Mayiga’s mission

Is Katikkiro’s third book Uganda: `7-Key Idea’ a presidential manifesto?

The Katikkiro (Prime Minister) of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga, has demonstrated leadership skills most especially in the Buganda kingdom. From his humble upbringing in Masaka, he has illustrated like others, the seed of service and leadership the Christian missionary White Fathers saw in the Great Masaka region, Buddu. He is the third Catholic Katikkiro to lead Buganda during the reign of Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, a position that was assumed to be occupied by Protestants. The present day leadership in Buganda and Uganda shows that our society has transcended the colonial and religious views of pre-independent Uganda whereby children from Protestant families were viewed to be trained like sons and daughters of chiefs to take up leadership positions whilst those from Catholic families were trained like sons of peasants to be led by their Protestant counterparts.

Kabaka Mutebi has played a key role in changing the mind-set of the colonial and Protestant verses Catholic grouping of leaders in Buganda. In respect to Katikkiro Mayiga, we observe how he has appointed him to administrative and leadership positions in the kingdom since 1991 until May 2013, when he became the Prime Minister of Buganda, the highest office in the kingdom.

Being the Katikkiro of Buganda is the highest position a Muganda common person can attain in Buganda. The young and dynamic Mayiga, therefore, seems to be positioning himself to take up leadership beyond the Buganda kingdom.

The manner of his departure from Mengo will play a great role in how Mayiga will position himself in any new role. He must position himself as a Ugandan who wants to serve and transform Uganda while maintaining his loyalty to the Kabaka. He must also ensure he works with his successors to ensure that there is no tension between him and Buganda and the rest of Uganda. Mayiga must also assure other Ugandans that he will not put Buganda above Uganda.

In `Uganda: 7-Key Idea’, Mayiga could be presenting these seven key ideas to Ugandans and himself as the person to see their implementation. This, in my view, can only bear fruits when he is the President of the Republic of Uganda and hence my assumption that in this book, he is presenting his Presidential Manifesto to Ugandans.

In his first book, `King on the Throne’, he chronicles the restoration of the Buganda kingdom. In his second book, `Buganda ku Ntikko’, which is written in Luganda, he explains Buganda’s key five tenets “Ensonga Ssemasonga ettaano”.

In these two books, Mayiga addresses mainly the Baganda and people in Buganda. He reminds them of the achievements and direction Buganda should take in order to transform herself. While he is apolitical – like the Kabaka, he has steered the Great Lukiiko to work on the social, cultural and economic matters that affect the people in Buganda.

The Kabaka rules through a Katikkiro and the administrative chiefs. The leadership of Mayiga as Katikkiro of Buganda has registered achievements such as the mobilisation of funds among the Baganda and non-Baganda in Uganda and diaspora for social and economic developments in the kingdom. Structures like the Masengere Complex building has been completed through the Toffaali campaign to generate funds for the kingdom. This Toffaali campaign has demonstrated the mobilisation skills of Mayiga. In addition, it has united the Baganda and other people who cherish the Kabaka and Buganda.