Old map without Buganda sparks new outrage, seven years later

Seven years after a controversial map of Uganda that omitted the name “Buganda” was discarded—and apologies made and accepted—it has resurfaced in March 2025, reigniting anger, suspicion and public outrage.

Despite being an outdated graphic no longer in use, the map has triggered heated discussions across social media, public gatherings, and even mainstream television, involving both influential figures and everyday citizens.

Online content creators have fanned the flames by speculating about imagined tensions—between Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi and Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga, and even between Mayiga and National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi.

This has sparked what some call a digital-age paradox: a full-blown controversy over a matter long resolved. Even when a video surfaced on March 20, 2025, showing a 2018 meeting between Katikkiro Mayiga and Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) officials at Bulange, Mengo—where the matter was resolved— outraged voices continued to spread the now-debunked narrative.

In that video, then-Ubos executive director Ben Paul Mungyereza led a delegation to apologize for the omission. The team admitted the mistake and committed to including “Buganda” on all future maps.

Mungyereza left Ubos in 2018 to join the African Development Bank. The map in question had shown Uganda’s traditional districts at independence, each labeled with its dominant ethnic region—such as Bugisu, Bunyoro and Teso.

However, the area traditionally known as Buganda was split and labeled as North Central, South Central and Kampala, erasing the name “Buganda” entirely.

At the time, the omission prompted Kabaka Mutebi to publicly express concern during his 63rd birthday celebrations in Kalungu district, asking why Buganda had been removed from the national map.

His remarks triggered Ubos’s formal visit to Mengo just four days later, during which the agency offered an apology to both the kingdom and the Baganda people.

Katikkiro Mayiga responds again 

In light of the recent resurgence of the issue, Katikkiro Mayiga addressed the media on March 25, 2025, to reassure the public and dispel any misinformation.

“How did they remove it? Do you see that? First, you can’t say Buganda is not on the map of Uganda. It’s like saying Bulange is not in Mengo—yet everyone can see that it is. I want to assure you that Buganda is on the map of Uganda. No one can remove Buganda from Uganda because Buganda is the cornerstone on which Uganda was built. I’m not making this up—that’s how it was,” Mayiga said.

He explained that Ubos had long clarified the map’s omission was unintentional, apologised, and the apology was accepted. He noted that the original map had been created to illustrate public health data, specifically child vaccination rates, and was not designed to represent ethnic or cultural sub-regions.

While the initial map included vaccination data, the one currently circulating has been edited—removing data and using varying colours to imply ethnic divisions. Mayiga warned against being misled by such distortions, urging Ugandans to focus on meaningful development work instead of being distracted by “non-existent and divisive issues.”

UBOS returns to Bulange

On March 28, 2025, Ubos officials returned to Bulange to reassert their commitment to transparency and reaffirm that Buganda remains part of the national framework. The delegation, led by acting deputy executive director Dr Vincent Fred Ssenono, met with Buganda’s minister of Information, Israel Kazibwe Kitooke.

Ubos reiterated that the recent viral map was the work of saboteurs aiming to undermine the relationship between Buganda and the central government.

As a gesture of goodwill, the Ubos team contributed Shs 5 million towards the Kabaka’s upcoming 70th birthday charity run. Kitooke welcomed the Ubos delegation and expressed appreciation for their continued engagement.

“We thank Ubos for coming back to address the issue directly. The National Population and Housing Census 2024 Final Report clearly recognizes Buganda. With this reaffirmation, we encourage the people of Buganda to stay calm,” he said.