Musazi left a big mark on Uganda’s political history
<b>By peter Mulira</b><br><br>In his youth I.K. Musazi, who was declared by Parliament as our first national hero when he died in 1990, was an unlikely candidate for the role he played in adult life as a crusader for the commonman’s rights. Born into relative comfort on August 8 1905, Musazi wa
By Peter Mulira
In his youth I.K. Musazi, who was declared by Parliament as our first national hero when he died in 1990, was an unlikely candidate for the role he played in adult life as a crusader for the commonman’s rights. Born into relative comfort on August 8 1905, Musazi was sent by his parents to a private boys school in England after a spell at Mengo Central High School. After studying theology at a college in Nottingham, the future politician turned against the orders after he was required to return home in order to be ordained in an African diocese, a move he regarded as racist.
Although anguished by the Anglican church at a formative age, the real catalyst for Musazi’s future lifestyle was a story he heard about the suffering of the American negro and the influence of West African colleagues who convinced him that a political platform and not the pulpit would bring about his people’s liberation. “I heard an American negro give an address on the history of the negro people when I was a student in England. It was a stirring speech and inspired me to return and help my people,†Musazi recalled in an interview in the February 1969 issue of Drum magazine.
Thus fired, Musazi returned to Uganda in 1930 and joined the staff of King’s College, Budo before he became an inspector of schools in the department of education. The latter engagement was providential because the inspectorate tours all over the country enabled Musazi to see firsthand the deplorable conditions of his people, and six years after his return from England he plunged into the muddy waters of his political life. His main concern at this time was to campaign for better prices for the farmers’ crops. To this end, he started organizing the peasants at muluka level so as to enable them to speak with one voice about their grievances.
Before long Musazi had become a national figure hated by the authorities but loved by the masses. He held his first public rally in 1938 atop Old Kampala hill where the new mosque stands. Among those in attendance was a young Makerere medical student, Godfrey Binaisa, who later became president of the country. From then on the name of Musazi was associated with all manner of political agitations which saw him organize the first trade union, the the Uganda Motor Drivers Association.
His activities around this time earned him his first detention when he was deported to West Nile along the Congo border after riots broke out in the streets of Kampala and spread countrywide in 1945.On his return from exile three years later, Musazi straight away formed the Uganda Farmers Association which pushed for both political and economic agendas, sometimes in rioutous ways. While on a mission to the UK in 1949 serious riots erupted and it was suspected by the authorities that Musazi was behind them. On landing at Entebbe airport, the politician was detained and once again rusticated to a remote place, in addition to his organization being proscribed but this time around his friends in the Labour Party in Britain, including the legendary Fenner Brockway, helped to get him an early release.
Musazi was not done yet. This time he formed the Uganda Federation of African Partnerships in which he organized about 500 cooperatives and the times were more propitious as a new governor, Sir Andrew Cohen, who had helped Ghana to self government while at the colonial office, was appointed. Earlier following an address at London School of Economics, Musazi had convinced a young PhD graduate George Shepherd (now Professor) to come down and help him in organizing his work. Most of the ideas propagated by Musazi and Shepherd were picked up by the new governor and implemented.
It is difficult to find words to describe Sir Andrew Cohen’s impact on Uganda’s development but an insight of it can be gained from a speech Fenner Brockway made to the UK Parliament in London after a visit here. He said, “Only a few days ago instead of these organizations being banned the representatives of the government were attending the reception which was arranged by the African organizations, because of the enlighted policy which is now being pursued under a progressive government.â€
Perhaps due to the liberal atmosphere obtaining in the country, on April 6 1952 Musazi announced the formation of the first fully-fledged nationalist party with Abu Mayanja as organizing secretary. The Uganda National Congress (UNC) soon gained nationwide acceptance using Musazi’s contacts through the farmers’ cooperatives. Musazi outlined his political philosophy in a letter in the Uganda Herald in which he said, “Our aim is to establish a true democracy in Uganda and to promote co-operation between the people and the powers that be. We are concerned to preserve our country for ourselves and also we are welcoming members of all races as our co-operators and our guests.â€
Although very prosperous within its first five years, UNC split in 1957 when 14 young turks resigned from the executive and went away to form the United Congress Party. But this did not prevent the party from winning five seats out of 10 in the direct elections to the Legislative Council (LEGCO) which brought Apollo Milton Obote to the national scene. Indeed all the people who were elected on the UNC ticket such as George Magezi, John Babiha, Sir William Nadiope and John Lwamafa were later to play a central role in our post-independence politics.
However, a further split between Musazi and the party chairman, Joseph Kiwanuka, saw two factions of the same name vying for support which reduced the original party to shambles. In order to reduce Musazi’s support in the north, Kiwanuka brought in Obote as president of his faction, before Obote too went his own way and joined his faction with Uganda Peoples Party to form UPC. In the meantime, Musazi joined the Uganda National Movement and in 1959 was deported again in connection with the trade boycott.
On his return from exile in 1960, Musazi found a very different political scene in which he failed to fit. Having failed to get a seat in the independence Parliament, Musazi settled for being a member of the Buganda Lukiko and later became chairman of the Uganda Land Commission. In 1980 he joined UPM but generally lived a quite life as old age took its toll. It is befitting that Musazi is going to be remebered in the first inaugural lecture on October 5 2007 at which President Museveni will be the guest of honour. The speaker will be Professor George Shepherd himself.
