Uganda is a political nuisance in the region!
Oct 12, 2005
SIR — I call upon the government to prepare for the return of the body of our former president, Dr. Apollo Milton Obote. The former leader, regardless of what he did, is part of our history and should be brought back and buried in Uganda.
SIR — I call upon the government to prepare for the return of the body of our former president, Dr. Apollo Milton Obote. The former leader, regardless of what he did, is part of our history and should be brought back and buried in Uganda. I don’t think Obote did bad things only. We should learn to consider our history whether bad or good. Uganda’s independence was not achieved in the current government. We should even declare two days of national mourning in remembrance of the first executive president of Uganda.
Nsubuga Sula
Makerere University
SIR — The death of our former president, Apolo Milton Obote should unite Ugandans to understand the importance of our national independence. Ugandans should remember him for uniting them against colonialist.
May Allah forgive him for the bad he might have done in defence of his country and reward him abundantly for all the good he did for his country.
Kirarira Issa
ikirarira@yahoo.com
SIR — Following Uganda’s political history, it is unavoidable to declare two days of national mourning for the fallen exiled leader, Dr. Apollo Obote. Obote deserve to be recognised by the current government as an irreplaceable historical nationalist, due to his endless struggles against the colonialists. During his administration, the country enjoyed social, and economic transformation, the fruits of which are still visible to this day. He should be remembered for his contribution no matter what people in the present government say. He was the first executive president of Uganda and is the one who led the country to independence. It is sad that during this transitional period, Uganda has lost such a historical figure who could still be consulted on national issues even though he had grown old. It is a great loss to Uganda as a whole and UPC in particular, where he has been at the centre of administration since 1959. However, Obote’s death in exile should be a lesson to ugandan leaders not to allow power to go to their heads. The end is always one — fleeing their motherland, living in distress, frustration and loneliness. Uganda’s political leaders should learn to live in harmony with opposition leaders.
Ronald Lulijwa
Kampala
SIR — As the country mourns the death of “a great democrat†Milton Obote, I wish to comment on some of his deeds. I particularly recall his assessment of one of the major ethnicities in Uganda upon
which he bestowed the great honour of marrying from — the
Baganda. Obote, with a straight face said that a good Muganda is a dead one. Since he is now dead himself, he can probably re-assert his research findings that indeed a good Muganda is a dead one. He did demonstrate this patriotically at Nakulabye in 1964. The evils that men do live long after them.
May he rest in eternal peace.
K. J. Nyombi
Kampala
SIR — I feel that I should appoint
myself a presidential adviser on just one issue. I suggest to president Yoweri Museveni to consider declaring days of mourning by having Uganda flags fly at half mast. I also advise him to declare Dr. Milton Obote a hero and accord him a state funeral at the burial site for Uganda’s political Heroes. Whatever mistakes Obote made should not overshadow his achievements, especially leading Uganda to independence. No leader is perfect as we have already seen but let us learn to respect past leaders. Obote has many critics but that is the right decision. We have to start from somewhere!
Gregory Ndzaawa
Kampala
SIR— The death of former Uganda president Apollo Milton Obote has come at a very psychological moment in the the history of our country. Say what you will, Uganda has become a political nuisance and an embarrassment in the East African region. It has become a culture for its leaders to die in exile! Is that a record to be proud of? What is the use of studying history if we cannot draw any lessons from it? Every successive leader claims to be smarter than his predecessor only to make the same blunders and flee his homeland. Edward Mutesa died in exile and was followed by Idi Amin and now Obote has followed suit!
Why is this so? Uganda has totally failed to handle political transition because of greed for power! All the leaders start off well only to disappoint the citizens bitterly. Arrogance is their stock in trade and no amount of advice can make them see sense until it is too late. Ruling a country is more complex than supervising affairs in one’s own home. Idi Amin overthrew Obote and immediately promised that there would be elections and power would be returned to civilians. He was welcomed with euphoria because people were fed up with Obote. Within less than two years he had declared himself life president of Uganda and started doing what he knew best — butchering people as a hobby.
He claimed he feared nobody except God although he hightailed it to Saudi Arabia when ordinary mortals from Tanzania took a closer look at him.
He died in Jeddah and was buried there.
Obote declared that he was the only African leader who did not fear a military takeover but almost immediately was shown the door.
When he came back he declared that he was going to start from where he had left off — and he did! In slightly less than five years he was back in exile, this time for good. Museveni came in and declared that a fundamental change had been ushered upon us.
For the first 10 years everybody believed in him and Uganda started regaining its former reputation of the ‘Pearl of Africa’. Uganda was paradise on earth.
Today that is history. The Constitution which he had so painstakingly helped to formulate all of a sudden was found wanting and voices started rising until they became a din.
Now, in his infinite wisdom, by self-assessment, he is the only person of all the 24 million Ugandans with a vision to lead Uganda! What else can I say? Things fall apart! I wish our leaders could give the country a fresh start, if not for ourselves, at least for posterity. Past leaders should have no reason to flee their countries and die in misery and loneliness.
