The Kasese Attacks; Leadership

Writing is a funny thing.

When you can write..., it is like something that one does at the drop of a button...., press the button, and, voila, everything happens.

When you are not able to....

Then everything becomes so complicated. The white page stares at you like its demanding to be filled. With what, you beg its demand, and its clear...., no answer. but the demand. You must fill it.

And then you run away from it, to justify not answering its incessant demand. Even when they made these writing aps and blogs..., they tried to imitate paper, like not imitating it wouldn't help. So, a lack of justification to write? Anyone?

Oh yes, you can try something else....., like drawing a few funny tails on the paper to justify the time that you have spent staring at it. Doodling it is called. For some reason, I draw tails...., curling up to gods know where.

There is some funny business going in Uganda. Funny business, I call it. But something like 60 plus people have been killed.
As one journalist, a member of the affected ethnic group wrote on facebook, a post that possibly had her 'disappeared' for a few days, they are not a faceless statistic, but fathers, brothers, uncles, and grandfathers.
Our cultural heritage is quite important to us....., and it is something that we pull out at any turn of the sun. Unfortunately, when the government 'comes' from another part of Uganda, we seem to forget this basic thing. That the cultural heritage matters.

So, the palace was burnt down. A cultural site.

That might have hurt people more than the 60 plus who were King's guards, and are taken as having laid down their lives for the sake of their king. But, the palace was burnt down.

The king, Omusinga Mumbere, was charged with the murder of a policeman. He is a frail, elderly man...., and..., oh well. The governments PR issues are its own. Here is the mighty rebel leader or murderer, or inciter of terrorism? Photo is by Daily Monitor of course, credit to Tausi Nakato

To me, this seems like a 'holding charge'. Of enough depth and magnitude. And of course the government went through lots of things to get away charging him in the district that is his cultural home. That would have driven his people crazy.

So, he is flown willy nilly from his district, to be charged in another district, and away from the restive capital, Kampala. There the opposition is so strong, it would have been interesting to see the mix.....

The Monitor has a good in-depth about the Kingdom and the King, Omusinga and the recent troubles. Because, they are usually not new born. But, they are newly re-ignited by anyone who assumes that they can control the hearts and minds of people with impunity.

Is a funny thing, but, Museveni, President and consummate politician for the last 30 years loves the adulation of all his country mates. And, he is very jealous of the part that we reserve for our cultural heritage. I wonder why?

I mean, we are all so different, it is quite impossible for all Ugandans to come from one, ahem, ahem, ethnic group!!!! Our cultural heritage tells somethings about us that the national identity has refused to say..... And, might possibly never say.

And, the reaction to whatever has been happening is insightful.

Anyway, people in Kasese are scared. After all, the mighty government attacked and arrested the Omusinga, killing 61 plus of their tribesmates. And, they are not to be denied that mourning. Even when the govt (from another area, as it is seen) says they are 'rebels'. They will be champions, martyrs and more...., the more they are not mourned or even identified.

At the health centre, relatives huddled in small groups spoke in low voices, discussing the fate of their loved ones. Soldiers prevented all but a few medical workers and other authorised personnel from entering the health centre.

Some of the relatives who spoke to Daily Monitor on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said they had trekked from the nearby as well as distant Ihandiro, Nyakiyumbu, Kyabarungira, Kyondo and Kisinga sub-counties. All declined to disclose their particulars, demonstrating the palpable fear in the community that in theory should be mourning its own killed by government forces.

And, the govt is restricting the mourning, and the venting, and even the communication of who is dead and who is not! A list of 90 plus suspects has been released.

Maybe a list of the dead will be released once they are rotted away?

Just saying...!!!!

But, for now, they do have a voice of sorts. From the area members of parliament, who include the Parliamentary Opposition leader. And what their narrative of the lead up to the clash that turned massacre is damning.

He gave a chronology of how a delegation of five MPs from the region, including the Leader of the Opposition, Ms Winnie Kiiza, tried in vain to negotiate a peaceful withdrawal of the royal guards from the Buhikira Palace on Sunday.

Bukonjo West MP Atkins Katusabe read a text message from the army chief sent to him at 1:01pm on Sunday afternoon in which Gen Katumba was ordering that the royal guards vacate the Buhikira Palace with their hands up as a sign of surrender.

“Honourable, I have made the following instructions: That they [royal guards] should come without their daggers, knives or pangas. They should show that their hands are free of any weapons. They should not wait for darkness,” read a text message from Gen Katumba to Atkins as the MP held talks with the king.

Before the orders could be enforced, the security forces stormed the Buhikira Palace.

Busongora County South MP Jackson Mbaju, a former Attorney General in the Rwenzururu Kingdom, said the royal guards were trained by police in 2012 with the direct knowledge of Gen Kale Kaiyhura, the Inspector General of Police.

Mr Mbaju accused the government of turning around and branding the royal guards as a “militia” and “terrorists” yet they were trained by the police.

I must salute the Monitor. LOL, as an independent paper, or media organisation, it has to play a real tight rope (make that a thread...) act. LOL......!!!!

I mean, I dont trust anything from the New Vision, the govt media house...., So, I go through the Monitor and try to read between the lines. 

Of course I wouldnt write like this when I am not in Uganda....., I do value my gay ass a lot, thank you very much!!!

In other news, President Museveni is lined up to receive a prestigious award, the African Leadership Awards.

Oh. He will be hosting it. The awards are in Uganda.