SIR — I read with dismay the article in which Luweero residents were reported to be celebrating the death of former president Dr. Milton Obote. Death is not something to celebrate. Although they argue that they will never forget the scars he inflicted on them during the liberation war, they have forgotten that Obote did not order the killing of civilians but was protecting the state against an uprising. This is provided for under the constitution of Uganda. A state must protect and defend her interests and citizens against rebels. If the guerilla leader Yoweri Museveni had been caught in the bush, he would have been charged with treason. What Obote did was in defence of the constitution and is exactly what President Museveni is doing now to protect the state against Joseph Kony’s rebels. If Kony overpowered the UPDF and took power we would not be right to blame Museveni for the death and suffering of the people in northern Uganda. War always means death and suffering. Even if the people of Luweero were killed by Obote’s soldiers, we have to bear in mind that it is not Obote the person who killed them. so we have to forgive him for his failure to discipline and control the army. This was always his weakness. Obote has died with all the country’s history since he is the one who led us to independence in 1962. So we should now forget the past and look at the present situation and Uganda’s future. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Nasser Mubonde
Kampala

SIR — I refer to Mr. Augustus Nuwagaba’s article entitled “Blame
Obote’s evils on British colonialists” published on Friday. While I find his piece useful on some
issues, I disagree with him that Amin’s
attack on the Lubiri marked the beginning of the militarisation of Uganda’s politics.
The militarisation of politics in Uganda (and the
marriage of politics with religion) dates back to Lord Lugard’s involvement in the 1888-1890 religious wars in Buganda. Nuwagaba’s article would have been stronger if he had also informed the readers that the colonialists tactfully left the thorny issue of the “lost counties” for the new (and somewhat inexperienced?) government to sort out. Secondly, in post-colonial Uganda, Sir Edward
Mutesa, the Kabaka of Buganda, was the first high ranking political figure to introduce military methods in Uganda’s politics. Reference is made to two main incidents in which Mutesa was a key player. The first one was in a Buyaga market (Buyaga being one of the “lost counties” when the Kabaka shot demonstrators, before the 1964 referendum and the Ndaiga Palace shooting after the referendum. There have also been claims of attacks on the central government Police posts within Buganda just before the storming of the Lubiri in 1966. History also indicates that there was a clash between the
central government forces — military police — and some Kabaka supporters in Nakulabye. Again, both men — Mutesa who was the president and Obote, who was the prim minister — sought military support to solve political issues. Mutesa had the support of the army commander Shaban Opolot, while Obote that of Opolot’s deputy, Idi Amin.

Christopher Muhoozi
Kampala

SIR — People are singing that Milton Obote was the father of Uganda. Augustus Nuwagaba wants us to blame all Obote’s evil on the British colonialists.
I would suggest that we also blame Obote’s success on the same British colonialists. With or without Obote, Uganda would have got its independence from the British because it was the order of the day in that period. It was the normal rather than the exception.

Name withheld