culture | Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

‘Kisambi’ aka thigh-power should be controlled with the ban on mini skirts or mini dressing

09 Apr 2013 1 Comment

by semuwemba in culture, cultures, social issues

Friends,
Uganda is an extra ordinary country: from ‘Marriage and Domestic violence’ to ‘pornography and miniskirt’ bill and I love it. I don’t know whether both these bills were introduced to divert us from something, but if so, it’s certainly working. This may surprise a few people here but I’m with the government on this one. Yes, I want to see miniskirts banned on streets, not at home, and I think our UAH forum has played a crucial role in getting the government to think about this issue… thanks to the few pictures we have been sharing with them. This bill will save men from ‘thigh-power’ mistakes. Yes, some thighs have got power over some people and we need to find a way around this.

I’m not saying that all men are animals, with no control over their sexual urges, who can be provoked into random intercourse by a glimpse of a thigh or a wink, but I’m saying that we should never underestimate the power of ‘EKISAMBI’ (thigh). To quote a line from Jackie Gleason in the original Smokey and The Bandit: “You can think about it……but just don’t do it.” But we seriously need to trim ‘Kisambi’ powers a little bit for the sake of controlling certain evils in our society. Men usually leer at a girl who wears tight sweaters and miniskirts. That’s what we are! We like ‘EKISAMBI’ (not the chicken one), and i think it’s appropriate that we come up with measures to control ‘EKISAMBINESS’!

The hypocrisy among some in the opposition in Uganda and their western counter parts is simple enough to see. Frankly, I expected the opposition to support the government on this one but they are all over the place. Mao is fighting UYD; Otunu is fighting ‘UPC’; FDC is ‘reconciling’ and planning another delegates conference, e.t.c. So, let me just poke their friends in the developed nations a little bit.

Belgium banned the Islamic burka and similar garb in public but few people in the west made a lot of noise against it because it’s their business. I think France did a similar thing and we were OK with it. So, why the fuss on Uganda and miniskirts as I saw in the UK’s Daily mail?

I also read somewhere that they outlawed miniskirts in the White House during the Clinton admin. Evelyn Lieberman, the former deputy chief of staff at the White House and former Director of Voice of America (and she doesn’t have any foreign policy experiences), banned miniskirts, tight pants and low-cut and sleeveless shirts and any other clothing deemed provocative. She worked for the Clintons at the White House between 1993 to 2000, and I bet she saw how Monica Lewinsky dressed up.

Former ethics minister, Nsaba Buturo, tried to ban miniskirts and he didn’t succeed. Hope the MPs support this Karamoja Ethics guy and the bill this time around and let it pass. I think the Uganda opposition need to pull their heads out of their asses and not just oppose the government for the sake of it. We may not have enough resources to implement such a law but it at least sends a message out there about what is expected of descent clothing among our ladies.

Nze bwendaba banange

When ‘Kwanjura’ Morphs into Comedy: No Money, No Funny

19 Sep 2012 3 Comments

by semuwemba in Buganda, culture, cultures

Friends,
For the past few years, I have gone about my business here in the UK, hanging out with my kids, doing my ‘Kyeyo’ and reconnecting with Ugandans in different parts of the world whenever I get a chance but, for some reason; I have never bothered to involve myself in so many family ‘kwanjula’ or wedding functions. ‘Kwanjula’ is a traditional ceremony in Uganda where a couple introduces themselves to family and friends. There are a lot of drinks, food, smiling and speeches there and I have just fallen in love with it after watching a DVD of my young brother’s ‘Kwanjula’.

Rhemmie Kiggundu( auntie) with two of my sisters attending my brother’s ‘kwanjula’

To be honest, I don’t know who invented this stuff but it is awesome and I’m glad it is part of our culture. The ceremony is more of a light comedy about two spokespersons (‘abogezi’ in Luganda) such that my brother’s DVD made me laugh from the beginning to the end. For instance, one spokesperson apologised to the other in Luganda: ‘nsonyiwa okulemelako nga Nambooze weyalemela ku DP’ meaning ‘forgive me for super gluing myself on to you as Nambooze super glued herself to DP’. Everyone looked smart in ‘Kanzus’ and I think it is high time we specifically gave this tender of selling ‘Kanzus’ to only Mengo to help them make some money for the kingdom.

It seems rather unfortunate that this very good comedy has not been taken to new levels up to now. Rich men and women in Uganda should gather all these so called ‘spokespersons’ to help us create a TV drama series that will keep us smiling in our homes too. How I wish I owned a TV station in Uganda because I think I could do a better job with these people.

Think of it this way–if you’ve ever watched a snippet of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show online, you know that before you watch any of it, you have to watch an ad. So the studio is making money off that–but not the writers, who don’t see a dime. When a show airs on regular television, the writers get paid. When it airs in reruns, the writers get paid a residual, which is less, but they still get paid.

We all need people with a sense of humour in our lives and I’m glad we have got them in plenty at the Ugandans At Heart (UAH) forum. See, here’s a pointer for a joke to work, it has to have a kernel of truth to it. For a barb to sting, it has to make some kind of sense. UAH’s John Nsubuga, Okurut Simon Peter and Otto Patrick are real comedians if anyone ever bothered to read their messages. John is a cartoonist too and we love him. Some of Otto’s photos are real funny but at the same time, there are supposed to indirectly bully some people in debates, but he is a funny guy. Otto can use any image in the world to defend Museveni and I like his zeal. The sad part of it is that I don’t his real names or who he is exactly since Otto is just a pseudo name.

As for the pretty girls on ‘kwanjula’ functions I have been watching on DVDs, I can only guess that it’s because liberal boys never try to make a move on them without the UN Security Council’s approval. Jesus, some of these girls look so pretty in ‘gomesi’ and ‘Hijabs’ but some of us are ‘retired Generals’ such that we can do nothing about it. In one of the DVDs I watched, I was amazed to see that they bring girls as young as 6 years, dressed in ‘gomesi’, to entertain the visitors. This I thought is a good initiative as it promotes cultures among the young ones.

Even the newspapers are comedians, can you imagine mama fina’s nude photos making headlines in newspapers and our online forums. Actually, one captain Rashid on UAH forum said that she had a ‘great body’. Phewwwwww! I didn’t know that Mama Fina was out there to break some hearts, and now I hear she has gone missing, moreover, with almost all her ‘great’ body.

While most people have been distracted by this act, Museveni has worked hard and long to grease the way for the end of corruption as he promised again this week for the 100th time to get tough on corrupt people and his ‘Amama-Kutesa’ oil buddies while, for example, “reforming” the IGG office which has been part of us since 1986. The Inspectorate of Government is mandated to fight corruption by the national Constitution of 1995 and the Inspectorate of Government Act 2002. Yes, we want our stolen money back from the traitors’ who claim openly, Uganda is not being undone by trillionaire thieves, with the help of an independent journalist owning an independent Magazine called the ‘Independent’. This journalist defended Mbabazi and Kutesa during the oil bribe scandals and this showed the height of his independence, right?

Well, the corrupt get the money in the same way Hassan Basajjabalaba conducts genuine businesses without stealing anybody. But you get the prosthetic roads (without lakes in the middle), the nightmares, and the mysterious illnesses. So if your rage needs a target, there they are, responsible for your being there, and responsible for keeping you there. I can’t tell how you can act on all this as I’m just reaching for one or two perhaps three individuals to join in making a stand for Ugandans and declare: NRM is an enemy to Humanity for not caring about the people they lead.

Also on the Museveni-bashing team is comedian Hon.Meddie Nsereko, who claimed that the NRM is dumb as “an egg-timer” and said that they don’t respect any laws they enacted themselves, but he goes ahead and allegedly uses his ‘dental machines’ to extract two teeth out of a police man. What an ‘honorable’ act to do for a legislator!

Anyway, just who the hell are we trying to convince ourselves here that we should have had a better president than Museveni yet we also don’t want to change ourselves.

If anything, Museveni is a normal human being that has a lot in common with normal Uganda business practices: ‘juju’( witchcraft), corruption, eviction, Chameleon fighting Bebe Cool, women pouring acid on fellow women, pastors poring acid on pastor Umar Mulinde, ‘ghosts’ killing Muslims clerics in Uganda and elsewhere using guns, men discarding girls as their heirs as some men promote their sons to Brigadier, e.t.c

But, overall, we thank whoever invented ‘Kwanjula’ and i believe Ugandans abroad should also do it when they go back home. It is real comedy that deserves to be moved to another level. I love it now, don’t you?

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

Tribalism Is Not a Horror Movie. It Is A Horror Reality but Superiority Is Not really Tribal

05 Jul 2012 3 Comments

by semuwemba in Buganda, culture, cultures, Politics, Tribalism

This whole ‘national language’ issue or what I supposedly said about other languages in Uganda is being twisted by some people.But let me provide you with the last possible explanation as far as this issue is concerned.

First of all, I have never said that Baganda are superior to Langis or any other tribe but the fact of the matter is that some people are clearly much smarter than others just as some are clearly stronger. Education is good but it can never make everyone equal. It is also true that the dominant culture in Uganda is that of the Baganda because they are the majority.

For instance, most men I know find the ladies from western and central Uganda kind of more beautiful than the rest but, to have a superior mind, to have a superior body, is not to possess also a superior humanity. So, this would not make these ladies more superior than others in Uganda unless if they do something extraordinary.

This superiority has got nothing to do with the tribe but there are other factors that can probably explain it, though I don’t wanna go into all that, but such factors are the reasons why the Baganda and westerners attract more of people’s intention now than any other tribe in the country.

You see superiority is explained by a lot of things. Let me give you an example outside Uganda because it will make this a bit easier for me( as i don’t want you to drag me into some tribal contests anymore). Then you will find a way to relate it to the Uganda context without necessarily abusing me, as some of you often do. Forbes’ list of the wealthiest people includes 117 people who each inherited more than 500 million dollars. Now we know what being “superior” means. It means being lucky enough to have picked the right parents. There’s the “meritocracy” at work. We all get to run in a race against someone who has been given permission to start the race one millimetre from the finish line – now, given those odds, go out and compete, and God be with you.

The Marxist “classless” world wants everyone to be equal and ignores the fact that we shall never be equal.

Let me also address a statement I probably made and which some of you have quoted on our debates on UAH forum while attributing it to me: “Here in the UK, the only sure way you can get to know whether someone is a Ugandan is when you hear them speaking Luganda”.

The above opinion isn’t just mine; it is the opinion of just about anyone who ever tried to be part of any group in diaspora. For instance, try to speak to Ugandans that attend parties, conferences, weddings,……. in both UK and USA, they will tell you that the most common medium of communication on such events is Luganda. Forget about the speeches some people make in English but the real language of interaction during such events is Luganda, my friend. Because some of you have confessed that you don’t know how to speak Luganda, I think it becomes difficult for you to know whether people around you are speaking it or not. At the end of the day, those Ugandans around you have recognized your problem and that is why they speak with you in either English or some other language you understand (if you know any).

If they’re using a language which is syntactically different from Standard Luganda or English, then, the theory goes, the people that have met on such an occasion are mainly from the same tribe. For example, I have been on parties here in the UK that are dominated by Banyarwanda, and the main language of interaction there is Lunyarwanda. I never complain at all though i rarely dance in circles with hands swinging around, as they do.

Theorizing in that context does not mean that I undermine other tribes or their languages because I have always judged people for who they are, not what tribe they are, but it means that there is a language other than English that is more popular among Ugandans abroad and home.

One thing for sure: some of you seem to love the English language than any language in Africa which is a bit absurd. It starts, in part, from your failure to recognize that these debates are issues of national importance to pan-Africans not some ‘Malwa’ talk. You also fail to recognize that Uganda is a very special place such that we should learn to recognize our own uniqueness; not meekly fall prey to playing ethnic sock-puppet games for the rest of the tribalists!

Most of all, we for sure should stop attacking each other over an issue that makes sense to anyone who wants to see it as sensible. Honestly, why would anyone hate Luganda as a national language unless if they have got some issues against the Baganda? But the big question is: why would anyone let such small talk get in the way of the big picture. The big picture here is to find a native language that will define us as Ugandans.

Yes, i recognize that we all have differences in skin color, different shades, different tribes, and cultures but this should have no bearing on our decision to deciding a national language.

Thank you

Abbey.K.Semuwemba

BUGANDA NATIONALISM IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A UGANDA PROJECT???

05 Jul 2012 2 Comments

by semuwemba in Buganda, Bunyoro and lost counties, culture, cultures, federalism in Uganda, kingdoms

Folks,
Multiculturalism tells us that Uganda is a collection of various cultures but with a dominant Baganda culture. Yes, there is a lot of rage against the Buganda culture or whatever it represents because of historical reasons but my appeal to people feeling like that is to find it in their hearts to forgive the past mistakes and we move on. We have a country to build and it will require the collective efforts of almost everyone.The majority of our problems at the moment are the result of not knowing what valid behavior is when you have any sort of power on this planet.

I’m not suggesting that ‘Buganda should eat up the other nation-blocs for the sake of Uganda’ but I’m suggesting that all elites in Uganda, regardless of their tribal differences, should come together and build the nation called ‘Uganda’ around the most dominant culture in Uganda. This is something already happening on its own but it may be helped if elites such as Bunyoro’s spokesperson, Mirima Henry, do look at Buganda nationalism as an opportunity to build a nation with less differences, instead of looking at it as the most dangerous thing that has ever happened to our country. The Buganda culture today, as we know it, is a stable hybrid of several cultures, and this is something that our great kings historically worked on with a lot of zeal. Bwebawambanga ekiitundu, bawambilanga ddala!!!!!

Throughout history, cultures have never coexisted without eventually mixing and destroying one another. Probably at the moment, say inter-tribal marriages are important to examine because they can be a barometer for tribal relations and cultural assimilation. I think the British foresighted this and that is why they came up with the 1962 constitution.

I’m not saying that Buganda should forcefully assimilate people into their cultures but there should be a leadership role to see that tribal differences in our country are skillfully diffused. This should be done through educating people and promoting the dominant culture and language. It’s just a theory in my head at the moment but i think it is worth investigating for those who find it interesting.

Just think about it, for more than 50 years, non-Baganda politicians and media have upheld the Buganda kingdoms’ crimes as an inescapable point of reference for them to: abolish kingdoms and federalism(1966 by Obote); tribalise the army( as was the case of Obote in 1964-71/ 80-85- when the army was dominated by both the Acholi and Langi); tribalise the public service and education ( as president Museveni has openly done), weaken the Kingdoms(as Obote did in 1964 by denying funds to Buganda kingdom or as M7 has done with numerous tricks in the book), e.t.c.

Yes, their strategies might have been intended to achieve the same results as we are after,i.e. building a strong united Uganda, but it has not worked out because they instead ended up with paternalistic tendencies towards the dominant tribe in the country. Their policies are not geared towards assimilation but to create separation.

