Poll: Government wrong to block the Kabaka’s Kayunga visit

Although the Central Broadcasting Services radio is still closed, the poll says most Ugandans are satisfied with the way the Central Government has handled Buganda Kingdom and its other demands like land, the role of the Kabaka in politics, and federal system of government, writes Monitor Reporter.

Respondents in the central region, where Buganda Kingdom has many subjects, were also very critical, with 65 per cent opposing the decision, followed by the northern region.

Only the western region, where President Museveni and many senior government officials come from, had a majority of respondents supporting the decision to block the Kabaka’s visit, with 58 per cent saying it was the right decision. Opinion in the northern region was squarely divided.

Relations between Buganda Kingdom and the central government have hit rock-bottom over misunderstandings on either side. President Museveni’s government accuses officials at Mengo, the seat of the kingdom, of working with the opposition to campaign against government programmes.

The government also accuses the kingdom, which is a cultural institution, of involvement in partisan politics, in contravention of the Constitution. Buganda, on the other hand, accuses the government of trying to destroy its political and economic might through amendments to the land law, refusal to pay debts owed to it, and sponsoring want-away communities, such as the Banyala.

In the aftermath of the riots last September, the government shut down CBS, a radio affiliated to Buganda, and President Museveni announced a series of political moves to keep traditional unelected leaders at Mengo out of politics.

Mixed views
The latest poll shows mixed views about both decisions, with opinion sharply divided over the radio closure, but largely in support of its re-opening, as well as the way the central government is handling the Buganda question.

Opinion on whether it was right to close CBS radio is sharply divided, with 40 per cent of the respondents in the survey saying it was the wrong decision while 39 per cent say it was the right thing to do.

Some 16 per cent said they did not know whether it was the right decision – suggesting that the lack of an open trial of the radio over its alleged role in inciting the riots had denied many people a chance to determine its guilt or innocence.

The poll also reveals some regional disparities in opinion over the matter; while a majority in central region (67 per cent) say it was wrong to close CBS, a majority in the west (57 per cent) say it was the right decision. Almost eight out of every 10 respondents across the country, however, said CBS should be re-opened, with 44 per cent saying it should be reopened with conditions and 33 per cent saying without conditions.

Respondents were not asked to specify what kind of conditions should be imposed but the radio management and owners have so far resisted calls by the government to issue a public apology as one condition for the reissuance of a broadcast license.

Isolation policy
Respondents were asked the question: ‘When you think about the relationship between the central government and the Buganda Kingdom, how well has the central government handled the Buganda’s grievances?

More respondents in the survey (50 per cent) said they were satisfied with the way the government is handling Buganda’s grievances while 25 per cent said they were not satisfied but a large number (17 per cent) said they did not know. The poll again revealed a regional divide on this matter with more satisfied respondents in the west (62 per cent) than in the central region. Interestingly, however, there were more satisfied respondents in the central region (46 per cent) than dissatisfied ones (37 per cent) on a matter expected by many to translate into an election issue next year.

The poll was more decisive on the question of whether traditional leaders should have a say in political matters, with 52 per cent saying “no” compared to 41 per cent who said “yes”.

With the exception of the north where a majority (62 per cent) of respondents want traditional leaders to have a say in political matters, respondents in all the other regions – including the central region (54 per cent) and western region (66 per cent) – said no.

Federal division
Respondents to the survey were also asked whether Uganda should adopt a federal system of governance – a key demand by officials from Buganda Kingdom and a key recommendation from two official public inquiries by Justice Benjamin Odoki and Prof. Fredrick Ssempebwa.

Respondents were sharply divided in their responses; some 36 per cent said “no” to a federal system of government compared to 35 per cent who said “yes” but there was a large number of swing respondents – 24 per cent – who said they did not know, while six per cent refused to answer the question. Support for a federal system of government is highest in central region where 56 per cent of respondents support it but opposition to it is highest in the west where 52 per cent are opposed.

Surprisingly, support for a federal system is highest among younger respondents aged 18-25, among wealthier respondents, and in respondents aged 50 and above. Opposition to a federal system of government is highest among the middle-income respondents, respondents in Kampala and those aged between 36 and 40.

Those opposed to a federal system of government were asked to give reasons why. Thirty per cent said it will “bring division among people”; 11 per cent said it will “create tribalism”; eight per cent said the “current system is good”; while the same number said Buganda, which has been the more vocal advocate for federal, will benefit more than other parts of the country.