The Tuesday meeting between President Museveni and Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, the Kabaka of Buganda, may have taken the last’s subjects and country unsuspecting, not the remarkable issues on the table.
With natural air fanning them on the rich compound of State House Lodge in the verdant Nakasero suburb, the administrators ruminated over, and worked out, the delicate proposition to scrap Mailo land residency framework.
The recommendation was first a few years prior, by the Justice Catherine Bamugemereire-drove commission, delegated by President Museveni to ask into land organization and approaches in the country.
Seizing on the thought, Mr Museveni has over and over and freely invited the thought, and portrayed Mailo residency as “evil”, shocking Mengo – the managerial seat of Buganda Kingdom – whose authorities have delved into the past to remind the President that their help carried him to control.
The update, apparently repeated by King Mutebi yesterday, may sit precariously between companions, however one apparently unavoidable get-togethers Kabaka, talking at his 28th crowning ceremony commemoration held last Saturday at Nkoni castle in Masaka City, said Mailo land residency was a “column” and its nullification would disable the realm.
A more youthful Museveni drove the National Resistance Army (NRA), a dissident band with a support in Luweero Triangle, and warmed up to then Prince Mutebi, pursuing the sponsorship of followers of the realm nullified by Milton Obote in 1966, to barrel his approach to control in 1986.
In a gathering in the northern Gulu District, Mr Museveni overruled a front facing resistance by some Movement ideologues against compensation of conventional and social foundations, whereupon Buganda Kingdom turned into the first to be restored in 1993. With it, ruler Mutebi became lord, underlining a commonly gainful course of action.
The choice in later years finished in the expansion of realms and chiefdoms the nation over, with whatever as Buruuli, Kooki and Bunyala in topographical Buganda, exploiting the balkanisation to announce sway and stage a battle against Mengo.
In the ugliest of the confrontation, the Museveni government in inclination for Ssabanyala (rtd) Major Baker Kimeeze’s announcement, in 2009, conveyed security powers to obstruct the Kabaka from visiting Kayunga, a locale in his realm, starting the scandalous and grisly supportive of Buganda riots.
Obliged to Mengo to a tune of Shs215 billion, the uproars and killings that happened 12 years prior denoted a breakdown in the intimate relations among Mengo and the focal government, whose injuries the gatherings have attempted to recuperate, and birthed doubt enlightened in the present by the proposition to dispense with Mailo, one of the four land holding frameworks, yet relevant just in Buganda.
“Buganda has never contemplated withdrawing from Uganda or pursuing away different Ugandans. We have on a few events heard various individuals discussing Buganda land, claiming that it is deteriorating the improvement of the country. This isn’t correct,” the Kabaka said last Saturday.
He added: “Those [individuals] who are doing this [pushing for rejecting of Mailo land] need to debilitate Buganda. Such things bring us uneasiness and brief us to inquire as to why land in different pieces of Uganda isn’t discussed. Why Buganda land? For what reason should Buganda’s steady neighborliness be confounded as a shortcoming?”
The Buganda ruler didn’t make reference to any names. Be that as it may, President Museveni is one of the pioneers with a family whose public editorial would hold onto a Kabaka’s riveted consideration.
During a retreat for recently chose Members of Parliament (MPs) at the National Leadership Institute Kyankwanzi in April, Mr Museveni urged the legislators to help his expected change to determine the land question in the nation for the last time.
After two months, the President during the 32nd Heroes’ Day commemoration at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, on June 9, portrayed Mailo land as “a detestable land framework”.
“It is actually quite awful and not reasonable, but rather a few group support it. How would you permit these things to occur?” he said, “Land proprietors ought to be qualified for full responsibility for land like somewhere else in Uganda. In Ankole, it’s not possible for anyone to pursue you away from your territory. You even dread.”
The public authority contends that Mailo framework has empowered truant landowners to expel occupants (Bibanja holders), in some cases in intrigue with rich people, an evil the proposed land law revision intends to recuperate.
Independently, Mr Augustine Kizito Mutumba, the head of group pioneers (Bataka) in Buganda, who was available at the previous gathering, had prior answered to the Kabaka that there was widespread duplication of land titles, which he said denied many individuals in Buganda of their property rights.
Inquiries concerning land proprietorship in Buganda, where the Kabaka is socially the property manager, are delicate on the grounds that they influence a huge number of inhabitants got comfortable the realm for work, business or venture.
As per records of thoughts at the previous gathering offered by those in participation, President Museveni said he was concerned veterans of the guerrilla war that carried him to control 35 years prior, were being expelled unpredictably.
He supposedly recalled his suffering kinship with Mengo, originating before reclamation of Buganda realm and establishment of Mutebi as Kabaka in 1993, and faulted the media for mutilating the public authority plan and public talk about the matter.
