Walusimbi defends himself against corruption charges
Written by Our Reporter   
Saturday, 04 July 2009 15:40

Buganda's Katikkiro, John Bosco Walusimbi, confronted the Baganda living in London who accused him of being corrupt and a surrogate of President Yoweri Museveni.

Meeting them at Strafford London University Campus, East London and accompanied by two of his predecessors, Mulwanyamuli and Emmanuel Ssendaula, Walusimbi attacked those who criticized him for accepting money and gifts from President Museveni saying the money helped the Kabaka tour his kingdom and buy seeds for the farmers in Buganda. He promised that he is soon getting more money from Museveni.

A Baganda group called Saagala Agalamidde, led by Mr Godfrey Sekisonge organised the visit. The visitors also included Mengo State Minister for Youth Mathias Mpuuga and Buganda Health Minister Nelson Kawalya. Mpuuga until a few months ago was a key player in the Nkobazambogo Youth Organisation. However, the Uganda Government Newspaper in Luganda, Bukedde - reported
that Mr Mpuuga had appealed to President Museveni to start funding Nkobazambogo to start targeting the Baganda.

Also in the audience was ISO (Internal Security Organisation) operative Aisha Kabanda. She was particularly there allegedly with an assignment from Kampala to monitor and assist in identifying Baganda dissidents against the NRM Government in Uganda.

Despite frequent heckles from the audience Katikkiro Walusimbi narrated his development plans for Buganda. He claimed hat he is a self-made man and by virtue of his name Walusimbi, would continue to generate money for Buganda.

Ssendaula used a substantial amount of the time allotted to him talking about his experience as diplomat in France and Australia. It was at this juncture that someone shouted from the audience that the Baganda must take up arms to free Buganda. Ssendaula answered: "We shall join you when we have your lorry full of arms in Buganda." When his turn came, former Katikkiro Mulwanyamuli, the architecture of the much-touted regional tier, failed to say anything about the tier. Instead, he talked about a new Buganda Trust Investment Fund.

Those in the audience murmured that the Trust is a Ugandan arm of a Kenyan Bank run by Kenyan supporters of the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC). Many wondered how this trust would survive given also to what happened to other Buganda banks like Teefe Bank, Greenland Bank and Ssembule Bank where Mulwanyamuli himself was a director.

Despite relentless efforts by some members of the audience to engage the visitors on issues like the controversial land grabbing in Buganda, the selling of Buruuli county for Shs350 million, The looming taking over of Kampala by Museveni and the Global Fund money Museveni is demanding from Mengo, the audience was given no chance to air their views. Even the press was given no chance apart from Mustapha Semanda who was picked after raising his hand repeatedly. Our sources say that Mustapha who is aslo the former DP UK chair would not have got a chance to ask any questions. Apparently it was only after protests from Mr Muwanga (who founded Buganda Centre UK and also one of the representatives of the JEEMA party in UK) who urged Enock Kiyaga to allow Mustapha to air his views. One of the queries Mustapha raised was whether there is any plans to make sure that the Buganda Trust and its accounts are registered in a foreign country like Switzerland or England where it would be very hard for the government of Uganda to close them down like the way Greenland Bank was frozen. The Katikkiro never answered Mustapha's query instead he insisted that 'Buganda we are not beggers'. This was in response to Mustapha's earlier question about the likelihood of Buganda becoming more dependant on central government money or funds for survival.

The Katikkiro's entourage seemed to have underestimated the anger and dismay Baganda harboured towards them. When it came to the promised Question and Answer session, it was obvious that the Master of Ceremony, Mayanja Kiyaga, avoided picking on those thought to be unfriendly to the Katikkiro.


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