Museveni speaks out on Kasubi Tombs fire
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has pronounced himself on the Kasubi Tombs fire. The President regretted the incident and promised to get to the bottom of the matter. Below is his full speech.
Greetings to the people of Uganda. On this occasion, I talk to you about the tragedy that befell Buganda in particular and Uganda in general, on account of the fire that destroyed the superstructure of the big house of the Kasubi tombs. This house is called Muzibu Azaala Mpanga.
I, therefore, express my sadness and also my sympathies and those of the Government to His Highness the Kabaka and the people of Buganda on this tragedy. I also extend the same sympathies to the rest of Uganda because Kasubi tombs are also a national and international heritage.
Secondly, the Government, after the Cabinet meeting of the 17th of March 2010 and with my approval, has already formulated ways and means of helping the Kingdom of Buganda to rebuild the site working with UNESCO. A team of Cabinet Ministers led by the Hon. Gabriel Opio is working on this.
The Police, from the very first day, after the fire had been contained not to spread to the other buildings, started to find out what could have started the fire. Was it accidental or deliberate? If accidental, what could have caused it? If deliberate, who could have committed this heinous and contemptible crime?
Unfortunately, the people who came to put out the fire, which was a laudable and natural reaction, could have trampled over some of the clues which are normally useful at the scenes of crime.
However, there are other ways of unearthing crimes of this nature if it was a deliberate act.
The Police is vigorously following those ways. We shall not rest until we get to the bottom of this matter. I appeal for the cooperation of all those involved in looking after these tombs. I also extend my condolences to the families of the three youths who died in the subsequent unnecessary scuffles with security forces.
Could there also be other illegally armed elements that could have infiltrated the unruly crowds that tend to take advantage of these incidents? It is not correct for anybody, for whatever excuse, to interfere with the security forces when they are doing their duty. Why should anybody do this if he loves the Kingdom of Buganda or Uganda?
How will the truth come out if the security forces are not involved? Security forces only come in when there is need. Who had seen security forces frequenting Kasubi tombs before? Anyway, I, again, extend my condolences to the families of the people who died in the confusion; we extend sympathies to those who were injured; and the Government will assist the families of the dead and also the injured. I have given instructions to that effect.
Nevertheless, I am also infuriated by those who have been carrying out a whispering slanderous campaign that it is the Government that burnt Kasubi tombs!! What incredibly wicked elements we have in Uganda!!
If anybody is not yet sure of the evil and wicked intentions of some of these elements, a slander like this, is part of the proof. Why should NRM burn Kasubi tombs? We are the ones who liberated Kasubi and other Royal sites from the forces that had confiscated them and then, we handed them over to the Royal families of the different Kingdoms. Working with the Kingdom of Buganda and UNESCO, we have been assisting the sites.
Kasubi tombs are part of the tourist circuit of Uganda. It says in the Book of Galatians 6:7, that “whatever a man sows, that is what he will reapâ€. Those who sow this type of wickedness will harvest plenty of evil on themselves.
I have seen quite a number of such wicked actors in the last 50 years harvesting their wickedness. They think they are clever manipulators; but their wickedness turns them into foolish people who, inevitably, lose and come to just judgment. We should pray for such elements. They need God’s help.
Anyway, the record of NRM/NRA is very clear. We say what we mean and mean what we say. If anybody is not sure about this, then he/she will only have himself/herself to blame. Why burn Kasubi tombs? We have never burned UPC house on Kampala Road (Uganda House). We actually had legal arguments with UPC whether it was their property or a Government property because the Government had put a lot of money into completing it. I do not remember how it was concluded. I have been waiting for such elements to make this slander in public so that we come to grips with them.
Anyway, the Government had little to do with Kasubi tombs after we had handed over responsibility for that site to the Buganda Kingdom in 1993.
