Telling the truth is the only way forward for Uganda

Nov 05, 2009

TO human beings land is an economic commodity yet no one applies for permission to arrive on land. It is a common property for all from nature. Land should be shared for the good of all. It is, therefore, not correct for anyone to claim personal possessio

By Kajabago Ka-Rusoke

TO human beings land is an economic commodity yet no one applies for permission to arrive on land. It is a common property for all from nature. Land should be shared for the good of all. It is, therefore, not correct for anyone to claim personal possession of land above and beyond other human beings. This is an anomaly. Any such person is against other’s human rights and is a victim of selfishness.

Uganda is made up of different tribes. Each nationality was conquered by Britain at the time of colonization. By the time Britain was leaving, every nationality remained a component of the state of Uganda. Those nationalities who think that they should go back to become independent of Uganda should know that it is completely impossible to disintegrate the country.

There is a way of thinking in Uganda that the descendants of families which were monarchial should be given special cultural status, but that this status should not be political. The point here is that if it is not political, what sort of status can it be?

The fathers of the cultural leaders were political and if one wants them to follow in the footsteps of their fathers, how then will they be denied the political feature which was characteristic of their fathers? This is why once allowed to re-emerge, cultural institutions feel that their status is above that of those who did not come from the same type of families. This is the root of contempt to whoever may try to lure them towards cooperation.

The Republic of Uganda has a central government. It also has local governments which are branches of the central Government. These are political organs of Uganda’s state apparatus.

Article 246 of the Uganda constitution allows the formation of the cultural institutions of descendants of former monarchs of those tribes or nationalities in Uganda where they may be accepted. But they are not allowed to have any political power. This means they are not political organs of Uganda’s state apparatus. They qualify as non-governmental organisations. They may suggest anything that may help Uganda’s development or may suggest against what they consider is incorrect.

Cultural institutions should therefore be made to understand in unequivocal, categorical and non-ambiguous terms that they are not supposed to imagine that they can confront any organ of Uganda’s state apparatus. Be it noted also that it shall be incongruous and anomalous on the part of the central Government to either honour or respect them as if they are equals.

It has already appeared very absurd and ridiculous that a head of one of these institutions ignored responding to communication by the President of the Republic of Uganda for two years. The central government should conceptualise its own sense of governance, rule and power so that it knows where power of its own state apparatus lies.

Britain conquered Uganda territory in 1890. Bunyoro, a kingdom which was part of this territory, resisted the conquest.

Buganda, a kingdom of the same territory welcomed and supported conquest. Because of Buganda’s support to the conqueror, they were awarded the four counties of Bunyoro Kingdom which were Buuyaga, Buruuli, Bugangaizi and Mubende. During negotiations for independence, Bunyoro demanded the return of the four counties but only Buyaga and Bugangayizi decided to go back to Bunyoro.

There are suggestions that when Buganda is leaving these areas it should be compensated, but when Britain was leaving Uganda, it was not compensated.

Why then should British colonial stooges and quislings be compensated when they are leaving Kibaale? If anything these British colonial stooges and quislings should be made to pay for playing a negative role leading to the conquering of our territories and asking for compensation from those whom they betrayed. This is completely abominable and unimaginable.

When Britain conquered the territories “Mailo land” system was introduced. Chunks of land belonging to peasants were given to kings and chiefs. Today it should be the peasants to claim their land so that the mile land system is abolished. If the peasants come out with “Ebyaffe”, that is “Ebyaffe phase I” in decolonising the land system.

“Ebyaffe phase II” is when the colonial agents of Mailo land should be expropriated in favour of patriotism and nationalism. This follows properly in the footsteps of the late Semakula Mulumba, founder and head of the Bataka-Bbuu Party of 1945. He was a progressive Muganda characteristic of class struggle in favour of Buganda peasants.

When Britain left, all land that was left behind automatically fell under the central Government. All descendants of pre-colonial kings should be referred to as symbols of ancient political culture, but not cultural leaders, because they do not have any type of leadership and power based on politics like their forefathers. That is the truth.

They should neither be offered nor be entitled to any piece of public land or assets because that would mean creating a state within a state. They should retain such relics like assembly halls where they can meet followers of the same culture, retain palaces, areas of royal tombs which symbolise how we as Africans organised ourselves.
When they try to argue or debate, it will be wrong for anybody to either be disgusted with them or dislike them or be tired of them.

A leader and representative of people is supposed to feel, understand, and conceptualise the socio-economic feelings and aims of the people among whom he lives. The leader should summarise those feelings and aim at answering those feelings and intentions for the benefit of those very people.

There is need for political education and spiritual reconciliation. Spiritual life is very necessary and important for organising society in the name of humanity both in the economic base with land and superstructure with the state. We should all love each other.

The writer is a lecturer at the National Political Institute, Kyankwanzi

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