Charges in Uganda

A bit of over kill but, know what charges a rioter faces in Uganda?

Well, let us guess. Sedition. Threatening Violence... Or

Terrorism. Yeah, you guessed right. Terrorism!

New Vision, and Monitor articles.

Update Sunday

Just one of those things. Sometimes, one may not feel up to it. Blogging.

But then, I dont seem to give up on it completely. Despite the fact that it is bordering on 'seditious'. With the recent 'crackdown' on expression, I have to be minded that I am 'seditious' and possibly a 'terrorist' because I happen to express my thoughts. Iwaya took it a bit further... I commented that he should be in prison. On remand for his 'terrorist, seditious thought processes.'

Sigh, that is something that we have to deal with.

A very, very, beautiful day. Rained last night. Kind of drizzled throught the evening, and we went out and had fun, but there were not so many people with us, because of the rain. But we did anyway. Kampala is very lively, for gay people.

Was at my favourite non gay 'gay' bar. Had this friend of mine from overseas, and he was kind of frustrated. Where are the gay men? He asked. He  was seeing lots of eye candy, and he was fearing to make a hit and miss. That is our style. I mean, you may try and fail, but gods help you if you do. Or the person that you have made a pass at.

So, I look around, and start pointing out those that I have a little knowledge about their... errr, sexual orientation. Turned out that there were quite a number.
This guy commented that elsewhere, not that many gay men are in a bar 'incognito'. We have a reputation for flamboyance. At least that is what I hear!!!!!
Not in Uganda.

Anyway, he was lucky. He had me next to him! So, he was let into the secret....! Uh.

What has been happening on the political scene?

President out of the country. The Kabaka shows off his popularity, and why the Prez cannot take him for granted. These elephants will continue to fight for the near future. We need to prepare some good hidey holes for us...

There is leak of a 'bill' against homosexuality in Uganda. (Have I blogged about it?) Seems as if the aim of this particular piece of legislation is to formaly make sure that being gay is rightfully and legally made a pariah status in Uganda, for Ugandans, inside and outside the country. Afrigay has it here. By the way, Seba, wherever you are, if this bill passes, and you still have your Ugandan passport, whenever you have sex, remember that we can still send you to Luzira.... Whenever you sneak into Uganda, and we can prove that you had 'homosexual' sex.

But I dont think you have to worry so much about it. I mean, I am in the country, but continue to have sex. And I am not planning on moving out.
Maybe I should worry about the provision that, once I am arrested for having gay sex, all my friends who know that am gay are also liable to prison for six months for knowing that I am gay and was not reported to the police, uh!

Uganda and policing thought and actions....! Well, that is life.

Will sign off. A few things that I need not to do. Or to do.

Have a great Sunday.

To my Moslem friends, Eid Mubarak. And congratulations on finishing Ramadhan. And of course welcome back onto the scene. Was kind of dull without all of you coming out with us all!

gug

Calm

Peace, calm has returned to Kampala.

Oh, I dont doubt that the armoured personell carriers (mambas) are still patrolling the city. I dont doubt that there are thousands of plain clothes intelligence people mingling with the cautious crowds. They are there. And we know it, and so we have to be cautious.

Storm in a tea cup. But it has been and we have lost something like 8 people. And the Kabaka has not gone to see his constituents. And the govt feels like it has won.

And the Baganda? Bitterness. Angered, bitter. Well, time cools down that. At least for now, the only storm in the air is grey weather storming in from the west. Has been some time since it rained. We need it. The rainy season has not been very convincing, though lots of rain have fallen.

Tradition is funny. The President has the military might and power. He has the force of the establishment behind him. The Kabaka has only tradition behind him. That, and the people who call themselves 'his' people.
They had to prove it. And they did. It is no doubt that he is popular, and they like him. The Kabaka. And what does that do for the elected president? A problem. At least that is what I think!!!!! And, of course, the opposition has been ecstatic. Nothing like having your opponent score consistent own goals.

The President came out with a whine that rivalled those of gug. Yeah, the guy did...

I am sorry, this must be seditious, but, I must complain. The guy is the President of the country, President of the republic. The Kabaka is a traditional leader of just a part of the population. But, do you know why we have had this fracas? The President told us.
Apparently, the saga has been ongoing for a long time. The Kabaka and the Baganda want something. Return of some land, political, and federal power back to the Kabaka, and others. The president refused to negotiate that. So, the Kabaka, over years, becomes the de facto leader of the opposition. He hides behind the opaqueness of tradition, and challenges the President. Man!!!!!!

