By Oweyegha-Afunaduula
Besides the selfish political preservation wishes, what has baffled me most is the alleged sell-off of Busoga kingdom property (especially land) by the leaders in Bugembe to enrich themselves at the expense of our people. If this is true, it is not only absurd but criminal.
Neither Kyabazingas Sir William Wilberforce Kadhumbula Gabula Nadiope II nor his nemesis Henry Waako Mulooki ever indulged in such madness! If anything they created the wealth. Unscrupulous people casting themselves as leaders have grabbed or continue to grab.
People like Ali Balunywa, Charles Afunaduula Ovuma, Mwangu, Lubandi, Lwigale, Mpabulungi, Martin Namansa, Williams, Balodha Mufumba, Heriword and several others, did galvanize Basoga to have the best rural and peri-urban road network in Uganda; initiated education and health programmes/centres; encouraged people to grow cash/ food crops and send children to school; and an equitable bursary scheme at primary, secondary and university levels of education.
Fast forward: how can a region that is endowed with highly educated and exposed people allow the current status quo take centre stage?
When compared to Buganda Kingdom’s achievements, we should be very ashamed of what’s going on in Bugembe/ Busoga.
In the 1950s and 1960s it was always Buganda first then Busoga next in terms of development, transformation and progress. Sadly in the century when other regions are transforming the lives and circumstances of their people supersonically, the leadership of Busoga seems to be presiding over the meteoric decline of the mineral rich region.
It is true. Behind every problem is the problem of leadership.
For God and My Country.