It is the Kingdom of Buganda which looks after that site. We have been assisting them through UNESCO. There are only two ways in which, again, the Government has been involved with Kasubi tombs after this tragedy: the fire-brigade response to put out the fire and the Police enquiries into the cause of the fire. Those are also the main reasons why I promptly visited the area apart from expressing our solidarity with the Kingdom of Buganda. I wanted to know whether the fire-brigade had responded promptly. Much as we still have some problems of corruption and incompetence within the Police force, they did exhibit reasonable response within the circumstances prevailing.
I received a written report from Julius Odwee, Deputy Inspector-General of Police. The report says that 999 Office got a telephone call from one David Kusiima, using mobile phone number 0712174612, at 8:45pm telling them that there was fire at Kasubi tombs.
At 8:50pm, 999 office rang fire-brigade to tell them about the fire. Why did they delay for five minutes? They need to answer this. However, commendably in my opinion, according to the Police report, fire engine number UP 0611 left the fire station at 8:52 pm — just two minutes after receiving the information. This engine was commanded by No 24484 Sgt. Apieu Danis. This was good response.
This fire engine reached the site and started trying to put out the fire together with the wanainchi that were at the site who were already trying to put out the fire using un-thatching the house method.
This is a traditional method used to put out fires, known as “kushambuura†in Runyankore and okuselekulula in Luganda.
However, fire engine number UP 0611 had gone without an accompanying water-tanker. This is important for purposes of replenishing the water once the original water is exhausted. We need to find out why this was so.
Nevertheless, commendably, again, in my opinion, at 9:03pm, that is 11 minutes after the original call from 999 informing the fire-brigade of the fire at Kasubi, the Chief Fire Officer of Police left with two vehicles this time: fire-engine number UP 0153 (fire-tender) and water tanker-number UP 0151.
Unfortunately, this reasonable effort by the fire-brigade was now disrupted by unruly crowds who were at the scene of the fire. When engine number UP 0611, the first engine to get on the site, withdrew to replenish water, some elements started stoning it for reasons I cannot understand.
The two vehicles coming to re-inforce the efforts were also stoned and damaged. Why? Who is giving such negative attitudes to these elements in the population? We need to get to the bottom of this matter.
It was at this point, about 9:30pm, that my Principal Private Secretary — Amelia Kyambadde rang me to tell me that Kasubi tombs were burning and that the fire-brigade going for rescue is being stoned by crowds. I said ‘what’!! I immediately looked for Major-General Kale Kaihura who was in South Africa.
Having failed to get him on the telephone, I looked for the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Julius Odwee.
He was on leave and was not informed about the fire. I, however, directed him that I did not want to hear about the nonsense of crowds blocking fire-brigade from doing their work. That is not how the country runs.
They should give armed escort to the fire-brigade to use the anti-riot procedures to clear those unruly crowds and put out the fire. That is what the Police did.
The two re-inforcement vehicles that had been prevented from reaching the site and the one that had been damaged at the site, under the command of the Chief Fire Officer of the Police, with anti-riot escort went, pushed aside the crowds, got on site and started fighting the fire in spite of all that lost time.
The Police succeeded in accessing the site on the fourth attempt and it was 11:30 pm! Three hours wasted, mambo ya ujinga tuu! All this was the fault of the unruly crowds that blocked the fire engines from doing their work.
By this time, the roof had caved in but because of the thick thatch, apparently, some of the artifacts were still intact. Maybe even the roof would not have collapsed if it was not for the interference of the indisciplined civilians.
The combined force of the three fire vehicles and two water-tankers from the fire-brigade plus one fire-vehicle from CAA managed to put out the fire by 2:00am and the smoldering embers were put out by 6:37am.
What were the achievements by the Police fire-brigade, interference by indisciplined civilians notwithstanding?
The achievements were three:
They, eventually, put out the fire and, therefore, saved some artifacts, the graves of the kings and the cemented foundation;
The fire was contained and did not spread to other buildings;
The main wall around the Muzibu Azaala Mpanga was saved.
Meanwhile, the investigations by CID about the authorship of the crime are continuing. You will be kept informed.
Therefore, the Government neither contributed to the fire, nor to its prolongation. So we need to find out who started the fire and who prolonged it. Instead, it is the Government that put out the fire, saved the kings’ remains, the wall, the cemented foundation and the artifacts.
