Why Ugandans love Colonel Gadaffi
Apr 05, 2011
EVERY where you go, the unwritten rules for any visitor are the same: conduct yourself well before your host, or you lose their affection.
EVERY where you go, the unwritten rules for any visitor are the same: conduct yourself well before your host, or you lose their affection. However, only one man, Col. Muammar Gadaffi, Libya’s president, has shown that he can break the rules and still remain in the good books of his hosts, John Masaba writes
IN March 2008, the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar Gadaffi, visited Uganda amid fanfare, having financed the construction of one the biggest mosques in Africa, Gadaffi Mosque, at Old Kampala.
But by the time he flew back to Tripoli, some of his hosts were wallowing in embarrassment. While officially opening the multi-billion mosque, Gadaffi dropped a bomb: “The Bible is a forgery and fake. It is an innovation of the West,†he said, in disregard of the over 84% of the Ugandans, who are Christians.
Although some Muslim clerics were quick to distance themselves from the maverick leader’s comments, damage had already been done.
But he was not done yet. Uganda was hosting the 2010 African Union (AU) summit. The rules governing the Kampala summit were clear: Every visiting head of state was to have only 10 VIP guards. But Gadaffi flouted the rules.
His entire army of guards (about 100) bulldozed their way through the Ugandan Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB) personnel who were manning the security.
Pushing and shoving ensued and nearly degenerated into a fight. However, a few dignitaries were on hand to calm tempers, stopping what would have been a terrible diplomatic embarrassment.
If you add these to the North African leader’s role in propping up one of the world’s infamous dictators, Idi Amin, you would expect Ugandans to hate the man with a passion!
Surprisingly, that is not the case. And going by the latest developments, the Libyan leader is still a darling of many in Uganda.
The presidential press secretary, Tamale Mirundi, was quoted a few days ago as saying Uganda was willing to give the Libyan leader asylum if he chose to exit Libya in light of the ongoing crisis.
Earlier, President Yoweri Museveni, in a 3000-word article, had criticised the allied powers for attacking Gadaffi to overthrow him.
While President Museveni faults the North African leader on a few things — among them propping up Idi Amin and supporting him during his murderous regime and his meddling in the internal affairs of other countries using money, among others, he has not hidden his support for the Libyan leader.
Not to be left behind, the Global Pan African Movement, headed by Steven Othieno, held a demonstration with a huge placard wielding crowd to show their support for Gadaffi.
A good number of members of the Ugandan Parliament and some Muslims have added their voice to the growing support of the embattled leader.
GADAFFI, THE GENEROUS MAN
Gadaffi’s generosity is unmatched and many see this as the biggest reason he continues to enjoy the support. Perched atop Old Kampala Hill, Gadaffi Mosque stands as a testimony of what a charitable figure Gadaffi is. The second biggest mosque in Africa, Gadaffi Mosque, whose construction began 30 years ago by Idi Amin, can hold 15,000 worshippers. After opening the mosque, Gadaffi is reported to have promised to pay for the refurbishing and maintenance for 10 years.
“May Allah protect and help our brother (Gadaffi) emerge victorious, because I don’t know whether we shall be able to maintain the mosque without his support,†Meddie Akhram, a worshipper at mosque, told Saturday Vision.
According to Ismail Ntege, the general manager Voice of Africa Uganda, a Muslim-founded radio, construction of an Islamic university financed by Gadaffi was underway. “a committee headed by Dr. Badru Kiggundu has acquired land in Mukono,†he said.
Gadaffi the darling of traditional leaders
Fort Portal has another monument of Gadaffi’s generosity. He has renovated the Toro Kingdom palace.
It is said the Libyan leader picks the bill of Oyo Nyimba, the 19-year-old king, who has enrolled at one of Britain’s top academies.
The French news agency AFP recently remarked that whereas relations between President Museveni and Gadaffi may have cooled in recent years, ties between the kingdom, which has over one million subjects, and Gadaffi, are smooth.
Early last month, Best Kemigisa, Toro’s queen mother, was quoted as saying she was doing everything possible for the cessation of the attack on Gadaffi. She was lobbying fellow cultural leaders to support the Libyan leader, Toro Kingdom spokesperson Isaiah Rwanyekiro said.
When contacted for comment, the Queen mother quipped: “The great Libyan leader has been very kind to the people of Toro. We cannot look the other way when he needs our assistance. Anything I can do to help him resolve the crisis in Libya without shedding any blood, I will do.â€
Beyond his close friendship with the people of Toro, the Libyan leader is also believed to have been in close touch with Buganda, extending his philanthropy to the kingdom. Prince Kassim Nakibinge has been a close friend of the Libyan leader and last year, intelligence reports indicated that Buganda was receiving support from Gadaffi through the prince.
