LETTER TO THE EDITOR-MONITOR- 6TH FEBRUARY 2003
Baganda ministers enemies of Federo
S. Mukasa
Power belongs to the people, opens the preamble of the 1995 Uganda Constitution. As if taking cue from this declaration, the people of Buganda recently marched in their thousands onto the Conference Centre to demand for �their� federo.However, some people are advising the Baganda that if they are to convince their brothers and sisters outside Buganda on the merits of federo, they should first teach them what it is.
I doubt this is necessary. Sixty-five percent of Ugandans opted for federalism according to the Odoki Report. How could 15 million people advocate what they don�t understand?
The real stumbling block for federo has always been Baganda MPs and ministers in the central government.
Remember it was a Muganda attorney general who drafted the famous (or infamous) pigeon-hole constitution of 1966, abolishing federalism.
A Muganda prince and MP ambushed federo in 1995, and now a Muganda minister in the central government has been the first to pour cold water on federo!
This group seems to harbour a pathological fear of losing their posts should federalism be adopted.
The task before federo activists should have been to reassure this group that they have nothing to lose but everything to gain if we go federo.
Thus the thrust of the federo campaign has to be directed at Baganda with vested interests in the central government if it is to succeed.
February 06, 2003 11:43:26
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