HOW INVOLVED IS GADDAFI IN THE BUGANDA UPRISING?

NEW VISION, KAMPALA
Friday, 11th September, 2009

By Milton Olupot
and Madinah Tebajjukira

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has instructed the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to quickly formulate a law that details and regulates the activities of traditional leaders in the country.

While meeting MPs from Buganda on Thursday night, Museveni observed that the Government’s relationship with the kingdoms, especially Mengo, had worsened due to the absence of a law giving limits within which the traditional leaders should operate.

He noted that the relations with Mengo had also soured because of a strong fence around the Kabaka, put up by some “selfish individuals” within the kingdom.

“Can you imagine, I have been denied access to the Kabaka for two years? Yet it is me who restored the kingdoms,” Museveni told the MPs.

The President further castigated relations between Mengo and the opposition Forum for Democratic Change, saying it was partly responsible for the tensions.
“Mengo is not aware that FDC wants to use them and then dump them the way UPC did. How can they allow FDC to hold rallies at Bulange?” he wondered.

He also blamed the stand-off between Buganda and the central Government on a communication gap, created by the refusal of the Kabaka to pick or return his calls for the last two years.

According to a source present at the meeting, Museveni revealed that he had intelligence information indicating that Mengo received funding from Libyan Leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi.

The President reportedly explained that Gaddafi was fighting him because of their fall-out in 2007 when Museveni refused to support him to become the first African president.

“He has thrown out Thabo Mbeki and I am now his next target. He wants to achieve his ambition through kingdoms. But we can’t allow this,” Museveni was quoted as saying.

The source added that it was for this reason that the Kabaka was recently blocked from touring Nakasongola.

The President was allegedly also angered by “elements” in Mengo, like Mayiga, Lubega and Namboze, whom he said have mounted a hate campaign against the NRM.

He warned that if the Kabaka this time did not accept to have dialogue with him, “he should be ready for anything”.

The MPs resolved that the Kabaka should hold talks with Museveni to solve the impasse.

“Based on what the President explained to us, a meeting between the two should urgently be held. We listened attentively and some of us were short of words,” the terrified source said.

Lwemiyaga MP Theodore Ssekikubo reportedly asked the President to allow the Kabaka to go to Kayunga after the situation has calmed down, so that it is a win-win situation.