For some people, the love for Gadaffi stems from their ability to put food on the table for their families, thanks to a galaxy of investments made by the Libyan government in Uganda.
Estimated at about $375m (about sh900b), the investments have availed employment for many, in a country where jobs are hard to come by. Many people fear any change in the status quo in Libya could swing fortunes in their disfavour.
Some of the investments in which Libya has shares include Uganda Telecom, Tropical Bank, Laico Lake Victoria Hotel, Tamoil East Africa and OilLibya, House of Dawda (the manufacturers of Splash, Britainia biscuits and Sunsip), Uganda Pharmaceuticals and Lake Victoria Hotel Entebbe. The Libyan government is said to be constructing a $300m oil pipeline from Mombasa to Kampala.
The Oil country also owns 60% of Tristar, a company set up to export garments from Uganda to the United States under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, as well as 49% of Uganda’s largest real-estate developer, the National Housing and Construction Corporation NHCC.
In spite of his disagreements with the Libyan leader, President Museveni has been a good friend of the North African leader. In his statement to the media recently, the President lambasted the allied powers, preferring that the issue be handled by the African Union.
Among some of the areas where the President rates the Libyan leader, is his independent foreign policy and ability stand up to the manipulations of the West.
“I am not able to understand the position of Western countries, which appear to resent independent-minded leaders and seem to prefer puppets. Puppets are not good for any country. Most of the countries that have transitioned from Third World to First World status since 1945 have had independent-minded leaders: South Korea (Park Chung-hee), Singapore (Lee Kuan Yew), China People’s Republic (Mao Tse Tung, Chou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, Marshal Yang Shangkun, Li Peng, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jing Tao, etc), Malaysia (Dr. Mahthir Mohamad), Brazil (Lula Da Silva), Iran (the Ayatollahs),†said the President in the statement.
Indeed, Gadaffi has delivered to his people better than any other African president. According to the 2010 Human Development Report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the quality of life in Libya ranks Number 1 in Africa and Number 53 in the world. The report rates the level of human development in Libya as being better than in countries like Russia, China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, India, Mexico, Malaysia, Turkey and most of the eastern European countries.
Museveni, in his statement, also cites Gadaffi’s involvement in fighting for better prices for oil exporting nations, his ability to distance himself from Islamic fundamentalism and his undying support for the African cause, among others.
As the allied powers’ bombs continue and the advance of the ‘pro-democracy’ forces towards Tripoli gathers pace, the overthrow of Gadaffi seems imminent. But while a section of people will celebrate, a sizeable number will mourn.
IN March 2008, the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar Gadaffi, visited Uganda amid fanfare, having financed the construction of one the biggest mosques in Africa, Gadaffi Mosque, at Old Kampala.
But by the time he flew back to Tripoli, some of his hosts were wallowing in embarrassment. While officially opening the multi-billion mosque, Gadaffi dropped a bomb: “The Bible is a forgery and fake. It is an innovation of the West,†he said, in disregard of the over 84% of the Ugandans, who are Christians.
Although some Muslim clerics were quick to distance themselves from the maverick leader’s comments, damage had already been done.
But he was not done yet. Uganda was hosting the 2010 African Union (AU) summit. The rules governing the Kampala summit were clear: Every visiting head of state was to have only 10 VIP guards. But Gadaffi flouted the rules.
His entire army of guards (about 100) bulldozed their way through the Ugandan Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB) personnel who were manning the security.
Pushing and shoving ensued and nearly degenerated into a fight. However, a few dignitaries were on hand to calm tempers, stopping what would have been a terrible diplomatic embarrassment.
If you add these to the North African leader’s role in propping up one of the world’s infamous dictators, Idi Amin, you would expect Ugandans to hate the man with a passion!
Surprisingly, that is not the case. And going by the latest developments, the Libyan leader is still a darling of many in Uganda.
The presidential press secretary, Tamale Mirundi, was quoted a few days ago as saying Uganda was willing to give the Libyan leader asylum if he chose to exit Libya in light of the ongoing crisis.
Earlier, President Yoweri Museveni, in a 3000-word article, had criticised the allied powers for attacking Gadaffi to overthrow him.
While President Museveni faults the North African leader on a few things — among them propping up Idi Amin and supporting him during his murderous regime and his meddling in the internal affairs of other countries using money, among others, he has not hidden his support for the Libyan leader.
Not to be left behind, the Global Pan African Movement, headed by Steven Othieno, held a demonstration with a huge placard wielding crowd to show their support for Gadaffi.
A good number of members of the Ugandan Parliament and some Muslims have added their voice to the growing support of the embattled leader.
