PRESIDENT MUSEVENI REVEALS A NEW MOVE TO BAR TRIBAL KINGS FROM TAKING PARTS IN UGANDA’S POLITICS
News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.
Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 1:53 AM
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has revealed that the cabinet has approved the new law barring tribal kings from participating in politics.
He told the traditional and cultural leaders, in a meeting held yesterday, at Masindi Hotel, that the proposed new law included a clause that not only bars tribal kings and chiefs from engaging in politics, but also prohibits politicians from “riding on kingdoms.”
The Forum for Kings and Cultural leaders being held at Masindi Hotel, is to last three days.
All the traditional and cultural leaders across the country re in attendnce at the forum, except the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Mwenda 11, who was conspicuously absent.
“We have enough politicians. Kings should not interfere in politics, but also politicians should not interfere with cultural institutions. It is both ways”, Museveni said.
Citing outspoken leaders, Ken Lukyamyuzi,Goeffrey Ekenya, and Kabakumba Matsiko, President Museveni said each region had a sufficient stock of strong politicians. “Should kings become politicians?”, he asked, adding, “No. This would be something of over supplying of the stock of politicians”, he said, amid prolonged laughter by participants.
The Ugandan leader said that politicians have enough work to pre-occupy them, such as building the roads, and fighting corruption, and do not need to get involved in cultural affairs.
The leaders strongly condemned ritual killings in the country, the rampant corruption, and high power tariffs.
According to the NEWVISION, an un-named participant at the forum asked Mr. Museveni if he would ask the ruling NARM parliamentary caucus to amend the law, so that murderers, rapists, defilers and people charged with corruption can only be given court’s bail, after 180 days in custody.
President Museveni, in response to the sentiments sais, “The fight against corruption will be much easier. Now it is like a game, a person is charged and he applies for bail and he is released.”
The NEWVISION, a government owned daily observed the President seemed to be preaching to the converted traditional leaders, under the chairmanship of the Omukama {King} of Bunyoro, Iguru, in a memorandum pledged to distance themselves from politics.
The king of Bunyoro answered, “We call upon the government to put in place measures to stop cultural leaders meddling in partisan politics or being used as platform by disgruntled politicians”. They also pledged loyalty to the sovereign state of Uganda and to work as peers.
The traditional and cultural leaders also asked the government to increase payments to them and fund their activities, give them budgetary allocations, and to grant them with royalties in the country’s natural resources ,including oil.
The also asked the government to implement the regional tier, and correct the past historical injustices. “We in particular support the Omukama {King} of Bunyoro Kitara to secure justice-including rights to land denied to his subjects in Kabale”, the Memorandum says in part.
The kings also navigated the sticky issue of the restoration and coronation of Prince John Borigye of Ankole, as the new King of his people in Ankole.
“We requested the government to reconsider recognition of the Omugabe of Ankole, the Kingdom of Ankole having existed for over 600 years is a wealth of cultural assets that we cannot afford to see going to waste and neglect as it is currently happening.” They said in their memorandum.
President Museveni promised institutions that missed out on money for “bana bagagawale” that they would be catered for in the next budget, and that financial support for cultural leaders would increase on monthly basis.
On the issue of the revival of the Ankole kingdom,President Museveni said the traditional institutions were all restored, but only in areas where the people cherished them.
Asked to introduce himself, the Banyala leader, Baker Kimeze, aroused uneasiness among the delegates when he stood up and thanked Museveni for the way he had handled the Kayunga issue.
“Allow me to thank you for the true spirit of statesmanship you exhibited while handling the issue of Kayunga. Many people are thankful for the protection given to them when Mengo {Kabaka} organized thugs to loot and possibly erase the “Banyala” out of the country’s maps”.
It could be remembers that the planned visit to Kayunga in Bunyala, which was stopped by the government, was the source of riots in Kampala City and Bunganda Kingdom in September, in which close to 30 people died, mainly from the bullet wounds fired by anti riot police.
Earlier in the meeting, the Bunyoro Prime Minister, Kiiza, had told the President that all cultural institutions had sent representatives, apart from the “notable absence of the one who cannot where the Ssabanyala and Ssabakaboruli are”, a loose proverbial reference to the Kabaka of Buganda. Buganda is embroiled in land dispute with Bunyore Kingdom and also is adamant to acknowledge the existence Bunyala as a county located with Buganda, but as a separate entity.
Apart from the king of Bunyore at the meeting, were Bunyama Drulia. Jopadhola, Bamasaba and the Rwot of Lango. The other traditional leaders had sent representatives.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com,.