Dear Ugandans at Heart,
The following were Obote’s words in the Uganda Herald of 24th April 1952 that might help you to show his true credentials. He, the ‘ nationalist’, was reacting to formation of the UNC. Here went AM Obote the your nationalist:
“I shall be highly obliged if you would allow me space….to express the feelings of young enlightened Semi-Hamites and Nilotes about some of the aims of the congress. Not long ago, Mr Fenner Brockway, MP came to Uganda and concentrated his activities in and around Kampala. He returned to England and gave his version of the “Unification of all tribes in Uganda”….his version is a direct negation of the established traditions of the Semi-Hamites and the Norsemen (Nilotes) and…we are worried about it. It will, therefore, be of great interest to us if the Uganda National Congress will point out exactly what they mean by the “Unification of all tribes in Uganda”….Co-operation with the government is also recommended but we Semi-Hamites and Norsemen of Uganda feel that the congress is aiming at “Self-Government in Uganda,” is hastening and thereby leaving us behind. Because of our present inability to aim so high….it must be pointed out to the congress here and now that with us [Semi-Hamites and Norsemen], the question of questions lies in education and rapid development of African Local Governments…..the height of folly [on Musaazi's part] is the apparent omission ….of a definite aim to the slogan of “immediate Local Sel-Government in Uganda”
Those are the words of AM Obote, UPC supporters claim to be the great nationalist, the father of the nation. As you can see, national self government was none of AM Obote’s business. His was African Local governments! To the Doctor, independence was IK Musaazi’s folly.
So, ……..Musazi was saying, “immediate national independence now!”, Obote was saying, “immediate tribal independence now!”….no wonder he struck a cord with “independence for Buganda now”….with all the disastrous consequences. That will do for the bit on “…discrediting genuine efforts and sacrifices of others.”
You will recall that on 3rd February 1960 British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan made the declaration that, “The wind of change is blowing through this continent. Whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact.”
By that time, colonial powers had settled for the fact that they had to let go of the colonies. With or without people like AM Obote, the decision had already been reached. But listen to the UPC claiming that Uganda may never have become independent without Mr Obote’s sacrifices!
UPC’s is like the opportunism of a house girl whose tenure as the yaya coincides with the growth phase of the baby when it starts standing. Such a clueless house girl then hollers on and on that if she had not sang the song, “Butengenene, omwana ayimilidde” the baby would never ever have stood!….es[ecially when the baby eventually turns out to be Obama.
Typical housegirlish opportunism is what makes them think that they had a part to play in Uganda’s reversion to the current pseudoliberalism.
Lakini UPC! They will rig anything!
Lance Corporal (Rtd) Otto Patrick
Comments
L/Col (retired) Otto Patrick has his definition of nationalism wrong. He needs to read the definition given by H. Kohn in “International Encyclopedia of Social Science” Volume 7. London, McMillan 1964. One page 64 he wrote:
“The twentieth century has added another dimension to nationalism. Nationalism has also become a socially revolutionary movement, demanding equal economic and educational opportunities for all members of the national group and active promotion of the welfare of the socially underprivileged classes. Its aims have become the establishment of classless, theoretical equalitarian national society.”
Following this definition, I don’t see anything wrong with what Dr Obote wrote. In fact his writing is very much in accord with this definition.
I will want to deal with the issues raised about Ignatius Musazi as well later.
Yoga Adhola.
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