The group that prolonged the fire were the crowds that interfered with the work of the Police.
The ideology of some of these groups who pretend to be loving cultural institutions needs to be addressed. We are recording everything.
I repeat that it is not acceptable for anybody to interfere in the work of the Police. We shall say more as the Police progresses with its investigations.
I, therefore, express my sadness and also my sympathies and those of the Government to His Highness the Kabaka and the people of Buganda on this tragedy. I also extend the same sympathies to the rest of Uganda because Kasubi tombs are also a national and international heritage.
Secondly, the Government, after the Cabinet meeting of the 17th of March 2010 and with my approval, has already formulated ways and means of helping the Kingdom of Buganda to rebuild the site working with UNESCO. A team of Cabinet Ministers led by the Hon. Gabriel Opio is working on this.
The Police, from the very first day, after the fire had been contained not to spread to the other buildings, started to find out what could have started the fire. Was it accidental or deliberate? If accidental, what could have caused it? If deliberate, who could have committed this heinous and contemptible crime?
Unfortunately, the people who came to put out the fire, which was a laudable and natural reaction, could have trampled over some of the clues which are normally useful at the scenes of crime.
However, there are other ways of unearthing crimes of this nature if it was a deliberate act.
The Police is vigorously following those ways. We shall not rest until we get to the bottom of this matter. I appeal for the cooperation of all those involved in looking after these tombs. I also extend my condolences to the families of the three youths who died in the subsequent unnecessary scuffles with security forces.
Could there also be other illegally armed elements that could have infiltrated the unruly crowds that tend to take advantage of these incidents? It is not correct for anybody, for whatever excuse, to interfere with the security forces when they are doing their duty. Why should anybody do this if he loves the Kingdom of Buganda or Uganda?
How will the truth come out if the security forces are not involved? Security forces only come in when there is need. Who had seen security forces frequenting Kasubi tombs before? Anyway, I, again, extend my condolences to the families of the people who died in the confusion; we extend sympathies to those who were injured; and the Government will assist the families of the dead and also the injured. I have given instructions to that effect.
Nevertheless, I am also infuriated by those who have been carrying out a whispering slanderous campaign that it is the Government that burnt Kasubi tombs!! What incredibly wicked elements we have in Uganda!!
If anybody is not yet sure of the evil and wicked intentions of some of these elements, a slander like this, is part of the proof. Why should NRM burn Kasubi tombs? We are the ones who liberated Kasubi and other Royal sites from the forces that had confiscated them and then, we handed them over to the Royal families of the different Kingdoms. Working with the Kingdom of Buganda and UNESCO, we have been assisting the sites.
Kasubi tombs are part of the tourist circuit of Uganda. It says in the Book of Galatians 6:7, that “whatever a man sows, that is what he will reapâ€. Those who sow this type of wickedness will harvest plenty of evil on themselves.
I have seen quite a number of such wicked actors in the last 50 years harvesting their wickedness. They think they are clever manipulators; but their wickedness turns them into foolish people who, inevitably, lose and come to just judgment. We should pray for such elements. They need God’s help.
Anyway, the record of NRM/NRA is very clear. We say what we mean and mean what we say. If anybody is not sure about this, then he/she will only have himself/herself to blame. Why burn Kasubi tombs? We have never burned UPC house on Kampala Road (Uganda House). We actually had legal arguments with UPC whether it was their property or a Government property because the Government had put a lot of money into completing it. I do not remember how it was concluded. I have been waiting for such elements to make this slander in public so that we come to grips with them.
Anyway, the Government had little to do with Kasubi tombs after we had handed over responsibility for that site to the Buganda Kingdom in 1993.
It is the Kingdom of Buganda which looks after that site. We have been assisting them through UNESCO. There are only two ways in which, again, the Government has been involved with Kasubi tombs after this tragedy: the fire-brigade response to put out the fire and the Police enquiries into the cause of the fire. Those are also the main reasons why I promptly visited the area apart from expressing our solidarity with the Kingdom of Buganda. I wanted to know whether the fire-brigade had responded promptly. Much as we still have some problems of corruption and incompetence within the Police force, they did exhibit reasonable response within the circumstances prevailing.
