Buruuli chief writes to Kabaka over breach of 2013 agreement

The head of Buruuli Cultural Institution has written to Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, accusing him of  not honouring the 2013 agreement that called for mutual co-existence and cooperation between the two cultural institutions.

In the October 31 document, Isabaruli Constantine Mwogezi Butamanya refers to the August 1, 2013, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between  the government of Uganda represented by President Museveni and the Kabaka of Buganda.

The Buruuli leadership claims that the Kabaka has not fulfilled the terms of the MoU, which called for mutual co-existence between Buganda and the other ethnic and cultural groups within the kingdom.

Part of the accusations levelled against the Kabaka and his administration or agents include alleged encroachment on land that, according to the MoU, was supposed to return to the Buruuli chiefdom as early as January 2014 when a palace was constructed at the Saza headquarters in Nakasongola District.

They say this is contrary to the resolutions of an earlier mediation meeting by the central government representative, the then Security Minister, Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde.

The Buruuli leadership further accuses Buganda and its agents of disposing of parts of land that, under the MoU belong to Buruuli.

“On the basis of the above illegalities, our client (Buruuli) seeks specific performance of the said agreement (MoU), the removal of the said palace, cancellation of the said illegal land sale agreements and payment of our legal costs for drafting and serving this letter (notice) totalling to Shs500,000,” the notice signed by Ms Babrah Naiza on behalf of M. Nassali & Co. Advocates reads in part.

The letter also refers to part B, paragraph IV of the MoU where the Kabaka undertook to respect the cultural norms of other related ethnic communities located in Buganda such as the Banyala and Baruuli and leave to them land where the former administrative units were situated. To the contrary, Buruuli says the land remains under the control of the Buganda agents who have reportedly sold off sections of it.

Mr Rogers Sande Bwanga, the legal affairs secretary in the Isabaruuli office in Nakasongola District, said they are awaiting a response from the Kabaka.

Buganda Kingdom Attorney General Christopher Bwanika yesterday confirmed receiving the letter from Buruuli.  “Yes, we received the notice, which we are studying and will respond at the appropriate time. The contents are not new. These are issues that have been around for some time,” he said.

Buganda has had lukewarm relations with some chiefdoms in the kingdom such as Buruuli, Bunyala and Kooki.

On January 7, 2017, a fire gutted a section of the Kabaka’s Palace near the Nakasongola District headquarters. Kabaka’s chief in Buruuli County Gerald Kyanjo in a statement accused the Buruuli cultural leadership of being behind the fire.

Mr Kyanjo, in an earlier meeting held on January 5, 2017, with the then  Resident District Commissioner, demanded that he instructs Buganda to demolish the Kabaka’s Palace since it was constructed on land that belongs to the Buruuli cultural institution.

The animosity
In 2020, authorities in Nakasongola Town Council tentatively halted the construction works at the Buganda Kingdom Palace for alleged lack of an approved building plan. The Town Clerk in a letter to the Mengo representatives in Buruuli said any construction process within the town council had to be approved as provided for under Section 48 of the Physical Planning Act 2008.

On August 1, 2013,  President Museveni signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kabaka. Under the MoU, several properties belonging to Buganda that had earlier been under the central government were returned to the kingdom.

The MoU also required Buganda Kingdom to respect the cultural norms of other ethnic communities located in Buganda. The former administrative structures/buildings of Buganda but located within the boundaries of the cultural institutions of the different ethnic groups were to remain the latter’s property.

The MoU preceded the heightened tensions between Buganda and some of the ethnic groups including the Buruuli and Banyala that led to infamous protests in 2009, which left at least 40 people dead.

The worrying trend
Although Nakasongola (Buruuli)  is constitutionally part of Buganda Kingdom and among the 18 counties of Buganda, the cultural leadership of  Buruuli insists that they are an independent cultural institution. A similar claim is also made by Baker Kimeeze, the cultural leader of Banyala in Kayunga District.

According to the Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act, 2010, the Isabaruuli is listed among the 13 traditional leaders in Uganda. Both Baruuli and Banyala have for long been pushing for secession, which the Buganda Kingdom protests.