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Letter to A Kampala Friend
By Muniini K. Mulera In Toronto |
Dr Obote will be 79 in a few days
Dec 22, 2003
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Dear Tingasiga: Former President Apollo Milton Obote turns 79 on December 27, 2003. His birthday offers an opportunity for reflection on the life and impact of this great Ugandan and pan-Africanist. It also offers an opportunity to honour him, not as a favour or fulfillment of some ritual, but because it is meet and proper that we do so. When I propose that we honour Obote, I am acutely aware of the hysterical reaction this will generate in sections of our society where time has not quenched their thirst for his blood. I am also aware that my known political rift with him may make it hard for some to appreciate the high regard that I still have for him. When we suspend our partisan passions and allow ourselves an interlude of calm reflection on people with whom we disagree politically, we discover about them an admirable list of qualities and accomplishments. It has been said that a nation reveals itself not only by the people it produces but also by the people it honours and remembers. The mark of great people is the men and women they honour in life and the fairness with which they treat those who have served them with distinction. After decades of vilification or neglect of a person, we wax eloquent in their praise the moment news of their death is broken to us. Thus Ugandan papers and airwaves were filled with moving and appropriate eulogies for deceased gallant sons of the republic such as Ignatius K. Musaazi, Grace Ibingira, William W. Rwetsiba and George Magezi. These men who held our hands as we took faltering steps towards independence would have probably remained largely forgotten had they not died. A few who still live, like the great Cuthbert Obwangor, Abubaker K. Mayanja and Obote himself, must await death to be accorded much deserved honour. But these are the lucky ones. Many others have died in obscurity, their names hardly registering any recognition even among the political historians of the land. For example, I challenge today's Makerere students to tell me who Peter Oola was without first delving into the few history books where his name appears. Many, including those who were once great supporters of Obote and the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC), now choose to judge him only by the actions of his second government whose record we can charitably describe as abysmal. But when we judge Obote the total man and leader, we recognise a great African. His first government's investment in excellent hospitals, schools, highways etc showed a commitment to modernisation of our country. His pan-Africanism and policy of non-alignment were not mere slogans to which he paid lip-service. His solidarity with those who sought liberation from European colonialism was total. He used the Ugandan state to assist the freedom fighters of South Africa and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and he was not afraid to lock horns with British prime ministers on behalf of his fellow Africans. It was a contest that he could not win. The British and the Israelis, who were also serving their strategic interests in the war in south Sudan, took advantage of Obote's weaknesses in the army and overthrew him on January 25, 1971. Yes he made costly errors of judgement. His management of the Ugandan military, arguably his greatest failure, set our country on a journey that remains our curse to this day. His stubborn refusal to submit himself to the electoral test in 1967, and his use of a perpetual state of emergency in Buganda from 1966 onwards, were a prelude to the great disasters to come. His inability to win Buganda's support was among his greatest failures. Of course it was not his fault alone. He shares the blame with the leaders of Buganda. However, we look clever because we judge him with the benefit of hindsight. None of us knows how different our actions would have been had we been in his shoes, at the helm of an extremely complex and untested society. As I write, an image of Obote that was imprinted on my mind in 1962 comes into full view. He had come to campaign in my little hometown, accompanied by UPC Secretary General John Kakonge. The two men immediately captured my young mind's imagination with their great oratory and charisma. Of course I had no clue what they were talking about. What mattered to me then was that my father, who had hauled us along for some political immersion, was a great supporter of these men. One thing I recall was the promise they made to give us electricity and running water if they won the election. To this day, Mparo in Rukiga County of Kigezi has no electricity. Running water was only installed by the Museveni government about ten years ago. The unfulfilled promise was a lesson that shaped my attitude towards politicians. Another image that appears in my mind is of a handsome Obote and his bride, the former Miria Kalule, visiting Kabale in 1964. The lady was beautiful! I was at an age when my adolescent hormones were raging. So it was only natural that I would have a terrible crush on the first lady, an affliction I suspect I shared with very many others. With time, I would become a great supporter of Obote and the UPC. With time, I would come to understand the significance of Obote's marriage to Miria, a Muganda woman, in a society that was highly tribalised. With time I would come to appreciate his commitment to non-sectarianism, exemplified by the people he appointed to powerful positions in his government. With time I would come to appreciate the wholesomeness of his honesty in handling public money and property. To my knowledge, there is no evidence that he or his immediate family amassed wealth at the expense of his countrymen. This alone is reason enough to honour him. I salute him as my real first political hero, my first leader, and a great African. I disagree with his actions in his later years and second regime. But the knowledge that he celebrates his 79th birthday in exile is a terrible indictment on our country, not just him. He deserves a place of honour as a retired statesman living in Uganda. Happy birthday Mr President. [EMAIL PROTECTED] |
� 2003 The Monitor Publications
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