Prime
An open letter to President Museveni: Buganda, bees, and the burden of legacy
President Museveni
What you need to know:
- From the colonial era to the post-independence crises, Buganda has been both a strategic ally and a formidable challenger to central power.
- Your own political journey, though rooted in a military campaign, gained traction in Buganda through alliances with prominent Baganda figures such as Ssabasajja Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, Prof Yusuf Lule and other key actors.
Your Excellency, I write in the wake of the much-discussed incident at Mbiriizi Seed School in Lwengo District, where a swarm of bees disrupted the “Buganda for Museveni” rally. While the event may appear comical on the surface, many have interpreted it as a symbolic message, whether from nature, the ancestors, or the public itself.
The fact that this occurred during a rally bearing Buganda’s name has stirred not only political reflection but cultural and spiritual speculation. Across history, natural signs have often been interpreted as warnings or invitations to change course. As you are aware, biblical leaders such as Pharaoh received divine messages through dreams, and it took wise counsel, like that of Joseph—to interpret them. Perhaps this bee episode, as bizarre as it seemed, offers a moment of pause and reflection on the long-standing but now visibly strained relationship between the central government and the Buganda Kingdom. Buganda, as Your Excellency knows, has been central to Uganda’s political evolution.
It helped shape the modern state both administratively and culturally. The name ‘Uganda’ itself was derived from Buganda. From the colonial era to the post-independence crises, Buganda has been both a strategic ally and a formidable challenger to central power. Your own political journey, though rooted in a military campaign, gained traction in Buganda through alliances with prominent Baganda figures such as Ssabasajja Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, Prof Yusuf Lule and other key actors. When the time came to launch the final phase of the war, it was in Buganda that your forces gained the geographical and symbolic leverage they needed. Today, however, that historic partnership appears frayed. The current tension risks undermining national unity.
While many Ugandans might still look to your leadership for stability, especially given the weakness of the opposition, the unease between Buganda and the state remains a persistent threat to cohesion. That said, reconciliation must be mutual. While the state should show humility and willingness to address historical grievances, Buganda too must be willing to step forward, not with folded arms or entrenched pride, but with clarity and a constructive spirit.
The kingdom is known, sometimes rightly, for its resilience, independence of thought, and yes, its stubbornness. But this is a moment to show leadership and open-heartedness. Dialogue is not defeat; it is a sign of maturity and foresight. We owe it to our children to leave behind a better Uganda. One where past quarrels no longer cloud future possibilities. One where cultural institutions are respected but not politicised.
And one where government recognises that unity is not achieved through silence or dominance but through deliberate engagement and mutual respect. Your Excellency, you are no longer the youthful revolutionary of the 1980s. You are a statesman now, a grandfather to the nation. This may well be your final full term in the office. Wouldn’t it be better remembered as a time of reconciliation rather than continued tension? The bees may have spoken. The country waits for a wiser response.
Respectfully, Gertrude Kamya Othieno
Political Sociologist & Writer (Alumna of the London School of Economics)
