Recognise Obote as hero, says scholar

Oct 08, 2009

A Makerere University lecturer has suggested that the late President Milton Obote should be recognised by the State as a national hero.

By Moses Mulondo

A Makerere University lecturer has suggested that the late President Milton Obote should be recognised by the State as a national hero.

“Obote cannot be denied the title of founder and father of the nation.

Besides, he spearheaded the independence struggle,” argued Dr. Kayonga Simba, a political scientist.
He made the remarks during the memorial lecture for Obote at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala on Wednesday.

Simba hailed Obote for having been an outstanding nationalist whose passion was to see Ugandans as one people regardless of their tribes.

Obote, who died in 2005, led Uganda to independence from British colonial rule in 1962. He was prime minister from 1962 to 1966 and president from 1966 to 1971 and again from 1980 to 1985.

Simba said Obote cannot be blamed for the 1966 crisis which pitted Mengo against the central Government.

“During those days, there was a thinking that monarchies were standing in the way of modernity and revolutions.

Monarchies were undermined in most parts of Africa. Any other president would have done what Obote did in 1966,” Simba argued.

Simba’s comment infuriated some Baganda participants. Conservative Party boss Ken Lukyamuzi argued that 1966 would have been avoided if Obote had taken the democratic path other political players were taking.

“I would like to educate some people here that it is not the 1964 issue of lost counties that led to the 1966 crisis,” Lukyamuzi said.

Obote abrogated the 1962 Constitution without the consent of the MPs. The Mengo motion, which called upon Obote to remove his government from Buganda came later when Obote had already abrogated the constitution and taken several dictatorial measures, he added.

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