Who is John Baptist Walusimbi or JB Walusimbi? Flash Uganda Media looks at his biography, age, wife, family, tribe, achievements, and relationship with Dan Muliika, Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, the early life and education of the former Katikkiro (prime minister) of Buganda.
John Baptist Walusimbi, often known as JB Walusimbi, is a Ugandan construction engineer and cultural leader.
JB Walusimbi is a former Katikkiro (prime minister) of Buganda, a constitutional monarchy in modern-day Uganda.
His tenure as Buganda Kingdom’s Katikkiro lasted from 2008 until 2013.
Early Life and Education
John Baptist Walusimbi was born in Uganda and is a member of the clan Ffumbe (Civet Cat).
His Father was the one who educated him. He recalls paying 20 Ugandan Shillings as school fees for the entire year in primary school.
JB Walusimbi received his secondary education at St. Mary’s College Kisubi.
JB Walusimbi’s Reign as Katikkiro
Katikkiro Eng. JB Walusimbi was Kabaka Muwenda Mutebi regime’s fourth Katikkiro. His tenure as Katikkiro officially started on January 1, 2008, and it was not without its ups and downs.
Walusimbi began his service in the Buganda Kingdom as a member of the Ssabataka Supreme Council in 1990. He then served as the Finance Minister in Kabaka Mutebi’s first cabinet.
Following that, he took over replacing Dan Muliika, whose controversial term ended in December 2007 after only 13 months.
As a result, it was expected that Walusimbi’s tenure as Katikkiro would address the concerns that many people had.
Unfortunately, his problems began only a few months into his reign, when the Kabaka was barred from visiting Bugerere county (Kayunga region), sparking a violent wave of demonstrations across the kingdom and eventually leading to the closing of the kingdom’s radio station, CBS FM.
Certain kingdom officials were also imprisoned under his rule for reportedly having ties to armed groups and attempting to purchase weapons.
The 2009 Buganda riots, which began when the Kabaka was denied access to Kayunga, were purportedly ignited by Walusimbi’s attempt to cross the Sezibwa Bridge to Bugerere ahead of the Kabaka’s visit.
For several days, Kampala was practically off-limits, and by the time the government announced the eventual closure of CBS FM, more than 30 fatalities had been reported, with many more hospitalised.
During his five-year tenure as Katikkiro, Walusimbi navigated challenging circumstances and frequently battled with some Buganda MPs and supporters.
Several central government politicians are believed to have taken advantage of Walusimbi’s moderate, impartial nature more than his predecessor Muliika.
Then, some kingdom officials and supporters claimed that Walusimbi was advancing Museveni’s goals.
His last clash was with Mukono municipality MP Betty Nambooze over the proposed ebyaffe resolution in Parliament.
Walusimbi bid farewell to the Lukiiko in 2011 but was forced to stay until the Kabaka found a replacement.
His contract was extended by one year. He thus departed from the monarchy after 23 years of service, during the 20th coronation anniversary of Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II.
Charles Peter Mayiga, the current Katikkiro, took office from JB Walusimbi in 2013.
Achievements and Awards
JB Walusimbi’s Omumuli initiative, a program that intended to raise household incomes through agriculture has earned him recognition among Ugandans.
He is also recognized for creating initiatives aimed at boosting the kingdom’s source of income, including the recently created K2 telecom and the Muganzirwazza commercial plaza in Katwe.
Controversies
In 2021, together with 43 other high-profile engineers, John Baptist Walusimbi was erased by the Engineers Registration Board (ERB) from the Register of Engineers.
No reason was given as to why they were de-registered but ERB claimed that it was partly due to professional negligence and failure to remit fees.
Walusimbi said he was surprised to see his name on the list but later said it was because he hadn’t paid his registration fees.
On June 27, 2009, J.B. Walusimbi was invited to speak at a Rotary International meeting held at Duncan House, East London University in the UK to a group of Baganda living there. The group instead attacked and splattered him with eggs.
The event had been organized by Saagala Agalamidde, one of the rival Baganda groups in the UK, which is led by former Radio One newsreader Enock Kiyaga.
He escaped the rowdy hecklers by slipping out the back door and into a waiting car.
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