Monday 22 March 2010

Ancient Buganda burial site on Fire

Buganda under siege as Kasubi tombs are burned to ground
Unknown people have set ablaze the burial places of Buganda’s Kings in
what seems as the latest attack on the Kingdom of Buganda. The Kasubi
which harbor the last remains of the Kings of Buganda with a 129 year
old history were Tuesday night torched to the ground. The suspects of
this inferno have not yet been established. The fire which started
with Muzibuazaalampanga, the main ancestral house later spread to the
nearby huts at the tombs in a heavy fire which despite a heavy
downpour and fire brigade efforts could not be put out.
Thousands of Baganda loyalists thronged the site on Tuesday night to
mourn the incident, these included Eng Allan Waliggo Nakirembeka, the
head of the Clan Leaders Council, Mengo Minister for Culture and
tourism, Nakiwala Kiyingi and Prince Namugala among other Buganda
Kingdom officials. A visibly stricken Buganda Premier Eng. J.B.
Walusimbi regretted the incident and urged the people of Uganda that
the Kabaka’s government will come to the bottom of the case. He called
upon Baganda to remain strong amidst this confrontation and vowed that
the tombs will be re-built at whatever cost it may demand as soon as
possible. Wilberforce Luwalira the Bishop of Namirembe called upon
Baganda to remain calm and asked God to protect the King throughout
these hard times.

The Kasubi tombs were a few years ago earmarked by UNESCO as an
international Heritage site one of the few in the whole world; it is
one of the leading tourist revenue earners for the Kingdom of Buganda
alongside other sites. The site also was the final resting place of
Kabaka Muteesa I who invited Christian missionaries to Uganda, Kabaka
Daniel Basammulekkere Mwanga who ordered for the massacre of the
Uganda Matyrs, Kabaka Daudi Chwa who was king at the signing of the
1900 agreement with British Colonialists and King Fredrick Edward
Walugembe Muteesa II who was deported by the British and later died in
exile after troops loyal to former president Milton Obote besieged his
Mengo palace in 1966.
The tombs which were built in 1891 housed a number of items including
the royal drums and a number of royal regalia were kept at the place.
Also in custody at the enclosure were a number of animals both
domestic and wild believed to have connection with the ancestral
spirits. Chairs brought by the European Missionaries, jewelry ,
cowries shells among others.
According to eyewitnesses the fire started at 7:30 pm on Tuesday
evening and although the cause of the fire has not been established
the possibility of arson is high. According to residents an unnamed
individual was seen entering the premises a few minutes shortly before
the fire. Attempts to put out the fire were futile as the heavy fire
spread from house to house and despite a Tuesday night downpour and
heavy fire brigade presence, little could be done to put it out.

According to Princess Kagere it is like Muteesa II has been killed
again, Kagere one of Muteesa’s daughters was struck by grief. Speaking
to the Press, Kagere said it was unfortunate that the remains of her
late father had been burnt. Mengo Attorney general Apollo Makubuya
said that the Kingdom will rebuild the fallen structures as soon as
possible although he was pessimistic whether they would ever retain
the fallen glory after the infernal.
Angry people blocked the police from entering the tombs and this
forced the police to retaliate by shooting in the air to disperse the
crowds. By Monday Midday a heavy deployment of both the police and the
army was visible. Gen. Katumba Wamala the Head of Land Forces was
leading the deployed security forces.

Museveni blocked from entering scene
At around 11:00 am Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni attempted to
reach the site and express his grief but was blocked by Baganda who
chanted slogans expressing solidarity with the Kabaka and the crown.
It took military might to clear the way for the Ugandan president who
was from the view of events an uninvited mourner. Mr. Museveni who
appeared under heavy guard was booed by the crowd which later sang the
Buganda Anthem for the whole period he was at the scene. The police
and army had to shoot in the air to clear the way for the President’s
motorcade. Earlier on a number of government officers were chased away
from the scene of the infernal as if to suggest that government was
connected to the arson. Rubaga Division chairman Peter Sematimba could
not wait for a rough-up as he fled the scene after angry Baganda
youths threatened to burn him.
By midday on Wednesday the Buganda cabinet was in a closed session
following the inferno. Fires believed to have been ignited by
arsonists have ravaged different parts of the Kingdom and it remains
to be seen whether this could be the climax. In 2008 and 2009 alone a
total of 40 schools in the Buganda region were torched in fires
believed to have been connected to the Kingdom’s stand on the Federal
arrangement for Uganda.

Linked to Makerere university riots
However observers of Uganda’s political spectrum have intimated that
the torching of the Lubiri had a possibility of relationship with the
student’s strike at Makerere University on Monday night which left
three students dead from shootings by an errant security guard.
Ignatius Nyongeza, Brian Angoka both Kenyan students and Aaron Mugezi
a Uganda students were killed after being shot by Richard Akasi a
security guard attached to Snowwhite guards. According to eyewitnesses
a drunken Nyongeza tried to hit a car belonging to NRM guild
presidential candidate John Taylor after they came to his hostel to
canvass votes for their candidate. Nyongeza who was a supporter of
Simon Peter Kamau a Kenyan student contestant was according to
eyewitnesses confronted by Taylor’s supporters. Following the
shootings Makerere students took to the streets protesting the
killings of their colleagues. Business came to a standstill in the
areas of Wandegeya, Kasubi and Nakulabye as rowdy students vandalized
property and engaged police and the army in running battles. The
shooting incident which happened at God is able Hostel left the
premises shattered by students who destroyed the hostel’s glass
windows. Students then looted a coffin at Wandegeya and proceeded to
Mulago hospital mortuary to retrieve the bodies of their fallen
colleagues but were stopped by a heavy deployment of police. The
students then overran the police as the force ran out of teargas.
According to Police’s political Commisar Hassan Kasingye, the errant
guard had been arrested and is currently detained at Central Police
Station in Kampala.

