By Our Writer
City lawyer and Democratic Party National Vice President, Fred Mukasa Mbidde, has come under criticism from an indigenous Rwandan living in Uganda over remarks he allegedly made in a media publication, which critics describe as misleading.
Celestine Rutindangezi has strongly challenged Mbidde’s views published in The EastAfrican newspaper, arguing that they misrepresent issues concerning the Banyarwanda community. In a strongly worded response, Rutindangezi faulted Mbidde’s assertions and accused him of advancing a narrative that lacks factual basis.
Details of Rutindangezi’s response are contained in the statement below.
By Celestine Rutindangezi
I have read with dismay and disbelief an article that graced today’s East African Newspaper under the headline;
*”Uganda Walks a tight rope on Banyarwanda citizenship debate”*
The paper quotes serial failed politician Mukasa Mbidde – the one of Kow tow, pooh pooh, crincum-crankum-type of archaic English, which he often loudly uses in wrong context, to maintain the appearance of a sophisticated intellectual, yet we all know, he is not.
Reading the East African, I wondered why a newspaper (which I used to rate highly) would lower its journalistic ethics and standards to start quoting mere intellectual con men and masqueraders in the names of Mukasa Mbidde and Simon Kayitana instead of doing research to know the real credible people to interview for their article.
For starters, Mukasa Mbidde has never been the Lawyer for Banyarwanda in Uganda as he purports. Much of what Mukasa Mbidde says, is just hogwash, in the same way he uses bombastic words to seek attention. For instance, Mukasa Mbidde is a self styled ‘Dr’ which is a fake title, (just like most things about the man) but which he uses to grab attention and assume some degree of importance, especially following a checkered record as a political reject and failure, the latest being a total defeat in Buwekula where he came 6th in the last concluded parliamentary elections.
Back to the article in the East African, while Mukasa Mbidde’s arguments are total rubbish, let me point out that, far from being the Lawyer for Banyarwanda, Mukasa Mbidde is not a constitutional Lawyer, and assuming Uganda had 3000 Lawyers, Mukasa Mbidde would not feature among the first 2000 Lawyers! And infact, I challenge Mukasa Mbidde to cite just one case which he has ever successfully argued before a chief magistrate’s court (we shall not bother mentioning the High Court because its beyond his capacity and ability) it is therefore crystal clear that it was total waste of space and effort, for the East African to quote Mukasa Mbidde, because he lacks professional credibility to be quoted on anything, besides, his qualifications as a Lawyer are highly suspect.
For instance, it’s on record that it is other people who used to write Mukasa Mbidde’s law exams, including his ex girl friend. It is also on record that, Mukasa Mbidde was the subject of a law development center investigation which sought to cancel his postgraduate diploma in legal practice.
The LDC investigation found that Mukasa Mbidde and Michael Mabikke had altered their marks on Examination mark sheets, to pass. Mukasa Mbidde appealed to the court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, and both courts dismissed his applications on the grounds that, it is within the mandate and powers of Law development center, to investigate any examination malpractices affecting its academic awards. That is the type of ‘Lawyer” masquerading to be the lawyer of Banyarwanda in Uganda!
Besides that, Mukasa Mbidde alleges that Banyarwanda are ‘Stateless’ in Uganda! Does he even understand the meaning of the term!?
*Under international law, a person is ‘stateless’ if he/she is not considered a national or citizen by any state, by operation of its laws* Is this the status of Banyarwanda in Uganda? Hell no! Ignore Mukasa Mbidde’s noise, here is the truth.
According to the 1995 constitution (as amended) in the 3rd schedule, the constitution recognises 65 indigenous communities that exist in Uganda, including Banyarwanda. Unlike Mukasa Mbidde, any good lawyer knows that the constitution is the supreme law of Uganda, and any other law that is inconsistent with the constitution, is null and void to the extent of that inconsistency.
As far back as Uganda’s first population census in 1921 (before the border demarcation of Uganda’s borders) Banyarwanda existed in big numbers in Uganda, and in the 1921 census, the 1949 & 1959 censuses, Banyarwanda were number 2 among the top 5 biggest tribes in Uganda, therefore, only an ignorant commentator like Mukasa Mbidde would say that Banyarwanda are unrecognised as citizens, yet there is clear evidence that Uganda’s constitution and all population censuses Uganda has conducted (from the very first population census ever) Uganda has always and continues to recognise and count Banyarwanda among Uganda’s nationals and indigenous communities. Therefore the whole argument of Banyarwanda being stateless is idle, redundant and anchored on zero logic.
Furthermore, when people abuse their offices and positions, it doesn’t make the law bad, inadequate or lacking. It only means such people are wrong, either incompetent, ignorant, willingly defying the law or simply corrupt. That is what for a long time Banyarwanda suffered at the hands of some bad people at Immigration and NIRA, which compelled Council for Abavandimwe to embark on activism (which was led by Frank Gashumba) and culminated into President Museveni’s issuance of an Executive Order to guide the immigration department and NIRA on matters of citizenship generally.
While NIRA and Immigration had illegally usurped the powers of complainers, investigators, prosecutors and judges in the issuance of national ID’s and passports, the Executive Order (which was drafted by the Attorney General) taking into account the constitution and the existing citizenship law, guided the immigration office and NIRA that its elders and local authorities to recommend the bonafide national ID and passport applicants, because (from their respective communities) the elders and local authorities know the applicants better than the immigration and NIRA officials in Kampala and the regional offices.
Mukasa Mbidde also talked about having a ‘template bill’ for what!? Is there no citizenship law? Doesn’t the constitution (in the 3rd schedule) recognise Banyarwanda among the indigenous communities in Uganda!? Imagine a non-member of Parliament talking about tabling an unnecessary bill in Parliament, using what, witchcraft!?
By the way, word is out that Mukasa Mbidde is an ethnic Murundi. If true, it compounds matters. How does a murundi get mixed up in Banyarwanda affairs!? If someone sees Kayibanda (the famous comedian of Maria Rose-fame) tell him to please come take his man and give him an office (in Burundi affairs) to keep his bushy eyebrows busy.
And wait, lest I forget, this showy crook Lawyer (Mukasa Mbidde) who likes to tout and parade himself everywhere as a ‘Lawyer’, isn’t he aware (that we know) that his ‘law firm’ at blacklines house (shumuk or Katatumba suites) was not a law office, but a lodge where Mukasa Mbidde, the true dance-hole king, used to ‘dance’ anything and everything in a skirt!? Oh, we know so much, don’t provoke us, you kapere Mbidde!
To Mukasa Mbidde, keep your pooh-pooh ideas to yourself, grow up and be a man! Start by being responsible when you go around impregnating women, start taking care of the women and the children, even animals take care of their young ones!
Maybe you represent Kayitana and Donati Kananura but not all the Banyarwanda in Uganda. You are hardly a lawyer of good professional repute, your views on Banyarwanda citizenship are baseless and unfounded and so, we impugn, reject and dismiss all your suggestions on that subject. Enough!
