Keep Mengo out

With John Kakande SOME officials of the Mengo establishment have come out to campaign at public rallies for certain presidential candidates during the on-going presidential election campaigns. The officials who include, Robert Ssebunya, Joyce Ssebugwawo, Kamala Kanamuwangi and Sewava Sserubiri have been very conspicuous at Candidate Col. Dr Kizza Besigye's rallies. Likewise, the Mengo county chief for Mawogola, Mumira-Nsanafu Mutesa, is an active campaigner for Candidate Yoweri Museveni. Three renown and controversial Buganda royals Princesses Nabweteme and Nakabiri and Prince Ssimbwa recently attended Museveni's rally at Nkumba. Katikkiro Ssemwogerere has stated that any Kingdom official who wants to campaign for any presidential candidate must take leave. The Katikkiro needs to take additional measures to safeguard the sanctity of Buganda's royal institution. I think if any Mengo official wants to campaign for a presidential candidate he/she should be asked to resign forthwith. This would make it clear that Mengo does not take responsibility for his or her political activities. The Kabaka should be at liberty to decide whether to re-appoint the concerned person to the position or not. The Mengo officials have a constitutional right, like other citizens, to support a candidate of their choice. They are free to resign and campaign for any candidate. They also have a right, as citizens, to stand and be elected to any elective office including the presidency. Article 246 of the Constitution prohibits only cultural leaders to join or participate in partisan politics "while remaining a traditional leader or cultural leader." Mengo officials can therefore join politics freely, provided they do not do so as part of the cultural institution. But they should not purport to speak for the Buganda Kingdom, when they are at political rallies. The official spokesman of the Buganda Kingdom is the Katikkiro. The monarchies in Uganda, however, should not been seen to be in favour of any presidential candidate. This is reason Kingdom officials must keep away from political rallies, as long as they still hold monarchical offices. The Monarchy should not be dragged, directly or indirectly by association, into potentially explosive political conflicts and controversies. This was the mistake that was made at Independence when Kabaka Yekka (KY) was formed as the official political party of the Mengo establishment. The British monarchy has survived because it has steered clear of partisan politics. The British royals do not attend political campaign rallies or publicly side with any political party. Prince Charles suffered terrible embarrassment in 1991 when information leaked to the British press that he had expressed, during a private meeting with a group of Parliamentarians, support for review of the British electoral system. Prince Charles was not expected to express a view on any politically controversial issues. Buganda Kingdom's political interests are known. Mengo wants Buganda to be granted a federal status. Nonetheless, it is harmful for some Mengo officials to campaign for any candidate on the ground that he would grant Buganda federal status. What would happen or what would it mean if the favoured candidate lost? If the favoured candidate lost, it could be interpreted that federalism is unpopular and yet this is not necessarily true. For instance, in 1980 the Conservative Party including its President, Mayanja Nkangi, never won a single parliamentary seat even in Buganda although the Party campaigned on the basis of federalism and monarchism. There are also other serious implications that Buganda Kingdom would suffer if the candidate any Mengo official supported, lost the elections. The winner, could deliberately seek to sabotage or undermine Buganda Kingdom's interests and aspirations. It is therefore vital that Mengo distances itself from its politically active officials. Ends