Gen. Salim Saleh intervenes in Mpologoma Clan leader’s burial

Lwadda hill, Mpologoma clan ancestral grounds

Kampala August 30—The land wrangle between Mpologoma clan leaders, Buganda Land Board and Gen. Elly Kayanja has delayed the burial of the clan head, Wilson Ndawula Namuguzi Ssebuganda, for now over two weeks, as the military officer stood his ground not to allow the burial on his land.

Omut. Ndawula Namuguzi Ssebuganda, passed on August 14 2024 and clan leaders embarked on burial arrangements at the ancestral land at Lwadda hill in Matugga, Nansana municipality, Wakiso district, only to be stopped by Gen. Kayanja claiming ownership of the land. 

The land which is over a square mile, is the ancestral land for the Mpologoma clan for now over 300 years.

The Buganda Land Board, well aware that the land belonged to the Mpologoma clan with clear cultural structures and sculptures of the clan, leased 25 acres of the land to Gen. Elly Kayanja.

Mpologoma clan leadership including the late Ndawula Ssebuganda, has been in a tag of war with the Buganda Kingdom leadership for now over 10years demanding it to cancel the lease given to Gen. Kayanja and return the land to the rightful owners, the Mpologoma clan. The Mengo leadership was reluctant to return the land to the clan.

Sources in the Mpologoma clan say, that since Gen. Kayanja stopped clan leaders from preparing the burial of the clan leader, talks have been going on between the Buganda Land Board, the Mengo leadership and Gen. Kayanja over the land but the military man stood his ground of not to surrender his land.

It was not until at the beginning of this week, that the General relaxed his stand, allegedly after the intervention of Gen. Salim Saleh, and allowed the clan to carry out the burial after which negotiation on land ownership will resume. Sources say Gen. Salim Saleh urged his colleague, Gen. Kayanja, to let the burial go ahead and continue negotiations with Mengo establishment.

At a meeting early this week at the Kingdom headquarters in Bulange Mengo, attended by the Buganda Attorney General, Christopher Bwanika, Minister for Land, David Mpanga, that of Heritage, Palaces and Tourism Anthoney Wamala and leaders of Mpologoma clan, Gen. Kayanja’s decision to allow the burial to go ahead was made to the clan leaders with a promise to solve the land problem soon.

After this meeting the Katikkiro of Mpologoma Clan, John Patrick Kisekka, announced that the burial (keeping) of the clan head will be held on Saturday August 31, 2024 at the ancestral grounds at Lwadda hill and preparations to “keep” the clan head resumed Tuesday with preparing a “Forest” where the disappeared clan leader will be organised.

Katikkiro Kisekka however told media that the clan does not recognise the leasehold of the land the Buganda Kingdom gave to Gen. Kayanja because the land belonged to the Mpologoma clan not to the Kingdom. He said that in the earlier negotiations, Gen. Kayanja had offered the Mpologoma clan 6 acres of the 25 acres he has lease on, but the clan rejected it saying that they want back the whole of their land.

Mpologoma clan leadership accused the Buganda Katikkiro, Charles Peter Mayiga, of being behind the grabbing and leasing their land to Gen. Kayanja.

The Mpologoma leadership further claims that whenever they approach the Buganda Land Board boss on cancelling Gen Kayanja’s leasehold of the Lwadda clan land, he refers them to Katikkiro Mayiga, as the only authority who can allow it and efforts to demand him to effect the cancellation has been in vein.

Since the demise of the Mpologoma clan leader and the wrangles over his burial, Katikkiro Mayiga, known for his enthusiasm at such big events especially those associated with culture and norms, has kept silence over this issue.

According to the Ganda norms, Omutaka Ndawula Namuguzi Ssebuganda is still the clan leader of Mpologoma clan. He will be taken to the “Forest” where powers of leadership will be transferred from him to the would be new clan leader (Okubikka Akabugo), then will be organised and wrapped in not less than 100 pieces of backcloth. He will then be taken to the not less than 15 feet deep grave (house) and as he is being lowered down, a new Mpologoma clan leader, will be installed, to complete the Ganda ritual of not leaving the clan throne vacant.