UNAA UNDER SIEGE

The time has come for me to make my voice heard on the matter of the attempted illegal takeover of UNAA. Please allow me to begin with an analogy.

World history is rife with stories of societies that existed in part based on raiding and stealing the resources and property of other nearby communities. Indeed, in some societies, success in these endeavors was highly valued and for some young men, it was an expected rite of passage. When we read about these activities as simple facts of history, or hear of them as happening in places many of us will never go, there is a tendency to overlook the incredible associated pain and suffering imposed upon the victims. In many cases, the invaders not only stole physical property such as cattle and possession, but also kidnapped and enslaved the very humans in the community. In other instances, these marauders practiced "scorched earch" policies whereby that which they could not steal and carry away they completely destroyed leaving nothing behind except death and ruin.
In the world we live in today, such behavior is deemed barbaric, uncivilized, uncouth and completely unacceptable. Yet that is precisely what has unfolded before us in the last few weeks – acts of literally unthinkable and unconscionable barbarism and banditry. Acts made even more difficult to comprehend considering they were perpetrated by individuals many of us have known for some time and thought to be socially civilized.

The Ugandan North American Association (UNAA) was founded 23 years ago and has grown over the years to become the premier formal association of Ugandans in the Diaspora. Indeed, UNAA is the model that many other African communities in the Diaspora look up to when attempting to unite their own communities.
While UNAA is an independent organization with a formal constitution and administrative structure, the organization has affiliate partnerships and agreements (based on mutual understanding and respect) with numerous other Ugandan cultural and community throughout North America including the following.
· UNAA Boston
· UNAA Atlanta
· UNAA DC
· United Ugandans Association of Colorado
· Uganda Cultural Association of British Columbia (Canada)
· Ggwanga Mujje DC
· Ugandan-American Association of Greater Dallas / Forth Worth (UAADFW)
· Association of Ugandan Community in Northern California (AUCNC)
· Pacific Northwest Uganda American Association (PNUAA)
· Ugandan Association of Minnesotta
· Ugandan Community in Greater Chicago (UCGC)
· Ugandan American Association of Greater New York
· Basoga Twegaite
· International Community of Banyakigezi (ICOB)
· Acholi Commnity of North America (ACNA)
· North America Masaba Cultural Association (NAMCA – Bagusi Organization)

The leader and members of all these organizations play a vital role in the day-to-day activities and future planning of the organization.
Over its 23 year history, UNAA has faced the growing pains common to all volunteer community organizations including financial challenges, natural competition and occasional poor leadership. Indeed, the organization was literally brought to its knees in 2001 when it went head-to-head against 2 challenger organizations but ultimately emerged better and stronger than before. Over the years some members have disagreed with the direction in which the organization was being led and left to create new organizations of their own with varying degree of success.

But in all instances, these challenges have served to remind UNAA leadership that they operate in a competitive world and they must never take their membership for granted.
However, what we have seen over the past few weeks has been an attack on UNAA of an unprecedented nature and magnitude. Quite simply put, a very small group of Ugandans, resident primarily in the United States, has mounted a very determined illegal campaign to execute a coup d'etat of the UNAA organization. These are people who played no prior role in the creation, leadership or administration of the organization but somehow came together and decided to take over that which they had absolutely no legal right to own. It quite literally boggles the mind that in the world we live in, especially here in North America, such individuals actually exist, and more so that people whom we actually know are numbered amongst them.

There has been some discussion as to the motives behind these attacks. Quite naturally, people have sought to find common traits that bind these individuals together. For example, some have suggested that as almost all of these individuals are Catholic, this might be a religious attack on UNAA. 
Others have suggested that as most of these individuals are affiliated with the Ugandan political party DP, this could be a political attack of some sort. However, such conclusions would be wrong as current UNAA leadership and membership includes staunch Catholics and members of the DP party. So what is it exactly that would cause this small group of individuals to act in so uncivilized and socially unacceptable a manner? 

It would appear that just like the cattle rustlers and raiders of old, this is a simple matter of greed – somewhat akin to taking by force that which one is unable or unwilling to create and build themselves through hard labor. In other words, UNAA has come under attack from a band of thieves.
If I can bring this down to a more local level for a moment, the Ugandan Community in Los Angeles has been plagued by divisions in its leadership for the last 17 years. In the last 2 years, significant strides have been made to unite the community. Indeed, this desire for unity was very evident a recent community sporting event that was co-planned and co-sponsored by many of the local churches and attracted about 200 participants from throughout the community.

However, as principals in the band of thieves that has attacked UNAA, Mr. Dennis Nyondo and Mr. Joseph Muyingo have struck a blow at the still very fragile new community spirit of unity by pitting themselves against myself as the UNAA Immediate Past President, Mr. Benon Mukasa who was a 2-time member of the UNAA Board and others like Mr. Edward Kabatereine who was on the 2011 UNAA Electoral Commission. Within the Ugandan Community in the SF Bay Area, Mr. JBM Ssentongo and Mr. Ssensulike have set about to divide that community which feautures Mrs. Becky Wamala Brown who is the Secretary of the UNAA Council and Mrs. Consesa Kiyemba who has been recently nominated to join the UNAA Executive Committee.

In Boston, Ms. Angela Ssemukutu, Mr. Francis Nkuusa and Mr. Wandukwa have set about to further divide the local community which features Mr. Moses Bukenya who is the current UNAA Treasurer, and Ms. Anne Kiyimba and Ms. Milcah Iga who are both on the UNAA Council.

Others have also set about dividing the Ugandan community in Texas which features strong UNAA supporters and Mr. Brian Kwesiga who is a member of the UNAA Council.

The question that has been asked by many people through North America, and indeed the Diaspora, is "why engage in this illegal attempt to overthrown the legitimate UNAA organization instead of quietly starting their own new organization with a completely new name as others have done in the past?" Why engage in so obviously an illegal and morally contemptible act as this?

This also poses an interesting challenge for the rest of us in the Diasporan Ugandan community. How should we respond when a member of our community acts in such a barbaric and uncouth manner such as this? Imagine for a moment if incontrovertible evidence was presented that a member of our community had knowingly and intentionally raped the daughter of another member of our community. Besides the legal implications, what would our own response as a community be? Well, in many ways, such is the case. UNAA has been a strong pillar in our various communities for longer than most (if not all) of these bandits have lived in this country and what they are doing is tantamount to a public rape of the organization. So what is the appropriate response of the Ugandan communities in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and Dallas? For those who lead other community and social organizations, please ask yourselves this. If this can happen to as entrenched an organization as UNAA, can it happen in your own organizations?

It is my honest opinion that to allow these bandits to propagate this abuse on UNAA will wreak incalculable damage to all of us and we must not allow it to happen. In addition to the obvious and unavoidable legal actions that are about to take place, I believe it to be important for members in all our communities to take a stand and thoroughly sanction these miscreants amongst us in the strongest terms possible.

Sincerely,

Moses R. Wilson, PE
Immediate Past President
Ugandan North American Association

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