I have not forgiven Museveni - Byanyima

Boniface Byanyima. Photo by Felix Fasiime 

By FELIX BASIIME 

Posted  Sunday, August 12  2012 (http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/I+have+not+forgiven+Museveni+++Byanyima/-/688334/1477108/-/31tip8/-/index.html)

In Summary

The differences between Mr Byanyima and President Museveni are based on factors ranging from a dispute over the management of the Ranch Restructuring Scheme in Ankole to personal reasons.

Mzee Boniface Byanyima, President Museveni’s adopted father and the former national chairman of the Democratic Party, has denied reports that he recently accepted money from the head of State, and insists he has not forgiven the government for wrongs committed against his family. 

He called Sunday Monitor last week from his home in Ruti, Mbarara Municipality, to react to media reports that he had reconciled with President Museveni and received Shs4.5 billion from him as compensation from the government for destruction occasioned on his Nyabushozi ranch. 

“I have never seen the money, I was told about it by others who read it in newspapers,” Mr Byanyima, whose daughter, Winnie is wife to Dr Kizza Besigye, the leader of opposition Forum for Democratic Change, said.

The aging politician who is known for his assertiveness, in 2006 rejected Shs1 million that then State House Comptroller, Dr Richard Muhinda, had brought as condolence allegedly from the President towards the burial expenses of his son, Bernard Muyogoma Byanyima.

Mr Byanyima spoke of how, in the early 1980s, he lost two square miles of his ranch to squatters after the government invaded his ranch in Nyabushozi (now Kiruhura District). Workers’ houses were burnt, fences destroyed, 1,200 head of friesian and boran cattle taken, he said. “After court verdict, settlers remained on the ranch and I was never compensated up to now,” Mr Byanyima said.

Although one of his sons, Mr Anthony Byanyima, who had fled the country after the 2001 general elections, citing State violence, later returned, Mzee Byanyima insists he is not yet happy.

Tortured children
“My children fled the country over mental torture by government agencies on my family, but last year one of them came back and said he was persuaded by government that he would not be harmed and that government would pay the family all the old claims. However, others are still out there and government has never paid my claims,” said Mr Byanyima.

He added: “I have never been bought (read bribed), no government can afford to buy me. [Former president] Obote called me thrice for a ministerial post and I rejected it, he bought off some DP officials but for me I remained stuck to my DP up to today. Amin came but I did not request him for any post and I did not forgive Museveni, not until government restores my ranch.” However, when contacted, State House Spokesman Tamale Mirundi also refuted claims that the government paid money to Mr Byanyima.

On the old man’s refusal to forgive President Museveni, Mr Mirundi said “the buck stops with Byanyima as a Christian”. “The issue of forgiveness is up to him as a Christian because forgiveness is a Christian value and not a constitutional demand. So nobody is forced to observe Christian values and by him refusing to forgive President Museveni, he is not committing any offence,” he said.

Q & A

In Summary

Mzee Boniface Byanyima was last week in the news as having forgiven and reconciled with his adopted son, President Museveni, over a number of issues. The two have had personal differences for about two-decades now. Sunday Monitor’s Felix Basiime caught up with the aging politician at his home in Ruti Trading Centre, about 4km on Mbarara-Kabale road in Mbarara Municipality. Below are the excerpts of their chat.

Mzee, there have been reports that you met President Museveni in recent past and agreed on a compensation for your ranch and that the money was paid. How true are these reports?
Weija kunterera enaku (Have you come to add salt to the injury?)? I have never seen the money, I was told about it by others who read those newspapers.

How did all this start?
Government grabbed ranches in Kiruhura District, it was not government restructuring ranches as was reported, but it was government attacking the ranches. Unlike other ranchers, I resisted the invasion, government soldiers beat up my wife and left her unconscious, I took her to hospital. It is about 20 years ago, police then arrested the suspects but later released them. Affected ranchers united to sue government but later feared that the guerilla-led government would kill them, but for me I successfully sued it and government has since then never paid me.

What happened after the court verdict?
After the invasion on my ranch, workers houses were burnt, fences destroyed, 1,200 heads of both Freisian and Boran cattle taken and about two square miles of land given to squatters. After court verdict, settlers remained on the ranch and I was never compensated up to now.

Press reports also say that you met, held discussion with President Museveni and forgave him. What did you exactly drop and or take?
I did not forgive Mr Museveni. Not until government restores my ranch. During our meeting he accepted that the manner used in restructuring the ranches in Nyabushozi was wrong.

Then what have you been discussing on phone with the President after that meeting at State house?
I have never talked to Museveni on phone this year and he has not solved any of my problems, I am still heavy laden with them.