Personally, i think separation of Ugandans, as some people propose, is more difficult to achieve and it has dire consequences compared to assimilation. The easiest way to assimilate Ugandans would be around the dominant culture in the country. So, for those who say we are going to “fight Buganda” is probably the most vaguely unattainable nation-building goal imaginable. You cannot build a Uganda without a strong Buganda culture embedded in it, as simple as that.

Bunyoro and Henry Mirima’s strategy appear appealing to non-Baganda because of their personal feelings against the Baganda, and it will probably be the one adopted by most politicians in power but it is a long shot. This fighting, for whatever reason was prophesied by Jesus in Matthew 24 as proof that we would be in the end times when these things come to pass. In Matt. 24 Jesus was answering the disciples questions in Matt. 24:3: “…………what shall be the sign of thy coming and the end of the age?” And, Jesus said that one of the signs would be…..”For nation shall rise against nation….”. The word “nation” is a Greek word “ethnois” and its where we get our word “ethnic.” Therefore, ethnic groups shall rise against other ethnic groups.

So, this is worrying for some of us who don’t want to see these things happen in our country. Whatever Jesus predicted or said, let it happen elsewhere and leave Uganda alone. But i know for sure that whatever strategies the Musevenis and Mirimas’ are coming up with, are likely to cause us problems in future.

Let me give you an example, China is comprised of more than 50 separate peoples but they have got Mandarin as their dominant language yet their history is probably worse than that of Buganda. I know Mr.Mirima has got some beef to settle with some Baganda kings but he is living in the past, and China’s emperorism history should help him get out of it. One of the Emperors of China walked around with vials of pure alcohol that he would give at whim to his own staff, which they would then have to drink instantly and which would kill them instantly. China is mostly known for its brutal Emperors, up into modern times but this has not stopped their leaders from finding ways of uniting the population behind them.

China did have a form of land-distribution for a short while, by the way: they divided the land into blocks and the blocks into 9 squares. Each family had a square and they where to tend the central square together as a tax for the Emperor. Of course that quickly became a problem because the taxation pressure was always increasing. That model never survived although it certainly is interesting. But there is a lot to learn from them and how they have got themselves out of the deep hole to where they are at the moment.

There are never gonna be nation blokes built around kingdoms in Africa. We should just forget about it and instead advocate for both federalism within Uganda, and regional blocks( e.g. the East African federation). I cannot envisage a situation where Uganda is dismantled into these small nations such that it is no more.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
United Kingdom

You are a ‘Ugandan’ not ‘Bugandan’ or ‘Busogan’ or ‘Bunyoran’ by Nationality

24 Feb 2012 3 Comments

by semuwemba in Bahima and Banyarwanda, Buganda, Bunyoro and lost counties, culture, cultures, federalism in Uganda

Folks,

Yes, Buganda, Bunyoro, Toro and Ankole used to be nations but not anymore. All the kingdoms are now part of a country called Uganda. So, one cannot officially be a Muganda or Musoga or Mutoro or Munyori by nationality. I think some of you need to join FDC soon because you may find their motto of ‘One people One Uganda’ very useful.

I love my Kabaka and everything called Buganda but there are things we have got to draw a line under if we are to find a way forward. Some of my Baganda friends may misinterpret this standing as anti-Kabaka but they are absolutely wrong. I have got no reason to appease any non-Muganda against Buganda. Kabaka Mutebi is my Kabaka and I wish he is given what he wants to help his people.

Yes, I understand why some people are finding it difficult to accept that president Museveni has done a number on Baganda . He has systematically weakened the Kingdom to the extent that our only option now is to fight for a federal system of governance despite the fact that he hates it too. Buganda kingdom has got all the mechanisms in place to embrace federalism unlike other parts of the country. If you remember, I one time wrote an article here showing that ‘Buganda is already a quasi state within a state‘

The kingdom has got all the structures in place to govern itself and I think that scares some people in the government, but this does not make Buganda a ‘state’ or ‘nation’ as some people are saying. The nations in the world are known because there are composed of permanent states. With one exception, the Vatican, the rest of the nations are formed by trans-generational communities. So, Buganda was once a nation with various tribes in it but this ceased in 1900 if my history serves me right. In 1960s, we fully became a nation called Uganda and I can’t foresee that arrangement being put in the bin soon.

Under the new world order, each person inherently belongs to a specific nation, and no-one can validly claim not to belong to any nation. So, most of the members of UAH belong to a nation called Uganda not Buganda. Our nationality is Ugandan, and that is what we fill in on our passport application forms.

Under the new world order, nations are usually not abolished, singly or collectively. No process which terminates the existence of any nation is legitimate. Nobody can abolish a nation called Uganda but people with power in Uganda can abolish any centres of power in the country, and this includes kingdoms (as Obote did in 1966).The world order of nation states shall never be terminated.

Yes, another nation may develop from an existing nation as it happened in Sudan( south and Northern Sudan) or Ethiopia and Eritrea, but there are less chances of this happening in Uganda at the moment because the Buganda kingdom has been ‘de-bugandalised’ with constant inflow and settlement of other tribes from other parts of the country. The present government has been one of the engines of this process and I cannot see this being reversed in anyway by any other government.

Conversely, all nation states claim that other groups do not possess that specific right to the territory in question. For instance, Irish nationalists believe that the ‘Irish people’ have a superior right to the island of Ireland, and that the Paraguayan people do not possess this right. They believe that individual Irishmen and Irish women are the bearers of this collective right, and that these individuals cannot be denied the right to reside in Ireland. But the difference with Buganda/Uganda is that Ireland has no indigenous ethnic minorities. So the definition of the nation is relatively simple.

Yes, historically Buganda was such a great kingdom and I think some people are still holding on that dream. For instance, Michael Twaddle, for instance, once described the Baganda as the ‘Chinese of Africa’ because of their historical modern ways of living in a non-western world. Winston Churchill also called the Buganda kingdom ‘a fairy-tale’ because ‘the people are different from anything elsewhere to be seen in the whole of Africa’. He later called Uganda ‘the pearl of Africa’ for reasons which are not far away from Buganda kingdom. Political parties were born in Buganda out of political movements. It is widely believed that Katikilo Nsibirwa was assassinated by the Buganda political movements because he was looked at as a stooge for the colonialists. Buganda had a party which united both the tenants and landlords which was called the Bataka party. This party was founded by Baganda intellectuals and it was the first to oppose the East Africa federation. Probably, I would not have been a member because I support both the Federalism in Uganda and the East Africa Federation though the former needs to be sorted out first. The Baganda old men had manners and they never abused people in public.

Anyway,there are several problems with the interpretation of nationality by some people in Uganda, not the least of which is that Baganda , Banyoro, Basoga,……….. are not tribes, but nations.
In all my time I never really thought about my nationality till now and I don’t think many of us did, because I’ve always taken myself to be a Ugandan( not Bugandan). This does not mean that I don’t treasure our kingdom but it’s amazing how one can just assume that everyone treats certain aspects in the same way.

Now that some people are talking in terms of ‘old stone age’, I have been forced to look at the stratigraphies of the Old Stone Age to see how this is related to their argument, which usually look as follows: modern man (homo sapiens); Neanderthal man (homo sapiens neanderthalensis) and Homo erectus (invents fire and is considered the first intelligent Man). My question to them: how old is the earth? How old is Uganda? Uganda is a result of the evolution of all the kingdoms (which they prefer to call nations) and there is no going back. Evolution is a fact just as old age is a fact. Yes, England came to be called England because of a combination of several nations, and that is evolution. Uganda evolved differently and I think we have got to move on instead of blaming colonialists.

By the way, even the democracy we are following is ‘colonial’. Are we going to drop it and move back into ‘stone age’ political ideologies? When are we going to stop this victim blaming?

We already have ‘stone age’ economies; ‘stone age’ leaders in suites with a thin glaze coating of just enough cell phones(MTN, Walid,. e.t.c) in Sub-Saharan Africa, and now some of you want us to look at our nationalities in a ‘stone age’ format. Let’s be proud of being Ugandans, at least, despite the fact that our leaders try so much to make us feel otherwise. This does not make us love our kingdoms and kings any less but it shows we have got ‘Uganda at heart’. We should put our energies in fighting for federalism for all regions in Uganda. Buganda and other kingdoms can still be great if the sons and daughters of the respective kingdoms are committed to revive them.

In Britain, the north is kind of marginalized but the Yorkshire people are so proud of their region such that the rich men there have done everything possible to close the gap between them and the south. For instance, the two guys that own ‘MORRISON’ supermarket are Yorkshires and until recently, most of their supermarkets were based in the north. London wasn’t an attraction to them till when they bought ‘Safeways’ supermarket a few years ago. There is Yorkshire tea, Yorkshire water (one can drink it from the tap without boiling it), e.t.c. Similarly, we should find a concrete plan to help kingdoms and draw a line under certain things we cannot change. May be one day, we shall be having: Buganda Tea, Buganda water, Buganda Soda, …………. if the ‘stone age ‘thinking is wiped off from our minds.

Overall, I think we need to find a way of keeping our great kingdoms within Uganda without necessarily denouncing our nationality and the best I can think of right now is fighting for federalism.

Byebyo ebyange

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

Male Organ Size: Homosexuality, Economy and Uganda’s Domestic Relations Bill

08 Jan 2012 5 Comments

by semuwemba in Corruption, culture, cultures, Politics, social issues

Friends,

The demand by Uganda women to have a clause in the Domestic Relations Bill that allows them to divorce men with bigger organs is something interesting because it confuses one on what exactly women want. This bill has got a lot of controversial stuff in it but let me concentrate on this issue for now to see if it makes sense to people out there.

I’m afraid I look at this issue in different ways but either way, I think when people decide to get married, these are some of the things they should be ready to put up with. It will be a travesty to marriage if people start divorcing each other because either of their sexual organs has ballooned for some reason. It can only make sense if the divorce is asked when the relationship is at its early stages because there it can be argued that the person did not know exactly what they were getting themselves into, but not when the relationship has been there for a long time. People should learn to appreciate certain things about each other outside the bedroom, and I believe it is what has kept our grandfathers in marriage for ages.

Penis size and economy

Some research shows how strongly the average sizes of male organ were associated with GDPs of various countries between 1960 and 1985 according to a paper presented by Tatu Westling of the University of Helsinki in 2011. It was argued here that the average size [the erect length, to be precise] of male organ in population has a strong predictive power of economic development during the period. The exact causality can only be speculated at this point but the correlations are robust. The `male organ hypothesis’ put forward here suggests that penises carry economic significance.

Male organ was found to experience an inverted U-shaped relationship with GDP in 1985. The GDP-maximizing length was identified at around 13.5 centimeters. One striking result is the collapse in GDP after male organ exceeds the length of 16 centimeters. At that time, it was noted that countries where men have penises below 12 centimeter were less developed and these were mainly the Asian countries. Let’s leave Africa out of this argument for reasons I will explain below.

The average growth rates from 1960 to 1985 were found to be negatively correlated with the sizes of male organs: unit centimeter increase in its physical dimension was found to reduce GDP growth by 5 to 7% between 1960 and 1985. Furthermore, quite remarkable was the finding that male organ alone could explain 20% of the between-country variation in GDP growth rates between 1960 and 1985.

The physical dimension of male organ varies considerably across countries, the average being 14.5 centimeters. For example, South Korea and Zaire [now Dem. Rep. of the Congo] have average sizes of 9.66 and 17.93 centimeters, respectively according to everyoneweb.com on the link http://www.everyoneweb.com/worldpenissize/. France’s average size is 16.1 centimeters while that of UK is 13.9 centimeters. To be honest, I don’t know how these guys got all these results but the figures here are interesting.

Now Africa is still poor compared to other continents yet it is well known that men of all long and big sizes come from there. The researchers put this down to other factors other than the size of the penis, i.e. poor political governance, diseases, malnutrition and regular conflicts on the continent. But then again, may be our current leaders have got smaller penises and that is why we are in this mess. I wish there is a way we can find out about this to test this theory. May be if we all chip in and bribe the first ladies on the continent, it will make this research a bit easier. But if this argument is true, then it looks like the Americans may get out of recession soon if they stick with Barack Obama in the White House for a second term running.

Bill Frist

May be this argument may have helped Obama become a president in the first place following a report compiled in 2006 by some newspaper about the penis sizes of Republicans. A reporter was allegedly able to obtain medical records of over 100 leading politicians and Cabinet members in Washington. Condoleezza Rice was asked what a good penis size was and how it might affect the female vote in the elections. Ms Rice stretched her fingers to indicate a good size and it was apparent that most of the men among the Republicans did not measure up. She thought as far as the female vote was concerned, it would hurt them. Bill Friest, Republican United States Senator representing Tennessee, spoke up and said “His wife said that size did not matter and he thought most women felt this way”. Ms Rice responded “What women say and what women want are two different things”. Friest apparently looked puzzled by her response. The rest is history because Republicans indeed lost the elections to democrats.

However, it has been found that there is no coleration between a man’s height and the length of his penis. Why many women still think “height” is more important than other physical features of males, I guess we will never know. Put height together with penis size, for example, and explain the aesthetics and beauty that some women use in mate selection. For instance, average heights did increase between 1750 and 1875 among European populations because of improvements in diets and increases in intakes of calories but this did not necessarily reflect an increase in their penis heights. Indeed the evidence that dimensions of body parts and penile lengths are correlated is mixed. Also there is no evidence to suggest that a man’s shoe size and penile length are related.

Homosexuality

A columnist in USA wrote in 2006 on website World Net Daily that use of soy products leads to reduced penis size and higher rates of male homosexuality. I guess scientists are still trying to find out why some people claim to be gay since their childhood after findings revealed in 1980s that higher testosterone levels among gay men are as often as among heterosexuals. In 1984 Heino Meyer-Bahlburg, a neurobiologist at Columbia University, analyzed the results of twenty-seven studies undertaken to test the hormone theory which used to be claimed by some people as explanation for being gay. He found that there is no difference between the testosterone or estrogen levels of homosexual and heterosexual men.

This columnist wrote that when you feed your baby soy formula, you’re giving him or her equivalent of five birth control pills a day. A baby’s endocrine system just can’t cope with that kind of massive assault, so some damage is inevitable. At the extreme, the damage can be fatal.

He also revealed that Soy is feminizing, and commonly leads to a decrease in the size of the penis, sexual confusion and homosexuality. That’s why most of the medical (not socio-spiritual) blame for today’s rise in homosexuality must fall upon the rise in soy formula and other soy products.

To carry that theory a little further, maybe penis size is the reason for gay men not having normal relationships with women; they are embarrassed by the size of their members. Therefore, those who systematically engage in anal sex have smaller than normal penises, affording their partners less damage. It is a fact that many men obsess over penis size, weaker minded males often engage in transference.