Meanwhile police has disarmed all security guards belonging to Snow
White Security guards, the police has also taken over the security of
all student’s hotels near Makerere following the shooting of three
students. In a related development the Makerere Guild elections have
been postponed indefinitely until further notice following the
student’s riots. According to John Ekudu, the Dean of Students
Makerere University, the surrent situation is not condusive to a fair
electoral process. The elections for the new guild leadership are a
tight contest between the Democratic party’s Shaban Ssenkubuge and the
National Resistance Movement’s John Taylor. Others in the contest are
Grace Cheruto, a Kenyan student and Simon Peter Kamau also a Kenyan
student. Kenyan students have increasingly taken active participation
in the Guild politics of Makerere University. Makerere University has
over 2000 foreign students with over sixty percent being Kenyan
students.

Otunnu Warns Museveni

Otunnu Warns Museveni
The end of president Museveni’s era as custodian of the Ugandan state
could be near. This according to newly elected Uganda Peoples
Congress President Olara Otunnu is not far as many Ugandans have been
made to think. Speaking at his first public appearance since becoming
UPC president in a tightly contested election , Ambassador Otunu
warned Mr. Museveni to prepare for his early retirement from the
position he has held for the last quarter of a century making him
Africa’s second longest serving ruler. “I have big news for Museveni,
that era is over, we are going to challenge Museveni frantically
without fear and intimidation” echoed Otunnu amidst cheers and
ululations from party diehards.
The former UN Undersecretary also warned security services against
intimidating opposition politicians as the country slides towards the
2011 presidential and parliamentary elections. “We shall not let
Museveni get away with accidental deaths and criminal killing of
(opposition) political leaders” According to Dr. Otunnu they shall
investigate all cases of intimidation and extra-judicial killing of
opposition members and hold Mr. Museveni accountable.
Otunnu is a survivor of a recent accident involving his motorcade and
the Presidential Guard Brigade in Gulu District of Northern Uganda. He
believes that the accident was an attempt at prematurely ending his
life thus blocking the democratic process in Uganda after expressing
intentions to stand against Museveni in the 2011 polls.
He also called for electoral reforms lambasting the Electoral
Commision for failing Democracy in Uganda arguing that there should
not be compromise with the Hajji Kiggundu –led Commision which has
been twice proved incompetent by the highest courts of law. Otunnu
also called upon the opposition to galvanise support around a single
candidate. According to Dr. Otunnu Political parties must unite to
cause regime change.
Otunnu a former minister in the Tito Okello government which ousted
Dr. Milton Obote from power in 1985, is among the main contestants for
the 2011 presidential polls which also have Democratic Party’s Nobert
Mao, Jaberi Bidandi Ssali representing Peoples Progressive Party and
the winner between Rtd. Col. Dr Kiiza Besigye and Gen. Mugisha
Muntuyera for Forum for Democratic Change. His main challenger to the
joint candidacy is Dr. Kiiza Besigye who has twice wrestled Mr.
Museveni and earned a term in prison alongside other state inspired
crimes including rape. Dr. Besigye also lost his brother Kifeefe in
Luzira prison on charges of treason and conspiring to overthrow Mr.
Museveni’s government.

Police deployment at Makerere Hostels unwarranted.

Police deployment at Makerere Hostels unwarranted.

In 2005 in the pages of the daily Monitor Newspaper I warned about guns in Makerere University. Then I was a first year at University and had witnessed a student being shot by a colleague in a love-gone sour incident. I expressed dissatisfaction at the increasing gun culture in Makerere then with students attached to security agencies carrying guns . Recently 3 students were shot by a trigger happy guard over an election disagreement. I also warned about the militarization of students politics in Makerere with the influx of security agents during guild elections with a view of intimidating students. That same year a student was shot dead in a riot at campus and yet this wasn’t the first time that police under the same government had killed students. In 1990 at Makerere two students were killed by police in a riot at campus over student’s welfare during Mao’s reign as guild president. Now police has taken over the security of the student’s hostels but I don’t think this is a wise decision as police and students are sworn enemies. I commend the police for their work but am afraid they are prescribing the right medicine for a wrong ailment.

I don’t think the students died because of insufficient security but because of incompetencies of the police. Makerere has two police stations and a third one is in the offing but despite these cases of insecurity are rampant. Even if each hall was protected by a garrison, matters related to student’s risky behaviour would always arise as long as there are motivating factors such as a strike, an election or mutual disagreements amongst students.

Even if police was deployed, with constables shooting innocent children, the probability that disagreements between students (who are always known to have extra-ordinary detestation for uniformed characters) and police are bound to arise and trigger happy constables are more likely to unleash terror much in the same way as the private security guards.

Moses Kalanzi

Kampala