GADAFFI, THE GENEROUS MAN
Gadaffi’s generosity is unmatched and many see this as the biggest reason he continues to enjoy the support. Perched atop Old Kampala Hill, Gadaffi Mosque stands as a testimony of what a charitable figure Gadaffi is. The second biggest mosque in Africa, Gadaffi Mosque, whose construction began 30 years ago by Idi Amin, can hold 15,000 worshippers. After opening the mosque, Gadaffi is reported to have promised to pay for the refurbishing and maintenance for 10 years.
“May Allah protect and help our brother (Gadaffi) emerge victorious, because I don’t know whether we shall be able to maintain the mosque without his support,†Meddie Akhram, a worshipper at mosque, told Saturday Vision.
According to Ismail Ntege, the general manager Voice of Africa Uganda, a Muslim-founded radio, construction of an Islamic university financed by Gadaffi was underway. “a committee headed by Dr. Badru Kiggundu has acquired land in Mukono,†he said.
Gadaffi the darling of traditional leaders
Fort Portal has another monument of Gadaffi’s generosity. He has renovated the Toro Kingdom palace.
It is said the Libyan leader picks the bill of Oyo Nyimba, the 19-year-old king, who has enrolled at one of Britain’s top academies.
The French news agency AFP recently remarked that whereas relations between President Museveni and Gadaffi may have cooled in recent years, ties between the kingdom, which has over one million subjects, and Gadaffi, are smooth.
Early last month, Best Kemigisa, Toro’s queen mother, was quoted as saying she was doing everything possible for the cessation of the attack on Gadaffi. She was lobbying fellow cultural leaders to support the Libyan leader, Toro Kingdom spokesperson Isaiah Rwanyekiro said.
When contacted for comment, the Queen mother quipped: “The great Libyan leader has been very kind to the people of Toro. We cannot look the other way when he needs our assistance. Anything I can do to help him resolve the crisis in Libya without shedding any blood, I will do.â€
Beyond his close friendship with the people of Toro, the Libyan leader is also believed to have been in close touch with Buganda, extending his philanthropy to the kingdom. Prince Kassim Nakibinge has been a close friend of the Libyan leader and last year, intelligence reports indicated that Buganda was receiving support from Gadaffi through the prince.
For some people, the love for Gadaffi stems from their ability to put food on the table for their families, thanks to a galaxy of investments made by the Libyan government in Uganda.
Estimated at about $375m (about sh900b), the investments have availed employment for many, in a country where jobs are hard to come by. Many people fear any change in the status quo in Libya could swing fortunes in their disfavour.
Some of the investments in which Libya has shares include Uganda Telecom, Tropical Bank, Laico Lake Victoria Hotel, Tamoil East Africa and OilLibya, House of Dawda (the manufacturers of Splash, Britainia biscuits and Sunsip), Uganda Pharmaceuticals and Lake Victoria Hotel Entebbe. The Libyan government is said to be constructing a $300m oil pipeline from Mombasa to Kampala.
The Oil country also owns 60% of Tristar, a company set up to export garments from Uganda to the United States under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, as well as 49% of Uganda’s largest real-estate developer, the National Housing and Construction Corporation NHCC.
In spite of his disagreements with the Libyan leader, President Museveni has been a good friend of the North African leader. In his statement to the media recently, the President lambasted the allied powers, preferring that the issue be handled by the African Union.
Among some of the areas where the President rates the Libyan leader, is his independent foreign policy and ability stand up to the manipulations of the West.
“I am not able to understand the position of Western countries, which appear to resent independent-minded leaders and seem to prefer puppets. Puppets are not good for any country. Most of the countries that have transitioned from Third World to First World status since 1945 have had independent-minded leaders: South Korea (Park Chung-hee), Singapore (Lee Kuan Yew), China People’s Republic (Mao Tse Tung, Chou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, Marshal Yang Shangkun, Li Peng, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jing Tao, etc), Malaysia (Dr. Mahthir Mohamad), Brazil (Lula Da Silva), Iran (the Ayatollahs),†said the President in the statement.
Indeed, Gadaffi has delivered to his people better than any other African president. According to the 2010 Human Development Report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the quality of life in Libya ranks Number 1 in Africa and Number 53 in the world. The report rates the level of human development in Libya as being better than in countries like Russia, China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, India, Mexico, Malaysia, Turkey and most of the eastern European countries.
Museveni, in his statement, also cites Gadaffi’s involvement in fighting for better prices for oil exporting nations, his ability to distance himself from Islamic fundamentalism and his undying support for the African cause, among others.
As the allied powers’ bombs continue and the advance of the ‘pro-democracy’ forces towards Tripoli gathers pace, the overthrow of Gadaffi seems imminent. But while a section of people will celebrate, a sizeable number will mourn.