So guys, it looks like penis size does not really matter in anything depending where you are standing. I guess my Chinese friends would say: ‘Dude, the only one who has an issue about your penis size is you and the brainless ladies in Uganda. I have enough on my mind with trying to figure out how to become a superpower, calculating different responses I get from Americans by supporting dictators in Africa, and trying to fit in enough time for sleep and work, which I wish I had the luxury of time to think about what size penis you have. I really don’t have that time, so it looks like I’m out of luck.’’

Anyway, the bottom line is that this issue should be carefully looked at when writing the final piece of the Domestic Relations Bill. Think about it: a chap in Australia killed his wife after she teased him about his penis size and this is something that may cause problems for us in future if we put such issues on a paper. This is a genuine Australian case, but even as a hypothetical one, it’s interesting.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
United Kingdom

Nabakooba’s ‘’Bodaboda’’ Thighs may help us understand what beauty is.

05 Nov 2011 6 Comments

by semuwemba in Africa, culture, cultures, history, international, International Issues, social issues, Women issues

Judith Nabakooba on a motorcycle downtown in Kampala

Dear friends,

It is well known that insecure men make fun of powerful women to hide their own feelings of insecurity. So I was not surprised at the pictures in the Redpepper newspaper showing police spokesperson, Judith Nabakooba, being ridden on a bodaboda, that raised a two-day debate on Ugandans At Heart (UAH) Forum. While I personally thought most of the male debaters were ‘crazy’ for not seeing the attraction in the smile always on her face, I saw nothing wrong in them finding her seemingly ‘big’ thighs the real point of discussion.

The fact is that a woman’s body has historically been a subject of regulation, discipline, debate and management. The woman’s body represents the place to project the memories and fantasies of racial,religious and cultural authenticity. Most African men tend to be attracted to the ‘big’ thighs and bums in women, and it is the main reason body image dissatisfaction, dieting, and disordered eating are more common in white than Black females. Racial differences exist in attitudes towards physical appearance and the stigma placed on weight gain and obesity. A black woman can be overweight but black men will still find her attractive which may not be the case with white men.

As a matter of fact, female beauty has always been so pervasive, so profoundly ambiguous such that we all interpret it differently. In her book The Character of Beauty in the Victorian Novel (1987), Lori Lefkovitz provocatively argues that ‘we have actually been trained to ignore descriptions of beauty’ (1984: 1), claims as applicable to the debates men tend to have everyday about women, such as Nabakooba legging it on a motorcycle in tight jeans. But I would argue that beauty has always been something we feel individually. Let me give you an example, I was told by some mates of mine about some beautiful girl in a place where my wife works, but I did not recognise her beauty the first time we met till when I came to appreciate her character( after some regular interactions between us). This girl may have been beautiful by default (because mum and dad are beautiful) but I only recognised her beauty after knowing her properly as a person.

This particular girl has long hair which even the Bible bases on to define beauty: ‘’If a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering’’—1 Corinthians 11:15, but I never appreciated her hair till when I started appreciating the inside of her, but then again, how do we explain the fact that some guys noticed her beauty before knowing her? Does this mean that we are different as human beings in this context?

Among the blacks, during the black Movement of 1960s and 70s, blackness was redefined such that afro centric or “naturally” Black hairstyles became associated with the authentic. As such, the only authentic Black hairstyles would be dreadlocks, afro, cane-row and plaits. However, this has changed tremendously in this century as most black women would love to look like other races. Eurocentric beauty standard of straight, long and flowing hair is now almost the dream of any black woman who visits a hair salon. They just hate the authenticity that defined them in 1960s and 70s. Even Nabakooba’s hair as she relaxingly looked on a ‘bodaboda’ (motor cycle) is not an authentic hair style. These changes have also been reflected in the way black women dress, talk, and smile or sometimes treat themselves in public. There is a semi erosion of Black/ African culture in all aspects of life.

One possible explanation about this change can be explained by Leon Festinger’s Social Comparison theory(SCT) that suggests that people compare themselves to others when they are not certain about themselves. Before slave trade, black hair styles were a reflection of cultural and spiritual meanings, and some of these historical styles are still in existence today, for example: twists, braids, Zulu knots, Nubian knots, and dreadlocks. When slave traders were transferred to other countries, they found it difficult to keep African hair styles, so they resorted to wearing head scarves or handkerchiefs atop their heads, something we still see in Afro- American ladies especially in some black American films.

SCT was also shown among black men in the 18th century where some resorted to wearing wigs just because it was fashionable for white men of the upper class to wear wigs at the time. I guess this explains why Michael Jackson (RIP) and his brothers used to wear wigs when their music band had just started up. It is something that started when blacks (slaves) got jobs in influential white homes or plantations. They adopted all sorts of white cultures in order to fit in.

Already some black women have started seeing beauty in the same way white folks do due to assimilation into mainstream culture and acceptance of mainstream culture ideals of attractiveness as thin. As a student of public health promotion, I should probably go with my brain on this one rather than emotions, by accepting that fat is causing a lot of health problems to people. May be this black evolution in definition of beauty may be a blessing in disguise as it will encourage healthy eating and also control the ageing process of our black women which wasn’t the case in the past.

I know its fashion to some people and probably most men like it, but I still think that women with big hips should not wear clothes that accentuate their girth. If you are a Muslim lady, try to ‘fashion-out’ with a ‘hijab’ as it may give you the same confidence as Nabakooba in tight jeans.

Byebyo ebyange

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

Executing a dictator does not automatically bring democracy to a country, Gaddafi Should be Buried immediately

23 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment

by semuwemba in culture, cultures, history, international, International Issues, Museveni and NRM, Political murders

Putting Muammar Gaddafi’s ‘trophy’ body on show in Misrata meat store is so wrong at so many levels. This is so non-Islamic. Why can’t they just bury him? I cannot see any Black African treating any of their dictators like this. I cannot see any Ugandan treating a dead Museveni like this regardless of what he has done to some people. I can’t see Africans treating a dead African leader like the way Misrata NTC has treated Gaddafi, as in like, not according him burial as soon as he was killed. Gaddafi’s body is in a meat packer, on a washed out mattress and kids are taking photos of it. I cannot see a black African keeping a dead body on display for days. We fear ghosts (EMIZIMU).

It will be so sad if Gaddafi’s body remains on display for another day. He should be buried immediately. I can’t see Ugandans treating Museveni’s dead body like this because our culture does not allow us to do so. Yes, black Africans are capable of executing their leaders in the same way Doe or Gaddafi was killed but I cannot envisage a situation where Ugandans put a dead Museveni on display in Gulu town for days to become a temporary tourist attraction. If it ever happens, I will stop to publicly call myself a Ugandan.

Killing or executing a dictator does not stop other dictators from propping up unless a system is put in place that stops them from abusing the trust of the people they lead. Do people really want to tell us that Liberia has been the fountain of democracy in Africa ever since General Doe was executed by Prince Johnson in 1990? The way Gaddafi was killed is nothing compared to the way Doe was killed.

The Doe video became the best-selling in West Africa. He was stripped down to his underpants; his face was bruised and bloody. Doe asked to say something and asked for his hands to be untied but they instead cut off one of his ears. Then Johnson later chewed the ear in front of Samuel Doe. The following day, Doe’s mutilated body was paraded through the streets in a wheelbarrow.

You can watch this on YouTube if you wish at:

This guy was executed in 1990 when Museveni, Mubarak, Gaddafi, Ben Ali, Mugabe and other dictators were already presidents of their respective countries. Did this stop Museveni from becoming a dictator in Uganda? Actually, it is argued that Museveni started showing signs of dictatorship in 1990s. So, do proponents of such executions want to tell us that Museveni has never watched Doe’s execution? This is the same period Museveni abandoned his communist economic ideas and went for Obote’s economic policies because the former was not working.

Like I said, dictators usually feel the death of a fellow dictator for a few days but later things go back to normal. They don’t see themselves as in like it can easily happen to them. Current Dictators are going to mourn Brother Gaddafi for a while but this is not going to stop the dictatorship on the continent. If Africans don’t put in place systems that can create checks and balances, dictatorship will always be part of Africa.

Abbey

Who are the Nubians in Uganda? Where did they come from?

24 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment

by semuwemba in Africa, Buganda, culture, cultures, history

Nubians started as a colonial army in Uganda recruited in the upper Nile region(South Sudan) by Emin Pasha before they were integrated into the civilian communities in Uganda.This happened way before the Mahdist rebellion in 1882.But they later qualified as a tribe since they developed a culture,language and religion. All the original Nubians were Muslims. The Nubian language is a variant of the Arabic.OLUNUBI spoken by the Banubi in Uganda as a language is some kind of modified Arabic and all the original speakers served under Gordon, Samuel Baker and Emin Pasha.The numerals are in Arabic.

Islam was used as a determinant to recruit the tribes in the Nile region which some scholars came to call Nubinisation. Emin Pasha Himself later converted to Islam while recruiting Nubians in Sudan.The original Nubians used to be called Sudanese the moment they crossed to Uganda and were integrated into the Uganda society as like any other immigrants. They were called ‘SUDANESE’ at that time when they entered into all sorts of agreements with Lugard.

They came as mercenaries to Uganda to fight alongside the British.Captain Fredric Lugard hired or used the Nubians in 1891 to bring the whole of Uganda under British control. They were specifically used by the British to fight the Banyoro who had resisted the British rule. Majority of them eventually settled in Buganda where they were already military barracks particularly in Bombo(Buganda) and some later integrated into the East African army called King’s African Rifles in 1901. They contributed a lot to the First World War.The first Kenyan police was composed of mostly Nubians.

Eventually, land was given to them in Bombo under the Buganda Land Law of 1908.Other Numbians were settled in different parts of the country especially the north. Those who settled in Bombo became land owners under the Buganda government.They accepted to be intergrated into the Buganda system and pay allegiance to the Kabaka of Buganda. A Nubian exheadman was appointed a Gombolora chief and they had to pay tax to the Buganda government.

In 1893 when the Baganda Muslims were dissatisfied with the British, the Sudanese or Nubians supported the former (Muslims) out of Muslim brotherhood. But the British acted swiftly to break this alliance by disarming all the Sudanese in Buganda and also deported their leader back to Sudan.

Nubians initially did not want to be part of Buganda. They wanted to be independent of Buganda yet Bombo where the majority were staying had become part of Buganda’s crown land. For instance, at one time 50 Nubians refused to pay tax to the king of Buganda and as a result 4 of their leaders were arrested. The fact was that the Nubians did not want to go back to Sudan but at the same time they wanted to be independent of Buganda. But In the end, they accepted to be part of Buganda

On that background, a Muganda who converts to Islam is not a ‘Nubian’ though Muslim Baganda lived a ‘ love – hate ’ relationship with the Banubi before the Nubian question was settled by the British. To be honest, I’m still not sure whether to call Banubi a tribe on its own because these were a mixture of different tribes. It’s like calling the BASWAHILLI or BAKYOTALA a tribe on its own. Both these groups are identified with Islam. Most of the Kakwas and Luguburas in northern Uganda who converted to Islam also came to called the Nubians. Some Nyoros were also ”Nubinised” after the Nubians helped the British to defeat the Banyoro. I think this is how some Banyoro became Muslims. As for former president, late Iddil Amin and Kakwas, they are found in both Sudan and Uganda.

Up to now I don’t know why the British colonialists settled on calling the Sudanese who migrated to Uganda, under the watchful eye of captain Lugard- Nubians, because the whole term meant a mixture of different tribes that went through a certain procedure to become abanubi as I explained earlier on. Again, how can we compare the Nubians in Uganda with the true Nubians of Upper Egypt, northern Sudan and the people residing in Nuba Hills in Sudan.

The original Nubians and their true ancestors may all be dead. What we have got now in Uganda is ‘diluted Banubi’ following the Nubian culture, religion (Islam) and dress.

I think the true or ‘concentrated’ Nubians lived in the north of Khartoum, up to the border with Egypt. While Nubian males here spoke Nubian languages at home, they tended to have a strong command of Arabic since they came from communities in which economically motivated migration to Egypt, and later to Khartoum and other Sudanese towns. Most of the tribes in northern Sudan(Darfurians, Nubians, Beja and Beni Amer) are all Muslims: the majority of Nuba are Muslims though their predecessors were Christians. The last Christian king of Nubia came to the throne early in the fourteenth century and was succeeded by a series of Moslem puppet kings imposed by the Mamluk Sultans of Egypt. They (Christian Nubians) used to put black crosses on their foreheads. Nubian king Silko was the first Christian king.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

http://ugandansatheart.org/
http://twitter.com/#!/semuwemba
http://jjanguonkwekule.blogspot.com/
http://semuwemba.wordpress.com/

Uganda Government Should Stop Fighting Facebook,Twitter and other Social Networks

22 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, Africa, Corruption, culture, cultures, media in Uganda, Museveni and NRM

Engineer Mutabazi,chairman of UBC

Dear friends,

I was reluctant to join Facebook and Twitter because i love my privacy so much till when some friends of mine at work convinced me otherwise, and I think I made the right decision. Facebook is hot and all especially if one likes networking. The first few months saw me connecting with my many cousins in USA whom we had never met physically, considering that my grandfather has got more than 16 children.

Facebook has more than 600 million users and was founded by a Harvard graduate, Mark Zuckerberg, with the help of his fellow computer science students. I’m even older than him as he was born in 1984 but he is richer than even the self confessed rich president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, with an estimated wealth of 13.5 billion dollars. I found one of the facebook co-founders, Sean Parker; to have an interesting history in social networking that stretches way back when he was 19 years old at a time he founded the music-sharing site Napster. Sean later became the first facebook president in 2004 but he has since left the company, though he remains a shareholder there.

Both facebook and Twitter started when I had already moved to Britain. Jack Dorsey who started Twitter is also a fine young man who is just 35 years old.My funny analysis of Twitter is that it obviates the need for discussion, analysis and debate. In short it requires little mental activity for people with short attention spans. It makes one think they’re part of something, without ever having to think about what it is they’re part of.

Unlike African leaders who have started fighting social networks, the guys in the west have found facebook and Twitter to be good political tools. Barack Obama got more than 1.5 million users during the US presidential elections and this played a crucial role to his election as president of US. Sarah Pallin and other Republicans have got accounts on both Twitter and facebook.

Here in the UK, the government is driving an IT dominated policy from the NHS, police to community led projects. More than 100 MPs are facebooking; Parliament and 10 Downing Street have channels on YouTube.com, and the Conservative party host ‘webcameron’.

Businesses have found social networks to be a real revelation which has increased things such as direct marketing, consumer profiling and the targeting of services. The data collected on facebook, for instance, is better than that collected through market research surveys or telephone polls.

