Ekibiina kyobufuzi ekya Kabaka Yekka, UPC y’ Obote Ekiwera:

Obote yekyusiza abaamutuusa!

 

 

Mu mwaka 1965, Omubaka we kibiina kya KY Daudi Ocheng, yayisa ekiteeso kunsonga yokukusa zaabu we Congo namasanga g’enjovu, okubitunda munsi zebweru.

 

Dr Obote, nga Prime Minister, ne Minister Nekyon muganda wa Obote ne Onama Minister wa Defence bebatekebwa ko olunnwe nga bwebenyigira mulukwe luno.

Era Ocheng yaleeta ekiteeso ekirala, Colonel Amin okugira ng’awummuzibwako weeks bbiri nga Gavumenti bw’ebuuliriza.

 

Gwo omukago gwebyobufuzi wakati we kibiina kyo bufuzi ekya KY ne kibiina kyo bufuzi ekya UPC gwafiira ddala mu September 1964. Era 1965 gugenda okutuuka nga bangi ababaka ba UPC mu National Assembly (Parliament) bateesa kulaba nga bawera ekibiina kya Kabaka Yekka. Baakiyita kya bakyewaggula abatagoberera mateeka era abaagala okutabulatabula eddembe mu Uganda.

Abantu bangi baali bakwatiddwa era nga bali mu nkomyo na ddala e Luzira.

Obote yatekawo akakiiko kabulirize ku bya zaabu n’amasanga era abantu bangi ko baawa obujulirwa mu kakiiko ako, ebyama bingi ku kufuna n’okutunda zaabu n’amasanga ne bibikkulwa.

Naye report y’akakiiko bwe yaggwa Obote teyagifulumya! Parliement ye, Cabinet ye nabawagizi bangi aba UPC nebamuggyamu obwesige.

 

Yali asigazza kwesiga b’amagye bokka. Okuyimiriza Col. Amin yakigaana nakuza Amin mukifo kya Brigadier Opoloto. Mukuteesa kwa Cabinet okwaddako Obote yagenda kukwatta ba Minister be batano nabasibira e Luzira Criminal Prison.

 

 

 

 

 The British Judge Allen

 

P J Allen and his judiciary at the time demonstrate the high quality of the judiciary at the time.
 
Judge Allen and Judge Manyindo presided over  the trials of most of the Amin era criminals. A majority of these criminals hired the best lawyers available in Uganda at the time, which invariably was Ayigihugu. Some like Abdallah Nasur were convicted but a good number were acquitted because of lack of direct evidence. Others like Edward Mulindwa even managed to lie low for a while before escaping to foreign lands.

 

 

 I hope your mate WBK does not judge those of us who participated in prosecuting these Amin era criminals as failures, in the same manner that he has judged the ICC prosecutors. Prosecutors are supposed to present the facts before the courts that can convince a court that an accused is quilty. In this, it has to work very closely with the Investigatory authorities, namely the police and law enforcement. In the case of the Amin criminals, the police did not give us enough information from their investigations that would allow a conviction to be  upheld.
It was particulalrly disappointing in the case of Bob Astles in whose case, the judge found he was always around the major killings we charged him with, especially the murders of Archbishop Luwum and Minister's Erinayo Oryema and Oboth-Ofumbi, but we could not connect him directly to the killings. With advance in DNA science these days and coupled with Edward Mulindwa's recent confessions about complicity in the murders, I think a good prosecutor would today nail Edward Mulindwa without doubt. What WBK does not understand, from your debates which I have followed,  is that the ICC prosecutors can only be good as the investigations put before it. The Satatute of the ICC puts a duty on Satte Authorities to cooperate with the ICC in investigating cases referred to it. if a state refuses, objects or even thwarts the invesigations, the direct result is that the Presecutors will not have serficient evidence to obtain a conviction. So Mensouda and her team have so far failed in their prosecution of Jomo Kenyatta, but this is because of the failure of GoK to cooperate in investigations. It is not because Mensouda and her team are bad lawyers as WBK keeps asserting. In fact the evidnce that they had gathered against Jomo Kenyatta was so compelling that any prosecutor would make a decision to prosecute. But faced with alkmost all key or material witnesses withdrawing or disappeared or intimidated, Mensouda had no choice but to withdraw the case.

 

The first important hurdle, that is the establishment of the International Criminal Court, has now been successfully overcome. States party to the Rome Treaty now have to decide ways and means by which they can strengthen the ICC's Investigatory capacity and authority, especially in cases where a suspect or accused  holds or is close to power. The UN Security Council has to give the Prosecutor extra-ordinary powers to investigatewith or without the cooperation of the State concerned. Th UN must also strengthen its Witness protection programme. Lastly, the Security Council must reserve to itself power to punish leaders, like Jomo Kenyatta and Omar Bashir who refuse to cooperate with the ICC investigations. This may mean imposing travel bans, arrest warrants and other other economic sanctions against them so that they the continue to swagger around like Jomo Kenyatta whn in fact they should be locked up in prison as dangerous criminals. 
Written by 
George Okello
 
 

 

Current Ugandan political parties are just like anti-colonial movement parties of a bygone era:

Written by Professor J. B. R. Goya
 
Last Updated: 23 March 2015
 
UPC founder Milton Obote

The term movement legacy was first coined by professor emeritus, Goran Hyden in 2011, and by it I mean a pattern of political behavior that characterized anti-colonial nationalist movements in their struggles for independence.