But that is politics, I thought. That is life...! Why complain that water is fluid?

So, know what the President complains? That this Kabaka has not been answering his phone. I swear, that is what the guy did. He first gave us a long lecture on how bad the Baganda and the Kabaka and Mengo, the Kabaka's government are. The Baganda kingdom has a 900 year history. The President was merciful to us. Instead of giving us a litany of how bad they were before, he concentrated on the last 100 years or so. He listed them down, he analysed. He listed down the many reasons that the Kabaka and the Baganda have to be thankful to him. He had the whole country as a captive audience. And he really did it.

Museveni is no Barack Obama. He reads his speeches. Slow, tedious, boring. The guy had written it down in long hand, if I am not mistaken. And it was a whine and whing, which dear gug can do, well, much better!!! The de facto cause of the impasse was the Kabaka visiting a part of his kingdom. The real cause, two bulls in the same kraal.

You know, during that speech, I was thinking, man, you are the president of the country. Yes, Museveni is His Excellency the President. The whine just did not suit him. Not at all.
The Kabaka came off much more 'leader like'. More, ahem, Presidential...! He was quiet. According to custom, he only speaks through surrogates. Not once was his voice heard. But the Baganda responded.

And the heavy handedness....! Dear President, have you thrown away your wits? Can you sincerely threaten, abuse, demean the Kabaka (yes, you did just that) and expect you are not abusing the Baganda? Oh, I know them. They are proud, cantankerous, not easy going. After all, I have grown up in the middle of Kampala. I do know them. They do have pluses and minuses.

But, let us put that tribal sentiment aside.

To me, it sounded like the President put aside statesmanship in his ego fight with the Kabaka. And, worst of it, it showed. Badly!

No, Mr President. You did yourself a disservice. You are the President of all Ugandans. Including the Baganda. And, at that particular moment, you had singled out a particular tribe to lambast with abuse. And it was very, very ugly.

Yeah, ugly enough on the side of the populace... The rioting, the deaths, the heavy handedness, the loss of property. It was ugly. And I felt that ugliness, reminded me of the many days we have spent without such pain. But Mr President, it was beneath your dignity. You are the President. Act Presidential.

That is the opinion of a poor, obviously disturbed and, (of course) embarrassed gay Ugandan.

Yeah, I know this rant is going to be taken as seditious. But, human beings are human beings, arent we????? Tell me that I am wrong, I will shamefully, and gladly correct myself.


gug

Cry, Uganda

Cant sleep. Literally.

My country is going up in flames. And I don’t think I can do a bloody thing about it.

The saga of the two bulls in the same kraal. Both determined to fight, and god damn the grass that will suffer underneath. Nothing that we will do will stop the fighting. Nothing will stop the egos from touching off nuclear triggers. Nothing and no-one will talk them into sense.

Yesterday I got tired of twittering.

There is some relief, as always, in getting the facts out into the cyber, when I know that there is some kind of logic. But that is personal. That is something that is intangible on the ground. I can report. I feel damned helpless. My country is going up in flames and I am powerless to do anything about the bloody thing!

Early in our partnership, my lover and I realized something. We are inter-ethnic. Yeah, he comes from one tribal group, and I come from another. They have not been always friendly. There are traditional rivalries which boil up now and then. Coupled to the fact that we also think different on the political spectrum. The thing that kept us together was love, the reality of the hostility of our environment to our being together. And a tacit understanding that we don’t discuss politics, and religion. Because we are realized that that would cause chaos.

Its coming to nine years. We have hang out fine.

But the tribal, inter-ethnic fires which suddenly erupted yesterday were too much. We suddenly were fighting. Taking up sides, staking them out. And we couldn’t talk. Each fervent in the side that we supported.

It was amusing. For like five seconds. It deteriorated rapidly afterwards.

Inter ethnic violence.

First the riots were spontaneous. Oh, it was understandable. The Baganda were offered a finger in the eye, the largest insult that they could have, an insult to their cultural identity. An insult to the Kabaka, the king of Buganda.

I could understand the anger. And the spontaneous outpouring of violence.

But the extent was too much, too fast, too ugly. Soon, the rioters had paralyzed the city. The roads were cut, and ugly scenes of mayhem persisted. Scenes of the police and military brutally beating up people were on the television. Until they disappeared. Because the television stations believed they would be shut off for ‘inciting violence’.

