B Wambuga2 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:45:40 -0700
(PDT)
From: B Wambuga2 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Obote was right to attack Lubiri (Abbey Semuwemba)
To: Ugandans At Heart <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
CC: Bwambuga <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Buganda should forget Dr. Obote, who has long departed to join his creator,
and move on with what is here to be done if they are to avoid becoming
irrelevant in the Ugandan context.
My friend Abbey Semuwembo,
Your article was great in your attempt to place the blame on Dr. Milton
Obotes door steps. I was indeed intrigued by it since one of the problems we
are having in Uganda is not so much the presence of people like Milton Obote
amongst us, but rather rewriters of Ugandan history camouflaged in their
unquenchable thirst to paint Mr. Obote such terrible negative pictures. Let me
quickly mention here that if Dr. Obote was really that stupid and dump, how
could the whole Buganda Kabaka in the person of Sir Fredderick Edward Mutesa
accept to join hands with him and form the first post colonial Uganda
Government knowing well that the historical turn would determine the fate of a
virgin country like Uganda. And more, if Dr. Obote was really such an imbecile,
how could he have convinced all those intelligent Ugandans at the turn of
Ugandas political history and work his way into becoming the Prime Minister of
Uganda with a gun shot, live alone any weapon for that matter. It
all goes to say that DR. Milton Obote was a brain to recon with. I swear that
if Museveni had existed then, with his militaristic mannerism, the British
would not have granted Buganda and Uganda Independence at the time when they
did it.
Let me now get the second point as food for thought for you here, Kabaka Sir
Frederick Edward Mutesa II admits and mentions it in his own words in his book,
The of my Kingdom, that he sought for military ware from the British
Government who turned it down. SO he went elsewhere to get the weaponry. His
ultimate motive was to start a war if need be. To this therefore, he sought for
an approval from the Lukiiko to legitimize his actions. That is why the Lukiiko
had to pass it and request the Uganda Government to move out of Buganda. What
you continue not to mention in your skewed argument is that, Amin, who was the
commander of the Army at the time, was already well aware of the animosity that
some Baganda had on him, and there was also the talk about him being censured
for his participation in the mutiny in the army in Jinja in particular.
Secondly Amin was already aware also that his actions in subduing the Sudanese
rebels in Southern Sudan, and the massacre he carried
out in Kenya when he was sent to recapture and return the stolen cattle from
the Kenyan Turkana, were issues already coming out in the parliament of Uganda.
Let me also mention that one of the reasons for the mutiny in Magamaga was
because of the fear that the Amins were having, including Tito Okello, about
the eminent retrenchment in the Army following a parliamentary advice to the
Government to professionalize the Uganda Armed services.
Now, you say Dr. Obote breached the 1962 Constitution, which constitution was
already in trouble because there was a section of the Baganda who were already
calling it the ebbiyoya bya enswa. The constitution was already headed for a
crisis within Buganda, since it emphasized the supremacy of Uganda as an entity
in the new country. The Kabaka wanted to have both his roles reflected in the
Constitution of Uganda. There were people who then suggested and preferred the
creation of a country where the interest of all Ugandans could be taken care of
inclusively under the same flag. Some Baganda then realized that they were not
going to have their way if those people won. And this was already very likely.
Let me mention here again very quickly that the reason Dr. Obote was overthrown
by the military twice is because he was not a war monger let alone his
principle of not mixing the military with national politics. Mr. Obote was a
man who believed that differences could be
resolved by debate and discussion. That was why he liked the parliamentary
debates like his baby. Unlike Museveni who only shows up in parliament when he
is coming to push something down the throats of Ugandans. Dr. Obote may have
his short-comings as a person like all of us, but using the military to score a
political goal was not his alternative. That was why he could be overthrown by
the military but not defeated in a debate. Museveni could not win by his rebel
activity in Luweero; he owes his success to the Okellos. Actually you could see
the involvement of some Baganda in the Luweero misadventure as a continuation
of the plans of some people in the Lubiri in 1966. But to get back to the
attack on Lubiri, and in the light of my points about Amin and co. it was
therefore carried out on Amins orders. Dr. Obote only deployed the special
force to go to, first, have Amin withdraw the army back into the barracks, and
then have the special police force calm down the
situation and restore order. In that confusion, and since you could not tell
who was who, Dr. Obote himself apologetically says that regrettably, chaos
ensued and people were killed. Unfortunately, the did had already been done by
Amin, and the Kabaka had already fled. In an attempt to redress the unfortunate
incident, Dr. Obote then tries to get in touch with the Kabaka while he was
still in Kigali to no avail. The Uganda Government did not stop his allowances
from being sent to him later wherever he was. The Kabaka eventually settles in
London and the Government continues to wire his allowances there. It was after
the concern of the British Government that how could Sir Frederick Edward
Mutesa II justify his claims of prosecution when he was continuing to receive
money from the same Government that allegedly was persecuting him, that the
funds were finally stopped.
