By Spy Uganda
Kampala: According to our sources, President Yoweri Museveni has Tuesday held a high level meeting with His Majesty the Kabaka of Buganda Fredrick Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II at Nakasero State Lodge.
His Majesty was in the company of Owek. Charles Peter Mayiga, who is Buganda’s Prime minister (Katikiro) and Prince David Wasajja among others. TheSpy Uganda has learnt that President Museveni and Kabaka discussed matters of ‘mutual interest’.
Held a meeting with His Majesty the Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II at Nakasero State Lodge. His Majesty was in the company of Owek. Charles Peter Mayiga and Prince David Wasajja. We discussed matters of mutual interest. pic.twitter.com/ukvB7VBmfl
— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) August 3, 2021
“We discussed matters of mutual interest,” the President said on his social media platforms.
The development comes at a time when the duo governments; Central and Buganda are on cross roads over a couple of matters among them including the pending issues to do with the mailo land that has seen the Kingdom’s officials spit venom at Museveni for the last couple of days.
It all started early June this year when President Museveni while delivering his 32nd Heroes’ Day Anniversary speech at Kololo Independence Grounds noted that land wrangles in Uganda are sponsored by the ‘‘very bad’’ Mailo land tenure system used in Buganda kingdom stating that it’s ”an evil system.”
President Museveni further noted; “It is really very bad and not fair but some people support it. How do you allow these things to happen?” he said.
Something that prompted the Kabaka (Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II) to respond to on his recently concluded 28th coronation ceremony by cautioning Museveni’s government not to dare touch on the Kingdom’s land before noting that they are restless on demanding for their assets that’re still in the government’s hands.
“You all know, for the last 28 years, we have been at the forefront of demanding for our justice, federal, land, buildings and other assets, Í want to emphasize this, we shall not relent in our quest for our properties through negotiations just like we have been doing,” Kabaka Mutebi said.
In the same vein, Kabaka wondered; ”Why is the land of other regions not in question?, Why is Buganda’s welcoming stature taken as a weakness?”
Meanwhile, its is worth noting that in 2013, President Yoweri Museveni signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the presence of emissaries of His Majesty Ssabasajja Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, Prime Minister Owekitiibwa Charles Mayega, Prince David Wasajja, Owekitiibwa Apollo Makubuya and Ssabasaja Kabaka’s and subject Ndiwalana Hebert that marked the return of Kingdom properties.
As per the memorandum of understanding signed by two parties, the government agreed to return the kingdom’s property that includes all counties and sub-county’s administrative buildings and land, Jeza Farm on Mityana Road, Mutesa House in London, which was sold by Milton Obote’s government, Plot 52 on Kampala Road which houses King Fahd Plaza, and all land belonging to the kingdom.
However, even though the MoU was signed, Baganda say few were returned and a couple of properties are still in Government’s hands. Few that were handed back to the Kingdom include; Bulange (official kingdom seat), Mengo Palace, land occupied by Makindye Military Barracks, Kigo Prison, Mengo Court but according still, rent arrears for this land that is used by the government have accumulated to over Shs215.8 billion by early 2021.
It is the above rent arrears that triggered the Kingdom three months ago through its Attorney General Christopher Bwanika to give Government 45 days to come out and explain why it has deliberately disrespected the terms of the 2013 agreement something that government still snubbed with silence till today that the two parties met.
