President Yoweri Museveni has criticised Mengo, the seat of the Buganda kingdom, saying it was selfish to try and suppress other people’s cultures.

Speaking in Nakasongola, he urged the Baruuli, one of the tribes seeking autonomy from Buganda, to stand firm and defend their culture against what he said were efforts by Mengo to wipe it out.

He promised to fund the establishment of a Luruuli radio station to promote Kiruuli culture and language. “Your language is important. The colonialists worked with Mengo to exterminate it.”

Museveni, who was addressing a rally at Nabiswera sub-county headquarters, was responding to a request by the district chairman, James Wandira, to fulfill his promise for a radio station for the Baruuli.

The President observed that Mengo, which stands as a cultural institution, was ironically opposed to other people’s cultures within Buganda and was trying to stifle them.“They don’t wish for others what they wish for themselves,” he said, adding: “If you cherish your culture, why don’t you appreciate other people’s cultures as well?”

He recalled that when former President Milton Obote abrogated the 1962 Constitution and abolished the kingdoms, he led the struggle to overthrow Obote and bring back Buganda’s culture.

“The Mengo people were happy because I had removed the problem of Obote. But it’s the same people who have for all these years tried to suppress the cultures of the Baruuli and Banyala. That’s not good behaviour.”

The Baruuli of Nakasongola and the Banyala of Kayunga, which are ethnic minorities in Buganda, have been advocating for the recognition of their cultural identity.

Museveni emphasised that neither Mengo nor himself created Luruuli but God. “I don’t support that selfishness. I fought Obote and he understood it,” Museveni warned. He later asked the residents to sing for him a song in Luruuli.

Relations between the Government and Mengo were strained in October 2008 when the Government blocked the Kabaka from visiting Nakasongola.

They soured further when the Kabaka was again blocked from visiting Kayunga district a year later, which sparked off riots in Kampala and parts of Buganda.

The President, on a Prosperity for All promotion tour, warned he would fight those who confuse the public with sectarian talk.

“Some leaders delude and confuse people with less important things, tribes, religion. Leaders hoodwinking people, I am angry with such people. They are not helping you. They are using you for selfish ends yet they are well off. I am going to battle them.”

The President told residents that the gist of his tour was to awaken citizens so that they start commercial ventures and engage in modern farming to boost household incomes.

Even if power and tarmac roads were extended to all parts of the country, they are useless if people remain poor, he argued.

He visited the farm of Florence Nabukenya of Nayitonda village in Wabinyonyi sub-county who earns sh2m monthly from her cassava garden and mangoes.

He also visited Stanley Senku of Ssasira village in Wabinyonyi who rears poultry and grows maize. He ended his tour on the farm of Robert Damba of Kabakazi village in Nabiswera sub-county who rears chicken and has a piggery. The President donated sh3m to each farmer to expand their projects.

Addressing a rally at Nabiswera sub-county headquarters, Museveni directed the NAADS officials in the district to provide cross-breed bulls for the mainly cattle-keeping communities in the area to get more milk.

Responding to a report by Wandira that residents were being evicted from their land, Museveni promised to send his personal lawyer to investigate the claims.

“The law we passed is harsh. If you evict tenants illegally, we can jail you for seven years. If we find that a tenant has been evicted as a result of bribery, the state attorney, magistrate, Police commander and landlord will be arrested,” he warned.

The President consented to a request by the district chairperson to create another constituency in Nakasongola.
He promised the local authorities a health centre, an ambulance, a veterinary research center and more schools.

He also agreed to meet the war veterans during the Easter holidays at his country home in Rwakitura.

-February 24, 2010 by Henry Mukasa and Frederick Kiwanuka

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Source: www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/711010 (accessed on 26.02.10)