Veteran journalist and also a proud Ntale School Old Boy where President Yoweri Museveni and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame studied from has narrated how family disagreements forced the Ugandan President and his lovely wife Janet Kataha Museveni to publicly apologise to the people of Uganda especially in Buganda.
Museveni with his senior Minister of Education and Sports jointly read a written prayer during the closing of ‘Light Up Uganda for Jesus’ crusade organized by their daughter Patience Rwabwogo Museveni and her husband Odrek Rwabwogo the senior pastors running the Covenant of Nations Church.
In the written prayer, the First Couple thanked God for their life, their children, grandchildren and all the achievements they have managed to achieve; however, the world was shocked when they apologised to Ugandans, especially the people of Buganda.
“ We stand here to repent and ask for your forgiveness, especially the people of Buganda and the entire country,” Museveni and wife said.
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Museveni’s apology received mixed reaction. Seasoned human rights lawyer Nicholas Opio revealed that this is not the first time that the big man is apologizing. Opio disclosed that when the UPDF committed a lot of atrocities to the people of Acholi and Lango, Museveni apologized, that is why he was not shocked seeing the same person apologising to the people of Buganda.
National Unity Platform (NUP) principal Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) rejected the apology insisting that Museveni did not mean it because the sons and daughters of Buganda are rotting in prison and in basements courtesy of his security operatives on grounds of the political disagreements.
Buganda Kingdom through their spokesperson who is also the minister in charge of information and mobilization Owekitiibwa Israel Kazibwe Kitooke welcomed the apology but insisted on action speaking louder than words.
He asked Museveni to act on government officials who are publicly attacking the person of Kabaka Mutebi and other Kingdom officials.
He used this opportunity to remind Museveni that the Kingdom is demanding billions of shillings from his government as rent arreas on Kingdom buildings and other properties confiscated by president Milton Obote during the 1966 Buganda crisis.
However, Baguma, the official master of ceremony on all functions and activities organized by Ntale Old Boys and on several occasions attended by president Museveni and Kagame revealed that the apology Museveni and wife made was not for Ugandans and Baganda as they claim but they wanted to calm the situation which is boiling inside their family.
“ I know these people, they are my friends and I don’t want to go deeper into their issues but as a parent, what I can tell you is what Museveni and wife did was good and will save the situation for a period,” Baguma said while appearing on Olutindo talk show moderated by senior political journalist Peter Kibazo on radio Simba.
He added that what Museveni did was to boast the ministry of his daughter internationally and people are going to continue appreciating its work as a result of the President’s apology.
“What I can tell you, Museveni was not prepared for the prayer he read and I think reading it on the podium was his first time to look into it. For me I understand Museveni that’s why he was stammering and mincing some words as the wife read it at a high speed,” Baguma said.
He added that Museveni at that time had nothing to do because he was very aware that refusing to read the prayer was going to annoy his daughter and son-in-law, a thing which he doesn’t want to happen because he wants his family to be united especially at this time.
However, highly placed sources in the corridors of power told this website that Rwabwogo, the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID) also scored high in his political struggles to replace his father-in-law as the president of Uganda.
Sources said that because of the political charge in the country, Museveni and wife were convinced to sign an agreement assuring the world that in Uganda there will be no bloodshed at the time of political transition from Museveni who has been in power for nearly 40 years to his successor.
After the signing of the agreement, Museveni’s wife and other top people were given holy oil to pour it on the ground surrounding the document they signed praying to God to bless the agreement so that it is not violated.
Among the top people witnessed the agreement included: American celebrated pastor Osborn Ladonna, pastor Robert Kayanja, Bishop Joshua Lwere a confidant friend to Rwabwogo family, Bishop Joseph Sserwadda, Bishop David Kiganda, Pastor Michael Kimuli, Rt Rev Micheal Lubowa a close family friend to Museveni, professor Simeon Kayiwa, Dr Moses Odongo and Buganda Kingdom was represented by Prince David Kintu Wasajja the young brother to Kabaka Mutebi and also a close friend to Museveni.
Museveni praised his daughter, the first pastor in his family to be anointed and become a pastor and prayed to God that she becomes a Bishop to bring together religious leaders and people to pray in one place without fighting as it was before he took power in 1986.
Sources said that the event cemented the growing solid relationship between Buganda Kingdom leadership and Rwabwogo.
“Why did Museveni apologise to Buganda when Baganda are angryy with Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba for posting on his alleged X handle that he was teaching Edward Ssebuufu (Eddy Mutwe) Runyankole in his basement! Bobi Wine fueled that statement that it was an attack on the people of Buganda and even the Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga condemned what Muhoozi did,” a source said.
He added that at first, Rwabwogo preached against witchcraft, wondering why people are always praising Bachwezi who died and disappeared a hundred years back.
Rwabwogo was badly attacked by Gen Muhoozi’s army on the social media platforms claiming that the statements were an attack on their supreme leader who is also the chairperson of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU).
Kira Municipality legislator Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda said that it is no longer a secret that there is a silent war for power between Gen Muhoozi and Rwabwogo and because Museveni knows it very well, it could be the reason why he made sure that he did whatever he did at Kololo not to annoy Rwabwogo and his wife who accuse him of pampering Muhoozi.
He added that because Museveni also doesn’t want to annoy Muhoozi to think that he loves Rwabwogo and Patience very much, it is the reason he keeps him in the office of the Chief Of Défense Forces (CDF) even though he has made a number of mistakes in that office including attacking top government officials and foreign officials.
