There are other sufferers
in the north
With due respect I found Yoni Okwera-Olok's
letter: "Let the Government prove it does not hate the Acholis" very
bothering and a true example of the problem we have in our nation today.
Mr Okwera must remember to always be a Ugandan
before he thinks as an Acholi. Many of his facts are not true and we need to
throw away passion on this issue so that we can see through the web of
Okwera's lies. Only then can we try to plant nationalism in our
nation.
Okwera must remember that Uganda has gone
through very hard times during the Movement. Ombaci happened in West Nile,
Mukura was in eastern Uganda, Kibwetere was in western Uganda. Yes, northern
Uganda has had the largest suffering under the Movement. But northern Uganda
is not only a land of Acholis, so let us not play a tribal game here. The
last time I checked, Uganda had a people called Langis. Can Okwera tell us
today that Langis are not in camps? It is quite wrong for us to get a
problem in our nation and we tribalise it.
The example Okwera-Olok uses of Obote and
Buganda is equally false, for Buganda has never enjoyed power in Uganda than
under both Obote's governments. Yes, Okwera has a right to hate Obote, but
he must as well recognise that the most powerful ministers in Obote's
government were actually Baganda. Okwera-Olok must remember the names of
powerful Baganda like Eriya Babumba, Apolo Kironde, Luyimbazi Zaake, Kalule
Ssetaala, Keefa Ssempangi, Sam Mugwiisa, Bidandi Ssali. Let us talk about
Attorney Generals like G. L. Binayiisa or even Nkambo Mugerwa. Governors
Bank of Uganda like Mubiru, Kikonyogo, Leo Kibirango. All these were very
powerful Baganda during Obote's government.
Let us talk about the 1966 problem with Mengo.
Sir Edward Muteesa left Uganda for United Kingdom. Obote as the Uganda
president instructed Bank of Uganda to send money to Sir Edward for upkeep.
That is why Sir Edward did not end up on a welfare line in United Kingdom.
Baganda did not organise any means for maintenance of their exiled King.
What is interesting is that this money continued flowing into the same
account through Amin's era, up to today, because the instructions are still
on Uganda papers. When Obote came back to Uganda, as a President and a
minister of finance, he did not cancel those instructions.
We must be very careful when we make false
public statements to push our agenda. Okwera-Olok's claim that Obote hates
Baganda is totally unfair. If he did hate them, Miria Obote should have been
a Langi or an Acholi. This is the mother of Obote's children.
By all means we have a problem in northern
Uganda and no one will debate that. But this problem is the same with Langis
as well.
