President Yoweri Museveni addressing residents of Kayunga on Thursday

BY HENRY MUKASA AND CHARLES JJUUKO

KAYUNGA will not break away from Buganda kingdom, President Yoweri Museveni has said.

The President also said the Government will review the issue of Banyala establishing them as a tradition institution to practice their culture within Buganda.

“Some people have been spreading lies that Kayunga will break away from Buganda.

“Kayunga is part of Buganda, but the Banyala have a right to practise their culture. It’s a constitutional right. We understand the Constitution,” Museveni said.

The President, however, pointed out that the Banyala will be free to practice their culture, if the leadership and other people of Kayungu allow them.

“The Constitution allows every Ugandan to be proud of and practice their culture. We shall study what happened here, using the Constitution,” Museveni commented.

Riots broke out in various parts of Buganda in September last year, when the Government blocked the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, from visiting Kayunga to preside over the Buganda kingdom youth day.

The Government cited security reasons. It’s also said the Kabaka needed to seek permission from Capt. Baker Kimeze, the Ssabanyala of the Banyala, one of the tribes in Kayunga district. In response, Mengo said the Ssabanyala was a government creation for whom the Kabaka could not bend.

Museveni, who was touring prosperity for all projects in Kayunga district on Thursday, addressed an impromptu rally at Kangulumira sub-county and another in Kayunga town council. Kimeze was not present at the president’s rally.

Earlier, the emcee, the District Inspector of Schools, Moses Oloka, had introduced Kimeze’s brothers as ‘traditional leaders’ (royals) but was directed to retract and re-introduced them as children of the late Mpagi.

The President also refuted reports that by granting the Banyala permission to practice their culture, other tribes in the cosmopolitan district of Kayunga would be evicted or harassed.

Museveni said he was surprised that such claims were made by learned people, some of whom are lawyers.

“People are residing in Kayunga as Ugandans. No one can evict you,” he counselled.

“If you are a resident, bought land and you are here legally, no one will persecute you because of your tribe. If anyone has such a sectarian idea in his mind, drop it.

If anyone said any tribe will be chased, it’s not true,” Museveni explained.

The president, however, asked the residents to concentrate on what, he said, was more pressing, the fight against household poverty, through starting up commercial projects. “Culture will not chase poverty from your house,” he cautioned.

The acting district chairperson, Boniface Bandikubi, thanked the President for providing security during the riots and a medal awarded to him that was delivered by the RDC.

Museveni toured model farms of Godfrey Kizito, a pineapple and coffee farmer who processes pineapple juice and wine. He donated a new processing plant to him. He also toured the pineapple farms of Ssonko and Kizito Luwalira of Busaana in Ntenjeru North.

Residents complained of corruption in the district NAADS programme that is meant to propel the prosperity for all programme. They accused NAADS officials and the RDC, Margaret Baryehuki, of stunting the programme and creating confusion in the district.

Responding to remarks by the residents that the people NAADS was claiming to have supported were already prosperous before the organisation came in, Museveni said people can earn big from farming even before the Government intervenes.

“They show that you can get rich from Kangulumira and not Europe,” Museveni said. He asked residents to join SACCOs and learn the culture of saving.