The rioter targeted government cars, but soon started targeting those who are different. Anyone who comes from the western part of the country. They made roadblocks, asked people to recite their clan and clan totem if they said that they were Baganda. Madness.

They targeted Asian businessmen. An easy target.

And I was in the confort of my place, listening to the news available, not daring to go out, but, and a big but, it was becoming more ugly. The violence was in most big towns of Buganda. And it was as ugly, and undirected.

Yet, there was a talk show, with a live phone in. NTV, ‘On the Spot’. The discussants were Buganda’s attorney general. (Come to think of it, the Buganda establishment is very, very strong. A 600-700 year history, a tradition and culture that has stood the test of banishment. And the allegiance of the biggest ethnic group.) Yes, they are numerically important. Why have I never thought of that? Damn, but I am politically insensitive.

Anyway, Buganda’s attorney general was put side by side with the official government spokesperson. A lady minister. Ethnically, she is a Munyoro princess. A traditional rival of the Baganda.

I listened as the lady minister tried to paint the face of an injured government. She believed what she was saying. The govt had been provoked.

I listened to the Buganda attorney general. Well, they have the facts and the truth behind them. You have to give them that.

But, and a big but, these guys, after riots which have shut down the city couldn’t agree to disagree. The government was standing by its injured status. And the Kabaka is going to go ahead and tear apart the country.

Two bulls in a kraal. Battle lines drawn. First clash. Others to follow.

My country is tearing itself apart. And I, I cant seem able to do a damn thing about it.

gug

Chaos in Kampala

Gosh, I started this as a joke. Sort of releasing some pressure.

But, and a big but, something is happening that is out of norm.

Riots throught the city of Kampala. And civil disobedience, and fracas.

See, I put up the other post. At that time was kind of off base. I was not really interested. Kind of comes from a news news for news’ sake.

But it has become serious.

Started with news that the Katikiro, prime minister of Buganda kingdom had been refused entry to Bugerere. That touched off riots in Kampala, and these have spread, spread and spread. A real, bonafide people’s revolt.

Fire in the streets. Empty streets. The main roads are closed. And chaos reigns supreme. And the anthem of the uprising, the Buganda anthem. God, how many people knew it before now?

Apparently, the chaos is taking place throughout Buganda, which is a sizeable region. This is going to become worse. No longer a laughing matter.

PS. The government tv station is showing a debate in parliament. They are debating a ban on alcohol packed in polythene paper. Kampala is burning…

Two bulls, the same Kraal.

I have blogged about this before. And now, that the likes of George Oundo and Ssempa are giving me some respite, I am seeking for something to blog about.

‘Course I can burden you with my poetry. Sniff…!

But, I live a full life. So the one sided blogging here is just a sliver of my life. Yes, I try to live a full life. In my other guises.

Anyway, two bulls in the same kraal. Recipe for a fight.

Has been brewing for some time, and seems to be heading for a climax. Saturday. This Saturday.

Ok. Some background.

Before the white man stepped into Uganda, country was politically organized in tribal kingdoms. Many of them. Diverse. And of course looser chieftains and other entities. Come independence, they were still there. But the old and the new found co-habitation a problem. A federal system was established at independence. So, the then President of Uganda… No. My history is wrong. The Executive Prime-Minister fought a war which deposed the President in 1966. The President at that time happened to be the Kabaka of Buganda. King of the most numerous tribal group, the Baganda.

What followed was war. War, and more war.

Kingdoms were abolished. The leaders were exiled. Cultural history extinguished, in the name of a new and better Uganda. But, and a very, very big but, tribal identities are an enduring part of what makes us Ugandans, and Africans.

So, after a turbulent 70’s, and 80’s decade, came Museveni. Popular uprising. Successful rebel. And populist. At that time, he thought, why fear the tribal leaders? Reinstate them. And, of course it was very, very popular.

So, the tribal leaders were reinstated.

The Kabaka of Buganda came back from exile. He was crowned. And there was a lot of joy. Part of Museveni’s southern strategy. He is from the west. And he knows that, with a popular vote for the presidency, the north was out of control. (Would never believe, like in Khazai’s Afghanistan that 100% of the vote from an opposition stronghold goes to the incumbent. Elections are not rigged that way…!)

So, the Baganda were happy. The Banyoro were happy, and the Basoga happy.

Then came problems.

