About 3 years ago, Uganda and the people of Buganda in particular experienced a unique twist in their history only comparable to the colonial times! That in the 21st Century when communities are engaged in discovery and all manner of scientific innovations, another set of leaders in this fair land descended on her people, brutalized, raped and killed a sizeable number to satisfy their ego!!

We have gathered here today to help the country recollect, and show solidarity with the families and individual members of our community that were abused and continue to be subjected to all manner of injustice by the state in Uganda.  When His Majesty the Kabaka of Buganda was unlawfully stopped by the state from touring a part of His Kingdom, several youths in Buganda were joined by other peace loving Ugandans to oppose this unlawful highhanded act by way of demonstrations that spread in several areas of Buganda. At the end of these demonstrations, the state and its attendant apparatus arrested over 1000 youths, jailed and killed some others! Over 50 people were confirmed murdered or extra judiciary executed by the state in a period of two days! Those who were not executed were brutalized, raped, and detained in the infamous safe houses by the state! Several were held incommunicado for several months until recently when the IGP confessed that they actually have them in several detention centres across the country.

As youths involved in the struggle to see that the kingdom aspirations are realized, its upon us to ensure that our fellow youths get justice by having their case heard, get bail like any other Ugandans who meet the criteria necessary and are released if innocent. The continued incarceration with out trial is no longer ‘prosecution’ but ‘persecution’ by the state and we have gathered today to demand for their unconditional release from wherever they are being detained. If the state until now insists on having them away from their brutalized families, we demand for their immediate production in courts of law and cases be preferred against them.

We take exception to the manner in which the state has chosen to keep their families traumatized by their continued unlawful detention and denial of basic rights and freedoms. In view of the situation regarding to our colleagues described above, we demand the following; 

• That the Government at Mengo comes out with a statement on this matter short of which; we shall have no choice but mobilize all the youths in Buganda and families of the victims of murder, rape and illegal detentions assemble at Bulange and hold a peaceful demonstration calling for the Buganda Government to act and demand for the unconditional release of our comrades.

• Call upon the Buganda government to withhold all celebrations this year if government continues behaving like a bully in this case by adamantly denying our colleagues their God given freedoms and rights like any other citizens of the land.

• That Buganda Government takes the initiative to officially publicize all the names of our people who have been murdered in cold blood by the state both in the 2009 demonstrations and the victims of the Kasubi genocide.

• Buganda Government owns these victims and puts up a timetable for visiting them in the various detention centres to which only the IGP is privy with a view of taking up their welfare, and the wellbeing of their suffering and dehumanize families.

• The Buganda government desists from engaging in any talks as implied in the media over the past weeks with the central government until all youths detained since 2009 when the government unlawfully blocked Kabaka’s travels, those detained during and after the burning of Kasubi tombs, the walk to work detainees and including those other prisoners of conscious to which the IGP pleaded knowledge about, without divulging details of their detention centres and the crimes they committed.

• Bring to justice all those criminal elements in the police and army that were involved in the cold blooded murders, brutalization, rape and victimization of the Baganda during the said periods; reminiscent of the Luwero murder theatre, but still walk scot free, with some getting promoted in the military and the police as if nothing happened under their command and watch!

• We demand for an inquiry into the above crimes against the people of Buganda, least we conclude that they were deliberately authored murders and persecutions to deny the Baganda freedom in their motherland, make them the sacrificial lamb at the alter of a pseudo-democracy.

• We demand for the immediate release of the Kasubi inferno inquiry report so that the people of Buganda who lost both their treasured history housed in the tombs together with lives that were slain in broad day light at hands of a trigger-happy military could start steps at pursuing justice albeit delayed! Failure to have this report immediately released shall leave us in no doubt that the fire that gutted the tombs is a state secret, and the attendant murders part of the state game to brutalize, shame, ridicule and humiliate the Kabaka and His subjects!

• Short of meeting these demands, the country should ready itself for unrelenting demonstrations, until our colleagues get justice. We would like to warn in advance, that whoever believes in a peaceful Uganda, must demand for a just and fair Uganda!

As peace loving Ugandans we know the task ahead is not going to be an easy one but like its known that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice every where we are ready to carry the burden. We have been patient enough and are ashamed to be seen in light of a Luganda proverb saying ‘’Zirindaba olwange…tawa musibe mmere’’.

Below is a provisional list of our persecuted comrades:
1.    Robert Sekabira
2.    Nsubuga Kamada
3.    Jethro Livingstone
4.    Bashir Tabya
5.    Kassim Ntanzi
6.    Salim Magoba
7.    Paul Kikulwe
8.    Gerald Kagga
9.    Musa Ssengendo
10.    Hakim Lwanga
11.    Muzafaru Mugisha
12.    Richard Kijjambu
13.    Juma Sekyanzi
14.    Adaadi Kibuuka
15.    Sam Ssemambo
16.    Sadat Luswata Buyungo
17.    John Gafumba
18.    Rogers Zinda
19.    Joseph Katamba
20.    Bob Kakembo (minor)
21.    Elisa Mujuni
22.    Mohammed Sekatawa
23.    Meddie Nsubuga
24.    Emmanuel Muteesaasira

We do anticipate full cooperation from the Judiciary, Mengo, Police and all concerned organizations and individuals.
Gutusinze nnyo Ayi Ssabassajja,
……………………………………………………….
Ssentebe wa ba Ssentebe,
Baganda Nkobazambogo Students’ Association.