How about reports that you went to South Africa for treatment and someone else picked your medical bill?
It was on my cost, not Mr Museveni's as sections of the media alleged. No way.

You say that Museveni or his government has not given you anything, but you recently thanked the NRM government at your elder brother’s burial, what prompted this?
Yes, I thanked government at my brother Kabangora’s burial for the peace I see around but I said this is false peace of lies and vote rigging, in the north and other parts of the country there is no peace. If government compensates me, they will no longer be my enemies but this does not mean I have joined NRM or back it, no way, they will be giving me what is due to me.

When did you last meet President Museveni, where and what was the purpose?
I and some of my children met Mr Museveni early this year at State House; we only discussed about my land and compensation nothing else. Mr Museveni said I won the court case and that I will be compensated according to the judgment.

But press reports say you have been ‘bought’ off in this compensation thing, what is your take on this?
I have never been bought, no government can afford to buy me. Obote called me thrice for a ministerial post and I rejected it, he bought off some DP officials but I remained stuck to my DP up to today. Amin came but I did not request him for any post, Museveni came and never suggested to appoint me anywhere because he knows that I can’t accept.

Back to the ranches, you were on the Mugerwa Commission what did you recommend to government?
We recommended that active ranches that were occupied by the owners should be left intact but those that were idle should be parceled to the other landless people. There was no David Pulkol Commission as reported; Pulkol just headed government soldiers that attacked our ranches.

You joined the Democratic Party (DP) then highly regarded as a Catholic party. Do you still believe in it?
I long ago rejected mixing politics and religion. I joined DP because of truth and justice, people then laughed at me that I had joined a party for Catholics, so any one to bribe me must come in truth and justice. I have never left DP. I despise the Museveni government more than Obote’s (Ex late President Milton Obote) because they are thieves especially in elections.

What do you mean exactly about truth and justice, what does it cure for any government?
I fear for any government that does not lead with truth and justice. It reaps problems and chaos only. Amin tried to fight for the truth but later failed because of Nyerere and the Whites who wanted Obote back. For Mr Museveni, he rigs elections, lifted term limits, he cannot be removed because there are no term limits and there is poll rigging all the time, this results into chaos. I pray for Uganda so that we should not plunge into another chaos. Removing term limits in the Constitution of any country abates violence because by removing them and continued rigging of elections, the population must resort to violence.

What was your role during the National Resistance Army Bush War?
I did not take active part in the bush war but I told DP members that DP had won the 1980 elections so that we should reject the results but Ssemogerere (Paul, former DP President) refused and joined Parliament. I supported all who went to the bush because the government in power was illegitimate but I did not buy and supply arms from Democratic Republic of Congo as alleged.

Your daughter Winnie and Rtd Col. Kizza Besigye run against the NRM government in elections in 2001 and 2006, what role did you play in their quest for State House?
Press reports say that I told Winnie and Besigye that they cannot defeat Museveni, why not? Those are lies. I can’t tell Besigye not to stand. I am a DP member but I back all opposition parties; UPC, DP, FDC whenever they have a candidate running against this government that rigs elections, but what shocks me is the way the people of Uganda are bribed at the time of elections.

Part of your family lives outside the country, what exactly led to this?
My children fled the country over mental torture by government agencies on my family, but last year one of them came back and said he was persuaded by government that he would not be harmed and that government would pay the family all the old claims. We later met officials of the Justice Ministry last year, discussed but never agreed on the compensation.

What did you exactly say at your son Anthony’s wedding at Sheraton Hotel?
I thanked Mr Museveni for contributing to my son’s wedding. I said I and Museveni parted over my ranch and other people’s ranches and for destroying Uganda’s economy, I did not go beyond this.

                                   Few Facts about Mzee Byanyima
Mzee Boniface Byanyima, has been described by many as “rigidly principled” and stubborn. He is an elder of the Democratic Party, one of Uganda’s oldest parties.

Until 2005, he was the national chairman of DP and is still a strong pillar of the party.
He is the father-in-law of President Museveni’s bitterest rival, opposition Forum for Democratic Change leader Dr Kizza Besigye. President Museveni is said to have grown up in the Byanyima homestead, commonly known to as Green Cottages, in Ruti, 4km outside Mbarara town, along Kabale Road.

Mr Byanyima paid President Museveni’s school fees and he stayed at his home. In his piece, Mr. Charles Onyango Obbo describes the Museveni’s relationship with the Byanyima family as the proverbial one of the ugliness of family fall-outs.

