By Mulengera Reporters
All the images and videos emerging from the campaign trail indicate that a lot of momentum is going for Robert Kyagulanyi (imperfect as he might be). And this is seemingly the case in every part of the country that the “omwana wa Buganda” (as some have opted to christen Kyagulanyi) has been to.
Whereas these large gatherings may not automatically translate into actual votes on polling day, the crowds being drawn outside the central region have the effect of emboldening millions of young people (many of them voting for 1st or 2nd time) from especially Buganda and Busoga, who feel justified to stick to Kyagulanyi and once again vote for him while disregarding Gen YK Museveni, the veteran leader from Rwakitura who has been Uganda’s President for 40 years without break.
One thing is clear-the people in the whole country are growing angry and impatient with the rule of Gen Museveni whose record continues to be ruined by growing security forces’ brutality, human rights violations, income inequality and inability to decisive crack the whip on the corrupt, especially the younger public office-holding cadres in his party.
Yet the impending expiry of Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo’s tenure (come next January) avails Gen Museveni an opportunity to do something and intervene in a way that can have a calming effect on the widespread political resentment especially in Buganda, home ground for Kyagulanyi.
There are many grievances in the region including those relating to enforced disappearances, drone operations, economic deprivation, land grabbing, political exclusion and growing invisibility of people from the central region at the apex decision-making table of this country. With Museveni being President for 40 years, with a lot of patronage emancipating especially natives from his home region, people from Western region are seen as already eating enough.
Easterners too (and to an extent northerners) have lately been eating very well and in significant proportions. Owiny Dollo has been leading the Judiciary arm of government as Chief Justice and in the process causing people from the greater north to have significant visibility. With Anita Among and Jessica Alupo from Teso heading another arm of government (called Legislature) and serving as Vice President respectively, the Easterners have lately been eating well too.
Busoga lost Speakership (to Teso) and NRM Secretary Generalship (to Northern) but weren’t severely punished by the big man from Rwakitura as viciously as he did to Buganda after securing re-election in 2021. Busoga at least has two Deputy Premiers in Rukia Nakadama and Rebecca Kadaga. They also have greater proximity to the head of the Legislature by virtue of their daughter-in-law Anita Among being Speaker.
The biggest position Buganda (which in total has 14 Ministers) was given after 2021 was that of Attorney General, which Kiwanuka Kiryowa continues to proudly occupy. But KK isn’t an elected leader, something some even inside the National Resistance Movement keep grumbling about. Until recently, when he gladly accepted to become patron for the pressure group called ‘Buganda on Museveni,’ KK wasn’t that much involved in overt political mobilization.
A lot of mobilization efforts have been undertaken to turn Buganda region around (in favour of Museveni) but as singer Ronald Mayinja proclaims in his “Mzee Abantu Baaganye” hit, majority of the young people remain unwilling to ever again consider voting Gen YK Museveni and his other NRM candidates in Kabaka’s region.
Kyagulanyi’s support remains overwhelming, as can be seen from large crowds that insist on coming to see him inspite of efforts by security to divert and prevent him from accessing densely-populated trading centers and townships.
In fact, this is the reason why many individual NRM flag bearers for especially MP and LC5 positions from Buganda have privately been reaching out to NRM party leadership at Kyadondo and to CEC man Haruna Kasolo begging to be permitted to exclusively look for their own vote without being required to mention Gen Museveni anywhere nor be required to have his campaign posters anywhere near theirs.
They are also reluctant to ask for or accept yellow T-shirts with his portrait (he certainly is already aware of this resentment which is why he and his spouse Janet not very long ago publicly apologized to Buganda while calling on God to bestow fresh favour upon them).
Many such flag bearers are saying the young people (who are the majority over 70% of the voting population in most constituencies) actively resent Museveni and are generally exhausted about his endless Presidency.
“Being required to campaign for Mzee’s re-election is becoming a big problem because in some areas voters say we could consider you because of your personal goodness but the man you are marketing for Presidency, we don’t want him anymore,” a concerned flag bearer pleaded during a recent strategy planning meeting for NRM flag bearers in Kampala. Canon Ruth Nankabirwa was present and tried to encourage them, while giving contrary advice, in vain.
Party leaders who convened that meeting at a Kampala hotel made it clear that it would be hard to go to State House to ask for campaign facilitation for the flag bearers who are too fearful to go defend the record of Gen Museveni while marketing him for re-election. Mayinja ably brings out all this almost unassailable hostility in his “Abantu Baaganye Mzee” song. A few older persons still favour Museveni in rural Buganda but they are two few to enable him score even 10%.
