UGANDA · POLITICS
Uganda’s government on Wednesday 11 November 2026 opened an Office of the Senior Presidential Special Envoy in Charge of Buganda Affairs in Kampala. Buganda is a historic kingdom in central Uganda, and its ties with the central government have been strained at several points since the 1960s.
Minister for the Presidency Milly Babirye Babalanda, a cabinet minister attached to the president’s office, launched it at Mosa Courts, a venue in Nakasero, a district of Kampala, for the government. It is headed by Joseph Mukasa Sewava, whom local media first reported as the Special Envoy on Buganda Affairs to President Yoweri Museveni in December 2025.
Key Facts
- Who Minister Milly Babirye Babalanda launched the office for the government on Wednesday 11 November 2026.
- What An envoy office for talks between the central government and the Buganda Kingdom, led by Joseph Mukasa Sewava.
- Where Mosa Courts, Nakasero, Kampala.
- Quote “Our common enemy is poverty, not one another,” Minister Babalanda said.
- Not known Budget, staffing and legal basis were not given in the reports we found.
What the New Office Is For
The office is meant to provide a permanent channel for talks between the central government and the Buganda Kingdom, local media reported. Babalanda said it should be a bridge for dialogue, not merely a ceremonial office.
Babalanda also said, “When Buganda prospers, Uganda prospers,” and that no Ugandan should feel like a stranger in any part of the country. Sewava said, according to local media, that the office is not a political one and is meant to bring people together.
Why Buganda Needs a Channel
The kingdom’s ties with the state have been strained at several points since independence. In 1966 government troops attacked the Lubiri, the palace of the Kabaka, Buganda’s king, in Kampala, and in 1967 a new constitution abolished Uganda’s kingdoms.
The kingdoms were restored in 1993 as cultural institutions, and in September 2009 violent clashes followed restrictions on a planned visit to Kayunga by the Kabaka, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II. Babalanda warned at the launch against a return to such confrontation, according to local media.
What Buganda Said
Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga, the kingdom’s prime minister, was represented by Patrick Luwagga Mugumbule, the Speaker of Buganda’s parliament, the Lukiiko. His message asked the office to strengthen communication between the kingdom and the government and to put Buganda’s concerns first, according to local media.
We found no separate statement from the Kabaka or from the administration at Mengo, the Kampala hill that is the kingdom’s historic seat. That leaves the kingdom’s full position on the new office open.
What Is Not Known
The office’s budget, staff and legal basis were not given in the reports we found, and they cite no statutory instrument. It is also not known what powers Sewava has beyond acting as a channel.
We found no figure that measures the office’s reach, so we do not put a number on its likely effect. The reports call the office a bridge, and the Katikkiro’s message asked it to put Buganda’s concerns first.
What It Means for Readers
In our assessment, a steadier relationship between the central government and Buganda could ease one source of political friction in central Uganda, where Kampala sits. No dated checkpoints have been announced, so the test will be whether the office produces public, dated outcomes.
Read more on Uganda’s army chief planning to step down, the court-martial of a former army deputy and the central bank’s decision to hold its key rate at 12%.
More: Uganda news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new Buganda envoy office?
It is the Office of the Senior Presidential Special Envoy in Charge of Buganda Affairs, launched in Kampala on 11 November 2026. Local media describe it as a permanent channel between the government and the Buganda Kingdom.
Who runs the office?
Joseph Mukasa Sewava, also spelled Ssewava, heads it. Local media first reported him as the Special Envoy of President Yoweri Museveni on Buganda Affairs in December 2025.
What is Buganda?
Buganda is a historic kingdom in central Uganda, led by the Kabaka, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II. Uganda abolished its kingdoms in 1967 and restored them in 1993 as cultural institutions.
Has the kingdom responded?
The Katikkiro, Charles Peter Mayiga, sent a message that was read at the launch, according to local media. We found no separate statement from the Kabaka.
Sources: Statements by Minister Milly Babirye Babalanda and Joseph Mukasa Sewava at the launch of the office on 11 November 2026, and the message of Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga read there, as reported by Ugandan media; no State House statement or gazette notice was cited in the reports we saw on 12 November 2026.
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