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KAMPALA - Government plans to honour the late Omukama Kabalega of Bunyoro and Kabaka Mwanga of Buganda for their fierce fight against colonialism.
The two fallen leaders will be honoured on October 9 on the occasion to mark Uganda�s 41st independence anniversary, Information minister Nsaba Buturo yesterday told journalists at the weekly Cabinet media briefing in Kampala.
The minister, however, ruled former President Milton Obote off the list of independence heroes.
Obote was Prime Minister in 1962 when Uganda got its independence from the British.
In a separate telephone interview with The Monitor, Buturo said: �You know there are two categories of people [heroes]; those with controversial records and those who are not disputed. When you talk about Obote, then you are going into a very controversial area but for Mwanga his position is not disputed.�
Obote has lived in exile in Lusaka, Zambia, since his second government was overthrown in 1985.
Presidency minister Kirunda Kivejinja said that honouring Mwanga and Kabalega is meant to remind �us of our past�.
Kabalega and Mwanga fought colonial occupation in the late nineteenth century and for their valiant and patriotic efforts were exiled to the Seychelles.
Mwanga died in exile in 1903 while Kabalega died in Jinja in 1923.
Minister Buturo said that no foreign heads of state or guests are invited for the celebrations.
He said that the celebrations are for Ugandans. Buturo said about 2,000 guests will be officially invited.
President Museveni will preside at the national celebrations at Kololo Airstrip.
The minister said a national prayer is planned at the Speke Resort Munyonyo on October 8.
He said that this year�s celebrations will be based on the theme: �Patriotism: An Essential Pre-requisite for the Social, Economic and Political Transformation of Uganda�.
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