Social networks are basically dangerous to the very people using them as there is a lot of disclosure of personal information that can be misused by bad people out there. I wish there is a way social networks would minimise personal information disclosure. This is where I have got a problem with facebook because they can easily pass on personal information to a third party without your authority. Their Privacy policy explicitly states that the company is willing to pass on the data posted by users on to third parties. Through selling information and advertisements, facebook was valued at US$15 billion when Microsoft invested $240 million for a 2 per cent share in October 2007.

Yes,I am for freedom of information but do believe in some control of the internet by the administrators[ not the government] to safeguard children. Parents should also take it upon themselves to safeguard their kids against looking at big hairy pink twats on the web (God forbid!). Because i value freedom and information sharing, we started a Google forum called Ugandans At Heart (UAH) but we do not ask members to disclose their true identities to us if they don’t want to – as we don’t want to be responsible for anybody’s security online. What we clearly do is to encourage better debates and interaction, and ask a lot of Ugandans to join us. We believe in ‘Metcalf’s Law’ that states that the utility of a network is equal to the square of the number of users. What it means is that the more users that a network has, the more useful it is. We are not driven by profit motives as we draw no money from anybody. We only ask for online financial support from our members when we need to buy more space on our blog though this has also been a big mile stone to climb as only about 2-3 people contribute whenever there is any financial necessity.

UAH is still mainly Google based and it is for only a few Ugandans that can access the internet. We have not been as lucky as Mark Zuckerberg to get big funders to enable us expand this network into something bigger. We hoped that since few people can access the internet in Uganda, we could start up a radio station, TV or print newspaper to reach out to the biggest part of the population, but our dreams have remained just dreams because nobody is willing to invest in it. Mark and his buddies formed facebook for the benefit of other Harvard students but it later expanded into a bigger network because some rich Americans were willing to put money into it. Among the first facebook investors was a guy named Peter Thiel who also happens to be the founder of PayPal. He was an early investor in Facebook and LinkedIn, another popular social-networking site, and is a board of directors in both companies. Surprisingly, he majored only in philosophy rather than IT at Stanford University unlike Mark Zuckerberg who studied both psychology and computer science. May be this is something to give psychology students something to smile about.

Nonetheless, i dream of a pro-democracy media outlet for Ugandans or Africans in general- something that can replicate more of what Aljazeera is doing in the Middle East and North Africa. Individuals have come to learn that they can be sources of information and this kind of information is more believed by the population than something reported on some state TV or newspaper.

In Uganda, investors neither support young people with brilliant ideas nor do anything they think may not be in line with government interests. Our government has started looking at social networks as a threat to their politics of oppressing the masses. Freedom is something most Ugandans have never experienced since independence such that having an independent media will open their eyes to what real freedom is, not the phony freedom the politicians talk about. FaceBook and other social networks are proving to be a more effective weapon than guns against repressive regimes. Some people have acted a film out of appreciation for facebook called ‘’The Social Network’’. It went on market in 2010. May be one day, we can get someone to act a film or drama and call it ‘Ugandans At Heart’, who knows?

All I know is that we should continue to fight for freedom of information laws in Uganda because they are the key to assuring it that government business is transparent; and they offer citizens a chance to find out what their government is doing. But what the Uganda Communications Commission boss, Godfrey Mutabazi, is doing in regards to ordering the shutdown of facebook and twitter during demonstrations, is so wrong at so many levels. Unfortunately, the same Mutabazi is the boss of Uganda Broadcasting Council (UBC), and he has again shown his muscles this month by warning the media on ‘’ walk-to-work coverage’’. He is the same man who was officially responsible for the closure of four radio stations in 2009 during the Buganda riots.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
UK

HIJAB DOES NOT MEAN OPPRESSION OF WOMEN

16 Apr 2011 8 Comments

by semuwemba in culture, cultures, Religion

Dear friends,

I have come to notice that a lot of people are ignorant about the meaning of the veil or Hijab in Islam especially considering that our neighbours in Britain, the French, have started arresting women dressed in Burqa in public. I don’t wish to turn this into a quranic based debate because even if there was evidence in the Quran that things like polygamy or wearing hijab or Burqa are supported by certain verses, there are people with power in this world who are determined not to listen. They see Islam as walking anachronism, as something against liberty, freedom, and progress. When somebody is seeing Islam in this sense, it leads to ‘islamphobia’. However, for the sake of this debate, I wish to say that there is a body of evidence in the Quran that supports Hijab. For example, in the following Qur’anic verses addressing women’s clothing, it is stated:

And say to the believing women that they should avert their gaze and guard their modesty, and they should not display their adornment except what is apparent thereof, and they should throw their veils over their bosoms, and not display their adornment except to their husbands or fathers. (Holy Qur’an 24:31)

O Prophet, tell your wives and the women of the believers that they should bring some of their cloaks closer/nearer to themselves, that is a minimum [measure] so that they would be recognized as such and hence not molested.(Holy Qur’an 33:59)

Before these verses were revealed, Arab women used to wear something called Khimar(a long headscarf that flowed loosely around their shoulders) but the breasts were a bit exposed. As far as I know, there are no sanctions in the Quran for not covering but obviously this is based on different interpretation of different scholars. There is lack of consensus among the scholars on whether the whole face should be covered or not, but my personal view is that we should encourage and respect those women who at least take the initiative to cover up or dress decently.

When a Muslim woman puts on a hijab, head scarf, or whatever, people tend to look at them in the west as ‘oppressed’, ‘backward’ and ‘uneducated’, something I find so absurd. Actually, what some people don’t know is that historically, the veil or Hijab was the marker of a free woman versus a slave or concubine and set certain social and sexual parameters for the engagement of men with these different social and class based categories of women. But as a result of this ignorance of cultural and religious values in the west, Muslim women have been discriminated against especially in terms of jobs or what we call ‘ being picked upon’ here in the UK. For instance, Muslim girls in schools in France, Turkey and Quebec have been exiled from public schools because of their Hijabs. It even makes it worse when some states such as France, Belgium and Netherlands come out with laws that are targeting the minority of women that are putting on ‘Burqa’ . This has only increased further discrimination of Muslim women in the society; something I believe should not be engineered by any responsible state.

France has banned the Burqa but it looks like they are also not tolerant with ‘Hijab’. For instance, in 1989 three Muslim adolescent girls were denied access to public school because they wore the hijab or headscarf, an act that defies a 1937 French law prohibiting the wearing of conspicuous religious symbols in government run schools.

I sometimes wonder why the Catholic Church does not come out to support Muslims on this because the Catholic churches used to require women to wear scarves. Why they abandoned it, I don’t know yet. During the 1900s, the head covering gradually disappeared from many Protestant churches, which dropped their requirement that women cover their heads during the church service. The Roman Catholic Church omitted it in the 1983 Code of Canon Law. But, all the same, it becomes an infringement on individual human rights when we start supporting laws in schools and public life that are targeting women who dress according to their religious norms. Here in the UK, People shave their heads, wear rings through their noses, and private parts and dye their hair, but society is not bothered with them because it’s their right but why would it be necessary to target a woman who decide to cover almost all her body when outside her house?.

Different styles of Hijab at http://www.hijabstyle.co.uk/

In any case, a lot of Muslims are immigrating to the west, and some are individually abandoning their religious and cultural norms for western way of living. This is something that is happening without any law in place necessitating them to change for western life. While it takes two, three, or four generations, it has shown that 99.9% of immigrants fully adapt to the Western lifestyle no matter where they are from. New immigrants settle in their own little towns, continue to speak their own language, and practice their own culture, but history has shown that after a few generations their children, grand children, great-grand children, and great-great-grand children and each following generation finds it easier to fully adapt to the country as they slowly lose the old cultural practices. They become English only speakers and they fully or most fully adapt to western values. You will always find some exceptions to this, but this what history has proven.

I think women should be allowed to put on anything they want as long as they are not bothering anyone. Obviously, factors such as decency, culture and religion should always be put into consideration.

Byebyo ebyange
Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
UK

The Traditional Leaders Bill(2010) is one of the Bad Laws I have ever seen in my life

15 Jan 2011 8 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, Buganda, culture, cultures, IPC, kingdoms, Legal issues, Politics, Tribalism

Dear readers,

The Cultural leaders Bill (2010) is not just annoying but it is likely to breed more than chaos in our country if passed by the parliament. The bill is a disastrous draconian law that has little direct connection with keeping cultural leaders on the leash other than shutting their mouths indefinitely on national causes or issues, as if they are half citizens of Uganda. Uganda Lawmakers are preparing to vote on a bill that would eventually outlaw nearly all traditional institutions in the country, a measure that could become the most sweeping ban in Uganda history.

The bill’s definitions of “partisan politics” are laughable to say the least. I was mostly concerned with the following definitions: (c)” recommending a particular person to the public with a view to promoting that person politically”; (e)” making statements against Government policies or programmes”; and (f)” making statements or comments on Bills or motions under consideration by Parliament with a view to influencing their outcome”. This is simply called interfering with the “freedom of speech,” of traditional leaders not ‘partisan politics.’ In any democracy, even people with traditional or cultural roles can’t be prevented from having an opinion — a.k.a. “freedom of speech.” They may not, however, campaign for, or endorse, specific candidates because that would be “partisan politics.”

The very term “partisan politics” refers to supporting one party over another, or one particular candidate, which Mengo or any other kingdom never openly does. Yes,Ssubi was formed by former Katikiro of Buganda after he resigned from all his duties at the kingdom.In any case, Ssubi would not have been formed if the demands by the Mengo admnistration had been met by the central government. Buganda kingdom particularly does, however, engage in what it considers to be efforts in favor of moral issues.The president may disagree with the Kabaka( Buganda kingdom), but he has to admit that opposing bad policies or leadership on moral grounds is clearly within the purview of any cultural leader, not just the Kabaka. If the truth is more important than partisan politics, I’m sure president Museveni who is the architect of this bill, will take the time to learn. If partisan politics are more important, then he is just wasting my time and yours.

Kabaka Mutebi

Part 2 of clause 7 of the bill is another annoying one as it says: ”The Government may in accordance with a court order withdraw its recognition of a traditional or cultural leader where the traditional or cultural leader:(a) acts in contravention of the Constitution or this Act; or (b) abdicates the institution of a traditional or cultural leader”. This article just confirms all the fears people have always had that president Museveni is planning to ‘abolish’ kingdoms in the country. This means that if this bill is passed and mengo goes ahead and starts opposing some other ‘funny’ bills, as it did with the land bills, then Kabaka may end up served with a notice to say good bye to his kingdom.

Clause 9(2) says:’’ Where there is more than one traditional or cultural leader in the area of a regional government the position of the titular head of the regional government shall be held by each of the traditional or cultural leaders within the area of the regional government in rotation for one year at a time.’’ This was intended to make the chiefdoms created in Buganda under Museveni very happy. It simply means that Ssabaruli or Ssabanyala can easily take over at Mengo and, by law; Baganda will just have to accept it. I will not be surprised if these chiefdoms embrace this bill with two hands because their survival solely depends on the government in power. It should not be forgotten that Uganda had only four recognised kingdoms at independence in 1962.

Concerning the conduct of cultural leaders with foreign governments, article 15 of the bill says:’’(1) A traditional or cultural leader shall not deal with foreign governments except with the approval of the minister responsible for foreign affairs; and (2) The minister responsible for foreign affairs shall develop guidelines for approval to be granted under subsection (1).’’ This means that the Kabaka has to seek permission before he hosts any foreign leader as he did sometime last year when he received a delegation from Swaziland, the US ambassador at Kireka palace, and the Libyans when Gadaffi visited Uganda.

Clause 17 says:’ The ministry responsible for culture shall once in every calendar year cause to be published in the Gazette a List of all traditional or cultural leaders in Uganda whom Government facilitates.’’ This in effect means that the government intends to create more traditional leaders as it has been doing ever since Kabaka and president Museveni fell out, and any of the cultural leaders who falls out with the government will not be listed in the annual gazette( which I suspect will be the Newvision newspaper). In other words, becoming a traditional leader is going to become more like winning a prize or trophy of some sort, as in like football or other sports. It is also one way of blackmailing traditional leaders to support whatever the government wants.

Clause 18 is meant to cut off the likes of Beti Nambooze, Medard Segona and Mpunga from the Kabaka completely. Nambooze was the chairperson of the Buganda civic Educational Committee, an organization mandated by Mengo to teach people the ills in the 2007 land bill which was later passed by the government. Namboze and the two Mengo ministers ended up being arrested and later charged in courts of law. But with this bill, it means the Kabaka is ‘’ personally liable for criminal offences committed by the traditional or cultural leader or the agents or persons in the employment or acting under the authority of the traditional or cultural leader’’. In otherwords, the government is trying to cut off Kabaka or other cultural leaders from their loyal subjects. The bill is practically dumping them in a social ‘prison’. It also means that we are likely to see the Kabaka arrested or in a dock or jail at some point if he breaks any of the contents in this bill.

The ancient Greeks maintained that “a bad law is no law.”They did not expect people with common sense to take bad laws seriously. Yet, as a nation, we are so regimented that we are willing to use guns, parliament, jails, prisons and all manner of violence to enforce bad laws on otherwise law abiding citizens, as the traditional leaders in our country. I therefore request Uganda law makers to throw this bill in the bin because it is simply a bad law. It does not belong with us at all.

Byebyo ebyange

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

Female Circumcision is still a Big Worry for the World that requires urgent attention

04 Dec 2010 12 Comments

by semuwemba in Africa, culture, cultures, East Africa, health, international, social issues, Tribalism

Sabiny girls after the circumcision ritual in Bukwo district(Courtesy of the Newvision)

Dear readers,

The article on the front page of Newvision on 04/12/10 showing pictures of sabiny girls that had been circumcised is justifiably one of the biggest cultural outcries so far in this year’s presidential elections. Female circumcision is a global problem and I think international organisations such as WHO need to urgently put it on their agenda in future conferences to be held and seriously try to do something about it. I remember watching a documentary on channel 4 here in the UK, a copy I kept up to now, that showed that some Muslim societies ,such as in Egypt, also practicing this evilness in the name of Islam. Female circumcision is done by removing the tip of the clitoris because it is believed that women should not enjoy sex but are to serve only to pleasure the man and have children. These female mutilation things are not a part of Islam. They’re just cultural traditions of a bunch of Arabs who happen also to be Muslim. But it’s sort of like American slaveholders who were Baptists. Slavery isn’t really a part of the Baptist creed even if some slaveholding Baptists thought it should be. There is nothing in the Koran that justifies this behaviour or requires it. CNN one time also ran a series that showed girls being circumcised but there was nothing Islamic about it.

