RAKAI-UGANDA/NEWDAY: Kooki chiefdom has said that Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga is harboring serious ill motives against Buganda Kingdom as the relationship between the two institutions slides to its lowest.
According to the Minister for information of Obwakamuswaaga Stanley Ndawula in a media interview, Mayiga is the “damage between us” and his behavior has resulted into “unrepairable relations”.
Ndawula warned that Maayiga’s time as Katikkiro is now limited to less than two years.
Ndawula said Mayiga’s history will he labeled on the walls as that of a man who spearheaded the collapse of beyond a century-cordial, brotherly relationship between Kooki and Buganda.
“Perhaps Mr. Mayiga desires to leave behind a legacy of a man who left Buganda disintegrated. I know in two years he will be leaving office. Kooki and Buganda have enjoyed good relations with many Katikkiros including Ssemwogerere, JB Walusimbi and others since 2004 but the rift came when Mr. Mayiga took the mantle.” Ndawula said.
But Mayiga’s record is praised. He set five pillars to revive Mengo as a pillar of development and cultural preservation.
He criticized Mr. Mayiga, a man he described as full of ego and arrogance for allegedly personalising Buganda Kingdom affairs with all the powers to appoint officials in the Kingdom’s departments lying in his hands.
Ndawula alleged before he switched the conversation that Mr. Mayiga is perhaps harboring intentions of becoming a regent in the Buganda Kingdom and this could explain his actions.
A regent is a person appointed to administer a state because the monarch is a minor or is absent or incapacitated.
An infant, Prince Ssemakokiro, Kabaka’s son, is thought to be his father’s heir, a total disregard of the norms because a Kabaka apparent must be chosen by Lukiiko. Buganda has a history when its administration was managed by regents during the early years of the reign of Kabaka Daudi Chwa who took control of the Kingdom when he was a minor.
“Obwakamuswaaga is a cultural institution number 6 in the constitution. Its leader is hereditary, unlike Mayiga who cannot be inherited by his son,” Ndawula said. But we scoured through the laws of Uganda and this wasn’t evident.
Mr Mayiga has been Katikkiro since May 2013.
Ndawula said that Kooki has refused to be pushed against the wall and blackmailed despite the fact that the people of Kooki and their Kamuswaga love Kabaka.
Kooki’s journey to secede from Buganda, Ndawula said, started on September 24, 2015 when Kamuswaaga demanded Mengo to address four issues including surrendering their land titles, reinstating the official chair of Kamuswaga in Lukiiko, reviewing the 1896 Kooki-Buganda agreement and expelling Mayiga’s own appointed Kamuswaga in Kooki.
“They defiantly refused and called the demands childish. Let them now enjoy the fruits of their ego,” Ndawula said.
He added that in Kooki there is no symbol of Buganda Kingdom as the flag or even the anthem and that this signifies the expulsion of Buganda from that area.
“This is a signal we are on our own. In our own nation. Agreements are a delicate relationship. If a party undermines that relationship, there is no reason for the other to continue holding a commitment. Buganda is responsible for the ongoing. Let them feel their ego,” Ndawula said.
Ndawula said that his Kingdom has embarked on major projects including constructing an International hospital and school.
Last week, Kooki raised a signage marking its boundary with Buganda.
We were unable to get a comment from Mengo for this story.
The said Buganda, Kooki agreement
THE 1896 AGREEMENT BETWEEN KOOKI (KAMUSWAGA) AND BUGANDA (MWANGA)
The agreement between Kooki and Buganda in full reads as follows:
To all whom it may concern, be it known that the undersigned, Mwanga king of Uganda [Buganda] and Kamuswaga, King of Kooki, have this day made the following agreement:-
Whereas I, Kamuswaga, hitherto independent King of Kooki, I am desirous on behalf of myself, my chiefs and people, that county of Kooki shall become part of the Kingdom of Uganda [Buganda] and be included therein as a new province and thereby enjoy and profit by the advantages secured to that Kingdom through the presence, guidance and assistance of British officials.
And whereas I, Mwanga, King of Uganda [Buganda] with the full concurrence of my government, I am ready and willing that the county of Kooki shall be so included in my Kingdom and its inhabitant become Waganda [Baganda] subjects.
Now, therefore, I Kamuswaga, hitherto independent King of Kooki, hereby declare and make known, on behalf of myself, my chiefs and people that our country of Kooki become from this day forth part and province of the Kingdom of Uganda [Buganda] and passes under the sovereignty of Mwanga, King of Uganda [Buganda].
And I, the said Kamuswaga, do hereby of my own free will and choice surrender my position as an independent King, and recognising myself to be henceforth a subject of the King of Uganda [Buganda], accept and assume the position of a Muganda saza of the first class, whose province shall be Kooki and whose powers, privileges rights, duties, obligations and position generally shall be those of the other Waganda [Baganda] sazas of the same rank.
And I recognise that henceforth the sovereign of Kooki is Mwanga King of Uganda [Buganda] and after him, his heirs and successors.
And I recognise further that all treaties, international agreements, laws and regulations of every kind, as well as tribute and other obligations of every kind at the time and the future in force or leviable in Uganda are henceforth similarly applicable stand leviable in Kooki which now becomes an integral part of the kingdom of Uganda [Buganda].
And I Mwanga, king of Uganda [Buganda], hereby pledge myself and my government and my heirs and successors to recognise Kamuswaga, hitherto independent King of Kooki, as a Muganda saza of the first class whose province shall be Kooki, which henceforth becomes part and province of the Kingdom of Uganda [Buganda].
And I the said Mwanga pledge myself, my heirs and successors that the said Kamuswaga shall enjoy all the powers, privileges and rights which belong to the position of a Muganda saza of the first class and further that the welfare and prosperity of the province of Kooki shall be the objects of all our care and solicitude equally with the welfare and prosperity of our Kingdom of Uganda [Buganda].
And we the undersigned Mwanga, King of Uganda [Buganda] and the Kamuswaga, hitherto independent King of Kooki, agree that we will submit this agreement to her Britannic Majesty’s representative in Uganda in order to petition that he, acting on behalf of Her Majesty’s government, may approve it and comfort it;
And we freely agree and recognise that if at any time, any question should arise regarding the interpretation or meaning of this agreement or any part thereof, this English text of the agreement shall be considered true text and Her Majesty’s representative shall be its interpreter, whose decision on any point in question regarding it or any part of it shall be final and binding upon us both, in faith whereof we hereunto set our hands and seals, in public baraza at Kampala this 18th day of November in the year 1896 of Christian era.
Done in duplicate both in English and Luganda at the place and date above mentioned.
Signed:
# Mwanga Kabaka
# Kamuswaga
# Apollo Kagwa
# Stanislaus Mugwanya
Witness to the above signatures
# Kago Pozo
# George Wilson
# Pokino Sebowa
# Mukwenda Yona
# Zakaria Kangawo
# Kabandagara Katikiro of Kamuswaga
# Mugara Sabadu of Kamuswaga.
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