The writer is a Kampala advocate
In his youth I.K. Musazi, who was declared by Parliament as our first national hero when he died in 1990, was an unlikely candidate for the role he played in adult life as a crusader for the commonman’s rights. Born into relative comfort on August 8 1905, Musazi was sent by his parents to a private boys school in England after a spell at Mengo Central High School. After studying theology at a college in Nottingham, the future politician turned against the orders after he was required to return home in order to be ordained in an African diocese, a move he regarded as racist.
Although anguished by the Anglican church at a formative age, the real catalyst for Musazi’s future lifestyle was a story he heard about the suffering of the American negro and the influence of West African colleagues who convinced him that a political platform and not the pulpit would bring about his people’s liberation. “I heard an American negro give an address on the history of the negro people when I was a student in England. It was a stirring speech and inspired me to return and help my people,†Musazi recalled in an interview in the February 1969 issue of Drum magazine.
Thus fired, Musazi returned to Uganda in 1930 and joined the staff of King’s College, Budo before he became an inspector of schools in the department of education. The latter engagement was providential because the inspectorate tours all over the country enabled Musazi to see firsthand the deplorable conditions of his people, and six years after his return from England he plunged into the muddy waters of his political life. His main concern at this time was to campaign for better prices for the farmers’ crops. To this end, he started organizing the peasants at muluka level so as to enable them to speak with one voice about their grievances.
Before long Musazi had become a national figure hated by the authorities but loved by the masses. He held his first public rally in 1938 atop Old Kampala hill where the new mosque stands. Among those in attendance was a young Makerere medical student, Godfrey Binaisa, who later became president of the country. From then on the name of Musazi was associated with all manner of political agitations which saw him organize the first trade union, the the Uganda Motor Drivers Association.
His activities around this time earned him his first detention when he was deported to West Nile along the Congo border after riots broke out in the streets of Kampala and spread countrywide in 1945.On his return from exile three years later, Musazi straight away formed the Uganda Farmers Association which pushed for both political and economic agendas, sometimes in rioutous ways. While on a mission to the UK in 1949 serious riots erupted and it was suspected by the authorities that Musazi was behind them. On landing at Entebbe airport, the politician was detained and once again rusticated to a remote place, in addition to his organization being proscribed but this time around his friends in the Labour Party in Britain, including the legendary Fenner Brockway, helped to get him an early release.
Musazi was not done yet. This time he formed the Uganda Federation of African Partnerships in which he organized about 500 cooperatives and the times were more propitious as a new governor, Sir Andrew Cohen, who had helped Ghana to self government while at the colonial office, was appointed. Earlier following an address at London School of Economics, Musazi had convinced a young PhD graduate George Shepherd (now Professor) to come down and help him in organizing his work. Most of the ideas propagated by Musazi and Shepherd were picked up by the new governor and implemented.
It is difficult to find words to describe Sir Andrew Cohen’s impact on Uganda’s development but an insight of it can be gained from a speech Fenner Brockway made to the UK Parliament in London after a visit here. He said, “Only a few days ago instead of these organizations being banned the representatives of the government were attending the reception which was arranged by the African organizations, because of the enlighted policy which is now being pursued under a progressive government.â€
Perhaps due to the liberal atmosphere obtaining in the country, on April 6 1952 Musazi announced the formation of the first fully-fledged nationalist party with Abu Mayanja as organizing secretary. The Uganda National Congress (UNC) soon gained nationwide acceptance using Musazi’s contacts through the farmers’ cooperatives. Musazi outlined his political philosophy in a letter in the Uganda Herald in which he said, “Our aim is to establish a true democracy in Uganda and to promote co-operation between the people and the powers that be. We are concerned to preserve our country for ourselves and also we are welcoming members of all races as our co-operators and our guests.â€
Although very prosperous within its first five years, UNC split in 1957 when 14 young turks resigned from the executive and went away to form the United Congress Party. But this did not prevent the party from winning five seats out of 10 in the direct elections to the Legislative Council (LEGCO) which brought Apollo Milton Obote to the national scene. Indeed all the people who were elected on the UNC ticket such as George Magezi, John Babiha, Sir William Nadiope and John Lwamafa were later to play a central role in our post-independence politics.
However, a further split between Musazi and the party chairman, Joseph Kiwanuka, saw two factions of the same name vying for support which reduced the original party to shambles. In order to reduce Musazi’s support in the north, Kiwanuka brought in Obote as president of his faction, before Obote too went his own way and joined his faction with Uganda Peoples Party to form UPC. In the meantime, Musazi joined the Uganda National Movement and in 1959 was deported again in connection with the trade boycott.
On his return from exile in 1960, Musazi found a very different political scene in which he failed to fit. Having failed to get a seat in the independence Parliament, Musazi settled for being a member of the Buganda Lukiko and later became chairman of the Uganda Land Commission. In 1980 he joined UPM but generally lived a quite life as old age took its toll. It is befitting that Musazi is going to be remebered in the first inaugural lecture on October 5 2007 at which President Museveni will be the guest of honour. The speaker will be Professor George Shepherd himself.
The writer is a Kampala advocate