By Timothy Nsubuga 23^rd–29^th Aug 2010

Invited to North

UPC Party President Dr. Olara Otunnu has for the second time, extended an open invitation to the Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II to visit the Acholi sub-region.  Dr. Otunnu’s latest invitation to the Kabaka came as he talked about the “The Uganda Question”; one of the issues on his 10 Point Radical Renewal Agenda that he launched in London on Saturday 14^th Aug 2010.  “As a son of Chua in Kitgum District, a resident of Gulu District, and a citizen of Uganda, I would like to invite the Kabaka of Buganda to come and visit northern Uganda”; Otunnu said. Dr. Otunnu first invited the Kabaka of Buganda to visit northern Uganda a few months ago while he was addressing a public rally at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu Municipality. Some analysts have interpreted Otunnu’s goodwill gesture to the Kabaka of Buganda as an attempt to mend the strained relations between UPC and Buganda.

Dr. Olara Otunnu, a man who is aspiring to be President of Uganda, also said during his recent speech in London that Buganda was “…the most important component of Uganda”. So it is hardly surprising that he thinks it is imperative for his party UPC to extend an olive branch to Buganda.

Relations between the two entities plummeted in 1966 when the then UPC government led by Dr. Apollo Milton Obote [RIP] sent government soldiers to invade the seat of Buganda Kingdom over suspicions that then Kabaka of Buganda Sir Edward Mutesa was planning to buy weapons from Britain.

Thereafter, Obote abolished all Kingdoms in Uganda and banished Kabaka Mutesa to exile in Britain from where he later died.  That, analysts believe, made it even more difficult for most Baganda monarchists to forgive UPC as a party.