President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni denies employing fellow tribemates
President Museveni has blasted people who accuse him and his government of putting mostly people from the western part of the country in key positions.
For past few weeks, the debate on tribalism in government has gained steam with several commentators, especially on social media saying it is a deliberate policy to have westerners in most government positions.
However, speaking in his latest missive to the Bazzukulu, Museveni those playing the tribalism card are blind to history and facts of the country.
“The other wrong malignment is trying to cast the NRM as a system monopolized by people from western Uganda. Since you are allergic to history, otherwise, I would have reminded you that much of my time I was in Tanzania, Mozambique etc. How many Banyankore or Westerners were there? We fought in the Luwero Triangle,” Museveni said.
“Many Ugandan groups were there: Baganda, Banyankore, Barugwaara, Baruuru, Barundi, Banyarwanda, Baruuli, Banyoro.”
The president said there have been efforts to make similar comments in regards to the UPDF but warned against this “nonsense”.
He said that the only point that can be talked about is the quota system for districts during the UPDF recruitment but noted that all other arguments hold no water.
“Kindly, leave our armed forces out of the nonsense of tribal debates. They have serious work to do and they have done it well. Leave them out of your confusion.”
According to Museveni, he is comfortable without any westerner around him at State House, noting that the most influential people around him are from other parts of the country.
“Here in the Presidency, I am quite comfortable without many Banyankore, or, indeed, any munyankore around.”
He mentions the Head of Public Service, John Mitala, a Muganda, Lucy Nakyobe, the State House Comptroller and Dr.Kenneth Omona, his Principle Private Secretary among others as coming from other areas other than the west.
“I am quite comfortable without any big Munyankore in the vicinity. Do not tell us about those cheap things of tribes and religious sectarianism.”
Background
The tribalism talk became more pronounced recently following the arrest of four Radio Simba presentersknown for their stage name Bizonto, loosely translated as “the foolish) including Ssabakaki Simon Peter, Julius Sserwanja, Mercel Mbabali and Gold Kimatono recently released a satirical skit in which they mentioned several heads of government institutions denoting how they all hail from the western part of the country.
Section 41 of the Penal Code defines sectarianism as the practice of degrading or exposing to hatred or contempt or disaffection for anyone on the basis of religion, tribe, or ethnic or regional origin by utterance, printing, publication or performance any such act.
Anyone who engages in sectarianism commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years
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