By Fidel Boy Leon
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Friday, July 25, officially launched the construction of Lwattamu House, a landmark six-storey complex that will serve as the official headquarters, Embuga y’Abataka, for Buganda’s clan leaders at Mengo, Kampala.
The groundbreaking ceremony marked a significant moment in Uganda’s cultural and national development, highlighting the President’s enduring support for traditional institutions and his commitment to strengthening clan structures as part of the country’s socio-cultural identity.
The six-floor structure will be built on 2.7 acres of prime land near Lubiri, purchased by the President for Shs 9.7 billion. The project was first pledged during a June 2024 meeting between President Museveni and the Bataka (clan heads) at State House, Entebbe.
The facility will house 52 offices for clan leaders, providing a central hub for traditional governance. It will also feature business and banking halls, a museum, conference rooms, and lodging facilities, creating a multifunctional space that serves both administrative and public needs.
Crucially, it will include income-generating elements designed to finance and sustain ongoing clan development initiatives. The project is expected to be completed within three years, with the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Construction Brigade taking the lead on construction.
“Therefore, I’m very happy to support Bataka,” the President said. “We shall organise the Shs 58 billion needed for the construction, and I will send the UPDF to carry out the work.”
In his remarks, President Museveni reflected on his long-standing relationship with the Buganda Kingdom, recalling his first meeting with Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi in London in 1981, during his visit to Libya.
“I told him then that I saw no problem, as long as we are clear on who does what, between the new forces and the traditionalists,” Museveni noted.
“Even in the bush, I defended traditional institutions. I persuaded the National Resistance Army council in Gulu to support, not oppose, clan systems.”
The President spoke passionately about his historical interactions with Buganda’s traditional figures, citing support from Kezrone Ssonko in Luwero, and visits to Omumbejja Nalinya Ndagire in Lubaga and Omulangira Badru Kakungulu in Kibuli before joining the liberation struggle.
He also revisited the effects of the 1900 Buganda Agreement, noting how colonialism marginalised the Bataka. Museveni emphasised the importance of restoring not only kingdoms but also the clan leaders, who are the true custodians of Uganda’s cultural fabric.
The President commended Hon. Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo, Minister of State for ICT, for being a vocal advocate for the Bataka.
“My sister, Nabbosa Ssebugwawo, came and spoke about the Bataka, like Omutaka Kibaale Nadduli, Omutaka Namuguzi, and Omutaka Kaita, whom I know very well,” Museveni said. “Clan leaders are the bedrock of tradition. “Whether you have kings…as seen in Karamoja or Ankole, the clan system remains active.”
He further stressed that clan systems preserve both cultural identity and genetic diversity, playing a vital role in discouraging inbreeding and promoting societal cohesion.
“While the government builds roads and electricity, clan leaders preserve our genetics, languages, and cultural values,” he added.
President Museveni announced a package of support initiatives for the Bataka and related cultural projects:
- Shs 58 billion for the construction of Lwattamu House
- Shs 100 million to the Bataka Mutindo SACCO (over 700 members)
- Shs 22 million to support a Balangira and Bambejja retreat
- A commitment to buy land for a goat farming project in Nakasongola
- A promise to send a team to assess and renovate the Masiro (ancestral tombs) in Wakiso
- A transport vehicle for the Bataka leadership
“We must use culture not for exclusion, but as a force of unity, identity, and development,” the President declared. “I’m happy to see a hardworking Abalangira, because I’m also a Mulangira Ssewava, but I’m also working,” he joked.
Speaking on behalf of the Bataka, Omutaka Kyaddondo Kasirye Mbag’elamula, head of the Nvuma clan, thanked the President for what he called unprecedented support.
“No President has ever supported us directly apart from you,” Kasirye said.
“Your purchase of land at Mengo and you’re backing for the Lwattamu House project is historic and will be remembered for generations.”
He also acknowledged the President’s previous Shs 200 million donations to the Bataka SACCO.