They should be granaries of wisdom and guide their successors instead of dying lonely in foreign lands being cursed by their countrymen, all the good they did forgotten!
Tingasiga Tasigantomi
Fort Portal
Nsubuga Sula
Makerere University
SIR — The death of our former president, Apolo Milton Obote should unite Ugandans to understand the importance of our national independence. Ugandans should remember him for uniting them against colonialist.
May Allah forgive him for the bad he might have done in defence of his country and reward him abundantly for all the good he did for his country.
Kirarira Issa
ikirarira@yahoo.com
SIR — Following Uganda’s political history, it is unavoidable to declare two days of national mourning for the fallen exiled leader, Dr. Apollo Obote. Obote deserve to be recognised by the current government as an irreplaceable historical nationalist, due to his endless struggles against the colonialists. During his administration, the country enjoyed social, and economic transformation, the fruits of which are still visible to this day. He should be remembered for his contribution no matter what people in the present government say. He was the first executive president of Uganda and is the one who led the country to independence. It is sad that during this transitional period, Uganda has lost such a historical figure who could still be consulted on national issues even though he had grown old. It is a great loss to Uganda as a whole and UPC in particular, where he has been at the centre of administration since 1959. However, Obote’s death in exile should be a lesson to ugandan leaders not to allow power to go to their heads. The end is always one — fleeing their motherland, living in distress, frustration and loneliness. Uganda’s political leaders should learn to live in harmony with opposition leaders.
Ronald Lulijwa
Kampala
SIR — As the country mourns the death of “a great democrat†Milton Obote, I wish to comment on some of his deeds. I particularly recall his assessment of one of the major ethnicities in Uganda upon
which he bestowed the great honour of marrying from — the
Baganda. Obote, with a straight face said that a good Muganda is a dead one. Since he is now dead himself, he can probably re-assert his research findings that indeed a good Muganda is a dead one. He did demonstrate this patriotically at Nakulabye in 1964. The evils that men do live long after them.
May he rest in eternal peace.
K. J. Nyombi
Kampala
SIR — I feel that I should appoint
myself a presidential adviser on just one issue. I suggest to president Yoweri Museveni to consider declaring days of mourning by having Uganda flags fly at half mast. I also advise him to declare Dr. Milton Obote a hero and accord him a state funeral at the burial site for Uganda’s political Heroes. Whatever mistakes Obote made should not overshadow his achievements, especially leading Uganda to independence. No leader is perfect as we have already seen but let us learn to respect past leaders. Obote has many critics but that is the right decision. We have to start from somewhere!
Gregory Ndzaawa
Kampala
SIR— The death of former Uganda president Apollo Milton Obote has come at a very psychological moment in the the history of our country. Say what you will, Uganda has become a political nuisance and an embarrassment in the East African region. It has become a culture for its leaders to die in exile! Is that a record to be proud of? What is the use of studying history if we cannot draw any lessons from it? Every successive leader claims to be smarter than his predecessor only to make the same blunders and flee his homeland. Edward Mutesa died in exile and was followed by Idi Amin and now Obote has followed suit!
Why is this so? Uganda has totally failed to handle political transition because of greed for power! All the leaders start off well only to disappoint the citizens bitterly. Arrogance is their stock in trade and no amount of advice can make them see sense until it is too late. Ruling a country is more complex than supervising affairs in one’s own home. Idi Amin overthrew Obote and immediately promised that there would be elections and power would be returned to civilians. He was welcomed with euphoria because people were fed up with Obote. Within less than two years he had declared himself life president of Uganda and started doing what he knew best — butchering people as a hobby.
He claimed he feared nobody except God although he hightailed it to Saudi Arabia when ordinary mortals from Tanzania took a closer look at him.
He died in Jeddah and was buried there.
Obote declared that he was the only African leader who did not fear a military takeover but almost immediately was shown the door.
When he came back he declared that he was going to start from where he had left off — and he did! In slightly less than five years he was back in exile, this time for good. Museveni came in and declared that a fundamental change had been ushered upon us.
For the first 10 years everybody believed in him and Uganda started regaining its former reputation of the ‘Pearl of Africa’. Uganda was paradise on earth.
Today that is history. The Constitution which he had so painstakingly helped to formulate all of a sudden was found wanting and voices started rising until they became a din.
Now, in his infinite wisdom, by self-assessment, he is the only person of all the 24 million Ugandans with a vision to lead Uganda! What else can I say? Things fall apart! I wish our leaders could give the country a fresh start, if not for ourselves, at least for posterity. Past leaders should have no reason to flee their countries and die in misery and loneliness.
They should be granaries of wisdom and guide their successors instead of dying lonely in foreign lands being cursed by their countrymen, all the good they did forgotten!
Tingasiga Tasigantomi
Fort Portal