Kiiza firm as NRM fails to dislodge her

Ms Kiiza (R) is joined by supporters during campaigns on August 5, 2012. Behind her is FDC party president Kizza Besigye. PHOTO BY ISAAC KASAMANI  

By Felix Basiime, Thembo Kahungu and Enid Ninsiima 

Posted  Friday, August 10, 2012  (http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Kiiza+firm+as+NRM+fails+to+dislodge+her/-/688334/1475570/-/item/1/-/j1sk6a/-/index.html)

In Summary

Revenge vote? Commentators cite the Obusinga issue, the Kiyonga factor and arrest of opposition officials on eve of voting as factors that worked against the NRM candidate, Ms Rehema Muhindo.

The verdict is out. Ms Winnie Kiiza will stay on as Kasese Woman MP until 2016 after winning a gruelling by-election in which she defeated NRM’s Rehema Muhindo. Ms Kiiza (FDC) polled 97,669, Ms Muhindo 59, 946 while DP’s Rosemary Masika got 1, 229 votes.

On August 8, 2012 the streets of Kasese Town were still jammed with jubilating FDC supporters. It was understandable celebration seeing that their candidate beat her closest rival by more than 37,000 votes.

The symbolism in figure is unmistakable. In February 2011, when Ms Kiiza and Ms Muhindo first locked horns, the latter polled 92,108 votes as opposed to the NRM candidate’s 90,624 votes. In fact, it was because of this slim margin of victory that Ms Muhindo petitioned the courts, arguing that had the Electoral Commission not invalidated some 6,000 votes, she could have carried the day.

The by-election
Convinced, the Court of Appeal ordered a by-election. Ms Muhindo and the NRM, however, must be wondering how a 1,484 vote gap could have multiplied to about 30 times in just over a year. What then could have occasioned such a margin of defeat?

Mr Christopher Kibazanga, a former MP, who was Ms Kiiza’s chief campaigner, says the issue of the Bukonzo cultural institution played a key role in determining the course of the by-election. The Bakonzo are majority residents of Kasese District.

In 2001 and 2006, the NRM lost most of the parliamentary seats in Kasese, largely because it was accused of frustrating the restoration of Omusinga Charles Mumbere—the king of Rwenzururu.

Noting the damage the issue was having on its political fortunes, the government in 2009 recognised the institution. NRM’s fortunes in the 2011 elections improved as it took three of the six MP slots in the district and also won the LC5 chairperson’s seat.

However, coming into the by-election, something had happened. A trip by King Mumbere to neighbouring Bundibugyo District had turned dramatic when another tribe there, the Bamba-Babwisi blocked him, insisting that they do not recognise his authority.

According to Mr Kibazanga, who is also the chief prince of the Rwenzururu Kingdom, the government never genuinely recognised the kingdom and the rise of splinter chieftaincies was testimony to this.

“We are back to square one. The situation that prevailed before Obusinga was recognised is back,” he told Daily Monitor yesterday.

The Obusinga issue became so central in the by-election that President Museveni, in a press release a week to the election, attacked his political nemesis, FDC leader Kizza Besigye, over the matter.

“I heard Besigye telling lies that he is the one who returned Obusinga. Besigye was a student here in the 70s when we were fighting Idi Amin, why didn’t he bring the Obusinga that time or restore the Kabaka of Buganda or the other kings?” President Museveni wrote. “Kingdoms in Uganda were bought by NRM, nobody else.”

But Mr Kibazanga argues that the change of heart in 2009 was cosmetic.

“They are the ones that incited tribal clashes in Bundibugyo and Kasese districts,” he said.

Kiyonga factor
Another sticking matter was the role of Defence Minister Crispus Kiyonga in the local politics of Kasese. Dr Kiyonga is Busongora East MP and also chairs the NRM in Kasese.

For many a watcher, Dr Kiyonga troubles stem from the view that he opposed the restoration of the Obusinga. In fact, so serious was Kiyonga’s matter, that while addressing voters in Katwe-Kabatooro

Town Council last Sunday, the President broached the subject.

“I know the people of Kasese have issues with Dr Crispus Kiyonga but that does not tantamount to you suffocating the party. Kiyonga is not NRM we need to solve the matter as a family,” he advised.

The appeal might have been a little too late. Our efforts to get to Dr Kiyonga were futile as he did not answer his phone nor respond to SMS. The NRM local leadership had promised to issue a statement about the election yesterday at 10am but by 4pm, none had come through.

Instead, Ms Muhindo’s chief campaigner, Mr Eliphazi Muhindi, said: “We are still locked in a meeting analysing the results. We are still investigating reports of pre-ticked ballots in favour of FDC’s Kiiza in Saluti Village, Nyamwamba Division and other parts of the district and release the statement later.”

There was also the issue of a land fight at Rweihingo where Bakonzo cultivators sued the government in May but the court order has never been implemented to evict Basongora pastoralists.