Cutting of the woman’s clitoris is so wrong because it affects her sexual enjoyment and satisfaction. It even makes me sick when I watch some people defend this inhuman behaviour because to defend this behaviour is not only ignorant, but just as inhuman and grossly irresponsible as those who teach it! The whole exercise turns a woman into simply a domestic servant and baby factory. I agree that there should be freedom of cultural thought but certain rituals are detrimental to people and shouldn’t be carried out especially on minors who can’t give proper consent.

Unlike male circumcision, there are absolutely no medical grounds for female circumcision. Male circumcision is practiced by both Muslims and Jews. Historically, Roman emperor Hadrian tried to ban this practice among the Jews as he believed that it stopped them from assimilating with the Greeks and Roman but he found himself with a war on his hands.

It’s true that circumcision is a painful experience as it was done to me when I was above the baby stage. My grandfather who was my guardian deceived me that they were taking me to Kampala city for a ride but I woke up in Kawolo hospital with some pain on my penis. I remember this pain very well because I was a bit older when it was done but I don’t think babies do remember this pain when they grow up. Yes, when there are still babies or infants, they feel and express this pain in stereotypic ways involving vocalization, facial expression, body movements and autonomic activity but they later become OK and smile normally. The wound heals normally without undue bleeding or infection, and the outcome will just be a ‘normal circumcised penis’.

One does not need to be circumcised or uncircumcised first to know the advantages or disadvantages of male circumcision as there is a lot of literature out there about this issue. For instance, there is a big body of evidence that shows that most women prefer circumcised penis for appearance and hygiene. Furthermore, some women are not attracted to the smell of the uncircumcised penis.

Let me elaborate: when a man has got that foreskin still intact on their penis, he feels greater sexual sensation during sex due to the greater sensitivity of the protected glans, and that the foreskin is an erogenous zone in itself. A foreskin and its full complement of ‘neuroreceptors’ (as scientists call them) can easily make the uncircumcised man to come or ejaculate very fast thus leaving a woman in limbo. My understanding is that, because of the protection of the foreskin, the glands of the uncircumcised penis are more sensitive and thus more stimulated. One could deduce that therefore the circumcised penis results in prolonged pleasure due to reduced sensitivity. Since circumcised men have no feeling in their foreskin (in fact, no foreskin at all), the only form of stimulation comes in the form of pressure on the head and the shaft of the penis, and in the orgasm itself. This helps the uncircumcised to prolong during love making and thus helping the women to enjoy the whole game for longer.

Uncircumcised men also often experience pain during their first sexual act while circumcised males do not. This is because the ‘frenulum’ is removed, along with the foreskin, during the circumcision operation. The uncircumcised penis contains a certain piece of skin called the frenulum – that is attached to both the prepuce and the glans of the penis. The frenulum serves the same purpose as the hymen in virgin girls/women, i.e. as a barrier to unwanted or premature sexual activity. During the first act of intercourse (or masturbation), the frenulum is torn from the mucous membrane that keeps it in place, a change that subsequently allows the foreskin to be fully retracted over the entire ‘head’ of the penis.

Uncircumcised men also have to deal with foreskin infections a lot more frequently because of the growth medium the foreskin provides them little bugs. A circumcised penis is easier to keep clean.

There is also evidence to show a lower occurrence of cervical cancer of women married to circumcised men because it (Cervical cancer) is associated with herpes, which is one of those STDs that is curable. Male circumcision also helps preclude a rare kind of penile cancer in males. There is a slightly higher risk of HIV in partners of uncircumcised men due to the human papillomavirus but this can be alleviated with proper hygiene.

Because of the above advantages, there is a wide spread acceptance of male circumcision in the developed nations especially in the United States in comparison to female genital circumcision which tends to be more selfish than anything else.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

Those Fighting Suubi and IPC are the most selfish of Ugandans!

23 Jul 2010 11 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, Buganda, culture, FDC, IPC, kingdoms, Politics

Dear readers,

I’m for Uganda but not for really ‘so many political parties’. In other words, I’m not ‘married’ to any ‘bogus’ political party or organisation. By ‘bogus’ I mean any political party that does not really fight for Ugandans but its leaders. It’s the very reason why NRM are no longer for me because they are just fighting for president Museveni to remain in power regardless. Groups such as Kiboko squard and Kalangala are basically there to make sure that the status quo in the country never changes.Anybody who tries to change it in NRM, he is immediately whipped back in line and If one continues being stubborn then one faces the ‘Besigye’ disciplinary measures.

Nevertheless, I get so astonished when we spend a lot of our energy and efforts on the survival of certain political parties rather than the interests of our country. For instance, all those fighting ‘Suubi’ and IPC are doing so because they want DP to continue to survive in Buganda. They don’t want another bull in the kraal. Mao is fighting all other opposition parties basically for his survival and nothing else!

Cartoon by John Nsubuga (member of UAH forum)

Some Mao supporters are trying to make a meal out of what was said by both Cardinal Wamara and ex-Katikilo Muliika in regards to Suubi and IPC, but the context of their words is no different from what was officially said by the Katikiro of Buganda. In other words, these two guys aren’t doing anything to burry Suubi but they are trying to keep the Kabaka away from politics which i think is good and bad. Good, because it will not bring him further problems with the central govt, and I suspect somebody from statehouse asked the cardinal to take this noble responsibility. So we are likely to see a lot of noise in the next few months coming from specific people to remind us that Suubi is not a Kabaka project. It’s a task that has been put on their heads and they have got to fulfill it.

It’s bad because the Kabaka is slowly being distanced away from politics in Uganda since 1966 yet he has got constitutional rights to participate in non-partisan politics, and it is an indicator of the gradual extinction of the Buganda kingdom or all kingdoms from Uganda. In other words, they are slowly being rendered irrelevant to people’s lives. If they cannot do anything about Uganda politics and economics which are the two main things that matter to the people of this country, then what is their use anymore? People are gonna say they are still relevant to ’Culture’ but what is really ‘culture’? This thing called ‘culture’ will keep changing till when people start determining their own culture. It’ s already happening here in Europe where you dress anything you want as long as you feel like it, and somebody is gonna say:’ that’s how it’s should be”. So if Mengo/Kabaka is also limited on how much business he can conduct too, as it was reported by the Eddobbozi newspaper that the MTN deal was hijjacked from Mengo by the central government, then the future of the Buganda kingdom is at stake here.

To be honest, if organisations like Suubi are being fought left and right by the same Baganda/Ugandans that are supposed to protect them, then Mengo is in trouble.If suubi proves to be useless come 2011, then Mengo will become weaker and weaker. Just watch this space! We may say as much as we want but Suubi is Kabaka’s hidden stick against the central government. So the question is: ‘where is our loyalty as Baganda?”. Is it only DP and Mao or Kabaka? Is it in DP and Mao or in Uganda too? Is it in NRM & Museveni or in Kabaka too?

Byebyo ebyange mikwano gwange

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

MUSEVENI IS WRONG ON TRADITION SYSTEMS

17 Apr 2010 Leave a Comment

by semuwemba in Buganda, Bunyoro and lost counties, culture, kingdoms

obote and Sir Edward mutesa 11

I beg to disagree with president Museveni when he said that traditional leaders have no place in modern politics today. What is happening in Uganda is no different from what is happening in other parts of Africa as some recent years have seen the restoration of different traditional institutions across the continent. Uganda just like Ghana constitutionally restored traditional leaders in the 1990s.In South Africa of today; about 40% of the population are now ruled in part by 800 traditional chiefs. Traditional chiefs have also been integrated in the political systems in both Mozambique and Benin. Our neighbours in Tanzania have also seen traditional sungusungu grass-roots associations taking over police and justice roles. In Rwanda, a Rwandan `army of the King’ used guerrilla actions to support the return of exiled King Kigeli V, while in Cameroon’s Northern Province; the Sultan of Rey Bouba manages militias and prisons. Our neighbours in the west, the Congolese, have also seen ‘Bami’ chiefs set up a political organisation in the South Kivu region of Congo. In Somalia, clans have replaced the state as instruments of collective action. In Nigeria, ethnic organisations have been restored in the wake of structural adjustment and just like Buganda, chiefs are now demanding for constitutionally sanctioned powers instead of ‘ebyoya byansa’. In Botswana, democracy is steeped in tradition as local chiefs listen to residents’ complaints, then clerks take notes and action follows. Most villages and towns are still ruled by chiefs, incorporated into the country’s administration. Though unelected, they can lose their position if their subjects are unhappy with them and their decisions can be appealed in court. The experiment in Botswana has made them one of the success stories in Africa and it has also been applied in other countries like Lesotho and Swaziland.

The president’s opposition to demands made by Buganda kingdom is for selfish reasons of losing direct control of regions more than for a better Uganda. He also afraid that his decentralisation system will be weakened with the revival of ‘mixed politics’ or ‘dual political authority’ in Uganda. What he forgets is that this kind of political set up may be what Africa and Uganda needs to stabilise at a time of global changes and institutional weakness. Other people have argued that the incorporation of traditional structures in contemporary systems could improve the governance of African states by building upon the legitimacy of pre-colonial institutions. This arrangement may also be ideal for the decentralisation system as power and authority is delegated to the traditional leaders.

In general, the political case for the integration of traditional structures into contemporary ones has highlighted the democratic nature of recognising institutions with which many Africans still overwhelmingly identify, even though these institutions may not themselves be formally democratic. Economists too have welcomed this new trend. In view of theories that transaction costs can be reduced as a function of the perceived legitimacy of institutions, and that collective action is fostered by the homogeneity of group members. some authors have suggested that African customary institutions may reduce opportunistic behaviour and display a greater potential for developmental mobilisation than the post-colonial state.

So probably this is our chance to reconcile the traditional system with the modern system brought about by the colonisation of Africans. Giving Buganda kingdom some political powers in form of federalism may be a good start for the structural arrangement of the country before 2011 elections or the East African federation. The democracy we have called democracy which is based on elections has not done us that good since independence. There is more corruption in public institutions more than before. Probably formal incorporation of the traditional systems into the modern ones is what Uganda has been waiting for since 1986.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

United Kingdom

‘OKULOGA’ or witchcraft in Uganda

19 Mar 2010 2 Comments

by semuwemba in culture, Witchcraft

Dear readers,

I’m happy that Ugandans like Henry Ford Mirima(bunyoro Spokes person) are searching for answers that may help us get rid of this problem that is as much destroying our society as our dictators. When AIDS/HIV surfaced in Uganda, people used to think it was witchcraft- which led to the death of several of our people. People used to attribute AIDS like they are still doing by attributing several diseases to ancestral influence, witchcraft, evil spirits and/or bad luck. Bunyoro and Tooro were the biggest culprits during the AIDS times. In the Tooro areas of Kyarusozi and Kijura, AIDS was treated as an epidemic of witches and cannibals eating up bodies of people. If Museveni as our leader comes out and spreads the anti-witchcraft evangelism like he did with AIDS, this may also help reduce stuff like child sacrifice in the country. Why he and other public leaders are sitting back about this, I don’t know. However, it’s important that the ‘emiti emito’ or young kids are told through the school curriculum from day one that Satanism and witchcraft are ideals which only create enemity between relatives , friends and the general society. That’s why religious studies like Islam and CRE need to be strengthened in schools as much as possible.

Witchcraft did not start in Africa or Uganda. What we must know is that witchcraft was and still is part of the western community but because of the enlightenment and economic development of the population, it is not a strong influence as it is in developing regions like Uganda. Otherwise crimes such as using evil spirits in order to find the whereabouts of hidden treasure were fairly common in England. Haven’t you heard of Edmund Hunt case in 1590 who was prosecuted for witchcraft? There was also a lot of witchcraft among the Welsh communities. In other words, to reduce on the influence of witchcraft, you need to have a better economy and good educational background as it is in Europe. If Ugandans are still poor, then this problem will keep hanging over our heads. People will go into L.Victoria to look for money. I don’t think designing witchcraft laws can help a lot if Uganda is still in this state.

Witchcraft as words or slander cases is difficult to prosecute in courts of law and that’s I proposed that we don’t need any laws for them, while witchcraft as premeditated harming like child sacrifice can easily be prosecuted. In other words, punishment and execution for charges associated with witchcraft as words is not an as easy as we think. The ‘devil’ reference is difficult to contextualize, other than as a standard early modern legal phrase; there are no proper witness statements attached ;statement from the person accused are not taken seriously by the court and this puts the accused at the mercy of the court. Just look at Kajubi case right now and the way the public court has already influence the real court before he was formerly charged with anything.

Yes, it is true that some evangelical religious leaders have turned to witchcraft to make themselves popular among their subordinates and it is the responsibility of every x-tian and Muslim to criticise these fake bawalimu, fake sheiks, fake pastors,….. who claim to have the powers individually to get rid of evils. The truth is that most witches use the media and witchcraft itself is managed by the institution of the market in a similar way to New Age religions. Here in the UK, some institutions not primarily driven by the profit motive are important to contemporary Witchcraft, such as the Pagan Federation in the UK and the web site witchvox.com in the US. However, in comparison to other new religious movements, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses or Scientology, the contemporary Witchcraft movement has relatively little organised control over the content and dissemination of information about the movement. With this in mind, a good foundation for the spread or promotion of evangelical religions can play a very big part in reducing Satanism and witchcraft in the society.

Abbey

Kasubi frames was a cruel act towards Buganda and Uganda but let’s not speculate

18 Mar 2010 18 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, Buganda, culture, media in Uganda, Obote and UPC, UPC current politics

Museveni angry at those speculating

People,
What happened at Kasubi was a cruel act towards Buganda and Uganda.Let’s hope that the investigators will find the arsonists this time to put a cap on the speculation going on.Obviously, anybody can understand people’s anger towards the government and Museveni because of what has been happening between Buganda and NRM recently, but we should not speculate on this one please. Anybody could have done this!

The TV people were unfair to show Mwami Ssebunya(presidential advisor on Buganda) taking cover after a few shots were fired yet they didn’t do the same when president Museveni arrived at the scene. How come the media never produced a video when the PGB were firing shots at people that resulted into 3 deaths.Some of us wanted to see the president’s body language when faced with this kind of animosity from the people he leads.They also didnt show Besigye on the scene which automatically portrays the current imbalance in the media reporting in Uganda. Leaders nolonger feel secure around their people and this is interesting considering the fact that we gonna have an election next year. Overall, what happened at Kasubi was very bad and it should be investigated. Please watch the following videos to make your own analysis of events:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRakxvxp0QQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e2nUGKn438&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrUvJR4ZFGc&feature=channel

I would also like to thank UPC for not voting for Mr.Akena James as their president because i didn’t know where to place him after watching the following video on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXoHbA5v214&NR=1. Akena was almost trying to tell us that NRM is the same as the old UPC, an assessment we appreciate, but he also justified his father’s actions during 1966 crisis. I wonder what Mr.Olara Otunnu has got to say about this considering that he is keeping Mr.Akena as his Vice Chairman. Yes,Dr.Otunnu wants to reconcile the party and that’s why he is keeping Miria Obote’s old team but he should try to get rid of the bad apples when the right time comes. Mr. James Akena and Mr. Joseph Ochieno will predictably give him a hard time if he is not very careful. So i suggest he drops them in future after bonding most of the party members or executive. If UPC needs rebranding, it needs to get rid of some of these characters with time. Dr.Otunnu needs to take UPC to another level and he should try to make peace with Buganda by openly listing the mistakes UPC made while in power, including that of 1966.If he does that, I’m sure such scenes as blocking him from entering the Kasubi tombs, may not happen again.Baganda will slowly give him a chance.

