Independence monument shows neo-colonialism
Oct 23, 2007
I would like to respond to Stephen Ssenkaaba’s article on the independence monument (<i>New Vision</i>, October 6, 2007). He quoted Dr. Kyeyune as saying: “It is an accomplished piece of work technically and aesthetically, but one that has not yet found a place in the people’s consciousness.â€
By Dickens Nsubuga
I would like to respond to Stephen Ssenkaaba’s article on the independence monument (New Vision, October 6, 2007). He quoted Dr. Kyeyune as saying: “It is an accomplished piece of work technically and aesthetically, but one that has not yet found a place in the people’s consciousness.â€
It is difficult for a common man to derive meaning from the monument. But for those who appreciate art easily, the meaning or message is disturbing and takes away any feeling of political independence.
The monument sends a chill of suspicion in all sober brains and sincere hearts. It spells the “Something-wrong†with the independence it symbolises and one wonders the bravery it took the protectorate Government to craft such sarcasm. You want to exonerate the self-rule government that accepted it for celebration without an eye-brow?
It disturbs the more to learn that the artist, Gregory Maloba, does not remember whether it was the protectorate authorities or the self-rule government which hired him to do the sculpture; I do not care at which sum of money. Which project sponsor and contractor would not like their names placated on such a landmark project, unless there was something unpleasant to own up?
How about this story of a professor in Makerere University who, in 1964 as a young teaching assistant in the Faculty of Agriculture, who stumbled over a minute by the then white masters: “We should not train these people, they will displace us…..†and someone was charged with a duty to hatch a semblance of a curriculum. If this is a truth that happened in all schools, then we have an explanation for the quality of our elite and the development results so far.
To attain economic progress, cultural identity, forging a coherent patriotic people, sustainable education and visionary democratic governance, we need to:
Undo the divisive governance model that pits tribes, faiths and the politically divergent against one another at the expense of the nation.
Re-structure education to skills, knowledge and leadership.
Design practical gender and social development programmes.
Hatch realistic pro-people economic policies.
Institutionalise democratic governance with clear-role structures that outlast individuals, however charismatic they may sound.
The sarcasm?
The woman in the monument, to me, represents a monstrous colonial grip. The wrappings around her may be gimmicks of one pretending to be inactive in our political affairs after independence. This woman is holding a child who has no direct step on the ground, but has arms up in jubilating posture. If this fallacy symbolises independent Uganda, the jubilation was oblivious of the fact that the “mother†had given the child fake independence without letting it to jump from the ground to hit the sky if it so wished (self-directed and meaningful development).
Why the child anyway?
Good and common reason does not allow small children to be independent; left on their own before they are adults. It is, therefore, a mockery to interpret the child as jubilating for independence when we know for sure it is still dependent. Take the irony of our donor-dependent budget 45years down the road. All was tied and sealed to make sure we remain a stunted dependent state to supply the critical mass of buyers rather than sellers in the global market. Wake up my people!
The writer is the author of The Winning Choice, a leadership and personal development thriller sold at St. Paul Media and Book Centre and Uganda Bookshop
I would like to respond to Stephen Ssenkaaba’s article on the independence monument (New Vision, October 6, 2007). He quoted Dr. Kyeyune as saying: “It is an accomplished piece of work technically and aesthetically, but one that has not yet found a place in the people’s consciousness.â€
It is difficult for a common man to derive meaning from the monument. But for those who appreciate art easily, the meaning or message is disturbing and takes away any feeling of political independence.
The monument sends a chill of suspicion in all sober brains and sincere hearts. It spells the “Something-wrong†with the independence it symbolises and one wonders the bravery it took the protectorate Government to craft such sarcasm. You want to exonerate the self-rule government that accepted it for celebration without an eye-brow?
It disturbs the more to learn that the artist, Gregory Maloba, does not remember whether it was the protectorate authorities or the self-rule government which hired him to do the sculpture; I do not care at which sum of money. Which project sponsor and contractor would not like their names placated on such a landmark project, unless there was something unpleasant to own up?
How about this story of a professor in Makerere University who, in 1964 as a young teaching assistant in the Faculty of Agriculture, who stumbled over a minute by the then white masters: “We should not train these people, they will displace us…..†and someone was charged with a duty to hatch a semblance of a curriculum. If this is a truth that happened in all schools, then we have an explanation for the quality of our elite and the development results so far.
To attain economic progress, cultural identity, forging a coherent patriotic people, sustainable education and visionary democratic governance, we need to:
The sarcasm?
The woman in the monument, to me, represents a monstrous colonial grip. The wrappings around her may be gimmicks of one pretending to be inactive in our political affairs after independence. This woman is holding a child who has no direct step on the ground, but has arms up in jubilating posture. If this fallacy symbolises independent Uganda, the jubilation was oblivious of the fact that the “mother†had given the child fake independence without letting it to jump from the ground to hit the sky if it so wished (self-directed and meaningful development).
Why the child anyway?
Good and common reason does not allow small children to be independent; left on their own before they are adults. It is, therefore, a mockery to interpret the child as jubilating for independence when we know for sure it is still dependent. Take the irony of our donor-dependent budget 45years down the road. All was tied and sealed to make sure we remain a stunted dependent state to supply the critical mass of buyers rather than sellers in the global market. Wake up my people!
The writer is the author of The Winning Choice, a leadership and personal development thriller sold at St. Paul Media and Book Centre and Uganda Bookshop