Mr. Oryema:
I think you are the one shoving unitarism on us, the Baganda. We don't want it for the simple reason that it compromises our cultural autonomy, among other things. And the srife we have all endured and experienced for the last 40 years is proof enough that unitarism doesn't work. Yestersday it was the Baganda, today it is the Acholi, tomorrow it may be the Ateso, or Lugbara, or whomever. Clearly we are in a stalemate.
Federalism offers a solution that can result into peaceful co-existence, and in a single nation.
If the rest of Uganda want unitarism, there is a solution: it can combine into a single entity, and then federate with us who want to preserve out Kingdom(s). or the Luos could form a single entity, the Banyakitara another, etc that can then federate. That way everybody gets what they want: we do not impose on you, and you do not impose on us. This is a solution that works in several European countries, N. America, Australia, etc. It can work in Uganda too. Tiny countries in Africa already exist: Lesotho, Cape Verde, Seychelles, Burundi, etc.
The alternative is that,we, the Baganda leave Uganda and you can do whatever you want with it. You cannot hold us by force, anymore than we can you -- and we do not even want to. If at some point we discover that we cannot do with out you and that it was a mistake to leave in the first place we shall come back, "humbled", and beg you please let us back in, etc. But, we have the right to make that mistake.
The Czhecks & Slavs have done it, Yugoslavia has done it, the Stans in the former USSR have done it, etc, and others will do it. Believe me you, the sun will still rise and set, and rains will still fall from the heavens. We too can do it. Peacefully.
Fair enough?
Oryema Johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Oryema Johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Jesse:
I hear you. The purpose of and pricinples behind Uganda's struggle for indepedence was not to build upon the colonial policies of divide and rule and most of all not to erect an apartheid system in the country. Therefore, it was natural for our leaders who brought political indepedence to do so under the theme of "One nation, One people". There had to be a rallying point in order to battle colonialism. To this day, we still blame colonialism (British) for their policy of divide and rule.
If Obote had said to the Baganda keep yours and we other Ugandans shall keep ours, it would have defeated the purpose of our indepedence struggle.
If after 40 years of indepedence, it has now dawn upon Baganda, to demand for their ebyaffe, which they claim, it is the Kingdom and the land in Buganda, they are free to declare indepedence and go their way. And maybe other Ugandans will follow their example and do the same. Someone has to break the ice.
Eritea did not want to be part of Ethiopia. They fought for 30 years and won their freedom. After living on their own for more than a decade and discovered how hard it is, they now want back in again, and Ethiopia is saying no! Maybe once Baganda have lived on their own and discovered that the 'Byaffe they wanted is not enough, they will be hambled and learn to share and co-exist happily ever after!
The ball is in your court. If you want a referee, I will be more than happy to preside!
>From: "Jesse Busuulwa" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: RE: [Northernlightnet] RE: [FedsNet] RE: [Where do we go from here? - UPC's Plan
>Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 17:40:31 +0000
>
>Mr. Oryema,
>
>I totally disagree with you when you say that ; "Ugandans, I am sure, will
>have no trouble respecting Baganda's wish to retain their cultural
>leadership as long as it is not pushed in their face all the time".
>
>Mr. Oryema, if I may ask, who is doing the pushing? If the Baganda are
>asking for what belongs to them, don't they have the right to ask, like any
>other Ugandan? In doing so, are they forcing anyone to belong to their
>culture or pay loyality to their king?
>
>Remember that, Buganda was forced to abandon its loyality to their King in
>1966, what do you call that? And who was doing the pushing then? Wasn't
>it that, the others were pushing their interests in buganda face? As
>someone has already pointed out, since independence a part from a very short
>period, there has not been a Muganda leader to do any pushing as you want us
>to believe; but all leaders from other regions, have been working very hard
>as if in a cohort, to distroy the buganda culture and its leadership.
>
>I did not think that the demand for "ebyaffe", included having a Muganda
>King for the whole country. If so, then you are right Mr. Oryema and am
>sorry I was led to believe otherwise.
>
>I just hope that, all those who don't understand the buganda culture, should
>let it be. What the baganda are loo king for is very simple, to be left
>alone to ran their own cultural affairs without being told how. We welcome
>ideas like any other progressive society but these ideas should not be the
>foundations of our culture or commanded.
>
>I have began to wonder, whether the respect we give to our culture has
>become so annoying and painful to others, that at times it is mistaken for
>"shoving/pushing" it in other people'sr faces. It is understandable and I
>don't have an answer for that. But tell you what, if you have something
>you love so much, dont you talk about it, show it off, be proud of it? And
>if it is taken away from you, don't you cry for it, demand for it. And if
>returned, don't you want to assume full control over it and make sure it
>wont be taken away again?
>
>The different nations in Uganda, Bunyoro, T ooro, Busoga, and Ankore, and
>others paid their loyalities to different cultural leadership (kings and
>chiefs). This does not mean that they did'nt belong to the nation Uganda
>before their Kings/chiefs were abolished. The difference with Buganda is
>that they have been couragious enough to demand for what they believed to be
>theirs. When the buganda cultural leadership was reinstated other regions
>followed queue in their demands. If this was a bad move, why do other
>regions follow buganda?
>
>We can still live in Uganda as one, with our cultural differences. What
>makes us one is the respect for one another and each others beliefs. The
>abundance of and the richness in our cultures, is what made/makes Uganda the
>perl and tick, and this should make every Ugandan proud.
>
>Federalism is the only way that can bring peo ple of difference ethnicity to
>respect each other as Ugandans at the same time, be able to take control of
>their own cultural, social and economical issues.
>
>This brings me to the real meaning of "ebyaffe". In demanding "ebyaffe",
>apart from the 9000 mls of land and the cultural leadership, the baganda are
>demanding for true federalism, which is "self governing". If a peasant, in
>Nakaseke is asked what federalism means, he/she will tell you in one word
>that, "kwefuga". This word mean self-governing, can also mean independence
>(obwetwaze), unfortunately this dual translation has been advantagiouly used
>by the ditractors of buganda demands that buganda is seeking a special
>status or wants to secede.
>
>I you analytically look at the insistance of the demand for "ebyaffe" even
>after the "kabaka" has been re-enthroned, you could see tha t this demand is
>deeply embadded in federalism(self-governing). The baganda want this
>self-governing to protect their culture, take care of their social and
>economic issues, to control their own destiny. What is wrong, if every
>ethnic region is self-governing or a number of ethnic groups federate
>together? What many people do not know is that buganda itself is made up of
>many small ethnic groups.
>
>There are things that can be well accomplished as a community, as a society
>and as a nation. The central government will not take care of the
>community needs as a priority, state issues are a priority to the central
>government. Cultural, social and economical development issues can be well
>handled by regional government in a federal setting.
>
>In the present setting, a Munyakore/Muganda/Musoga is sent as RDC to Arua in
> a community he does not understand, culturally, socially and economically;
>that is what I would call pushing or shoving leadership in one's face.
>
>Jesse.
>
>
><br><br><br>>From: "Oryema Johnson"
><[EMAIL PROTECTED]><br>>Reply-To:
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]<br>>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED],
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]<br>>Subject: RE: [Northernlightnet] RE: [FedsNet]
>RE: [Where do we go from here? - UPC's Plans for Buganda<br>>Date: Thu,
>21 Jul 2005 16:20:54 +0000<br>><br>
>
>
>
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