In a statement, Charles Peter Mayiga called on the Baganda to forgive Alfonse Justice Owiny-Dollo for his disrespectful remarks about Buganda and the Kabaka.
Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga has called on the Baganda to forgive Chief Alfonse Justice Owiny-Dollo for disrespectful comments he made about Buganda and the Kabaka.
Katikkiro’s outcry comes after the CJ on Thursday paid a courtesy visit to Buganda Kingdom Headquarters in Bulange Mengo to officially pass on his apology to the kingdom.
Dollo arrived at Bulange in the company of former Uganda People’s Congress party President Olara Otunu and was received by Katikkiro himself.
Responding to questions about what transpired in the closed-door meeting, Mayiga commended CJ Dollo for being courageous enough to come out with an apology.
He said it’s not easy that people always come out and apologise after doing wrong as a result. He said the CJ is now a close brother to the Kingdom.
“Many times we do wrong, but it is not easy to come out and apologise. In Buganda we say that, ‘omukwano guva mungabo (literary translated as friendship comes after a fight),” Mayiga said.
“The Chief Justice has come as a friend and he is going to leave as a brother. I urge all Ugandans to leave all that was said behind us,”
He added that despite the regional differences Acholi and Baganda are all Ugandans who face similar problems.
“There are no drugs in hospitals, education system that still needs attention exist in both areas. We have intermarried and above all we are all Ugandans, these are the things that should unite us,” Mayiga added.
On his side, the Chief Justice said the meeting was very fruitful. He said it was vital to revamp the relationship that was seemingly beginning to fall out.
“This meeting was meaningful. We leave here knowing we’re more close together than hitherto,” the chief justice said.
Meanwhile, for the past one week, the Chief Justice has faced criticism from a number of Ugandans over comments he made referring to the Baganda as a wicked group.
The CJ’s comments stemmed from a protest by some Ugandans in the diaspora against the expenditure of nearly UGX 2 Billion to fly the late Speaker abroad for treatment yet the regime has done very little to improve healthcare facilities back in Uganda.
On this, many were also overheard saying that taxpayers’ money was wasted in treating and transporting Oulanyah to the United States yet he still died, a statement that was not well received by CJ Dollo who was quick to say it was made by the Baganda yet the Kabaka was also transported to Germany for treatment in the same manner but no Muganda rose to complain about tax payers’ money.
“But you, you, you who were demonstrating… your ethnic leader was transported in a presidential jet to Germany using private funds he was not entitled. You did not demonstrate,” Dollo was quoted.
“Is it because Oulanyah is an Acholi? Is it because Oulanyah doesn’t speak your language? Only a wicked person can fight a person who is fighting for his life,” he added.
