Bafuruki hit back at President Museveni, Mengo to issue IDs to all Baganda
Emmanuel Gyezaho & Robert Mwanje
Parliament
Leaders of migrant populations in Bunyoro region yesterday accused the
President of “sowing the seeds of tribalism” as Mr Museveni moved to diffuse
tensions by inviting them for a meeting.
The Bafuruki, as the migrants are commonly known in Bunyoro, were responding to
a July 15 letter from the President in which he proposed that elective
positions in the oil-rich region be reserved for ethnic Banyoro.
The Bafuruki leaders were by press time last evening still meeting behind
closed doors in Kampala under their umbrella body, the National Association of
Migrants (Nam) to draw up a comprehensive reaction to the President’s letter.
A source who attended the meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity because
he is not authorised to speak for the association, told this newspaper last
night that the Bafuruki had perceived Mr Museveni’s letter as an attempt to
marginalise them.
At least 22 Bafuruki leaders attended yesterday’s closed meeting, drawing
members from the districts of Hoima, Masindi and Kibaale. The meeting was
chaired by Nam chairman Rev. Geoffrey Tibenda.
“The meeting was called in response to the President’s letter,” said Mr Nathan
Muhindi, the association’s secretary. Mr Muhindi said the “general feeling” in
response to Mr Museveni’s letter “was negative”.
He said: “We don’t want to issue a premature statement but hopefully we shall
come to conclusion tomorrow [on Wednesday].”
Mr Museveni yesterday moved to soothe nerves by inviting the Bafuruki leaders
to a meeting to discuss his views on the matter.
While Daily Monitor could not independently verify this claim, Buyaga MP
Barnabas Tinkasiimire confirmed the invite. “[President Museveni] called me
today at 11a.m. and said we should mobilise all the Bafuruki leaders to see how
we can handle the problems at hand,” Mr Tinkasiimire, himself an immigrant
Mukiga, told Daily Monitor yesterday.
“We agreed to meet on August 8.”
State House spokesman Tamale Mirundi said: “I can neither confirm nor deny that
such a meeting will take place. But these are the President’s people. He meets
everybody and if he has invited them, it’s okay”.
Although the President says his letter was meant for internal discussions and
is subject to change, the country’s political landscape took on a tribal hue
yesterday after officials at Mengo, the seat of Buganda Kingdom, announced
plans to register all Baganda.
Mengo’s Information Minister Medard Lubega said the registration will be
carried out through clan heads and will include births and deaths.
“The Kabaka must know his people in total for proper planning,” Mr Lubega said.
“We also want to be sure about the origin of our people.”
Baganda are the largest ethnic group in the country with an estimated
population of over seven million people.
Internal Affairs Minister Kirunda Kivejinja yesterday said the central
government has no trouble with the scheme.
“Once it’s done un-politically, like through the clans, the kingdom is free to
count her people,” Mr Kivejinja said by telephone.
Buganda’s Lukiiko [Parliament], this week approved a Shs 15million budget for
the exercise. According to the Kingdom Treasurer Ms Nagawa Mukasa, the kingdom
will also issue identity cards to all registered Baganda.
It is not clear whether Buganda’s move is in response to the President’s
letter. What is clear is that the proposal comes at a time when relations
between Buganda Kingdom and the central government are lukewarm. Buganda
opposes the proposed expansion of Kampala City to include more of its
territory, proposed amendments to the Land Act, and the central government’s
refusal to discuss granting it a federal system of government.
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