By Mulengera Reporters
Buganda Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga (CPM) has said the President of Uganda doesn’t have to be a Muganda for the politically very influential region to benefit from the national cake and become economically developed.
Instead Mayiga said what Uganda needs is a President who can govern equitably for all parts of the country to benefit from the taxes citizens pay.
He was responding to NTV “On The Spot” presenter Patrick Kamara who (quoting Prof Mamdan) wondered why despite being located in the central region with a lot of numerical strength, Buganda was still failing to produce a President for Uganda. This was on Thursday night.
Mayiga said Muganda becoming President perse wouldn’t be sufficient to solve Uganda’s problems or even those of Buganda. He implied it would be simplistic for anyone to assume that Buganda will achieve all its desires the moment the President is a Muganda.
Mayiga, who refused to rule himself out of the equation for future Presidency, enumerated key political milestones Buganda had registered in the post-independence Uganda including producing several Presidents (though short-lived). He added that even in 1980, the genuine winner of elections that caused Obote problems was PK Semogerere, a politician from Buganda.
Mayiga said what’s important is for Uganda to have a president that stands for rule of law and govern everyone in fairness. That way, he said even regions which don’t have strong presidential material politicians can economically prosper and transform.
Focussing on the brutal manner in which he was arrested as Kabaka’s information Minister in 2008, Kamara put it to Mayiga that the ideal situation of leaders following rule of law doesn’t exist in Uganda today yet he isn’t raising a finger, something the moderator said betrays people and lessens Buganda’s political significance in contemporary Uganda.
Mayiga said he had often spoken out exposing the excesses of the government each time opposition leaders are mistreated. He said these remarks have often provoked protestations from the Central government.
He said the fact that sometimes even the opposition are unhappy with him is proof that as Katikkiro he is doing to a good job.
Mayiga said he is careful not to over criticize government even when he knows its overwhelming excesses because of mainly two reasons. The first reason is because he is Katikkiro who should be neutral and secondly because he needs politicians from both sides to support him so that he delivers his agenda as Katikkiro.
Kamara rejected this as vague arguing its improper for the Katikkiro to claim neutrality between right and wrong. Mayiga also said if he chooses he can freely give his views on politics because he isn’t a cultural leader in the sense envisaged in the law.
Saying he too can be president and there is no big deal about it, Mayiga said being President of Uganda is much easier than being Katikkiro of Buganda. Reason? Katikkiro is expected to accomplish a lot without financial resources yet the president has a lot of cash at his disposal. To make a good President, Mayiga said one just has to be a good listener to suggestions from advisors and smoothly run the country.
He said much as he is convinced he can make a good president, its not something he will be available for in 2021 but its a big possibility he could offer himself in the subsequent elections. He explained its becoming President that is hard but governing isn’t hard. “Even in perfect elections its hard to get the Presidency. You can just ask Obama, Trump or even Uhuru Kenyatta. Any of them will tell you how hard they worked to become President,” said Mayiga.
Kamara tactfully got Mayiga to agree that after being Katikkiro for so many years, there aren’t many other political positions one aspires for apart from the Presidency. “Of course not 2021 but later on why not? By the way let nobody lie to you that being President is such a daunting task. You just need good supply of common sense,” said Mayiga who Kamara was specially interviewing to highlight his accomplishments in the last 6 years of his Katikkiroship. (For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755).
