THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED "UGANDAN OF RWANDESE ORIGIN"

My wife happens to be a Munyarwanda and that is not a problem, the problem is she keeps calling herself a Muhiima from Ankole. Her father and mother both migrated from Rwanda during the turbulent times of 1959 and settled as refugees first in Tooro and later integrated among the  Ankole people in Ankole sub region.

According to the Ugandan constitution, a person who is born or has lived in Uganda for ten years qualifies to be a Ugandan citizen however, this does not require one to claim to belong to a certain tribe or the other to prove his or her Ugandaness. Besides, the 1995 constitution clearly lists Banyarwanda as one of the 56 indigenous communities that made the country Uganda dating way back to 1st February 1926. That is even before my own father was born.

Here is my worry, she is not alone that does this. A lot of the high ranking NRA soldiers who are Banyarwanda have completely become Bahiima, Bakiiga of western Uganda and not by assimilation but rather by pretence. Others have even taken on Kiganda names by design. One would assume that if Kagame and his like were still serving NRA soldiers would still be known as Banyankole from Western Uganda as it was. The question then is why would anyone do such a thing unless they think partly there would be an advantage gained from doing it?

NRM under the leadership of Mr. Y.K Museveni has been in power for nearly three decades. It should be a shame (unless there is something sinister about it) that they still lead a nation where people cannot freely express who they are or their origins.

The most absurd thing is what my wife goes through to labour to be, or at least be seen to be, what she is not. If her cousins or other relatives from Rwanda visit her, they speak Kinyarwanda in complete confidentiality of the bedroom. Recently she told me that the father who happens to be a UPDF soldier forbid them from speaking kinyarwanda in public.

Because of my association, I now know that when the country cries of favouritism of Banyankole/Bahiima in top government jobs and high military/police jobs, they are actually referring to Banyarwanda. It is very true that banyankole and other western tribes are carrying the cross  for the banyarwanda and any attack against other western tribes is misdirected. The real culprits should own up and clean their mess.

Uganda is a very beautiful country. It has been blessed with equally very beautiful people desirous of unity, equality and prosperity. My wife and I despite the fact that we are among the favoured or benefit from it, we would love unity, equality and prosperity to be extended to all Ugandans regardless of their ethnic background, affiliation or belief.

A country where one can be an Irish Ugandan or anything and be proud of what he or she is.

 In my subsequent blogs, I will try to dig further into this phenomena and what it means for Uganda if not addressed.

Good luck reading!