Banyala secessionists working to foil Kabaka visit
The Banyala cultural group leaders will lead a protest in Kayunga District on November 27 against Buganda king Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II’s planned another trip to the area.
The Kabaka will grace the finals of the Buganda clan football and netball championship organised by Bugerere County on November 27.
The demo is reportedly being organized by youth under the tutorage of Banyala prime minister, Martin Ssenkatuka. TheUgandan could not immediately verify these claims but Ssenkatuka who also doubles the chiefdom’s spokesperson refused to comment on the Kabaka’s visit.
The planned visit and protest could re-occurrence of the September 2009 bloodshed when the Kabaka’s attempted visit to Kayunga.
For years, Banyala cultural institution, which dates back more than two centuries have tried to secede from Buganda, claiming they are not one of the latter’s 18 counties.
The Banyala are one of the over 50 groups in Kayunga, constituting about 3.36 per cent of the district’s total population according to the 2002 National Housing and Population census.
In September, the Banyala in what was termed as a provocation of Buganda Kingdom, stormed Buganda’s Bbaale Sub-county headquarters in Bugerere, Kayunga District where they attempted to erect a palace for their cultural leader, Ssabanyala Baker Kimeze, a retired UPDF Major.
Buganda Kingdom has since asked government to intervene and calm tensions building between them and Bunyala.