I’m again saying this as a concerned Ugandan citizen.

Byebyo ebyange

–
Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
Blogs:
http://ugandansatheart.wordpress.com/
http://semuwemba.wordpress.com/
http://ekitibwakyabuganda.wordpress.com/

Buganda is already a quasi state within a state

10 Mar 2010 14 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, Buganda, culture, federalism in Uganda, kingdoms

friends,

I would like to tell you and all other peace loving Ugandans that Buganda is already a state on its own. All it lacks is an army and direct political power. Buganda kingdom has developed institutions, financing mechanisms and policy tools since its restoration in 1993. What we don’t know is how the Buganda kingdom is going to transform this momentum into something the young generation like me can cling on to. When Obote abolished the Kingdom in 1967, Buganda’s 52 clans were the only thing that survived Obote’s anger and moment of madness.

However, when Mutebi was made king, he restored the 3 branches of administration with him: executive, legislature and other administrative structures. He appointed a parliament (lukiiko), cabinet, district representatives, clan elders, and other Buganda representatives in various parts of the kingdom. He also appointed a prime minister (katikilo) as head of the wider cabinet. The notable positions in his cabinet were the positions of attorney general and 14 ministers of state. Yes, most Mengo ministers are volunteers and use their money to carry out their duties but it goes on to show how much people are willing to keep Buganda breathing for a long time. A man like Semogerere, for instance, was the MD of Sembule Investment Bank and chairman of the Nile hotel but he sacrificed that to become a katikilo of Buganda kingdom with no political powers yet.

Buganda has also got physical structures in Bulange and other buildings. Buganda kingdom has also expanded beyond Kampala by the appointment of 18 local administrative units (abamasaza), sub county chiefs (abamagombolola) and parish chiefs (abemiluka). In doing this, the king of Buganda has got a structure in place that almost overlaps even Museveni’s LC system although the kingdom’s positions remain largely honorary and devoid of substantial institutional powers. He was clever though to pick people of influence in all these positions and it is working out for him. For example, Fredrick Mulindwa, the saza chief of Buddu County is a lawyer by profession and sits on the Masaka District Land Board.

Buganda has also expanded beyond Uganda and this was evidenced in May 1997 when the king appointed ‘ambasadors’ to UK, Sweden and Kenya. I guess the number of ambassadors has now increased since then. Both the Kabaka and Katikilo are treated and behave as the way the president of Uganda and ministers do when abroad though they live within a limited budget compared to the government ministers. The baganda in diaspora are even thinking of building a ‘Buganda house’ in the UK to rival the Uganda House at Trafalgar square in London. They have also been organising federal conferences and ‘Tabimuluka’ almost every year.

Buganda has also got anthems, pledges of allegiance, inaugurations, coronations, parades and any thing that makes a kingdom look like a state. The 1993 coronation was an impressive theatrical display of recovered statehood. The 1999 royal wedding with its abundant pageantry further contributed to the idea of the kingdom that is united and strong. A man just needs to buy a copy of the kabaka’s wedding and preparations to know what this thing means to Baganda and non-baganda. All categories of people contributed to this wedding including non-baganda. Actually, the kingdom can make a lot of money by selling the tapes and DVDs of this wedding on open market.

Kasubi royal tombs represent the national monument of the kingdom and there were renovated with a grant of £100000 from UNESCO. Buganda has got national holidays like the anniversary of the storming of Mengo by Obote’s troops. Finally, the kingdom has an ideology.

The main challenge for Buganda is to influence the young generation like us who still look at opportunities in the central government as something better on a plate than what is Mengo offering. The old baganda will die soon but how do they keep this momentum going in absence of a royal and committed young generation. How I wish brother, Ahmed Katerega and sister Aisha Kabanda can live as examples to the young ones in future.

Nze simanyi binadilila banange but the Buganda kingdom is already a state without super political power.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

BIBLE,HOMOSEXUALITY,WOMEN RIGHTS AND POLYGAMY

13 Feb 2010 15 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, culture, cultures, international, Religion

A man surrounded by two wives

Dear Friends,
It is very wrong for people to portray polygamy as only as Muslim thing yet it is well known that the Bible is pro-polygamy.Polygamy is one of the grand Bible based values they don’t like to talk about .You will find nothing in the Bible, Old or New Testament, that discredits polygamy.Actually, the Bible does not restrict how many wives a man can have, Only that he must be married to whoever he has sex with. In the Bible, King Solomon, who was one of the “good guys” , had 1000 wives and concubines. According to the bible, a man may have sex with any woman who is legally his property. This means polygamy is acceptable under biblical morality; if you’ll recall, almost all of the biblical greats had multiple wives and concubines (David, Solomen, Isaac, Abraham, Gideon, Machir, Manasseh, Esau, Isreal, Jacob…….).For instance, in Exodus 21:10, a man can marry an infinite amount of women without any limits to how many he can marry. In 2 Samuel 5:13; 1 Chronicles 3:1-9, 14:3, King David had six wives and numerous concubines. In 1 Kings 11:3, King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. In 2 Chronicles 11:21, King Solomon’s son Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 concubines. In Deuteronomy 21:15 “If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear him sons….”. In Deuteronomy 25:5 if a woman’s husband dies, and she didn’t have any kids from him, then she must marry his brother regardless whether he had a wife or not.

Polygamy has been practiced for thousands of years.Polygamy stretches back at least thousands of years to the Babylonian empire.In Sweden, there is now a movement for legalized polyamory and the abolition of marriage.In Canada,two out of four reports on polygamy commissioned by the Canadian government recommended decriminalization and regulation of the practice. In USA,Polygamy is supported in principle by the American Civil Liberties Union.There are also Mormons living in suburban Utah who are polygamous anyway despite the fact that Polygamy is banned in the Utah Constitution and is a felony offense.While polygamy is technically illegal in Utah,tens of thousands of devout Christians there still practice it (Some husbands have as many as seven wives).The law isn’t enforced much, like laws against other victim less crimes.While Bill Clinton also condemned polygamy and its prior practice by his Mormon church,when campaigning to be president and targeting for women votes , his great-grandfather had five wives and at least one of his great-great grandfathers had 12.
homosexuality and polygamy

It’s also wrong to start comparing polygamy to gay marriage or homosexuality.Gay marriage and polygamy are like apples and oranges. Polygamy would only be a fair comparison if the attempt was to have gays be able to have multiple spouses. There is more of a precedent in human history for polygamous marriage, than for “same sex marriage.Same-sex “marriage” used to be only legal in Massachussetts in 2004.

I believe that supporters of homosexuality normally sneak in this issue because they are confusing “zoning laws” with rules and regulations that are set up for no other reason than to specifically protect and preserve the prevailing moral values of the community. These are the same types of regulations that keep me from dancing nude in my front yard.The government has the right to restrict and regulate those things in public that the majority of society feels is inappropriate, as homosexuality is the case in Africa.The government has a compelling reason to control this behavior for no other reason than it goes against the prevailing moral values of the community.
Polygamy laws have always been difficult to prosecute anywhere it’s in the world because the men generally obtain marriage licenses for only their first wives. Subsequent marriages are performed secretly, and the additional wives often present themselves to society as single women with children.As a result,there are threfore several polygamists in the UK, USA and other developed nations, and there is nothing the governments can do about it.
Women rights

I support women rights and I would love my sisters to get married to single men but I will never stand in their way if they go for a polygamous marriage. Polygamy only violates women rights as long as it is non consensual. I don’t believe in the notion that love divided up means less love per share ,as every woman has got something special about her.Even if we give women a choice now, it could make more sense for them to be the second wife of a rich man than the first wife of a poor one.The anthropologist Laura Betzig is quoted as saying, “Which woman would not rather be John Kennedy’s third wife than Bozo the Clown’s first?”.Some suggest that the end of polygamy will come through the empowerment of women but I think it has instead created a lot of problems in developed nations where women are so much empowered- since few men want to marry them.
So please let us not legislate against polygamy in Uganda but instead put more effort in fighting problems women face such as: female circumcision, domestic violance, girls education, unequal employment oppoertunities, pregnant discrimination at work and the right to inherit their fathers.
Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
UK
–
Blogs:
http://ugandansatheart.wordpress.com/
http://semuwemba.wordpress.com/
http://ekitibwakyabuganda.wordpress.com/

Obama and Clinton should not shove homosexuality down our throats

09 Feb 2010 Leave a Comment

by semuwemba in culture, cultures, international, social issues

Banange,

Obama and Clinton should not kill the homosexuality debate in Uganda by making endless phone calls threatening our president when they also don’t believe in this awkward behavior.Under Reagan administration, some of his people had strong anti-homosexuality feelings. Homos were believed to be the major spreaders of HIV/AIDS in USA.That’s why Bush senior proposed mandatory testing of homos when he was still VP to Reagan. Actually, Bush implemented mandatory HIV testing in some govt institutions when he later became the president.Some of Reagan’s friends were anti-homo but at least they were allowed to express themselves.Let Ugandans also be allowed to express themselves freely without any foreign intervention.

Sexual orientation is “behavior”, since one can be lesbian or gay and later decide to sleep with the opposite sex. Homosexuality isn’t a completely self defeating mutation. Homosexuals can in fact reproduce. They just don’t like it. Some become active homosexuals after reproducing, some before. There is also no conclusive scientific evidence that homosexuality is a natural thing.

By the way,I have no problem with homosexuality as long as it isn’t pushed into the public domain or them(homos) start asking for special rights in Africa. Of course, I feel the same way about a heterosexual couple having sex in public though the later is natural.

My argument about Africa is that these things are not generally part of us despite the fact that there was an element of this behavior among some people in our history. Even up to now, most white people are forced by the law or ‘liberalism’ to accept homos in their society but they privately don’t support them.For instance,Hilary opposed same sex unions in Newyork and it was an issue during her campaigns in NY as a senator.She later backed out of it because it was damaging her campaign but she did not support this behavior at first. I remember Hilary saying that she would have voted for the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 because marriage “has always been between a man and a woman.” This legislation was signed into law by her husband(Bill Clinton) and it denies federal recognition of same-sex “marriage” and allows states to ignore those licensed elsewhere. I also read somewhere that it’s illegal to be gay in Texas though im not so sure how the law is now.So why is Clinton forcing homos down our throats if she herself found it a weird behavior.

I’m surprised that some Ugandans would not feel let down when their son or daughter comes to them and say that they are gay. I don’t know whether people in this category are trying to be politicians or not because its politicians who make such statements in public yet privately say different things. Anyway, just to let them know,such marriages end up encouraging off-springs to also become gay or lesbian. For instance,the new study by two University of Southern California sociologists said that children with lesbian or gay parents show more empathy for social diversity, are less confined by gender stereotypes, and are probably more likely to explore homosexual activity themselves.

Lastly,all religions condemn homosexuality.It may have existed before religions but it does not make it right,does it?

Abbey

MARRIAGE AND OLARA OTUNNU GAY RUMOURS

06 Jan 2010 16 Comments

by semuwemba in culture, Politics, Religion

People,

I have been reading opinions about Olara Otunnu’s delay to get married up to now yet he is in his 50s which has allegedly been attributed by some people to being gay or sexually dysfunctional. Then Prince Kassimu Nakibinge’s recent marriage to sister Haniffa who is a Munyarwanda by tribe. Before this, we have been exposed to regular reports in the Bukedde newspaper about Billionaire lady Babirye’s pending divorce to Mr.Mugerwa and how the husband want more from her wealth before they go separate ways. The question bogging my head is:’ what happened to marriage in Uganda?’

olara otunnu

Historically,marriage was a civil, contractual event for the purposes of property and inheritance clarification purposes, and to cement family and dynastic connections. It was primarily limited to the few in the upper classes. It existed long before Judaism,Islam in all civilized cultures, and certainly long before Christianity. For example,in all of the old testament, the words for “marriage” or “wedding” (or their equivalent) do not appear. There is no description of a wedding ceremony. There seem to have been no word for “marriage” or “wedding” in Hebrew. “Marriage” and “wedding” are mentioned only indirectly in the new Testament.

Basing on what is happening in Uganda today and elsewhere in the world, it is now obvious that “Marriage” has changed more in form, purpose, method, intent, and significance than any almost any other institution. The only thing that has remained the same is that it is a civil, non-religious instituition even though religions and cultures have interjected themselves into it with a good aim of saving it altogether.

All religions believe that marriage is supposed to be a sacred contract between a man and a woman, and their god. It should be governed by the religion’s rules: (Catholic=no divorce, just annulment, Baptist=divorce, Islam= divorce is allowed but after 40 days of trial to patch things up, etc..) .Those who dont believe in religion take marriage to be just a personal partnership agreement and therefore it can obviously be dissolved by the consenting parties any time they feel like moving on. The children will still be the shared responsibility of the parents, no getting out of that, ever.

African cultures make it mandatory for men and women to marry after adolescence and whoever reaches in their mid 40s without a wife or husband will be looked at in a different way. That’s why some people are now openly accusing UPC’s Olara Otunnu of having a sexual problem because they have not seen him hanging out with any woman publicly. Some people are saying that he is not fit to be either a party president or president of the country if he is not yet married.

As if culture and religion are not enough, government has also butted in by being involved in divorce because the state believes that marriage is a contract, a partnership,just like any business relationship, and therefore they have got the mandate to interfere in it any time they want. This is what has pissed many youths in nations like UK and USA and therefore decided to stay single, since everybody has made it their business to interfere in marriage.

Personally, I believe that the Government should have no say as to the persons that make the contract, or even how many personal partnership contracts an individual can have at one time.Let’s leave marriage to be a religious and cultural issue. If a muslim wants to marry more than one woman then the state shouldn’t interfere. If a catholic is commanded to be stuck with one woman then that their business.

