CHOGM: Why Uganda and UK have remained friends
Oct 01, 2007
<b>Karooro Okurut</b><br><br>When Bushenyi district was celebrating the International Womens Day this year, I proposed to the district leadership that we recognise and award women we considered great achievers in the district.
A literary and socio-political analyst
Karooro Okurut
When Bushenyi district was celebrating the International Womens Day this year, I proposed to the district leadership that we recognise and award women we considered great achievers in the district.
Among those I nominated was Eresi Kyendugu (RIP). Short, humble and reserved, Kyendugu’s small size belied her abilities; maybe that is why she was always able to supersede all expectations.
My submission was based on the fact that Kyendugu, born 1909 in Buhiihi, Sheema County in Bushenyi had been a great teacher and many in the district had passed through her hands by the time she returned to her Creator in 1990.
Secondly, this great woman who was always reverentially called Omukuru (a title given to a pillar or distinguished elder in society) had been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by the Queen; a medal that does not come along everyday, especially to non-British citizens.
In Britain, the honours system exists to recognise distinguished public service. A variety of honours exists, ranging from Companion of Honour to MBE.
Citizens of countries which do not recognise the Queen as head of state sometimes have honours conferred upon them, in which case the awards are ‘honorary’ — the holders are entitled to place initials behind their name but not style themselves “Sir ...â€.
Omukuru Kyendugu remains one of the very few Ugandans that received such honours. I was reflecting on Kyendugu in the light of the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meeting; because if you have people like these who received very high honours then it is evidence that Uganda and Britain enjoyed a good relationship which continues to date.
One thing that we ought to understand is that Uganda was never a colony; it was a protectorate. In international law, a protectorate is a state or territory partly controlled by (but not a possession of) a stronger state but autonomous in internal affairs. Protectorates are established by treaty.
In 1894, Prime Minister William Gladstone’s government officially announced that Uganda was to become a British Protectorate, where Muslim and Christian strife had attracted international attention.
The British administration installed carefully selected local kings under a programme of indirect rule through the local oligarchy, creating a network of British-controlled civil service.
In contrast, a colony implies subjugation of a territory and making it essentially part of the conquering nation. Tanzania for example, was a German colony up to World War I, then a British Protectorate until its independence in 1961.
Kenya was more of a colony than a protectorate, even though she had elements of both. And we all know about “The 13 colonies†which refers to the thirteen British colonies in North America, separately chartered and governed, that signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and formally broke with the Kingdom of Great Britain to form the United States.
People who lived in protectorates had a better working relationship with the superpowers, than those in colonies. That is why although Tanzanians had a bitter war with the Germans (the Maji Maji rebellion in 1905) and the Kenyans the Mau Mau war with Britain (1952-56), Uganda largely enjoyed a good relationship with the British.
We learnt their language (no wonder we speak English better than our neighbours) and we sang the British National Anthem – God Save the Queen. Ugandan men took to the khaki shorts, stockings and tie combination of the British; and even parted their hair just like the British - just look at Mzee FDR Gureme as he walks about town.
The relationship was never like master-slave; we enjoyed the respect as a protectorate. That is why we had minimal resistance; apart from a small revolt here and there which were simply expressions of dissent with existing policy rather than an attempt to throw the British out.
Our independence in 1962 came largely as a consequence of the pressure and times of the day, as well as good, firm negotiation from Ugandan vanguards of the day.
We did not have to fight for it the way the Mau Mau did in Kenya. We organised ourselves to receive independence, rather than fight to achieve it.
Since then Britain occupies a special place in Uganda’s heart; and little wonder Ugandans are so keen to meet the Queen. And for good measure, the relatives of the late Kyendugu tell me they too want to meet the Queen for a chat. My own view is that while a chat may be good; it is more crucial that we go beyond merely having coffee with Her Majesty.
Suppose we team up with the British Council to set up a Kyendugu Educational Fund for young ladies, or something like that?
