Why was Buganda absent at Binaisa’s funeral?
Aug 22, 2010
I was the assistant master of ceremonies at Namirembe Cathedral at the funeral service of the ex-president, Godfrey Binaisa. My initial brief was to say a few words about the Budo days of Reverend Canon Juuko Binaisa (Kings College Budo, 1913-15, Canada House), since every fallen Budonian is entitle
Dr. Edwadi Kayondo
I was the assistant master of ceremonies at Namirembe Cathedral at the funeral service of the ex-president, Godfrey Binaisa. My initial brief was to say a few words about the Budo days of Reverend Canon Juuko Binaisa (Kings College Budo, 1913-15, Canada House), since every fallen Budonian is entitled to this service by the Old Budonian Club.
On getting to Namirembe, I was requested by the Binaisa family to be the master of ceremonies since their first choice, David Mpanga, the Mengo minister for research, had suddenly fallen ill. Kabakumba Masiko, the Government in-charge, said that I should be her assistant rather than the master of ceremonies since this was a state funeral.
I noticed that the cathedral was half empty. Could many would be mourners have been put off by security concerns? I proceeded to take note of the wreaths and the people who brought them so they could be called to lay them on the casket. I also took note of the dignitaries present for the purpose of recognition.
It is then that I noticed that there was not a single member of the Buganda royal family who would otherwise have occupied a special front row seat.
The Katikkiro of Buganda, Eng. J.B Walusimbi and Israel Mayengo, a long time personal friend of Binaisa, came around, but there was no other dignitary from Mengo.
An argument ensued between the clergy and the master of ceremonies as to whether the master of ceremonies should call the Katikkiro to lay a wreath and say a few words. This was settled when I asked the Katikkiro and he said he was there ‘just in attendance’. I also noticed that the Buganda ‘who is who’ (important representatives) were largely absent.
The Government was represented by Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi and a few top ministers and other officials including the NRM secretary general, Amama Mbabazi.
The host Anglican clergy included retired Archbishop Livingstone Nkoyooyo and retired Bishop of Namirembe Balagadde Ssekade.
The Catholic church was represented by the auxiliary Bishop of Rubaga, Christopher Kakooza. There was no Mufti, nor a representative of the Orthodox and Seventh Day Adventist churches. The religious spectrum was a notch lower than it should have been.
Mackay church, Nateete, the burial site, had more decent numbers composed mostly of the locals who had come to see a state funeral but kept on muttering that Binaisa should not have been buried at the church because he was not ‘Christian enough’. After the burial , very few of us proceeded to Makindye, the fallen Binaisa’s home.
Conclusion
It is clear the Buganda royal family, kingdom and establishment boycotted Binaisa’s funeral. I dare say there could have been more numbers and officials from the Government.
Questions:
Are there unforgivable sins in Buganda?
Is Buganda kingdom soul in Uganda?
Are Buganda kingdom interests always at variance with Uganda’s?
Most leaders who straddled Uganda’s independence like Grace Ibingira, Abu Mayanja, Samson Kisekka, Basil Bataringaya, Daudi Ochieng, John Kakonge, George Magezi, Godfrey Binaisa, Paulo Muwanga, Benedicto Kiwanuka, Idi Amin and Mathias Ngobi are dead.
But is it fair to Ugandans that men whose parents took them to good educational institutions, who were around when history was being made in Uganda and occupied positions in government that influenced the lives of millions of their countrymen should leave no book or biography detailing their experiences?
Sir Edward Muteesa wrote The Discretion of My Kingdom.
To those still living; Cuthbert Obwangor, Adoko Nekyon, Mayanja Nkangi, Kintu Musoke, please take up this call of history so the future generations can learn from your experiences. It is important that Uganda starts keeping books of our history written by credible individuals.
Had Binaisa written a book, his denials of having crafted the 1967 republican Constitution would have been reinforced.
This article is not meant to offend anyone, but rather to highlight events as they were at the late Binaisa’s funeral.
The writer is the mobiliser of the Old Budonian Club and a researcher
I was the assistant master of ceremonies at Namirembe Cathedral at the funeral service of the ex-president, Godfrey Binaisa. My initial brief was to say a few words about the Budo days of Reverend Canon Juuko Binaisa (Kings College Budo, 1913-15, Canada House), since every fallen Budonian is entitled to this service by the Old Budonian Club.
On getting to Namirembe, I was requested by the Binaisa family to be the master of ceremonies since their first choice, David Mpanga, the Mengo minister for research, had suddenly fallen ill. Kabakumba Masiko, the Government in-charge, said that I should be her assistant rather than the master of ceremonies since this was a state funeral.
I noticed that the cathedral was half empty. Could many would be mourners have been put off by security concerns? I proceeded to take note of the wreaths and the people who brought them so they could be called to lay them on the casket. I also took note of the dignitaries present for the purpose of recognition.
It is then that I noticed that there was not a single member of the Buganda royal family who would otherwise have occupied a special front row seat.
The Katikkiro of Buganda, Eng. J.B Walusimbi and Israel Mayengo, a long time personal friend of Binaisa, came around, but there was no other dignitary from Mengo.
An argument ensued between the clergy and the master of ceremonies as to whether the master of ceremonies should call the Katikkiro to lay a wreath and say a few words. This was settled when I asked the Katikkiro and he said he was there ‘just in attendance’. I also noticed that the Buganda ‘who is who’ (important representatives) were largely absent.
The Government was represented by Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi and a few top ministers and other officials including the NRM secretary general, Amama Mbabazi.
The host Anglican clergy included retired Archbishop Livingstone Nkoyooyo and retired Bishop of Namirembe Balagadde Ssekade.
The Catholic church was represented by the auxiliary Bishop of Rubaga, Christopher Kakooza. There was no Mufti, nor a representative of the Orthodox and Seventh Day Adventist churches. The religious spectrum was a notch lower than it should have been.
Mackay church, Nateete, the burial site, had more decent numbers composed mostly of the locals who had come to see a state funeral but kept on muttering that Binaisa should not have been buried at the church because he was not ‘Christian enough’. After the burial , very few of us proceeded to Makindye, the fallen Binaisa’s home.
Conclusion
It is clear the Buganda royal family, kingdom and establishment boycotted Binaisa’s funeral. I dare say there could have been more numbers and officials from the Government.
Questions:
Most leaders who straddled Uganda’s independence like Grace Ibingira, Abu Mayanja, Samson Kisekka, Basil Bataringaya, Daudi Ochieng, John Kakonge, George Magezi, Godfrey Binaisa, Paulo Muwanga, Benedicto Kiwanuka, Idi Amin and Mathias Ngobi are dead.
But is it fair to Ugandans that men whose parents took them to good educational institutions, who were around when history was being made in Uganda and occupied positions in government that influenced the lives of millions of their countrymen should leave no book or biography detailing their experiences?
Sir Edward Muteesa wrote The Discretion of My Kingdom.
To those still living; Cuthbert Obwangor, Adoko Nekyon, Mayanja Nkangi, Kintu Musoke, please take up this call of history so the future generations can learn from your experiences. It is important that Uganda starts keeping books of our history written by credible individuals.
Had Binaisa written a book, his denials of having crafted the 1967 republican Constitution would have been reinforced.
This article is not meant to offend anyone, but rather to highlight events as they were at the late Binaisa’s funeral.
The writer is the mobiliser of the Old Budonian Club and a researcher