By Entebbe Post
Th bickering and fight for supremacy between the Kooki Chiefdom and Buganda Kingdom is still far from over, according to the current reports from the land of the Kamuswaga (King) of Kooki.
Over the weekend, Professor Mohammad Ndawula, the Ssaababiito (head of the ruling clan in Kooki) held a press conference at the Kooki Royal Park Gardens and accused the Katikkior of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga of fueling the divisions between Kooki and Buganda institutions which have now lasted for over 15 years.
In his statement while speaking to journalists, the professor wondered how Katikkiro Mayiga met the Kooki clan leaders in Bulange without his consent. He referred to that as an act of violation of other people’s culture especially on someone who knows what to do.
“Mayiga does these things deliberately because his aim is always to portray Kooki as a weak institution but I pity him. He has no moral authority to summon clan leaders moreover in Kooki,” he said.
On May 15, 2023, the Katikkiro of Buganda hosted the Babiito clan in Bulange, Mengo where they discussed several issues. The Babiito clan is the ruling clan in Kooki where they have a hereditary ruler whose title is the Kamuswaga.
Professor Ndawula explained that still, Mayiga targeted an important day in Kooki where the coronation ceremony was going on so that the Babiito were divided.
“Of all days, why did Mayiga choose to call these people on a day he clearly knows that it is when the coronation ceremonies are held? This was a very provocative incident which he must stop if we are to move as comrades,” he explained.
He also said that the only cultural event performed by the Katikkiro even if it’s in Buganda is chairing the “Kisekwa court” still with the authorization of the Kabaka of Buganda.
He further trashed the said agreement between the two institutions as he termed it null and void. He said that the issue of referring to Kooki as Buganda’s county began 100 years ago and he wonders how a King of those days surrendered his authority to another Kingdom.
“Our Omukama (King) by then, Khezekiah Ndahura was powerful to the extent that King Mwanga of Buganda by then went on his knees to beg for assistance while in exile in Tanzania but he was denied the assistance. Our King didn’t at any time surrender his powers,” he explained.
He added that even the available agreement only rotates on social media and there is no original document that is said to have been signed in 1896 as Buganda authorities allege.
“I’m currently over 70 years but my grandfather who also once served as the Ssaababiito of Kooki told me that there was nothing like an agreement between the two institutions. If there was any form of agreement, it was simply a friendship agreement between Mwanga and Ndahura which is not currently relevant especially in this generation,” he added.
While speaking to Stanley Ndawula the Kooki cultural institution’s spokesperson and Information Minister, he said Buganda is only trying to weaken Kooki with its ego to destabilize their peace.
“Kooki is focusing on developing its people through different projects of farming, education and others but not into the politics of supremacy. Ever since Mayiga decided to remove Kamuswaga’s throne in the Buganda lukiiko, we clearly parted ways because we gave them some time to think about it,” Ndawula said.
He added; “Whether they refer to us as their county, we also know we aren’t part of them. Let them go by what they think as we go by what we know that we are autonomous and not under anyone.”
Noah Kiyimba, the Buganda’s spokesperson has on many occasions referred to Kooki as a county of Buganda which has a special status with a hereditary ruler.
Background
Buganda and Kooki have been at loggerheads since 2014 when the latter’s hereditary ruler (Kamuswaga) wrote an official letter to his counterparts informing them of the separation. This came after his throne which had stayed in the palace for several years was removed by the Katikkiro of Buganda and ‘ordered’ to sit with other masaza (county) chiefs.
Since then, Buganda’s activities have been paralyzed in Kooki where the current ones were the Kingdom’s Masaza cup matches being destabilized to an extent of having the Buganda loyalists in Kooki hosting their matches in the nearby town of Kyotera in Buddu county.