Half a century since most countries gained independence, this form of behavior continues to shape ruling- and opposition party politics in Africa and Uganda, while frustrating the prospects for deepening democracy.

 

CAUSE-EFFECT

Nationalist movements in Uganda were spearheaded by three main sections: World War II veterans, a small not so well-educated elite class of clerical workers, and leaders of a nascent civil society.  These groups were united by a single but multi-faceted cause, namely to vanquish the colonial masters and take charge of the state apparatus.

Other than this mission, these groups remained committed to their particular identities. The issues were varied and subordinate to the cause. The anti-colonial movements adopted a simple but important strategy of popular mobilization for the cause. It was rare and in most cases illegal to campaign.

Most notably the movement against the British took place at the level of society because there were no representative bodies such as parliaments or legislative councils until much later in the struggle.  Membership to these movements was rather diffuse and fluid, but because there was a single movement, this was not detrimental to its dynamic and operation.

 

 

ETTAMBIRO

LY'AMUKABYA AWO E KYEBANDO OKULIRAANA E KKANISA YA BAHAI E KANYANYA.

 

KABAKA ATYA OKUMUJJA KU BWAKABAKA

BAMUTEGEE

ZA NTI ABAZUNGU OBWAKABAKA BABUWA N'ABAKAZI.

ABAYIMBI KYEBAVA BAYIMBA NTI:

EKIMAZE EMBUZI E KYEBANDO, SSALAMBWA LY'EWAMALA.

BULI EVAAYO LIBOJJA MU BBWA.

EKIMAZE EMBUZI EZ'EKISIBO,

SSALAMBWA LY'EWAMALA,

BULI EVAAYO LIBOJJA MU BBWA.

 

EBYAFAAYO 1927

 

Abasoga nabo baaweereza entungo ensekule eri Kattikiro Apollo Kaggwa agende e Bungereza okuloopa Gavana Sir Frederick Crowford olwokumuwummuza.

Ekyakabi olwatuuka e Nairobi entungo ne bagibba. Era nalwala nanyo. Eyo gye yafiira nga 14/02/1927. Yaleetebwa n'aziikibwa e Mannyangwa nga 21/02/1927. Omuyimbi kwekuyimba bwati:

 

Okumanya ng'Abakyukuyu babbi, Kawalya baamubbako akatwalo k'entungo. Ab'eBusoga baamuweereza nsekule, Ate Kawalya yali musiru bambi, Anti entungo yagikubamu ejjiiko,

Yalaama nti we balinziika balimangawo entungo, Abaana gye banaalyanga, Nga bazze okulima NNUMETE KAMWA!

 

The Electoral and constitutional reforms in Uganda:

 
By Stephen Kafeero

 

Posted  Wednesday, February 18  2015 
 
KAMPALA, UGANDA.
The Electoral and constitutional reform activists have warned they will occupy Parliament if by the end of March 2015, MPs and government continue to ignore the Citizen’s Compact. 

The compact contains a set of reforms aimed at ensuring a credible election in 2016.

Mr Godber Tumushabe, the head of the consultation secretariat of the Citizens Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, said the failure by MPs to take the reforms process seriously will compel them to move on the House. 

“We have looked at the potential triggers because we are not anarchists. MPs have to invite us by their actions. We must also create a credible threat for these MPs and the President to know that if we are ignored, something big will happen,” Mr Tumushabe said on Monday.

According to their plan, the activists’ campaign will be triggered by MPs if they ignore the issues contained in the compact; if Parliament and the Executive delay in tabling and discussing the reforms and if Parliament reduces the debate on reforms to token issues.

However, Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda on Monday told Daily Monitor that there should be no cause for worry because government is at the forefront of pushing for reforms.

“Government is spearheading the reforms process. We shall come out with a comprehensive position and that is why government has not commented on specific reforms because we are consulting the various stakeholders.”

Key reforms proposed

• President’s tenure should be restored to two five-year terms.

• Size of Parliament should be reduced in line with modest resources of the State.

• New independent and impartial electoral commission must be established. 

• New verifiable register of all voters, which should include eligible Ugandans in the diaspora, must be compiled.

• Voting for LC3, LC5, Parliament and President should be conducted on one day.

• Military should have no involvement whatsoever in the electoral process.

• President should relinquish command of the armed forces to the Joint Chiefs, and must not serve as chairman of UDPF High Command during elections.

• Workers should be removed from special interest group representation since issues of workers can be represented by all MPs.

• Army representatives should be removed from Parliament.

