SORRY: Baguma Isoke addresing journalists in Kampala yesterday

By Joyce Namutebi

THE Minister of State for Lands, Matia Baguma Isoke, has apologised to the Baganda for saying they are worse than the Lord’s Resistance Army rebel leader, Joseph Kony.

The Buyanja MP, who lost in the NRM primaries, also said he had withdrawn his remarks and was quitting office very soon.

Isoke apologised at the weekly government press briefing yesterday.
Present was the Minister of State for Information, James Nsaba Buturo and the Director of Information, Kagole Kivumbi.

“Because of the controversies this statement has generated, I hereby withdraw it, with my heartfelt apologies to the Baganda as a people,” the composed Isoke said.

Asked whether he would resign, Isoke replied, “I’m soon leaving office anyway.” He did not state when. Asked if he would also apologise to the Kabaka, Isoke said nothing.

Isoke attacked the Baganda while appearing before the commission of inquiry into Bunyoro issues on Monday.
He said the Baganda committed worse atrocities on the Banyoro than Kony is doing in northern Uganda.

He said, “When people talk about Kony killing in a dehumanising manner, I don’t know what they are talking about. Baganda did worse things, like cooking someone in a pot or forcing one to eat grass like an animal. A Muganda was and is still looked at as a wild animal. Our children, who will also tell their children, know these stories,” he said.

The commission appointed by the President on September 4, 2005 was charged with inquiring into land issues, the inter tribal relationship of the communities, the cause of conflict and politics of the Bunyoro region and is expected to recommend how people there can co-exist peacefully.

It is chaired by Ruth Mukama at the Ministry of Works Training Institute at Kyambogo.

Isoke said he was invited to the commission in his capacity as Buyanja MP and not as minister to address them.
He said his verbal presentation lasted two hours, after which he travelled to the western region on national duty.

“Then on Tuesday, The New Vision came up with this screaming headline and story, ‘Minister blames Baganda, British’,” he said.

He said subsequently, a Luganda daily and other radio stations carried similar stories comparing the Baganda, who between 1891 and 1900 made military expeditions into Bunyoro, to Kony.
Asked why tribal tensions were common in Bunyoro and not other areas, he said, “Let us wait for the report.”

He said genocide was committed against the Banyoro 100 years ago under the command of Frederick Lugard and others, which lasted 10 years.

He said Omukama Kabalega and King Mwanga were captured and imprisoned and this sparking off the tension.
He said the genocide contributed to the 1966 crisis, when Obote attacked King Frederick Mutesa’s palace, forcing him to flee into exile in Britain.

Later Obote abolished the kingdoms but President Museveni reinstated them after he came to power in 1986.