Divorce should also be discouraged and I believe most African cultures and religions do so. In Buganda, women stay in miserable marriages forever for the sake of kids and I think this is a good thing.The children of divorce make up a huge portion of the drug culture, the prison population and add to the fuel of anger that so many feel.People also divorcing should stop telling everyone around them every detail of their pain. If Mugerwa and Babirye cannot be reconciled by religious and cultural groups then they should say ‘see you later’ to each other quietly.Divorce comes about, often, because one of the partners decides that it is more important to be free, to be independent than to deal with the reality of dealing with people.

Therefore, for the sake of strengthening both the religious and cultural institutions, I second those who say that Otunnu should not be our president if he is not yet married. Homosexuality and divorce should also be discouraged in our societies for the sake of continuity in human race and protecting the already produced human race respectively.

Thank you

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

United Kingdom

Gomesi is the de facto national dress of Uganda

04 Jan 2010 19 Comments

by semuwemba in Buganda, culture, cultures, kingdoms, social issues

Two women wearing a Gomasi and a man in Kanzu in Kampala

Dear Ugandans,

I think we need to find a way to resolve some of the issues ourselves that have divided us for a long time- without even asking for government help. It’s just a matter of common sense. For example, If we agree on the national language as Luganda or national dress as Gomesi, then we can just go home and either implement it or encourage others to do so. We don’t need Museveni or anybody to tell us what to do on this one. Luganda is so widely spoken in the country and as such it qualifies to be our national language. Gomesi has become very popular in all tribes in Uganda such that it qualifies to be our national dress.However, it would be wrong for anybody to sing ‘Ekitibwa kya buganda’ on a national occasion instead of Uganda’s National anthem composed by Kakomo(RIP). The national language has got very good words in it and we should promote it along side the defacto dressing code and language.

women wearing gomasi on Kampala streets

As for Ugandans not wearing the national dress(in this case supposedly Gomesi) for dinner, I think this is just a matter of personal choice. Do I think that national dress should be encouraged? Yes, but it still remains a personal choice. Every body goes for dinner for different reasons and therefore telling people to put on traditionally or nationally may make some people miss out on their reasons for the dinner.

In Islam, we encourage women to dress in Hijjabu whatever the reasons for the dinner and probably this should be encouraged by all Muslim parents. Hijjabu refers to traditional Islamic dress, intended to encourage modesty, in which women often cover everything but the hands and face.

Gomesi is the de facto national dress of Uganda just like Luganda is the de facto national language. So it’s upon Ugandans to promote the national dress code or Gomesi in the fashion industry and to call upon their government to subsidize such products. Ugandans abroad can try to dress traditionally on their important occasions if possible.

The Kingdom of Swaziland today is composed of a homogeneous population who share language, culture and loyalty to their King and country. There are no tribal conflicts; the country is stable, orderly and at peace with her neighbors. Perhaps Swaziland’s greatest asset is her people, who are always happy, friendly, courteous and willing to assist visitors to their Kingdom. Swaziland has got a distinctive national dress which is regularly worn by men, women, and children in urban as well as rural areas. Probably, it makes sense if we also develop a few bits ourselves like: national language, national dress, national holidays like ‘Uganda day’,……… to somehow make us all feel like Ugandans. Honestly, why are we fighting over small things like national dressing and national language?

‘Busuti ‘or ‘kawunda’ (like those ones put on by some Makerere University lecturers and late Julius Nyerere of Tnaznia), or suits, have come to be accepted as official dressings in Uganda or East Africa. This is no surprise considering that English is already our official language. This explains why Kabaka Mutebi sometimes puts on suits on official businesses. On the other hand, Sabasajja normally puts on ‘eKanzu’ and ‘koti’ while on national or traditional businesses.

In England where I live, female Members of the Royal Family normally go for special clothes, hats or gloves. There is no requirement on the side of the general public for hats to be worn, though it is entirely acceptable to do so. Hats are not normally worn at functions after 6:30 p.m. Secondly, There is no requirement for gloves to be worn. However, if a woman wishes to wear gloves, they need not be white but should not be taken off before the wearer is presented.

Byebyo ebyange

Abbey.K.Semuwemba

A letter to Museveni’s Presidential advisors and Bunyoro well wishers

29 Dec 2009 Leave a Comment

by semuwemba in culture, kingdoms, Politics, Presidency

Entebbe state house

Dear Presidential advisors and Bunyoro Kingdom well wishers,

With all due respect, please inform Mr.Mirima and President Museveni to stop inciting violence and dividing our people in Bugerere because it is not necessary in this case. Divisional voices like that of former Bunyoro Spokesperson,Mr.Mirima Henry, are the ones that helped president Museveni to make a wrong decision to ban the Kabaka of Uganda from visiting Bugerere, a decision that resulted into the death of 30 people in Kampala. There would not have been as much death or loss of property in Kayunga, if any, compared to what happened in Kampala during the Buganda riots of 11 sep, if the Kabaka had been allowed to tour his constituency.

I grew up from Bugerere and had my primary education from there. My grandafather is a muganda and he raised almost all his kids from Bugerere before he became OWESSAZA EBUSUJJU. Bugerere is in my blood and there are a lot of Baganda in Bugerere than Banyala or Baluli. Other tribes in Bugerere other than Baganda also make a bigger percentage in population or numbers than the so called Banyala. Other tribes in Bugerere are living peaceful side by side with the Baganda there up to now despite the divisional voices from the Bunyoro elements like Mirima. Abanyala are not many in Bugerere and i wonder which kingdom they are planning to create there because i will be among those that will fight this unnecessary creation as long as i live. I have got a big stake in Bugerere and i love the people there and therefore i would love the things to remain the way they have been for ages. We are not gonna allow some people to divide us from our friends there because we are Baganda and they are Banyala.

Museveni made a mistake to stop the Kabaka from going to Bugerere and he knows it. The problem is that he cannot do a U-turn now as a leader because it will inflict pain on his ego. So he has got to find a way forward that does not appear to embarass him as a president. The whole decision by the president was emotional since the Kabaka had refused to answer his phone calls. The president had planned to visit Kayunga and Kangulumira ages ago before the riots but he postponed this trip because people there had promised to leave him with his soldiers after the way he had treated the Kabaka.

Time heals a lot of wounds and this is what has happened in the Bugerere case. I spoke to friends there and i was told that some people have already forgotten about the closure of CBSfm and those who were angry with the president have now calmed down. I think this is the reason why the president has renewed his interest in visiting Kayunga very soon. But i was hurt that people have easily forgotten about CBS fm just like that. A friend told me that since the closure of CBS, most people have resorted to listening to Jinja based radio stations which are normally aired in Lusoga. In Kayunga and other parts on Buganda, Bukeddefm has taken over the CBS audience.

The Katikiro of Buganda recently told us that CBS would be reopened before the end of this year and now they are only two days remaining before we enter 2010. Is Walusimbi going to resign for publicly making false promises or he is just gonna behave like some one who promised Uganda a fundamental change in 1986 and later did ‘super-glue change”, as in like i’m going no where.

All in all, i ask Mr. Mirima and others in Bunyoro to stop interfering in Bugerere matters. Bugerere will become one again after the departure of Museveni and several people are willing to make this their life time commitment. Bugererians have generally always loved each other without too much trouble but there are people hell bent in changing this status quo. We wont allow it.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
Bred in Bugerere

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Blogs:
http://ugandansatheart.wordpress.com/
http://semuwemba.wordpress.com/
http://ekitibwakyabuganda.wordpress.com/

The debate on national language is ongoing

22 Nov 2009 19 Comments

by semuwemba in culture, international, Politics

Dear Ugandans,

I’m yet to know why the Bunyoro kingdom spokesperson, Sir Henry Ford Mirima one time addressed me as ‘omunyoro semuwemba’ but I’m here to plead with Banyoro and the rest of Ugandans to back Luganda as the national language of Uganda because this debate is ongoing. All I know is that one day this issue will be revisited by the parliament of Uganda because laws change with the dynamics of the society, and I ask those who consider themselves to be nationalists to consider making Luganda the national language of the country. These debates on national or official language are reviewed from time to time. Remember, English defeated German by 1 vote to become the official language of USA in a congressional debate in 1795. And this was because more than 45 million Americans say that their ancestry is German. Spanish speakers also make up a big percentage in USA (estimated to be around 40 millions).Right now, English is has been accepted as the ‘official’ language of the USA.

We should not worry about the politicians in Uganda because they make policies depending on how they benefit from the situations. So this debate is not concluded at all. Because the politicians don’t want to offend the non-Baganda voting bloc, which is becoming larger every year, the trick is to play both sides, giving non-baganda what they want (making swahilli the second official language of the Uganda) while not losing the Baganda vote. They do that by trying to justify Swahilli as our language by using many ruses, hoping that one of them resonates with as many Ugandans as they can, such as: 1) Swahilli is spoken by many tribes in East Africa; 2) Swahilli is the language that can unite different tribes in Uganda; 3) How can Uganda be ashamed to adopt a foreign language dominating some parts of Africa?

Please let us not beef up this issue of a national language into Baganda arrogance and lose sight of what is best for the country. The truth is that one is free to speak whatever one wants, but the big problem is when you have 52 people speaking 52 different languages in one room then you have a major organizational problem. This is why I think a national language like Luganda is necessary, because it is at least spoken by several tribes in the country. It is unfair that indigenous African languages in Africa do not enjoy the status of national language because Africa has got a lot of tribes. We need to go around this problem by agreeing to at least one language.

Declaring Luganda as our national language will be a good thing for the country in the long term. Requiring immigrants to Uganda to be able to speak and write Luganda will be a needed requirement. The national language is the language in which commerce is conducted, the language used in public education, the language embraced by government. To have a foreign language as one’s national language carries a very deep message of the lack of self-determination and one’s liberties.

USA has got more languages than all of Uganda combined but they managed to agree that English becomes their national language. In 2006 the USA voted in favour of English as the national language despite having Spanish and other languages being spoken in the country. Actually, they didn’t exactly use the words “national language.” Instead, they chose to call it a “common and unifying language.” Whatever way they called it, it was a good start. If you want to come to the United States and be a part of the culture or become a citizen, you should have to learn English. The same was recently started here in the UK. For too long, Ugandans have coddled people who expect to come in the country from all directions and continue speaking whatever language where they came from. This needs to stop as soon as we get Luganda as our national language. In fact, before anyone is granted Uganda citizenship, one should be given a simple Luganda language test. If you cannot demonstrate your ability to speak the native language, you’re out. Go home, learn Luganda and then apply again, as simple as.

I have also been impressed with some non-Baganda women who dress in a kiganda way and speak luganda on their weddings because they are indirectly promoting nationhood. Nationhood usually involves some combination of a national language, diet, dress, religion, physical appearance, etc. If somebody’s Swedish, the safe bet is that he’s a blond Lutheran who’s eaten lutefisk, and if he’s Italian, I’d guess he’s Catholic, brunette, and eats pasta. If he is British, he should somehow like our traditional fish and chips.We can promote our national identity without necessary being Baganda by tribe.

I would also like to pint out that we missed a chance of adopting English as the official language of East Africa and instead went for Swahilli but all these things are reversible if people can see these things clearly without bringing a lot of tribal pride or prejudice in it. Please let us keep English as Uganda’s official language and promote Luganda as the national language. Whatever policies the current government came up with on this issue can be changed by the will of the people. So the matter is still in your hands as long as you find a way of locking away your personal feelings against the Baganda or other tribes.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

United Kingdom

Homosexuality should not be legalised in Uganda

22 Nov 2009 2 Comments

by semuwemba in culture, social issues

Dear readers,

I have worked with homos and these guys have failed to convince anyone that they have got a different body from ours. So you can understand why I’m as rigid about this as you called it. There is no conclusive scientific evidence explaining homosexuality.

Homosexuality used to be treated as a mental illness in the USA and Britain throughout the 1970s and 1980s and doctors used to use a method called “aversion” therapy to help these people. The World Health Organization only removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses in 1992 even Museveni was already strengthening his position in power. So you can understand why even the white people were so rigid about this ‘LIFE STYLE’ till when it got out of control. We should not let this situation get out of control in Uganda or Africa.

Secondly, there is a big difference between religion, race and homosexuality, so some people’s desire to equate them just does not work. Using their logic we will end up allowing paedophiles and rapists the same rights as homos.

Obviously I’m not in favour of ostracizing homos, demeaning them and driving them to suicide BUT I want them to accept that they have got some sort of sexual dysfunction and need our help to correct it rather than asking for the same legal rights as normal people. Homosexuality international groups are now pouring money into Africa because they know that being poor is the biggest sin any human being can commit. When you are poor, you are always vulnerable to all sorts of evils. They must be stopped using all means.

All religions are very clear on the issue of homosexuality.For instance, if you are a Christian and you believe in the bible, it is very clear on the issue of homosexuality. Actually, even African cultures are very clear on homosexuality. It is anti cultural and anti religious. Bible states it clearly and unambiguously when it comes to this sick ‘life style’.

It begins in Leviticus 18:22 (KJV): “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” That seems pretty clear to me. The chapter goes on to state that people who commit these acts, and others God considers abominations, causes the land itself to be defiled.

Then, in the New Testament, Paul writes in Romans 1:22-27: Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Our people here need to know that homos are committing a sin by doing what they are doing. We should not legislate these ‘sins’.

Abbey

DONT DESTROY CEMETERIES IN CITIES FOR NEW BUILDINGS

22 Nov 2009 11 Comments

by semuwemba in culture, Politics

Dear Ugandans,

The government must not destroy Jinja Road cemeteries because they want to construct new business buildings.Graves are almost in all cities in the world. In the USA, Nevada has got old cemeteries and graveyards that have become tourist attractions. Many older cemeteries in Nevada have tour guides or park rangers on hand to provide details. Washington DC is another one where people tour some Civil War battlefields and cemeteries.. While in the Gulf Coast and New Orleans is a city where the dead, for centuries, have had to be buried in above-ground structures because the water is so close to the surface of this sinking city. If coffins are put in the ground, they will rise to the surface as the underground water pushes them up. We all watched these scenes during some Tsunami called Katrina when Bush was touring the city.

Anybody who attempts to destroy cemeteries is condemned world wide. France was the first to be condemned the time when they used to burn synagogues, terrorize Jews, profane their cemeteries. Jews also didn’t learn from their historical pain they suffered under the French and Russians as they also bombed 5 of the Palestine cemeteries in Gaza in 2009. Brother Saddam Hussein was another one that was also condemned when he destroyed Kurdish villages and cemeteries in 1987.

In Islam, the religion I follow, the dead and their wishes MUST be respected. That’s why caliphate Ali had to be buried in the now modern Iraqi city of Najaf because that’s what he wanted. Najaf is now considered so sacred by the Shiite Muslims. Ali was Prophet Muhammad’s cousin, adopted son, and son-in-law. He was killed in a mosque at Kufa, approximately 6 miles from Najaf. Prophet Abraham also visited Najaf while still alive and stated that those buried in Najaf would be guaranteed entry to paradise. So Ali had requested that, when he died, he be buried not in his capital of Kufa but rather in neighbouring Najaf.

