Composed Mengo Information Minister Charles Peter Mayiga Wins Buganda Kingdom Premiership, beating AG Apollo Makubuya during a Long Scrutiny Meet between Kabaka Mutebi and the Elders at Banda Palace
As the Baganda eagerly await official mentioning of the new Katikkiro, we have the pleasure to safely and exclusively break the anxiety by announcing that Information Minister, Owek. Charles Peter Mayiga has taken the office, unless HRM Ronald Muwenda Mutebi changes his mind tonight.
From the time Eng. JB Walusimbi’s term of office expired, we were informed by reliable Mengo sources that Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II has been at pain, torn between finding a soft personality towards the central government and or a hotheaded one that would widen further, the rift between his kingdom and the Country’s power that be.
We can now exclusively report that the Kabaka, in a tight consultation with the Elders (Abataka), settled for a fair compromise, yet to be named Premier in the name of Mayiga. Sources privy to the Banda Palace meeting that took hours earlier today, President Museveni has never complained about the word-picky Mayiga, even when he held the platform wide enough to annoy the First Person.
Though he is rumored to be a DP leaning persona, the powerful Buganda Information Minister nevr used his office to play partisan politics, not even after he was arrested and forced to ‘tour’ the entire country in confinement. “He never went on record to give Mengo’s position, capable of backfiring, on any controversial issues.
Info extracted from highly placed sources from Kabaka’s Banda Palace, where Ssaabasajja and Buganda Bataka retired earlier in the day to debate and make the big decision, indicated that Mayiga had beaten off competition from his learned friend and powerful Attorney Makubuya, to land the coveted seat. Not because Makubuya is incapable but because of certain issues, seniority inclusive.
“The search for the next Katikkiro is over. Mayiga has won. Ssabasajja is expected to announce him as the new Katikkiro on Monday,” Banda Palace impeccable sources confided in us.
Mayiga the man
He is a personal friend and loyal servant of the Kabaka. He holds the influential and weighty position of the Secretary to Lukiiko, an equivalent of the Central government‘s Secretary to the Cabinet. He is Mengo’s Information Minister which has given him an edge since his position has afforded him chance to popularize himself among Baganda.
Being the Kingdom’s chief mouthpiece who has been at the forefront of defending and communicating Buganda’s interests and aspirations, coupled with his popular ‘Agafa E Mengo’ program on Central Broadcasting Services (CBS FM) which is a one man-show piece, he pulls a clout amongst Kabaka’s subjects.
That President Museveni has not been heard complaining about him, despite being Mengo’s top publicist, was another big plus for Mayiga. It means that Mayiga was the perfect candidate for the job, given his indirect confrontation persona.
Mayiga is one of the established witty and loaded city lawyers with Buwule, Mayiga and Company advocates. He studied at the prestigious Kings College Buddo, whose Old Boys and Girls are held in high esteem, being a school that was originally built for Buganda Royals.
He is a Catholic and a practicing one at that, meaning he had the larger Catholic support as well as a beneficiary of the balancing act where the Kabaka would want to appease his Catholic subjects by appointing their own to the big post.
Mayiga is also a moderate to an extent. Though his position as Information Minister had meant that he had at times to take radical positions as instructed by the bigger Lukiiko, he always kept his head in the fridge. And above all, Mayiga is a ‘young man,’ fitting Kabaka Mutebi’s favorite, given his favorite catch phrase of; “Omulembe Omutebi Gw’abavubuka.” Unlike Makubuya he has been at Mengo for a very long time therefore seniority came in handy.
