By Richard M. Kavuma & David Kibirige
July 31, 2004 - Monitor
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KAMPALA — The much-awaited federo talks between President Yoweri Museveni and Buganda Kingdom officials did not take place on Thursday evening. The eight-member Mengo delegation was instead treated to a sumptuous supper. They stayed for two hours at State House Nakasero. Sources who attended the meeting said Museveni told them he could not have talks with them because he was coordinating a major offensive against Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army rebels in southern Sudan. According to sources the President said he was busy preparing to travel to Zambia on Friday morning. “We didn’t discuss anything. The President had all his energies focused on the war in the north,” Buganda’s Minister for Youth Mr Charles Peter Mayiga said. He said Museveni talked to the Buganda delegation for about 10 minutes and explained why the talks could not proceed. The delegation was led by the Katikkiro Joseph Mulwanyamuli Ssemwogerere. But a source close to the President said Museveni asked for the adjournment of the talks because he was tired and he had to travel. The Thursday talks were supposed to be a follow up of the first round held last Sunday. On that occasion Buganda presented its position on the demand for federalism, Kampala to be part of Buganda, and the return of 9,000 square miles of land to the kingdom. Buganda rejected the government proposal of a regional tier system, which brings together districts willing to federate. Buganda kingdom decided to mourn what they called loss of an opportunity to get federo following the Cabinet’s proposed regional tier system. Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom and Busoga Kingdom are among traditional institutions which want federo. Buganda kingdom yesterday held a seminar at Mengo to sensitise people about the importance of federo. |
© 2004 The Monitor Publications
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