Miria apologises to Baganda
Feb 06, 2006
Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) presidential candidate Miria Kalule Nakitto Obote yesterday met Katikkiro Dan Muliika and formally apologised to the kingdom for the party’s misdeeds.
By J. Maseruka
Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) presidential candidate Miria Kalule Nakitto Obote yesterday met Katikkiro Dan Muliika and formally apologised to the kingdom for the party’s misdeeds.
This was her first time to formally meet kingdom officials since President Yoweri Museveni’s government restored monarchies in 1993.
People gathered at Bulange as Miria and her entourage entered the 54-year-old building, which between 1966 and 1993, was occupied by the army, following the abolition of monarchies in 1967 by her husband, president Milton Obote.
Some people commented, eeh maama Miria akyali mboko (Miria is still pretty).
The late Sir Edward Muteesa II, Kabaka Mutebi’s father who was president then, fled his Mengo palace into exile in the UK, where he died.
Miria was accompanied by eight UPC officials among them Prof. Patrick Rubayihayo the UPC national chairman, Henry Mayega a special envoy to the party president and Dr. Henry Opioti , Miria’s physician.
In a cordial atmosphere, Miria said, “Many things went wrong in the past. UPC wants to forget past mistakes and start afresh to build a new Buganda in a united Uganda. We want to foster faster development of all parts of the country through forgiveness and reconciliation.â€
After the 90-minute meeting, Muliika told journalists that Maama Miria had apologised and wanted to start afresh.
Muliika turned to Miria and said, “On behalf of the kingdom, I accept your apology. Let us start afresh.â€
He said, “Such an apology will only be genuine depending on what the UPC members put in practice. We want them to support the kingdom demands.
“This historical moment must be a lesson to others that the Kabaka does not discriminate against anyone. Mengo is more than ready to listen to any political leader and I appeal to them to support our cause.â€
In a statement to Muliika the UPC said the party was committed to supporting Buganda’s demands for a federal government and an appropriate order of precedence for the Kabaka.
UPC also said it supports the Kabaka’s right to appoint the Katikkiro and the right for the federal government to determine individual administrative units within their jurisdiction such as districts, counties, sub-counties, parishes and villages.
In his eight-page statement to Miria during the closed meeting, Muliika narrated the aftermath of the 1966 crisis and appealed to Baganda to accept the UPC apology.
The Katikkiro also requested Miria and other political leaders to avoid divisionism, dictatorship and nepotism but aim at forgiveness, unity, love and constitutionalism.
Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) presidential candidate Miria Kalule Nakitto Obote yesterday met Katikkiro Dan Muliika and formally apologised to the kingdom for the party’s misdeeds.
This was her first time to formally meet kingdom officials since President Yoweri Museveni’s government restored monarchies in 1993.
People gathered at Bulange as Miria and her entourage entered the 54-year-old building, which between 1966 and 1993, was occupied by the army, following the abolition of monarchies in 1967 by her husband, president Milton Obote.
Some people commented, eeh maama Miria akyali mboko (Miria is still pretty).
The late Sir Edward Muteesa II, Kabaka Mutebi’s father who was president then, fled his Mengo palace into exile in the UK, where he died.
Miria was accompanied by eight UPC officials among them Prof. Patrick Rubayihayo the UPC national chairman, Henry Mayega a special envoy to the party president and Dr. Henry Opioti , Miria’s physician.
In a cordial atmosphere, Miria said, “Many things went wrong in the past. UPC wants to forget past mistakes and start afresh to build a new Buganda in a united Uganda. We want to foster faster development of all parts of the country through forgiveness and reconciliation.â€
After the 90-minute meeting, Muliika told journalists that Maama Miria had apologised and wanted to start afresh.
Muliika turned to Miria and said, “On behalf of the kingdom, I accept your apology. Let us start afresh.â€
He said, “Such an apology will only be genuine depending on what the UPC members put in practice. We want them to support the kingdom demands.
“This historical moment must be a lesson to others that the Kabaka does not discriminate against anyone. Mengo is more than ready to listen to any political leader and I appeal to them to support our cause.â€
In a statement to Muliika the UPC said the party was committed to supporting Buganda’s demands for a federal government and an appropriate order of precedence for the Kabaka.
UPC also said it supports the Kabaka’s right to appoint the Katikkiro and the right for the federal government to determine individual administrative units within their jurisdiction such as districts, counties, sub-counties, parishes and villages.
In his eight-page statement to Miria during the closed meeting, Muliika narrated the aftermath of the 1966 crisis and appealed to Baganda to accept the UPC apology.
The Katikkiro also requested Miria and other political leaders to avoid divisionism, dictatorship and nepotism but aim at forgiveness, unity, love and constitutionalism.