**News Flash. . .Man did not create death**

More riots today. I went to court, but most of the judges did not show and neither did any parties for my scheduled mediations, plus the court decided to close early, so I went home around Midday/Noon. There have been about 14 deaths the last two days, with the upheaval in the "downtown" area, called City Centre, and a few suburb areas, but not anywhere near where I am living (though they happened right next to where I was living when I first arrived (the picture on the first post is a picture overlooking the road where the main riots have been happening in the city)--glad I did not stay there long-term). Everything should be over at the end of tomorrow, most likely, unless political forces try to use the incident to escalate the protests/riots for longer.

**Once again, I AM SAFE and doing fine. No worries on my end.**

For a little context, there are two main papers here in Kampala. The New Vision is a government owned paper. Daily Monitor is more of an opposition paper. The Saturday editions come out late on Friday, and I picked up the Saturday Monitor which had a four-page article on the riots. There are many people blaming President Museveni (or M7 as some papers call him) for all the current debacle because of a lot of political moves gone awry, including calling him to task for the current deaths over the last two days. The President denies this and sees it as political rivals trying to blame him for cultural tensions.

The point here is a quote in the Saturday Monitor from the Presidential Spokesman Tamale Mirundi, in response to these allegations:


"God created death, not Museveni."

I think that is one of the greatest quotes I have ever read in a newspaper. A Presidential Spokesman said that, on the record. Leave aside the deeper theological implications of such a statement. A Presidential "press secretary" essentially blame shifted the current deaths to God in a public newspaper.

_______________ (this is me being speachless)


It looks like the King of Buganda (or Kabaka as he is known) is planning to make the move that the government is warning him not to make. Tomorrow is the showdown. OK Corral style.

A judge called me today to give me an update and said the court was closing and to go home. He jokingly asked if I wanted to mediate between President Museveni and Kabaka. I told him to throw my hat in the ring. You never know, maybe this could be an opportunity for me to "stand before kings," as the Proverb says.

More updates as I have them.


P.S. Thought I might as well share my cultural faux pas as well. On the way into court this morning I had some grapes. I offered them to my driver, Daniel, who took one. Then I offered them to my police escort, Ali (same person as yesterday). Oops. Its Ramadan. He is fasting. Doh. He was very nice about it though. Live and learn, right?


*All photos are copyright John M. Napier unless otherwise indicated.*