VZCZCXRO8064
RR RUEHGI RUEHRN RUEHROV
DE RUEHKM #1075/01 2601412
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171412Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1783
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KAMPALA 001075 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM SOCI ECON UG
SUBJECT: MUSEVENI BLAMES BUGANDA, OPPOSITION, AND FOREIGNERS FOR 
RIOTS 
 
Ref: A. KAMPALA 01044, B. KAMPALA 01055 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: In a two-hour speech to Parliament on September 
15, Uganda's President Museveni blamed the opposition, the Buganda 
Kingdom, and foreign "meddlers" for the riots that killed 24 people 
from 10-13 September (reftels).  The President defended the actions 
of security forces, reinforced police directives to shoot rioters on 
sight, and announced a series of new legislative reforms designed to 
better define and limit the power of traditional Kingdoms.  End 
Summary. 
 
--------------------- 
Museveni: It Ain't Me 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) President Museveni delivered a two-hour address to Parliament 
on September 15, ostensibly to respond to the riots that wracked 
greater Kampala September 10-13 (reftels).  The wide ranging and 
largely extemporaneous speech touched on Museveni's disdain for 
homosexuality, whether President Obama speaks an African language, 
and the history of the Buganda Kingdom.  Museveni blamed the Baganda 
for the violence and loss of life during last week's riots. 
Accusing the Buganda King, or "Kabaka", of "meddling in politics", 
Museveni said he could not be held responsible for the "misbehavior 
of the traditional institutions".  He then announced plans to 
introduce legislation to limit their influence by consolidating 
regional power into the central government. 
 
¶3. (U) Museveni also blamed opposition parties, the Buganda-run 
Central Broadcasting System (CBS) radio, and "foreign meddlers" for 
the disturbances.  He singled out his main political rival, Dr. 
Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), whom he 
accused of involvement in the riots.  Museveni accused the Buganda 
Kingdom of receiving funds from unnamed "foreign agents" to fight 
his regime, and announced impending legislation to require 
traditional leaders to declare foreign sources of income. 
 
¶4. (U) Acknowledging the economic grievances of the rioters, 
Museveni revealed plans to create jobs for urban youth by dedicating 
$15 million for investment in various cottage industries.  He 
described Uganda's rapidly growing population of uneducated, 
unemployed, and landless urban youth as a "blessing in disguise" and 
the beginning of an urban working class.  The President also said 
the government would compensate those who lost property during the 
riots and assist relatives of those who died. 
 
¶5. (U) Museveni defended security forces against allegations of 
excessive use of force and reiterated that police are authorized to 
shoot any rioters who attack other people or the police. This point 
was underlined in a September 16 briefing for foreign Ambassadors by 
Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa and Inspector General of Police 
(IGP) Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura.  Kutesa and Kayihura stressed that 
security forces had shown restraint given the size of the riot, the 
involvement of unemployed youth and criminal classes, and evidence 
of prior planning by some rioters.  Kayihura apologized to the 
diplomatic corps for the disturbance and noted that if allegations 
of police firing live bullets into crowds were true, there would 
have been many more civilian casualties (septel). 
 
---------------------------------- 
Opposition Calls for Investigation 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Prior to attacking FDC President Besigye in his speech, 
Museveni had announced earlier in the day the arrest of Democratic 
Party (DP) spokesperson Betty Nambooze for inciting violence.  "We 
are going to arrest Nambooze and the rest," Museveni said while 
touring a police post burnt during the riots. "I know they are in 
hiding but we will arrest them." 
 
¶7. (U) Speaking to the press from a local hospital where he was 
visiting injured riots victims, Besigye called for a government 
inquiry into the riots and those responsible for shooting civilians. 
 "We want the government to institute an inquiry," said Besigye, 
"and to get the people involved in this heinous crime." 
 
----------------------- 
Buganda Won't Back Down 
----------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) Meanwhile, Buganda's Deputy Information Minister, Medard 
Ssegona, said neither Museveni's speech nor last week's riots will 
alter the calculations of the Kingdom.  Ssegona decried attempts to 
hamper the King's travel within his own realm and criticized the 
actions of Ugandan security forces.  "We expected the President to 
convince us instead of coercing us," said Ssegona. "What the 
President is doing now is a game of might as opposed to logic and 
reason." 
 
-------------------------- 
 
KAMPALA 00001075  002 OF 002 
 
 
State of the Nation: Tense 
-------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Comment: Although the rioting has stopped, tensions remain 
high in Kampala.  Likely surprised by the sudden ferocity of last 
week's riots, Museveni is working to put the ethnic Baganda genie 
back in its bottle, both through new legislation and his usual tough 
rhetoric.  The conflict pitting Museveni's government against the 
Buganda Kingdom will thus continue.  The hope now is that both sides 
will have the wisdom to keep their fight in the political arena and 
not take it into the streets. 
 
LANIER