In addition to Ali’s tomb, the Najaf city also boasts one of the world’s largest cemeteries, the Wadi-us-Salaam (” Valley of Peace “). Several Shiite prophets are buried there, and some believe that Ali himself endorsed the site as part of heaven. Shiites from around the world long to be buried there.

In 2004, Fallujah residents in Iraq decided to bury their dead in the city’s football stadium since cemeteries on the city’s edge could not be reached. This is the time when Bush and USA were relentlessly bombing them.

We are still a poor country and therefore we should not pay or lease for plots where we are buried as is the case in England.So , the dead should be buried where they wish and their wishes must be respected by the state. Well, Obote wanted to be buried in Uganda and he got his wish. Why not us? We are all going to die some day and personally wish to be buried anywhere near the city where Muslims and my kids can easily access my grave to pray for me. I hope to organise this when I’m still alive inishallah(God willing). I pray that nobody plays around with shifting my grave mbu I’m near the city.

Byebyo ebyange

Abbey.K.Semuwemba

Nubians are my Muslim brothers

16 Nov 2009 2 Comments

by semuwemba in culture, history, Religion

Dear readers,

I would like to make a few comments and probably my last about this issue.

Please I would like those who are Banubi by tribe to explain to the members what they understand by a Ugandan Nubian since this is just a debate. Brother Ahmed Katerega and I have heard our say on the issue and I think it will only be fair if they give us their version about this issue.
Like I said, up to now I don’t know why the colonialists settled on calling the Sudanese who migrated to Uganda, under the watchful eye of captain Lugard,Nubians, because the whole term meant a mixture of different tribes that went through a certain procedure to become abanubi as I explained earlier on. Again, how can we compare the Nubians in Uganda with the true Nubians of upper Egypt, northern Sudan and the people residing in Nuba Hills in sudan.

Hate-Love relationship between Nubians or Sudanese as they were called then and Buganda:

In 1893 when the Baganda Muslims were dissatisfied with the British, the Sudanese or Nubians supported the former( Muslims) out of Muslim brotherhood. But the British acted swiftly to break this alliance by disarming all the Sudanese in Buganda and also deported their leader back to Sudan.
Nubians initially did not want to be part of Buganda.They wanted to be independent of Buganda yet Bombo where the majority were staying had become part of Buganda’s crown land.For instance, at one time 50 Nubians refused to pay tax to the king of Buganda and as a result 4 of their leaders were arrested.The fact was that the Nubians did not want to go back to Sudan but at the same time they wanted to be independent of Buganda.BUT In the end, they accepted to be part of Buganda

OLUNUBI spoken by the Banubi in Uganda as a language is some kind of modified Arabic and all the original speakers served under Gordon, Samuel Baker and Emin Pasha.The numerals are in Arabic.
A muganda Muslim is not a Nubian and i think i explained this already. Just read the following links to follow all the details so far discussed on this issue:

http://semuwemba.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/who-is-a-nubian/

http://ugandansatheart.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/where-did-the-nubians-in-uganda-come-from/

6. Ahmed Katerega was also right about some Nubians in Kenya. The first Kenyan police was composed of mostly Nubians.In Uganda, the British intergrated them into the army after using them to fight in Bunyoro.

7. It is also a fact that most of the Nubians came to permanently stay in Uganda under Lugard Fredrick in 1891. Ahmed Katerega is also right that the original Nubians and their true ancestors may all be dead. What we have got now in Uganda is ‘diluted Banubi’ following the Nubian culture, religion(Islam) and dress.

I think the true or ‘CONCENTRATED Nubians’ lived in the north of Khartoum, up to the border with Egypt. While Nubian males here spoke Nubian languages at home, they tended to have a strong command of Arabic since they came from communities in which economically motivated migration to Egypt, and later to Khartoum and other Sudanese towns, was common. Most of the tribes in northern sudan(Darfurians, Nubians, Beja and Beni Amer) are all Muslims: the majority of Nuba are Muslims though their predescors were christians. The last Christian king of Nubia came to the throne early in the fourteenth century and was succeeded by a series of Moslem puppet kings imposed by the Mamluk Sultans of Egypt. They(xtian nubians) used to put black crosses on their foreheads.Nubian king Silko was the first Christian king.

For the sake of unity and promoting the spirit of feeling ‘Ugandan’, i suggest that we bury all this historical nonsense and tribal pride and accept the way things are. Having a Nubian as a Muslim brother is more important to me than how he or she came to be called a Nubian.

Byebyo ebyange

Abbey Semuwemba

Coffee in Uganda

30 Oct 2009 Leave a Comment

by semuwemba in culture, Economics, Politics

Traders selling matooke in Markets in Kampala

Dear Ugandans,

Could some one do us a favour and send a detailed programe which was unveiled by the new Katikiro,J.B .Walusimbi. We would like to know how the growth of coffee in Buganda is going to be boosted. Uganda used to be a strong coffee grower and I remember my grandfather paying school fees for most of us because of coffee. New records show that Uganda’s Coffee exports jumped by 24% in 2007. According to the Uganda’s Coffee Development Authority, statistics point to a 24% year-on-year (y/y) increase in the volume of coffee exported in 2007 and a further 36% increase in revenues. According to the statement, reported by Reuters, total export volume increased from 2.17 million bags in 2006 to 2.7 million bags, with total earnings increasing from US$21.6 million to US$29.5 million.
Uganda’s coffee exports have performed strongly through 2007 on the back of better disease control, stronger prices, and an initiative to double production by 2015. High global coffee prices have helped to drive growth in export earnings for the sector, but poor productivity, a constrained supply of inputs, and infrastructure bottlenecks continue to hamper growth.

Coffee remains Uganda’s main export and its revival is indeed good news for an ailing current-account deficit. The documented, continued rise in production and value through the season marks a strong comeback for the crop and will also, if sustained, benefit the rural population, which relies heavily on this sector. This proves that the government made a mistake of asking people to cut their coffee trees to promote non-traditional crops in the 1990s.

Indeed coffee has been one of the external conditions that have supported Uganda’s strong currency. The continued strength of the shilling is supported by projected stronger export growth, remittances, and a near-60% expected rise in transfers to non-governmental organizations. With strong increases in these foreign-exchange earners and drivers, total foreign-exchange earnings increased by 22% in 2007. Implicit in the finance minister’s budget is strong expected growth in export earnings. Indeed, total exports are expected to rise 21% from US$1.4 billion to US$1.7 billion supported by a 34% increase in coffee export revenues and a 31% increase in non-coffee exports such as cotton, tobacco, tea, soap, fish, and horticultural products. However, the Ugandan shilling experienced some pressure and depreciated through the end of December 2007, but remained fairly level through January 2008.

Kenya is one area that has hampered with regional trade and stability. Kenya’s stock market and exchange rate took a significant, with all financial markets closing early on 3 January 2008, and the postponement of the tea and coffee auctions. The World Bank estimates that around 25% of Uganda and Rwanda’s GDP relies on the trade running through the corridor to the port of Mombasa, with Burundi’s reliance climbing to 33% of GDP. However, if aid flows continue to increase Uganda will expect to receive sizable support, given its favourable position with the international donor community.

It is my hope therefore that the new Katikiro of Buganda strongly supports Coffee growth in his newly availed development program.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

United Kingdom

Mengo is more of a political than cultural institution

26 Oct 2009 Leave a Comment

by semuwemba in culture, federalism in Uganda, history, Politics

Dear readers,

Africa is all about culture and traditions. Politics in Africa are embedded in the cultural institutions. When religion was introduced on the scene in Africa, it also joined the equation of things. Therefore, anybody knocking on your door and starts telling you that you can separate culture and religion from politics, just send them away because they will be pulling a blanket over your eyes.

When UPC and Obote wanted to defeat DP and Kiwanuka in the 1960s, it is alleged that Obote organized several meetings with the representatives of the Kabaka. These representatives of the Kabaka clandestinely called themselves the KAKAMEGA CLUB OF BUGANDA and are the ones that had started up the KY party. S.K.Masembe Kabali who was the main founder of the KY party was himself not a member of the Kakamega club but he again had to consult with Mengo before he launched his party.

All political leaders in Uganda have made it where they are with Mengo’s approval and this is a historical fact:

Besigye or Mao will never be a president of Uganda without Buganda’s support.For instance, when Mao Knelt for Kabaka Mutebi while the king was touring Masaka, he scored more political points than somebody who held several rallies in Buganda villages in Masaka
Obote would never have become a prime minister in 1962 and later a president of Uganda without Buganda’s support.The KY-UPC alliance set the presidential foundation for him.
KY would not have been a force in Uganda politics in 1961 without Mengo support. When in May 1961, Masembe, a retired prison officer and wealthy land landowner, was planning to launch his KY party, he had to visit mengo for approval and the Kabaka advised him to consult the friends in Kakamega club.

DP’s Ben Kiwanuka would never have won the elections in March 1961 if it had not captured 20 of the 21 seats within the Buganda kingdom. Again Kiwanuka did not last long because he had no Mengo/Kabaka blessings.

Museveni would never have become a president of Uganda without Buganda’s support. Actually, if Buganda pulls a full plug on him in 2011, then he will just have to lead us by force. That is the truths.All NRM cadres know this and are monitoring the situation very critically. The recent Museveni press briefings published in the Bukedde Newspaper about some updates on his dialogue with Kabaka was some form of a boost for NRM cadres. He threw them a life line to spread NRM evangilism in Buganda/

Buganda is not just a cultural kingdom despite those clauses in the 1995 constitution. Nobody should deceive you on this. Mengo remains a pure political center aleast for now. People don’t go there to learn how to speak Luganda; dance traditional dances such as NANKASA or AMAGUNJU; or whatever one thinks is cultural in one’s mind. When Kabaka makes Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba one of his ministers today, it means I’m going to Mengo to play Buganda politics because Mengo has always been political.

Similarly, FDC’s Dr. Besigye is tapping into mengo politics by sending his delegation there before he starts his Buganda tour. Besigye needs Mengo’s blessing by all means.If the people of Buganda give him their full blessings all the way till 2011, then he will be a few inches away from state house provided other factors remain constant.

Byebyo banange

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

Kabaka Mwanga Vs Bajulizi

13 Jun 2009 Leave a Comment

by semuwemba in culture, Religion

It is generally accepted that a martyr is a person who sacrifices his or her life or their personal freedom in order to further a cause or belief for many. This cause or belief may be political, cultural or religious. Some of the historical political martyrs include the Manouchian Group (a group of foreign communists, heroes and martyrs of the Resistance in France 1940-44) and probably even recently Mr.Tom Jjulunga if what is being rumoured about him dying as a result of his affiliation with the opposition party, FDC, is true. If we all agree that martyrdom is not limited to Christianity, then it would not be appropriate for: Muslims or other religious factions to have a bank holiday for those who die for their faith or for FDC to come to power and have a ‘Jjulunga’ national holiday.

mukono cathedral

All I’m saying is that the word ‘martyrdom’ is used biasely by some people to fit their situations. There is no difference between Muslims that have died for their religion and the Christians that sacrificed their lives at Namugongo (because their religion conflicted with the demands of the then Kabaka of Buganda) since all religions encourage martyrdom or ‘rebelling’ to be precise. So, can we say that people who say ‘no’ to the laws of the land because of their religion qualify to be named ‘martyrs’ in the real sense of the word and they need a national holiday in case anything like death happens to them? What is again more disturbing is how these Baganda natives who converted to Christianity ended up dying on the same fire for the cause of Christ in the midst of the Christian factions of Buganda. The church was divided at the time and it needed these people more alive than dead at the time. Before these ‘martyrs’ were killed, some people working under Kabaka Mwanga offered them a chance to run away but these guys decided not to -basically because they wanted to die for Christ.

Furthermore, a total of 32 baganda including the leader of the Christian ‘rebels’ called Charles Lwanga were killed- 13 of those were Catholics, 9 were protestants and 10 were unbelievers (who had been awaiting execution for non-religious crimes) but even the non-believers killed the day are counted as martyrs. In addition, historically, Protestants and Catholics refused to recognise each other as ‘martyrs’. So why was it so important for these two religious sects to agree on the title ‘martyr’ at that moment in time? Don’t you think that this happened as a result of the fact that this tragedy had happened to both of them at the same time and therefore, they both saw it as convenient to grant ‘martyrdom’ to the Namugongo ‘political rebels’. Don’t you think that this was also done as an act to forge unity between the Christians and protestant rather than the self belief to grant ‘martyrdom’ to the namugongo ‘political rebels’?

The important issue at stake here is that Catholics and Protestants did not recognise each other as martyrs. In the 16th century, both protestants and Catholics affirmed that it was not the punishment, but the cause that made one a martyr. Could Protestants killed for faith be called ‘martyrs’? The Catholics answered,’ No”. On the other side, could Catholics killed for faith be called ‘martyrs’? The Protestants said,’ No’. An example is when Puritan minister Giles Wigginton told catholic Margaret Clitherow, on trial for treason, that she was deceived if she thought that dying for catholic faith counted as martyrdom. What makes it worse is that even protestants did not affirm other protestants as martyrs as evidenced during the time of Luther. Luther thought the deaths of Zwingli’s followers should not be compared to the ‘holy martyrs’ and condemned people for making such a comparison.

Given the above history and facts how can anyone attempt to call the protestant and Catholic victims at Namugongo to be ‘martyrs’? It was only during the reign of pope John Paul 11,particulary in 2001, when in Ukraine, that he tried to address this issue of division in opinion between Catholics and protestants- in regard to ‘martyrs’, when he gave an address to bless 27 Greek catholic martyrs. The wise pope recognised both sides as ‘joint’ martyrs. He was doing the same thing that was done at Namugongo: to forge unity between the two sects (Catholics and protestants). The pope knew the use of ‘Unity’ in everything human beings want do and that’s why some of us keep pushing for the unity or cooperation among opposition political parties before 2011. Like the baganda say:’agali awamu gegaluma enyama’.

If we really still want to remember these political rebels as ‘martyrs’, let us do what Robert Royal did by publishing a remarkable new book in 2000 called The Catholic Martyrs of the Twentieth Century: A Comprehensive World History, instead of people flocking to Namugongo every year. Much of Royal’s research is new. The project began with a sentence in one of Pope John Paul II’s encyclicals. He said that the martyrs of our century “should not be forgotten.” A group of parishioners at Saint Aloysius Parish in New Canaan, Conn, took the words seriously, and began to accumulate materials. The word spread and materials started coming in from around the world. What began as a simple list became an amazing archive. With the help of his brother who is a priest, Royal began the work of putting the results in book form.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

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