Remember, the ‘cultural’ leaders are not supposed to be ‘political’. What a farce. What nonsense!

For some time, they seemed not to be.

And now, they have gotten tired of the central governments restrictions. And, the powerless, disorganized opposition has seen some very ripe ground for campaigning.

And, the very politically astute Museveni has decided to score some very funny own goals. See, the power of the ego. He is the big bull. And these small bulls are absolutely aggravating. They are pecking at him, pulling, pushing. And doing the unthinkable, supporting the opposition!

Museveni is very astute. When he realized that the traditional rulers were becoming restless, he started playing them against each other. The Baganda are the biggest. So, play them against their traditional enemies, the Banyoro. A sort of stalemate. And try to break them up.

So, suddenly, though the Kingdom of Buganda is recognized as whole in the Constitution, Museveni has found some ‘sub kingdoms’ to champion. Those within Buganda. Busoga is a mess… thanks to some very devious sleight of hand. There are rival kings in place. So, …!

The Kabaka, or king of Buganda was slow, or restrained. Till now.

War was declared. In very diplomatic terms. That was about a month ago.

Now, the next part of the saga has been started.

The Kabaka declared that he was going to visit a part of his kingdom. The Central govt warned him that it was not ok. He asked why, and the answers were couched in political problems. It was not ‘safe’ for the Kabaka to visit part of his kingdom. So says the Police. So, the police, under orders from on high, teargases and stops the advance parties.

Suddenly, Baganda are springing out of the woodwork. They are reacting like they have been abused. Of course they have been.

The president is trying to do some damage control. He has called the Baganda MPs to State House. Oh, they have refused. At least some have, including those of his party. At the same time, the police have the same orders. Stop the Kabaka from visiting his constituency, on the pretext that it is unsafe. Because a migrant community does not want the Kabaka visiting. That is the proxy reason.

Anyway, the visit is to be on Saturday. This Saturday.

But, with tear gas and riot police on the way, this is a story that is still happening. Of course the opposition is jumping up and down in glee. What a fantastic campaign…! They are joining the Baganda, and making common cause. Hey, I know that, traditionally, the Baganda are supposedly pesky, but… Viva, says the opposition. Matter of fact, the consensus seems to be the north plus the Baganda. Plus the east. What an ‘unholy’ alliance.

People power. It seems as if all roads lead to Bugerere. That place where the Kabaka is supposed to be visiting. The Kabaka’s prime minister, the Katikiro, has been refused entrance in the constituency. He is on the advance party. My neighbours are galvanized. They are all going to that place. They are going with their Kabaka. Well, Kampala is in the middle of the former Buganda kingdom, so, most people around me are Baganda. Not all, but most.

Well, well, well!

Hey, I wont tell you what tribe I am. Course, some of you know, but….! Still anonymous. And I do love my take on what is happening. It is unique. All me, all gug. I love it.

Anyway, developing story…!

gug

Of Kings, Queens and Protocol

The birds’ morning orchestra,
It’s an early morning thing,
the world to wake from its daze to its senses,
full wakefulness; and the bath of the day’s sunlight.

It seems as if I am also waking from my stupor. This Chogm thing, it has been at my mind’s periphery. Known, but barely noticed.
Interesting things are happening.
Is it true that the Iguru of Bunyoro, the Rukirabasaija of Toro, the Kyabazinga of Toro and the Kabaka of Buganda have been snubbed by the central government?
It is a rumour that is making the rounds. The central government is jealousy of the clout of the traditional leaders. They have an un-exercised political power, which the central government is always wary of. Buganda has been restive over the last few days. Land issues. But this snub was a bit too much. Even I feel it, and the traditionalists are incensed. A ferment of discontent.
A blow to pride is not quickly forgotten. Bad move. See below, and follow the link.

"The Kabaka himself met his Katikkiro (Prime Minister), Ambassador Emmanuel Ssendawula, over the matter and concurred with his cabinet that the invitation by Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa was indeed demeaning.

The invitation is for single entry, which means it doesn’t allow the Kabaka to be accompanied to the dinner by anybody - not even his wife, the (Queen) Nnabagereka Sylvia Nagginda Luswata, or his Katikkiro.
“These people have no respect for Kabaka, they don’t respect his protocol,” protested a member of the royal family who preferred not to be identified."

Mengo (seat of Buganda) is also disturbed that the central government has deliberately refused to acknowledge that Buganda Kingdom is hosting CHOGM on its territory


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