Kabaka’s 25-year journey

In 1993, I was one of the four lawyers who witnessed the oath of Prince Ronald Muwenda Mutebi as he became the Kabaka of Buganda at Naggalabi in Buddo.

For a few years, I had been serving as the kingdom’s principal administrative secretary. In the run up to the coronation, very few people gave the kingdom any chance of survival. Some people would tell it to our faces that the kingdom would not last more than four years.

It is, therefore, remarkable that today we mark 25 years since that Saturday morning. I have been lucky to be at the forefront of the restoration of the kingdom and now to serve as katikkiro — Ssaabasajja Kabaka’s principal advisor. Over the last 25 years, the kingdom has tremendously registered success. The first being that the Kabaka is still on his throne presiding over his kingdom. Kabaka Mutebi is the first king anywhere in the world to re-establish a kingdom after it had been abolished.

Achievements
One of the key achievements of the past 25 years is the unity and cohesion among the people of Buganda when it comes to kingdom issues. People put their political and religious differences aside and work for the good of the kingdom. I have witnessed this first hand in Ettoffaali and Luwalo Lwaffe (both fundraising drives) as well as in Emwanyi Terimba (coffee growing campaign). Catholics work together with Muslims and NRM stalwarts have no issues serving on committees chaired by DP or FDC diehards and vice versa.

The Kabaka’s subjects, especially young people, have embraced and consolidated our heritage. They are proud of their clans. Before the restoration of the kingdom, some clans had started intermarrying each other.

People from different sub-clans of Mamba and Ngabi clans had started claiming that it was not forbidden to marry each other. Although this had started with such big clans, over the years it would have crept into even smaller clans. The Kabaka dedicated his reign to the youth and they have not let him down. Ekisaakaate kya Nnabagereka (queen’s cultural camp) is embraced by many young and ‘corporate’ parents.

Education
Education has been a key achievement. The Kabaka deliberately holds a lot of functions at schools because that way, parents and guardians understand the need to have their children educated. From time to time, he encourages people to build schools and take their children to school. In this, he fulfills the vision of his great grandfather, Ssekabaka Muteesa I, who invited missionaries to teach his people how to read and write. Kabaka Mutebi has offered bursaries to all children in Uganda and has built schools from primary, technical schools, to university.

As efforts to mark his silver jubilee, he launched Kabaka Mulondo House at the Buganda Royal Technical Institute in Mengo. A year before, he launched Namasole Sarah Nalule building at Lubiri High School, Buloba campus.

He has been very developmental with the launch of Bucadef, which gives technical advise to his people, especially on agriculture and the provision of water and other services. Working with other partners, people are provided with water and advised on modern farming practices. Some people have started embracing growing coffee, cassava, mattooke and other foodstuffs.

Other projects
The kingdom has also increased its income with the construction of buildings such as Muganzirwazza and the completion of Masengere, which had stalled for nearly four decades. Ssaza headquarters have been renovated and some sub-counties such as Bukomero in Ssingo now have new buildings at their headquarters.

Palaces are an integral part of our culture because they are official residences and offices of the Kabaka. Ahead of Kabaka’s wedding in 1999, the main palace house was built in Kireka. At Bbanda, which the Kabaka uses as his office, a new palace house was built that is modern and befitting his stature. Last week, we handed over a fully furnished Twekobe in the Mengo Palace. Baamunanika Palace is nearing completion. However, Nkoni and Lukunyu palaces both in Buddu need to be worked on.
The Mengo Palace grounds need to be redeveloped because we cannot continue to have 260 acres of a bush in Kampala. The Kabaka, like you heard him last week, wants us to focus on its redevelopment.

On Saturday last week I officially occupied Butikkiro — the Katikkiro’s official residence. I am the first katikkiro in 52 years to use Butikkiro, which has been refurbished as well.

We have streamlined the way we do business at Mengo. Our companies are now professionally run and follow acceptable corporate governance standards. Bulange itself is much more welcoming both as a physical structure and the people who work there. This has created trust with many corporate bodies now signing agreements to work with us.

On Friday, I launched our latest partnership with Airtel who will now power our telecom company K2 Telecom, which is now known as K2 Ejjudde. With Airtel’s advanced infrastructure and professional expertise, K2 will be able to provide a service that people expect of a Buganda Kingdom company.

In the same week, we also launched Olwendo Mineral Water in partnership with Emmanuel Katongole’s Vero Foods Ltd. Before that, we launched Ngule Lager with Uganda Breweries, among many other such partnerships. Such partnerships not only help us increase our income which is needed to serve our people by providing health and education services, among others, they employ many people directly and indirectly, including non-Baganda.

The revenue we earn is taxed, which enables the central government to achieve its goals. Partnerships have led to us providing care to sickle cell and fistula patients. The Kabaka is the UNAIDS Ambassador for HIV/Aids in Africa.

Challenges
We don’t have much money to do what people expect of us. For example, the people of Buganda demand a very modern hospital but we are short of resources to do so.

If Uganda becomes a federal state like over 90 per cent of people have demanded, then each region can be able to cater for its unique peculiarities. I believe the people in Karamoja or West Nile understand their issues more than anybody else. A federal system would protect their heritage.

The other big challenge that the kingdom faces is volunteerism. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact volunteers have done a lot of good for the kingdom for many years. However, you sometimes don’t have control over them. They work when they want and of course prioritise those who pay them.

Secondly, you don’t get the quality you need with volunteers. And those who are good, sometimes once they get an opportunity, they move on despite their dedication to serve their Kabaka.

We want to be able to attract the same people that the private sector attracts. That will require a lot of resources.
As I conclude, I want to congratulate Ssaabasajja Kabaka, the people of Buganda and all Ugandans upon reaching this milestone. I want to thank Daily Monitor for always giving me a platform to express my views.

KABAKA-MUSEVENI RELATIONS
Agreement. In 2013, the Kabaka and President Museveni signed an agreement, which has led to the return of some of our land. In Buganda, land is our way of life and a key aspiration of the kingdom. The people on such land have been empowered through Ekyapa mu Ngalo by acquiring leases that can enable them develop the land and secure their tenancy. Although much has been achieved, there is still a long way to go.

The writer is the Katikkiro (prime minister) of the Kingdom of Buganda