Riddle of Baganda and leadership of Uganda

By Dominic Odipo

Kabaka Mutesa did not know how to co-exist with Obote and was subsequently thrown out.

Are there certain communities which cannot lead, especially at the national level? Are there certain tribes that perhaps because of their cultural heritage or gene infrastructure, cannot lead others? These are curious but not idle questions. But before we return to them we need to pose a slightly simpler question. Are there certain communities, tribes or nationalities, which can drive cars or lorries more efficiently than others?

In a seemingly frivolous report carried in the local Press last week, a number of Kenyan drivers who work in Uganda were complaining about how they routinely get a raw deal from their Ugandan counterparts and the Ugandan security organs.They claimed there was some sort of high-level conspiracy to drive them out of Uganda and presumably have their jobs inherited by the Ugandan drivers themselves.They said they were being fired mysteriously and that their plight needed to be addressed at a higher level.Was this a little storm brewing in a tea cup? We wish it were. Unfortunately, it was not.

During a recent visit to Kampala, a senior member of the Museveni government admitted to me that the government was having trouble with this issue of Kenyan drivers."You see, most international organisations operating in Kampala prefer to employ Kenyan drivers. When we ask them why, they reply that Kenyan drivers are simply more careful and efficient than Uganda drivers."And they seem to have a point. Accident statistics tend to bear them out. Now the Ugandan drivers want us to restrict the work permits issued to Kenyan drivers. We don’t know how to proceed especially as we are all trying to forge an integrated and open East Africa market.

"Why would Kenyan drivers be inherently better than their Uganda counterparts? Perhaps someone more familiar with both countries could enlighten us here. Apparently, driving is not just a matter of the mechanics, theory, driving tests and road conditions.

My old friend then moved on to loftier political matters.Without batting an eyelid, he stated: "This business of who should rule Uganda is very complicated. We know, for example that the Baganda simply cannot lead at the national level. They don’t seem to have the capability to lead.We have tried many of them but they were all found unworthy and incapable."Why, I inquired, would a whole tribe be found incapable of leading? "We don’t know the real reason, but we believe that their political, economic and cultural heritage has something to do with it."You see, the Baganda, Uganda’s largest tribe, have lived under a very tight traditional monarchy for probably a thousand years. They were brought up to wait for instructions from the Kabaka, their king, or his cohorts at the palace."They did not, therefore, develop a healthy tradition of making important leadership decisions for themselves. That is why they tend to get lost when they get to the top.""And so we have this strange contradiction. Because the Baganda are the most numerous, richest and most coherent Ugandan community, they tend to believe that Ugandan leadership is theirs by rights. Yet they cannot lead".

My friend then went on to cite concrete examples to reinforce his case."The first president, Kabaka Mutesa, didn’t know how to co-exist with Dr Milton Obote, so he was thrown out. After Idi Amin. Lule, a Muganda professor, survived at the top for only three months."Then we tried Godfrey Binaisa, another Muganda. A year or so later, he had to be pushed aside by Paulo Muwanga, another Muganda who, only a few months later invited Obote, a northerner, to return and lead the country. They knew they couldn’t lead."Fascinating stuff this, I thought. A whole tribe of more than 8 million people cannot lead! Could there be something like this in the Kenyan tribal set-up? Could there be some tribes, say like the Meru, Kisii or Pokomo who simply cannot lead? I reflected that there might be a lot of fertile ground for enlightened research!

Concluding, my friend, who comes from Western Uganda, casually dropped the bombshell."This is why we take this business of Museveni being forced to retire very seriously. We have tried the northerners, Obote and Okello Lutwa, and they progressively messed up the country."We know the Baganda and Basoga, sharing a common heritage, simply cannot lead.That leaves only the Easterners, now personified by Aggrey Awori. So, if Museveni must go, don’t be surprised if we push in a Kenyan to lead us."

A few hours later, over a beer with my cousin who runs an Internet service-providing facility in Kampala, I inquired further about this Baganda factor, whereupon she immediately shot back."It is impossible for we Kenyans to understand the Baganda mentality. The closer one is to the palace, the harder it is for any other Muganda in authority to discipline or fire him. How will you relate at the palace if you fire or discipline him? And so indiscipline and apathy thrive".

So when we hear that some communities cannot drive efficiently, we should take note. Driving may just be the tip of the iceberg. There could be much more underneath!