed by the bigger nations with huge per capita
income; huge, savvy and skilled populations.
My honest opinion is that Buganda's troubles is its elites, and not Uganda
like some of these erudite Baganda MPs would like to have us believe. Baganda's
fixation with monarchy at the expense of ideologies that could have delivered
to Baganda masses considering the privilege positions prominent members of
their community occupy in past governments is the bend of all their so called
grievances. Since when have monarchy delivered to any masses? British monarchy
of which we ape so much vandalized and looted other part of the world to
compensate for their otherwise lack of delivery to the land tiller and toiling
masses at home!
Baganda elites especially need to grow up and stop the puerile cry for
secession. Its hogwash!
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