I received a written report from Julius Odwee, Deputy Inspector-General of Police. The report says that 999 Office got a telephone call from one David Kusiima, using mobile phone number 0712174612, at 8:45pm telling them that there was fire at Kasubi tombs.
At 8:50pm, 999 office rang fire-brigade to tell them about the fire. Why did they delay for five minutes? They need to answer this. However, commendably in my opinion, according to the Police report, fire engine number UP 0611 left the fire station at 8:52 pm — just two minutes after receiving the information. This engine was commanded by No 24484 Sgt. Apieu Danis. This was good response.
This fire engine reached the site and started trying to put out the fire together with the wanainchi that were at the site who were already trying to put out the fire using un-thatching the house method.
This is a traditional method used to put out fires, known as “kushambuura†in Runyankore and okuselekulula in Luganda.
However, fire engine number UP 0611 had gone without an accompanying water-tanker. This is important for purposes of replenishing the water once the original water is exhausted. We need to find out why this was so.
Nevertheless, commendably, again, in my opinion, at 9:03pm, that is 11 minutes after the original call from 999 informing the fire-brigade of the fire at Kasubi, the Chief Fire Officer of Police left with two vehicles this time: fire-engine number UP 0153 (fire-tender) and water tanker-number UP 0151.
Unfortunately, this reasonable effort by the fire-brigade was now disrupted by unruly crowds who were at the scene of the fire. When engine number UP 0611, the first engine to get on the site, withdrew to replenish water, some elements started stoning it for reasons I cannot understand.
The two vehicles coming to re-inforce the efforts were also stoned and damaged. Why? Who is giving such negative attitudes to these elements in the population? We need to get to the bottom of this matter.
It was at this point, about 9:30pm, that my Principal Private Secretary — Amelia Kyambadde rang me to tell me that Kasubi tombs were burning and that the fire-brigade going for rescue is being stoned by crowds. I said ‘what’!! I immediately looked for Major-General Kale Kaihura who was in South Africa.
Having failed to get him on the telephone, I looked for the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Julius Odwee.
He was on leave and was not informed about the fire. I, however, directed him that I did not want to hear about the nonsense of crowds blocking fire-brigade from doing their work. That is not how the country runs.
They should give armed escort to the fire-brigade to use the anti-riot procedures to clear those unruly crowds and put out the fire. That is what the Police did.
The two re-inforcement vehicles that had been prevented from reaching the site and the one that had been damaged at the site, under the command of the Chief Fire Officer of the Police, with anti-riot escort went, pushed aside the crowds, got on site and started fighting the fire in spite of all that lost time.
The Police succeeded in accessing the site on the fourth attempt and it was 11:30 pm! Three hours wasted, mambo ya ujinga tuu! All this was the fault of the unruly crowds that blocked the fire engines from doing their work.
By this time, the roof had caved in but because of the thick thatch, apparently, some of the artifacts were still intact. Maybe even the roof would not have collapsed if it was not for the interference of the indisciplined civilians.
The combined force of the three fire vehicles and two water-tankers from the fire-brigade plus one fire-vehicle from CAA managed to put out the fire by 2:00am and the smoldering embers were put out by 6:37am.
What were the achievements by the Police fire-brigade, interference by indisciplined civilians notwithstanding?
The achievements were three:
Meanwhile, the investigations by CID about the authorship of the crime are continuing. You will be kept informed.
Therefore, the Government neither contributed to the fire, nor to its prolongation. So we need to find out who started the fire and who prolonged it. Instead, it is the Government that put out the fire, saved the kings’ remains, the wall, the cemented foundation and the artifacts.
The group that prolonged the fire were the crowds that interfered with the work of the Police.
The ideology of some of these groups who pretend to be loving cultural institutions needs to be addressed. We are recording everything.
I repeat that it is not acceptable for anybody to interfere in the work of the Police. We shall say more as the Police progresses with its investigations.