As for the mutiny you referred to, I have already given you a quick synopsis
about it. Remember that the non-commissioned army personnel and other armed
officers were being paid minimal pay sine they did not fall anywhere in the
Ugandan Civil Service pay structure. Some of them complained that they should
be paid like other civil servants since they were also working for the same
government. Meanwhile, the citizenship of some these people were also under
review. So you are talking about so many issues that the new Government at the
time had to deal with, and from scratch mark you. They were dealing with
everything from scratch, with no previous experience and/or record to deal
with. Forget about Museveni coming to power with an elaborate record keeping
and civil service procedures.
On the issue of the tribes in Uganda, and their sizes, I think you better
revise your history about that. Each of those East African countries have not
only huge tribes in themselves, but several diverse peoples that Uganda just
looks a baby. Take for example, the Luo of Kenya who out number the Baganda in
Uganda. Then take the Kukuyu who out numbet all the westerners of Uganda put
together, if you want take also the Meru of Kenya, which is a small tribe by
the way, they are the size of Buganda, live the Masai alone. Go to Tanzania,
you will even be more shocked. Uganda at the end has the least population in
the whole of East Africa. So saying that tribalism in Uganda in such a
difficult thing to deal with is an indication of the exact nature of the
problems we are dealing with: absolute ignorance and outright stupidity. Some
Baganda, with their uninformed beliefs think exactly like that to the detriment
of the entire respectable Buganda community. There are Baganda out
there who are truly Ugandan in their perspective, and they have benefited
tremendously from their advanced perspective of the Ugandan experience.
On the issue of how Museveni has handled Buganda, let me say this, Museveni
is a very intelligent student of Dr. Obotes. Remember I said earlier how Dr.
Obote regretted the Lubiri incident, there is therefore, no way Museveni would
go along that road. In any case, there is no body else who is interested in
pursuing that line like Amin personally had it. More so, the external factors
that were interested in pursuing that line no longer hold anything against
anybody in Uganda. Those external factors who had earlier granted Buganda
independence in a hurry well knowing that it did not solve the Buganda question
knew that that was an issue they would use later to continue to exert control
over Uganda, which indeed they did. Now fourty years latter, and satisfied that
they have achieved what they wanted, viz, make Buganda royalty pay for its
stubbornness, they are not interested anymore in the issue. Buganda is a non
issue to them now, it is history, and this is rude to say
the least.
My friend Mr. Semuwembo, some of your points are just meant to justify the
hatred you harbour for Dr. Obote, and they are not going to resolve any of the
recurrent problems of Uganda. For instance the issue of the Government not
employing Lawyers because all of them were Baganda, or Betty and Kyanjo are not
put in jail because Museveni is more whatever than Dr. Obote, **&%$ it; I think
all that is mere crap. I mean today as you and I write, the high court is still
complaining about the number of judges, we have safe houses all over Uganda
where Ugandans are being forced to share space with snakes and crocodiles, etc
etc, I wonder whether it is still Dr. Obotes ghost in charge? Traders in
Kisseka Market are striking because of Musevenis policy; did you hear anything
like that under Dr. Obote? Tear gas was introduced in Uganda for the first time
under Museveni, do Ugandans deserve that when all they are asking for is simply
to have the right to protect their God given
inalienable rights? I swear that Kabaka Mutebi is a much better Ugandan to run
the Uganda affairs than Museveni, and I do not understand why instead of
Baganda vigorously pursue for his leadership as the President of Uganda so that
Buganda can have its way in the Ugandan general context people like you
Semuwemba are wasting time hating Dr. Obote and praising Museveni. If Buganda
cannot solidly define their aspirations, or better yet if the Bettys and
Kyanjos who are parliamentarians cannot realize they could use the august
house to push for the Buganda agenda, like the westerners have done so under
Museveni, they should just shut up and stop wasting the time of their people.
All their struggles and political innuendos will be nothing but ebbiyoya bya
enswa. Buganda should forget Dr. Obote, who has long departed to join his
creator, and move on with what is here to be done if they are to avoid becoming
irrelevant in the Ugandan context. They are continuously beating
the drums whose sound has long died away. No body is listening anymore.
Whether Dr. Obote was right or wrong, it is of no consequence now. Let those
who are still serious about the secession get down to real work and get the
task done. Let those northern folks alone now; you got the seat of leadership;
use it now to get what you want. Other rest your case and let Ugandans live in
peace. UPC is here, and it is here to stay because it was a movement started by
Ugandans for Uganda and in Uganda. Museveni tried all possible means to kill it
but Uganda Peoples Congress has defied all logic of doom Sayers. And Mr.
Semuwemba will be shocked at the number of Baganda who support UPC when the
moment of truth comes in Uganda.
FOR GOD MY COUNTRY
Bwambuga wa Balongo
---------------------------------
Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail,
news, photos & more.
Michael BWambuga wa Balongo
---------------------------------
Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell. _______________________________________________
Ugandanet mailing list
[email protected]
http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet
% UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including
attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way.
---------------------------------------