This is the bitter reality which strategists inside NRM have to contend with if they are to be genuine and honest to themselves, as Mayinja proposes in his song. He says that, while promoting his “Akalulu kako Mzee [the vote is for M7]” song in different parts of Buganda, he was able to come face to face with organic voters and discovered that they are too angry to even listen and at least disagree with him later. He advises that Museveni eats a humble pie and bows out so that millions of disgruntled young people get the chance to elect and instal someone else at State House.
THE CJ SLOT:
Whereas not much is going to ever change, so that people in especially Buganda get to love and like Gen Museveni once again, there is something he can do and have some calming effect. And who knows, the anger in some sections of the population could diminish a bit so that, as a community, Buganda doesn’t continue feeling deliberately excluded.
Since Ben Kiwanuka, who ceased to be CJ in 1972, Buganda hasn’t been able to produce the apex big man for the Judiciary even when the region is home to some of Uganda’s most educated, experience and respected legal brains. Even the LDC and Makerere’s Law School, the country’s most prestigious, is located in Kampala which is in Buganda.
The closest Baganda came to heading the Judiciary was more than 10 years ago when Justice Leticia Kikonyogo served as Deputy CJ. There was also Stephen Kavuma whose tenure was mired in lots of controversies until he was forced out.
Since Ben Kiwanuka, we have had Wako Wambuzi, Benjamin Odoki and Bart Katureebe (all these under Museveni’s 40 years). None of these has been a Muganda. There can be justification why not many Baganda are generals in the army. But it’s hard to justify why a Muganda can’t become CJ especially at this point in time, when some of the country’s best legal minds are Baganda.
And Dollo’s impending exit presents Gen Museveni with a perfect opportunity to get a Muganda head the other arm of government. Anita Among predictably has another five years to do as Speaker as Museveni cruises to 45 45 years of Presidency. Heading the Judiciary is the only opportunity Baganda can quickly get to head an arm of government. Whereas this may not be enough to get millions of young people in Buganda to consider it acceptable to ever vote NRM again, the same eases the political messaging by those cadres still loyal and willing to risk marketing Museveni and defending his record in Buganda.
It enables such Musevenists to have something to say to demonstrate that Museveni still wants to engage with the region which is renowned being pace-setters when it comes to the politics, economic and social life of Uganda.
If he were to act pragmatically as he used to do those many years ago, before he became evidently exhausted with too much work, Gen Museveni would realize that it’s not too late as yet to call an eminent Muganda lawyer and prompt him or her to apply for the CJ slot. Because of what politically is at stake, people have to be identified and prompted to apply so that a signal is sent out.
A few names come to mind. These include his own good cadre and personal lawyer Kiwanuka Kiryowa who qualifies because he has the minimum of 20 years in productive legal practice. He is also energetic and a high-performance person. He also despises mediocrity and has always led by example. He currently serves as Attorney General and naturally a member of Judicial Service Commission. He has the clout and good will from centers like Mengo and people at Kabaka’s palace.
If not KK, for purposes of avoiding being very predictable, Gen Museveni could consider Senior Counsel James Sebugenyi, a former ULS President and a leading partner at Sebalu Lule Advocates. Like Kiryowa, Sebugenyi is a muganda with good connections at Mengo. He hasn’t been in partisan politics a lot and the only political work he has done was at the time he served as the legal man for the NRM Secretariat. This makes him someone Museveni and the ruling political system can safely do business with.
If not James Sebugenyi, Sr Counsel Ruth Ssebatindira is another person that could be considered. You just get someone to reach out and prompt her to apply. She has name-recognition as her LIGORMAC is one of the most vibrant law firms in Kampala. She has also previously served as ULS President and also a member of the all-powerful Judicial Service Commission which recruits, promotes and disciplines judges. She hails from Masaka, she is wealthy and a Rotarian deeply rooted in community causes under both the Church and Buganda Kingdom. There is also Sr Counsel Andrew Kasirye who is reputable and his never engaged in partisan political hostilities.
Baganda, who are keen to follow these things, were hopeful that after Katureebe their Esther Kisakye was getting the thing. She was among the most senior at the post-Katureebe Supreme Court and was indeed interested in the job. She applied but the job was given to Dollo who some considered to be not as senior as she was. And when Dollo took charge, he didn’t do enough to manage her expectations and be very complementary towards her.
Their relationship became complicated resulting into public quarrelling which saw Kisakye hire UPC lawyer Peter Walubiri to file court cases against the system. This only escalated things and caused her more persecution which she protested by fleeing to exile. Her supporters among Baganda remain resentful of the perceived injustice that was visited upon her and finding someone else from her Ganda community to come in at this point in time could have a calming effect of some sort.
All said and done, the inevitable dilemma is that accepting the wisdom articulated in this writing would see Gen Museveni offend constituencies that favour other Dollo throne contenders such as Catherine Bamugemereire, Flavian Zeija, Mike Chibita and Prof Lillian Tibatemwa Ekirikubinza-all of whom have been his good allies over the years. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