Many commentators, however, say the NRM pressed the self-destruct button when on the eve of elections, key FDC officials were arrested on charges of inciting violence.

Councillors Elly Magwara and Abudu Saad were remanded to Mubuku Prison, while 70 other FDC supporters, including party vice president Salaam Musumba, were rounded on claims of seeking to disrupt the election.

Some residents said this compelled them to vote against the NRM candidate.

Others pointed to Ms Kiiza’s affability and down-to-earth nature—and when contacted—all she could say was: “I told my fellow MPs that I would be right back in the House in two months. I am humbled by the trust the people of Kasese put in me because they ate the money but voted the right person. I am ready to work with everyone.”

What is causing conflict in Rwenzori sub-region?

Rwenzuru King Charles Mumbere(R) with another official at his palace. King Mumbere says the abundance of the mineral deposits in his kingdom has driven minority groups against his leadership. PHOTO BY GEOFFREY ARAALI. 

By Felix Basiime  (email the author)

Posted  Saturday, August 11  2012 (http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/What+is+causing+conflict+in+Rwenzori+sub+region+/-/688334/1476452/-/view/printVersion/-/d604o/-/index.html)

In Summary

Some communities living in areas where there are oil pontentials have denied sharing norms and traditions with Tooro and Rwenzuru kingdoms creating divisions.

Fort Portal: On June 30, King Charles Mumbere visited Bundibugyo District and among other things set up a royal shrine and a flag at Kirindi Village in Bwamba County. Just hours after he left, clashes between the Bakonzo and Baamba-Babwisi communities flared, as the latter argued that they are not part of the Rwenzururu Kingdom. This left one person dead and hundreds of Bakonzo displaced.

A month later, on July 1, the Basongora community, one of the minority tribes in Kasese District installed their King, Ivan Rwigi IV Kabumba Agutamba Bwebale Rutakirwa on grounds that they do not share culture and norms with the Bakonzo. This was also followed by tribal clashes.

On July 30, a section of the Batuku tribe in Ntoroko District wrote to President Museveni banning the visits of both King Oyo of Tooro and of King Charles Mumbere of Rwenzururu in their area.

Analysts point to these tribal clashes as part cause of the conflict in the region. Also pointed out is the creation of new districts that has sub-divided the area into tribal teritories.

Prince of the Rwenzururu Kingdom Christopher Kibanzanga says: “There is something deeper in the Bundibugyo conflict than what meets the eye, therefore, we must also go deeper and investigate it because the Bamba and Bakonzo have lived together and intermarried for long without any problem.”

Expansionist factor
Although the current districts are divided into tribal lines, cultural analysts say this should not be the consideration by government to recognise a cultural institution. “Kingdoms should not be based on the territorial factor but culture, this is just expansionism at play” an elder in Bundibugyo observed.

In their petition against what they call “the territorial cultural expansions of Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu and Obukama bwa Tooro over Batuku community,” the Batuku argue that the constitution regards them as a tribe.

They have since formed an agenda called the “Anti-Kingdom interference Batuku community” that is fighting for their cultural rights. “We do not have the same cultures and customs with Batooro or Bakonzo” the group argues and adds, “It is factual that, there has not been a king of different indigenous inhabitants in Uganda”

On August 3, the Banyabindi, one of the minority tribes in Kasese District secretly installed their cultural leader, Isebantu Elisa Mugisa Entare ya Banyabindi. They now want the government to recognise their King.

King Mumbere believes that the abundance of the mineral deposits in his kingdom is driving minority groups to rise against his leadership in Kasese and Bundibugyo districts.

“We have fears that other ethnic groups are conniving to overrun the Bakonzo in order to take control of the rich areas of our Kingdom, especially the oil potentials. That’s why the current crisis is politically motivated,” King Mumbere said on July 11.

Rwenzori region is being earmarked for oil and gas production as exploration already going on in Ntoroko district and more studies being carried out in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kasese.

The Batuku in their letter to the President said, “Our sincere analysis is based on why now get interested in Butuku community when there is oil prospects in Ntoroko district”.

The Batuku have warned government that there might be clashes between Tooro kingdom and Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu trying to “colonise” Ntoroko district. About 2.5 billion barrels of oil were discovered from 40 percent of the entire Albertine Graben. The King of Bunyoro is demanding for 12.5 percent shares of profits accruing from oil and other minerals in the Kingdom.

Other kingdoms are watching these steps and waiting to jump into the queue of demanding for royalties on natural resources in their territories should government grant oil shares to Bunyoro. Mr Mwambutsya Ndebesa, a historian don, says culture is being used as a mobilising tool and to exercise control over oil resources.