Binaisa attended the Moshi Conference in person! I know it because we travelled together!

SIR— I have read with a lot of interest Is Real Mayengo’s article “Makulu ki agali mu kujjukira olwa Apuli 11?” (What is the importance of remembering April 11?) in Bukedde of April 11.It is very important that people reflect on their national issues and events, especially if they played a part. A lot depends on how we view our history and what lessons we draw from such and the liberation struggles in this country.Mr Mayengo stated in his article that people like Mr Godfrey Binaisa, former president of Uganda, never stepped in the Moshi Conference. As a person who took part in the Moshi Conference, I found this remark disturbing. It is true, many people never had the chance to attend this historic conference which comprised many Ugandan exile leaders from all over the world. And contrary to Mayengo’s observation, I wish to state categorically that Mr Godfrey Binaisa attended the Moshi Conference. Over 28 different organisations and groups attended the conference. Africa Foundation was one of the 28 organisations and it was duly represented by myself and the late Dr Luyimbazi Zaake. We travelled from New York on March 22, 1979.Before our departure there was a problem because the airticket which had been forwarded to Binaisa had somehow been highjacked. When matters had been put right, we then wondered how the late Namakajjo was to travel to Moshi. Binaisa rightly observed that Namakajjo was a shrewed young man and could even get to Moshi ahead of us all. And true to the prediction, on our arrival in Moshi, Namakajjo was already there as head of the team of journalists from America. After the closure of the conference Zaake, Binaisa and myself travelled on the same flight back to the United States.With the two liberation wars behind us, what are the basic lessons that we in Uganda have learnt from those experiences, I am curious to know.Remembering April 11 has no meaning unless Ugandans are ready to recommit themselves to the objectives of the two liberation wars of April 11 and of the NRM bush war.Without a serious sense of recommitment the objectives of the two liberation wars, there could be no meaning for the people of Uganda. The good thing is that we still have people like President Yoweri Museveni who participated in both wars in a very short time after April 11, 1979 because unity and democracy were riddled with political intrigue and disension. Unless the people of Uganda focus as a nation on major issues like the national economy, national security and good and stable governance, they will not have learnt much from the two liberation wars behind them and April 11 will be a thing of a distant past.Dr Kefa SempangiMukono