December 19, 1997; was a historic day in the new Buganda. On this day, the government of Uganda handed back the Mmengo Palace (Lubiri), main palace of Buganda's kings since the time of Mwanga II.
The handover ceremony was performed by President Yoweri Museveni at a rain-soaked Mmengo Hill amidst cheers and excitement from the thousands of jubilant people who turned up to witness the historic occasion. The crowds broke into song, and some were driven to tears of joy as President Museveni handed the title of the land on which the Lubiri is built, to His Majesty the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II.
Earlier, the Kabaka had ridden up the Royal Mile from Bulange to the Lubiri in an open limousine, acknowledging the cheering and ululating crowds that lined the route known as Kabaka Anjagala (the King loves me). He was received at the Lubiri by the Katikkiro of Buganda, Mr. Joseph Mulwanyammuli Ssemwogerere and the Second Deputy Katikkiro, Omutaka Ndugwa Grace Ssemakula Musoke.
This historic ceremony put an end to more than 30 years of occupation of the Lubiri by Uganda government troops following the political crisis that engulfed the country in May 1966. Then, Prime Minister, Milton Obote, with the help of the army led by Idi Amin Dada, stormed and occupied the palace, an act that led to the fleeing into exile of the late Kabaka Mutesa II who later died in exile. Since then, the Lubiri had been turned into a military barracks occupied by successive government armies until the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) finally vacated it in December 1997 and moved to their newly-constructed barracks and headquarters in Bombo.
Addressing the people at the ceremony, President Museveni said that the NRM government has returned the Lubiri in accordance with the NRM's Ten Point Program of redressing past errors by past regimes. He said that at this time of handing back the Lubiri, all Ugandans should remember those who sacrificed their lives to ensure peace and normalcy in the country. He called on the people of Uganda to consolidate unity and work together.
Kabaka Mutebi in his turn said the return of the Lubiri begins a new chapter in the history of Uganda reaffirming the importance of unity and working together. He thanked President Museveni for handing back the Lubiri and said this was a sign that the NRM always keeps its word. The Kabaka also called upon the people of Buganda to work hard to rebuild the country. He talked of the abject poverty faced by the people which he said could only be fought effectively if both Buganda and the Central Government worked together. He emphasized the importance of land as a unifying factor for all Baganda and warned that people should not sell off their land wantonly because without it there would be no Buganda. He highlighted the many development projects undertaken by the Buganda government and called upon the central government to delegate more of its authority to the regional governments. Here is the full text of the Kabaka's speech (in Luganda).
The lubiri underwent a communal cleaning on March 28, 1998.