By Sam Mayanja
Africa-Press – Uganda. Mengo Establishment was a colonial instrument to indirectly rule Uganda through Buganda. Collaborating Chiefs were rewarded with economic power in terms of land and sustained through political control.
The Mengo privileges ended with the 1966 successful revolution ushering in the 1967 Republican constitution ending Mengo’s 70 year rule of Uganda through Buganda.
The NRA victory in 1986 saw the regrouping of Mengo Establishment aimed at recapturing the privileges lost in the 1966 revolution. The ebyaffe attempt however failed when the constituent assembly ushered in the 1995 constitution which maintained Uganda as unitary and Republic.
The scheme of Mengo to stage a return outside the constitution came in the form of setting up of an anti-NRM group of young people known as Nkoba zambogo essentially mooting that NRM was the biggest obstacle to progress through its refusal to grant Buganda federo.
Over time, the ranks of Nkoba zambogo has produced an elite group known as the Bakungu. These are the CEOs, MDs, Chief finance officers, and heads of departments in the commercial entities of Mengo called ebitongole, include CBS radio, Terefayina TV, Buganda Land Board Ltd, Majestic Brands.
The Bakungu have amassed wealth channelled into personal enterprises especially schools and real estates. Mengo itself has amassed fortunes from the various commercial entities headed by Bakungu, the cyclical annual activities and also the money paid by central Government in the form of compensation and ad-hoc development funds.
These fortunes are used to drive the hidden political agenda in the name of Buganda nationalism. Every “Mukungu” owns a school, which drive Nkoba zambogo doctrines.
During the rotational coronation festivities in the different regions of Buganda, a lot of sloganeering through dance song and drama pushing this agenda takes centre stage organised through these schools.
The Bakungu organize various sports activities all year round, starting with the “Enkuuka” festival ushering in the New Year. Other sports activities are Masaza Cup, Bika, Kabaka birthday run. There are many others at grassroots levels. On the side-lines of all these sports activities and in the training camps, are programs where the Nkoba zambogo sectarian
doctrines are preached.
The messages and agendas of these festivals are dictated by Nkoba Zambogo cabal, which decides who the sponsors shall be and dictate the theme of the sports event. At these crowd-puller events various messages with anti-NRM under tones and promotion of a ganda centric nationalism agenda, are downloaded into the minds of the unsuspecting public all in the
guise of drama, comedy and dance.
NRM’s effort to revive, the coffee industry was weaponalised by Mengo claiming to single handily pushing the revamping of the coffee crop for the benefit of the Baganda and that the NRM was doing everything to sabotage these efforts. The regulation of the coffee industry was portrayed as a deliberate effort to impoverish the People of Buganda. The NRM was
demonized as trying to control and monopolise the cultivation and trade of coffee.
Katikkiro made statements loaded with anti-NRM innuendo such as the “Red and Green” coffee berry utterances. Katikiro was promoted as the knight in shining armour coming to the rescue of Baganda and all coffee farmers.
Creating non-existing administrative units from Saza (county) to batongole (village chiefs) Katikiro handpicked all and they owe allegiance entirely to him. They are given tools of aggrandizement such as cars, motor cycles and a stipend from his office. The strategy here is that when the time comes for the incumbent Katikiro to step onto the political stage, the chiefs will become his campaign and propaganda agents thereby giving him a head start political mileage.
The Katikkiro has turned his office into a mini Statehouse where he meets different people who are seen as having some sort of political influence in the Country. Bulange is now a rotating door that ushers in former opponents and critics then churns out a conciliated and compliant individual or party.
Weekly Katikkiro’s official X handle posts photographs of such visitors.
An association of kwanjura spokesmen under the patronage of Katikiro has been set up. Spokesmen at all Kwanjura functions at which portraits of Kabaka, Nabagereka, Map of Buganda and a certificate from Buganda Kingdom are compulsory presentations are presided over by these spokesperson advised in advance of which agendas to push during the functions.
Obviously “Kakuyege” on a grand scale is underway to effectively control the populace in the central region. Media houses are daily beaming Katikiro images. It is an act of political negligence to ignore these activities that are well spread out all year round.
The Bolsheviks understood the power of the mob and harnessed the urban poor and the serfs into a populist uprising, the mob in France changed the course of European history.
He who controls the mob shall inherit the reins of power. Mengo’s attempt to control the Buganda mob in order to take Uganda power shall meet the same 1966 attempt. It must be nipped in the bud.
Dr. Sam Mayanja
Minister of State for lands
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