By Kevin Patrice
Buganda Kingdom Prime Minister Charles Peter Mayiga has said it is not enough for Buganda to produce a President for Uganda but that person should be competent and capable of leading the country.
Speaking at length on his legacy as Buganda Kingdom premier for seven years in a Thursday night NTV show, Katikkiro Mayiga was non-committal on whether Kyadondo East MP and People Power pressure group leader Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu aka Bobi Wine was Buganda’s right choice for president after 35 years of President Yoweri Museveni’s rule.
Show host Patrick Kamara had noted that MP Bobi Wine and his Mityana Municipality counterpart have inspired some youthful urban youths, but wanted to know Mayiga’s opinion on whether Bobi was “the one.”
But Mayiga chose to keep his opinion to himself, saying, “I only have one vote and it’s a secret ballot, I cannot tell you.”
However the Katikkiro predicted that the time for a competent Muganda president will come because it is useless to have an incapable Muganda at the top.
“Every country has its own political dynamics. Binaisa was a joker. The time for a Muganda to be president will come. Uganda having one President for over 30 years has nothing to do with the Buganda Kingdom,” said Mayiga.
“The issue is not about having a Muganda at the helm of politics in this country; it has also everything to do with the competency to adequately execute the oath of office.”
Mayiga also criticized police for being unprofessional in the way they handled MP Zaake’s case after they arrested him for distributing food in Mityana on April 19, and how they have always blocked Bobi Wine’s meetings. He called for a conducive atmosphere for the expression of various views.
“The security agencies need to be professional. They don’t need to be violent. I don’t understand why Zaake was beaten the way he was beaten, I have seen other MPs distributing food and they haven’t been called to police stations to make statements,” said Mayiga.
“I think the right environment needs to be created in this country and it’s the obligation of the government to ensure that everyone is protected irrespective of their political ideology, ethnic region, and religion. The country requires an atmosphere under which people can express themselves freely. People should be able to meet their supporters and introduce to them their agendas without being beaten.”
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