Mayambala is no better than Nkangi!

SIR — In his response to Miria Obote’s statements during the state funeral of her husband, Mr. Kakungulu Mayambala alleges that Mr. Mayanja Nkangi distorted history. If Mayanja is wrong, I don’t think Mayambala is any better. He argues that Mutesa and Obote’s friendship had been sealed in the KY-UPC alliance. Instead of telling us why the alliance split, he challenges Baganda to ‘re-chase’ the central government from Buganda! While Obote regretted the attack on the Mengo palace in 1966 and failure to control its outcome, which was a politicised army, Mayambala insists that he took a superb action. Mayambala’s acceptance that Obote was using political and military manouvres to solve the questions of the day pre-empts his argument on the issue. True, Baganda could have made mistakes in the process, but they were simply protesting the abrogation of the independence constitution of 1962 by Obote who was determined to create a ‘presidential monarchy’, namely the Republic of Uganda, where he would reign supreme for life. This reality can be explained by his later actions. He abolished all the other kingdoms which he thought had the mandate to challenge him constitutionally. His one-man constitutions of 1966 and 1967 were passed with military tanks surrounding the parliament of Uganda! He was determined to re-sit on his blood-stained throne in 1980 leading to a disputed election which caused more bloodshed in Luweero and other parts of Uganda. Were these really not national scandals which caused much suffering in Uganda? I would also like to know from Mr. Tumwine why he is quick to justify Obote’s actions against the kingdoms but not on creating a one-party state in 1969 where UPC was the only blessed survivor and Obote its life president. Each event discussed was a serial process to the cherished ‘presidential monarchy’. Daniel Mugambwa Kampala