Kooki bans Buganda anthem in schools, opts for English over Luganda

RAKAI. In its push for full autonomy from Buganda Kingdom, the Kooki chiefdom council has banned the singing of Buganda anthem in all schools and at official functions under its jurisdiction.

Kooki chiefdom Information minister Stanley Ndawula said the resolution to ban the Buganda anthem in the chiefdom was taken during their council sitting last weekend. The chiefdom council is an equivalent of the Buganda Kingdom Lukiiko (parliament).

He said the chiefdom also resolved to use English during its council meetings with Luganda relegated to only those who can’t speak English. The resolutions were communicated by Kamuswaga’s (Kooki hereditary chief) cabinet ministers while meeting residents in Kachera Sub-county on Tuesday.

“In order for the people of Kooki to master and sing Entendo lye’ Kooki” (Kooki Anthem), the Buganda anthem should be banned in schools and during official functions in the chiefdom. We have our own anthem and that is what we should promote” Mr Ndawula said.

Hajji Iddi Kiwanuka, the Kooki chief Premier, said the revival of their language and Kooki Anthem is meant to strengthen their cultural values and to stop being mistaken as being dependent on Buganda Kingdom.

“We want to evolve from that tradition of using Luganda language during functions because we have our own,” he said.
Mr Kiwanuka urged elders in the area to start teaching people in their localities the Lukooki language.

He said to prevent the native Lukooki from being extinct, they have started a campaign to teach it in schools in the chiefdom and also ensure it is included on Uganda’s education syllabus.
Daily Monitor has reliably learnt that only three elders in Kooki can competently speak Lukooki and Luganda is widely spoken in the area.

Buganda Kingdom spokesperson Noah Kiyimba wondered why leaders in Kooki who should be working towards uniting the people are busy wasting time on ‘small issues’.

“Kooki is part of Buganda and no one can stop Kabaka’s subjects there from singing the Buganda anthem ,” Mr Kiyimba said by telephone yesterday. He cited a formal agreement that was signed between Kooki and Buganda which he said cannot be changed by a mere resolution of the chiefdom council.

Since his enthronement in 2003 , reports have been circulating within Buganda that the Kamuswaga Apollo Ssansa Kabumbuli II, the hereditary chief of Kooki, is hatching a plan to secede from Buganda Kingdom, accusing the Mengo establishment of not honouring the agreement his forefathers signed with Buganda on November 18,1896.

The chiefdom has previously raised a number of demands to Mengo, one of which was being accorded a special status, higher than that of other ssaza (county) chiefs, and to have this throne inside the Mengo Lukiiko hall. Recently, the chiefdom launched its flag and anthem which are different from those of Buganda.

But Kiwanuka yesterday denied the initiatives were done in order to secede from Buganda, insisting they simply want Mengo to appreciate the fact that Kooki has its culture which should be respected.

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