Katikkiro to meet Buganda MPs on reforms

By Moses Mulondo

The Katikkiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga is scheduled to meet Buganda MPs to discuss various interests of the kingdom.

According to the Buganda caucus chairman Godfrey Kiwanda, the meeting will take place next week on October 15.

“We shall discuss various issues including the implementation of the agreement between the central government and the Buganda kingdom and the necessary constitutional reforms,” Kiwanda said.  

Sources revealed that after consulting the MPs, the Katikkiro would make a public pronouncement of the various constitutional reforms the kingdom is interested in.

In a June Buganda Lukiiko, the members resolved to reiterate the demand for federalism and constitutional amendment which would enable the kingdom get a portion of the tax revenue the central government collects from Buganda.

Two weeks ago, the government chief whip Kasule Lumumba also demanded that government gives Busoga a share of the tax revenue collected from factories within the region.

Kiwanda explained that the Buganda MPs have never had a meeting with the Katikkiro to discuss the content of the agreement with the central government which led to the return of over 213 land titles.

In a recent Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue, which brings together parties represented in parliament, Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda said government is in advanced stages of drafting various constitutional and electoral reforms.

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has repeatedly reminded government to bring the reforms to parliament as soon as they can to avoid being stampeded when time is running out.

The Buganda Caucus deputy chairperson Betty Nambooze revealed to The New Vision that before meeting the Katikkiro they would have a meeting at Parliament on Tuesday to harmonize their issues for discussion with the Katikkiro.

“We want to meet the Katikkiro to discuss how we can use the ongoing constitutional review process to make Buganda's demands part of the national agenda in the national assembly,” Nambooze said.

The Mukono municipality MP said they have been puzzled that whenever chiefdom like Buruuli, Kooki and Bunyala attempts to act independent of Buganda the leaders of those chiefdoms claim it was part of the Memorandum of Understanding the central government signed with the Buganda kingdom.

The chiefdoms have been demanding for titles of Masaza/county headquarters within their areas which are part of the 213 titles the central government returned to the Buganda kingdom.  
 
“We have not had an opportunity to look at the document. We want to know what exactly is in the Memorandum of Understanding,” Nambooze said.

The Buganda Mps, Nambooze said, will also use that meeting to ascertain whether their proposal to buy a classic coach/bus for the Kabaka is in line with the kingdom priorities.