The people of Bushenyi still talk about Kyendugu with pride; but you get the feeling that the logical conclusion to such a scenario would be to provide young ladies with the opportunity to follow in Kyendugu’s footsteps.
Karooro Okurut
When Bushenyi district was celebrating the International Womens Day this year, I proposed to the district leadership that we recognise and award women we considered great achievers in the district.
Among those I nominated was Eresi Kyendugu (RIP). Short, humble and reserved, Kyendugu’s small size belied her abilities; maybe that is why she was always able to supersede all expectations.
My submission was based on the fact that Kyendugu, born 1909 in Buhiihi, Sheema County in Bushenyi had been a great teacher and many in the district had passed through her hands by the time she returned to her Creator in 1990.
Secondly, this great woman who was always reverentially called Omukuru (a title given to a pillar or distinguished elder in society) had been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by the Queen; a medal that does not come along everyday, especially to non-British citizens.
In Britain, the honours system exists to recognise distinguished public service. A variety of honours exists, ranging from Companion of Honour to MBE.
Citizens of countries which do not recognise the Queen as head of state sometimes have honours conferred upon them, in which case the awards are ‘honorary’ — the holders are entitled to place initials behind their name but not style themselves “Sir ...â€.
Omukuru Kyendugu remains one of the very few Ugandans that received such honours. I was reflecting on Kyendugu in the light of the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meeting; because if you have people like these who received very high honours then it is evidence that Uganda and Britain enjoyed a good relationship which continues to date.
One thing that we ought to understand is that Uganda was never a colony; it was a protectorate. In international law, a protectorate is a state or territory partly controlled by (but not a possession of) a stronger state but autonomous in internal affairs. Protectorates are established by treaty.
In 1894, Prime Minister William Gladstone’s government officially announced that Uganda was to become a British Protectorate, where Muslim and Christian strife had attracted international attention.
The British administration installed carefully selected local kings under a programme of indirect rule through the local oligarchy, creating a network of British-controlled civil service.
In contrast, a colony implies subjugation of a territory and making it essentially part of the conquering nation. Tanzania for example, was a German colony up to World War I, then a British Protectorate until its independence in 1961.
Kenya was more of a colony than a protectorate, even though she had elements of both. And we all know about “The 13 colonies†which refers to the thirteen British colonies in North America, separately chartered and governed, that signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and formally broke with the Kingdom of Great Britain to form the United States.
People who lived in protectorates had a better working relationship with the superpowers, than those in colonies. That is why although Tanzanians had a bitter war with the Germans (the Maji Maji rebellion in 1905) and the Kenyans the Mau Mau war with Britain (1952-56), Uganda largely enjoyed a good relationship with the British.
We learnt their language (no wonder we speak English better than our neighbours) and we sang the British National Anthem – God Save the Queen. Ugandan men took to the khaki shorts, stockings and tie combination of the British; and even parted their hair just like the British - just look at Mzee FDR Gureme as he walks about town.
The relationship was never like master-slave; we enjoyed the respect as a protectorate. That is why we had minimal resistance; apart from a small revolt here and there which were simply expressions of dissent with existing policy rather than an attempt to throw the British out.
Our independence in 1962 came largely as a consequence of the pressure and times of the day, as well as good, firm negotiation from Ugandan vanguards of the day.
We did not have to fight for it the way the Mau Mau did in Kenya. We organised ourselves to receive independence, rather than fight to achieve it.
Since then Britain occupies a special place in Uganda’s heart; and little wonder Ugandans are so keen to meet the Queen. And for good measure, the relatives of the late Kyendugu tell me they too want to meet the Queen for a chat. My own view is that while a chat may be good; it is more crucial that we go beyond merely having coffee with Her Majesty.
Suppose we team up with the British Council to set up a Kyendugu Educational Fund for young ladies, or something like that?
The people of Bushenyi still talk about Kyendugu with pride; but you get the feeling that the logical conclusion to such a scenario would be to provide young ladies with the opportunity to follow in Kyendugu’s footsteps.