A source that went to the gathering cited the President as saying ‘my position, if changes somehow happened to happen, is [to] deflect expulsions… those individuals; our veterans, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) historicals who helped in the freedom, yet are being ousted, we should secure them’.
Mr Museveni allegedly clarified and relieved feelings of trepidation that the corrections just look to address security concerns and smoothing out land organization.
“The Kabaka ought to have left persuaded that there is no ill will between his administration and the NRM,” another source that went to the gathering said.
Ruler David Wasajja, the Kabaka’s sibling, supposedly expedited the gathering following a long time of brisk way of talking among Mengo and the focal government.
The public authority is yet to draw the standards of the expected land law correction for Cabinet conversation, which would officially begin an extensive enactment measure, making it difficult to precisely know in advance what will be incorporated or barred in the arranged changes.
Like the President, it was not lost on the Kabaka that MPs will assume an essential part. He asked parliamentarians at his 28th crowning ritual to battle for Mailo land so the realm isn’t debilitated.
“At the point when Mailo land is annulled as recommended in certain quarters, one of the critical columns on which this realm was assembled will be annihilated. You, parliamentarians, who are here, you should know this; Buganda has never neglected to examine this (land) issue,” he said, piercingly.
Sources that went to the previous gathering threatened that the feelings of trepidation defrosted after open trades, bringing about the President entrusting the Attorney General to establish a Working Committee, including government and Mengo authorities, to determine the evident contrasts between the different sides and guide a way forward.
Mr Museveni is likewise answered to have explicitly requested the Ministry of Finance to speed up installments of Shs215b that the public authority owes Mengo.
The Kabaka, who was meeting with the President interestingly since their May 2019 gathering at Banda royal residence, outside Kampala, helped his host to remember their August 2013 Memorandum of Understanding wherein the public authority resolved to pay all back payments to the realm.
Express House’s editorial about the previous gathering was brief, summing up it in two passages as conversation about improvement issues.
In a quickly assembled public interview at Mengo, Katikkiro (chief) Mayiga said “as might be normal, when pioneers talk about significant issues, they are consistently confident that the result will be helpful to their kin. We are cheerful that the gathering of Kabaka and the President will be extremely productive.”
The Kabaka was went with to the gathering by a four-man appointment, including his sibling Wassajja, Katikkiro Mayiga and group head (abatakka) Mutumba, and Kabaka’s helper Douglas Mukiibi .
Some realm supporters, talking on state of obscurity all together not to insult the lord, praised the gathering between President Museveni and the ruler, yet asked Mengo to consistently get ready subjects for such interface in advance.
Press release
President Museveni, Kabaka Mutebi discuss development
August 03, 2021
STATE LODGE, NAKASERO: President Yoweri Museveni has today recieved the Kabaka of Buganda HRH Ronald Muwenda Mutebi who paid him a curtersy call at State Lodge in Nakasero.
During the meeting, President Museveni and Kabaka Mutebi discussed development matters of mutual interest between the Kingdom and the government.
The two leaders later briefly exchanged pleasantries, both acknowledging that they have taken long without meeting, before going in for a closed door meeting.
The Kabaka of Baganda was accompanied by a four-man delegation including Prince David Wasajja and Katikkiro (Prime Minister) in the government of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga.
Kabaka’s 28th coronation anniversary speech
“…Buganda has never thought about seceding from Uganda or chasing away other Ugandans. We have on several occasions heard different people talking about Buganda land, alleging that it is stagnating the development of the country.
This is not true. Those [individuals] who are doing this [pushing for scrapping of Mailo land] want to weaken Buganda. Such things bring us discomfort and prompt us to ask why land in other parts of Uganda is not talked about. Why Buganda land? Why should Buganda’s unwavering hospitality be misconstrued as a weakness? …
We strongly condemn some of our people who are deliberately trying to divert us from demanding for our properties [ebyaffe] … We are not considering any other option to get back our properties rather than dialogue. This is what we have been doing in the last 28 years to pursue truth and justice and we are sure that such issues will be amicably resolved through dialogue.
When Mailo land is abolished as suggested in some quarters, one of the key pillars on which this kingdom was built will be destroyed. You, parliamentarians, who are here, you should know this; Buganda has never failed to discuss this (land) issue. We are ready to sit and show you how best land wrangles can better be resolved.
The government announced it would reform land laws scrapping Mailo land, which they say will protect interests of both landlords and Bibanja holders (tenants) and also save the latter from arbitrary evictions. The government attributes rampant evictions in Buganda to the 1900 Buganda Agreement with the British colonialists, which created dual ownership of land by both landlords and tenants.”