• The National Institute for Political Education at Kyankwanzi should be abolished and replaced by a National Institute for Administration under an independent Board of Directors. 

• Cabinet ministers should not be MPs.

• The office of the Resident District Commissioner should be abolished.

sdkafeero@

ug.nationmedia.com

 

 

 

Martyrs day for all Ugandans, regardless of religion

 

TUESDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER 2014 
 
WRITTEN BY MAGEMESO NAMUNGALU
 
 
On June 3 this year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims converged at Namugongo to commemorate the Uganda martyrs, most of whom were executed there.

Speaking to Muslims who converged for prayers to mark the occasion at a Namugongo mosque, the presiding Imam said he was happy that the Namugongo pilgrimage was for all religious denominations. He was happy that Uganda now had a ‘Mecca’ in Namugongo village.

Former President Idi Amin Dada, in his full Muslim regalia of an al-hajji, cut the tape to declare the official opening of Namugongo martyrs shrine on June 3, 1975. The occasion was blessed with the presence of His Eminence Sergio Pignedoli, who represented the pope, and the Catholic archbishop of Kampala, Emmanuel Nsubuga.

Speaking at the occasion, Amin said that it was not only Christians that were burnt to death for their belief at Namugongo. He noted that even Muslims, numbering more than 70, were executed here. He ordered that a mosque to commemorate the death of those people be built at the venue. It was eventually built and still stands today.

The martyrs came about because of the authoritarian reign of the Buganda monarchy. People who followed the teachings of Islam or Christianity were burnt to death. However, the brutality of Kabaka Mwanga, who is principally blamed for the burning to death of 22 Catholics and 23 Protestants, has turned into a blessing for Uganda. In August 1969, Uganda became the first African country to be visited by a pope.

While in Uganda, Pope Paul VI laid the foundation stone for Namugongo martyrs shrine. Much as some people may see the martyrdom at Namugongo to be a Catholic affair, it has always been a multi-denominational matter. There are people who also argue that there should also be traditional Buganda shrines at Namugongo, because some Buganda Kabaka should have, at one time, disagreed with some Baganda traditional priests and executed them there.

And although the misdemeanour was committed by a Buganda Kabaka, the Namugongo affair is not a historical affair for Buganda only.The people who were executed at Namugongo did not come from Buganda alone.

For example, two of the saints came from Busoga. St Gonzaga Gonza was a mulangira (prince) born in Bugonza, near Kaliro town in Busoga. St Matia Mulumba was born in the Luba kingdom of Bunya in Busoga, just a few miles from where Bishop Hannington was killed.

The three key presidents of Uganda, Apollo Milton Obote, a protestant; Idi Amin Dada, a Muslim; and Yoweri Museveni, another protestant, have all been anxious to associate themselves with Namugongo. Obote enthusiastically received Pope Paul VI in 1969, and also provided resources that made the pope’s visit comfortable.

He sponsored the building of the martyrs’ lake at Namugongo and the island on this lake from where the pope prayed and blessed the whole of Africa. Although there was a lot of opposition against Amin, a Muslim, opening the Namugongo martyrs shrine, al-Hajji Amin was happy to open the church, enter it and pray there. This partly made Namugongo martyrs shrine a place for all Ugandans.

At the most recent Namugongo pilgrimage, President Museveni prayed twice in the shrine. He was there on June 1 at the prayer for former Tanzanian President Julius Kambalage Nyerere and at the main pilgrimage prayer on June 3. Museveni, in response to calls by Catholic clerics, pledged funding to help improve Namugongo.

To Uganda and its entire people, Namugongo is not only a pilgrimage site: it is a cultural site and a citadel. Ugandans wait for June 3 every year with anxiety similar to that of the people of Saudi Arabia during the Mecca season. The Namugongo affair has immense potential to boost Uganda’s tourism, but it is also hugely anticipated by individuals around the shrine, keen to make a quick buck.

Therefore, although the martyrdom at Namugongo was a matter of brutality, anguish and suffering for the victims, it is today a matter of pride for all Ugandans. We should all support the drive to improve it.

The author is a former chief news editor for Radio Uganda and Uganda Television.

 

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EBIFA MU DDIINI MUNSI NYINGI

Posted on 1st October, 2014

Abaganda ffenna twagala nyo okugenda e Namugongo okwejjukanya enzikiriza zaffe. Kirungi nyo era ekisaanidde. Naye no bwogenda nosoma ebyawandiikibwa kubantu banaffe bangi munsi zaabwe osanga nga obuzibu bwe ddini nebyobufuzi Ssekabaka Mwanga byeyafuga nokulagira wano e Namugongo bifanana nebyabwe munsi nyingi ddala.

Ensi ezo mu bufuzi bwa Misiri, Greek Empire ne Ottoman Empire kyekiseera eddiini yo bu Christayo, n'Obusiraamu lwebwaali butandise okusasaana mubantu wonna nga Bufuga ate nga bwebuyigiriza Eddiini.  

 

Nze muganda wammwe,

 

Paul Mbuga Elamula

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