“ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT IS GOING ON? IF NOT, WHAT ROLE CAN YOU PLAY BEFORE THE SITUATION GETS OUT OF HAND?”
— President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, letter to Ankole & Kigezi elders, 6 May 2025
1 Why This Letter Matters
On 8 May 2025, President Kyagulanyi released a three-page letter addressed to senior states-men and clerics from the Ankole and Kigezi Sub-regions—home turf of Dictator Yoweri Museveni and his son Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba. In it he issues an unprecedented challenge:
- Disown the tribal hate speech spewed by Muhoozi.
- Condemn the abductions and torture now spreading like wildfire.
- Save Uganda from anarchy before it is too late.
For the first time, Uganda’s opposition leader calls directly on elders of the ruling clan to break their silence—or own the consequences.
2 Key Excerpts & What They Mean
| Letter Line | Meaning for Ugandans |
|---|---|
| “Muhoozi has committed various crimes against humanity… over 150 citizens killed in November 2020.” | The letter Shows Muhoozi his a repeat offender who could face future tribunals. |
| “His latest victim is my personal friend and bodyguard, Edward Ssebuufu aka Eddie Mutwe… kept under incommunicado detention.” | Kyagulanyi links tribal hate to the very real torture of Muganda activists, personalising the crisis. |
| “One would expect the Museveni family to appreciate the people of Uganda… Instead, they are now being provoked.” | A reminder that Banyankore have thrived in Buganda; stirring sectarianism is betrayal, not gratitude. |
| “It falls on you… to disassociate yourselves from this barbaric, reckless impunity and caution Gen. Muhoozi.” | Elders are handed a moral duty: speak up or be complicit. |
| “The National Unity Platform assures you… of a free, united and prosperous Uganda where every citizen will be treated with dignity.” | NUP offers an inclusive alternative, rejecting revenge politics. |
3 The Stakes: From Hate Speech to Genocide
History’s darkest chapters begin with dehumanising language, President Kyagulanyi warns. Muhoozi’s tweets urging Eddie Mutwe to “learn Runyankore” while under torture echo a dangerous playbook: weaponise ethnicity, divide the nation, then crush those cast as “other.”
Uganda already bleeds from economic inequality and regional imbalance; inflaming tribal fault-lines could ignite something far worse than a rigged election.
4 A Direct Appeal to Conscience
By naming respected figures—Matthew Rukikaire, Bart Katureebe, Elly Karuhanga, Prof. Mondo Kagonyera, Rt. Rev. Archbishop of Mbarara, district Qadhis and all bishops of the Church of Uganda—Kyagulanyi forces each elder to choose:
• Stand for justice, or
• Stand with a dictatorship sliding toward ethnic violence.
Silence is no longer neutrality; it is endorsement.
5 People Power’s Roadmap After the Letter
- Track public responses from every elder addressed and publish a “silence or solidarity” ledger.
- Document hate speech emanating from state accounts for future legal action.
- Expand inter-tribal solidarity committees to defuse sectarian tension at grassroots level.
- Petition faith leaders—Catholic, Anglican, Muslim—to issue joint pastoral letters condemning torture and tribalism.
- Press donors: no more budget support without benchmarks on hate-speech prosecution and prisoner releases.
6 My Pledge as Fred Lumbye
I was born in a village where Banyankore milked cows beside Baganda tobacco farmers. We spoke different tongues, but we shared a well. Dictator Museveni and his brutal heir now poison that well with tribal venom. I will spend every ounce of ink and breath exposing it.
Elders of Ankole and Kigezi, the ball is at your feet. Choose nation over nepotism, justice over tribe.
“We want to always go on record in every situation.”
— President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu
History is writing its ledger. May our children find your names on the side of unity, not on the roster of silent enablers.
#SayNoToTribalHate | #FreeEddieMutwe | #PeoplePower
Source
- Kyagulanyi, R. (2025, May 8). Letter to elders of Ankole & Kigezi on Muhoozi’s sectarian hate. [Scanned images posted on X].
