Dr. Apollo Milton Obote; The misunderstood Leader?

Former Ugandan leader;
Late Dr. Apollo Milton Obote


By Hopes N. Kikonyogo

The past few days following Uganda's first executive Prime Minister's death, we all witnessed an unprecedented reaction of jubilation from several
sections of Uganda most vocal of whom being from Buganda.

Unprecedented because in our kiganda tradition it is taboo to celebrate a demise. It still beats my mind why some Baganda would go to the extent of even carrying out mock last funeral rites of Obote with a stray dog as his successor? Was this reaction a natural human way of being symbolic considering the mayhem Buganda endured in Obote's perceived reign of divisiveness or just vile retribution? To answer this question one needs to revisit the history of Uganda that helped spell doom for Obote, Uganda and her people.

http://www.federo.com/Pages/The_1966_Crisis.htm

The fall out with the Baganda may have commenced in 1967, when Obote abrogated the 1962 constitution replacing it with one that loaded the executive with absolute power. The new constitution abolished monarchies and the position of the executive Premier, which was a coup against the president of the country at the time who was the Kabaka of Buganda. It was un-imaginable to a muganda to see their lion in defeat running to exile for his dear life, more so since the Kabaka was highly regarded as next to divine. This never settled well with the Baganda who held Obote in vain even in death.

I do recall with utter clarity, the disdain accorded to Obote by the Baganda whilst growing up, that I am certain so much of the "character assassination" may have been made up for the next generation's consumption. You know when a word of mouth gets distorted every time it got into a recepient's ear and through his mouth to another recepient's ear? For example, it is widely said, though not supported by any documention, that he once said “a good muganda is a dead one” whilst addressing his cronies. But if such is true that he hated Baganda with a passion, why marry a muganda? Why would he desire to have in laws from a tribe he dislikes or even bare children who will share that tribe's blood? Opportunism? I do not think so.

History has never been kind to Obote though. We the Baganda have not been able to understand the complexities of Obote's decisions and running of a govenment. However, the most complexity of all is the supposed incentives for these decisions he took that supposedly changed our mindsets. I am willing to agree with the obote-ists that these constitutional maneuvers were done in the interest of the nation. Obote presided over the most difficult dilemma of either subscribing to the cause of Buganda (which would have led to the disintegration of Uganda as we know it) or standing in Buganda's way to solidify Uganda's position and her national interests. He chose the right path of nationalism to the total dismay of mornachists, who wouldn't in such circumstances.

The moment King Muteesa II refrained from signing the lost counties Referendum Act, 1964; and to sign the Act setting out the boundaries of both Buganda and Bunyoro, 1965; and failure to perform the official opening of the session of parliament on 15th November, 1965. He presented to Obote justifications for abrogating the constitution and thus ceasing the tenure of monarchs. Section 67 of the 1962 constitution stated that if the president declines to perform an act as required by the constitution, the Prime Minister (who happened to be Obote) may himself perform that act.

It is also important to note here that, King Muteesa II and the Lukiiko of Buganda had set a plan to expel the central government from Buganda's land. Mengo had earlier passed a decree to secede from Uganda, which was a threat to the sovereignty of the nation. As an executive Prime Minister, Obote seems to have had no other option other than military action against the kiganda rebellion.

His reputation with the Baganda was to haunt him in his second term, when Museveni used him and his 1966 antics to wage a successful rebellion in the early 80s and later for re-election. Obote's second term as President saw gross political and economic mismanagement that soiled our dear nation even further. But did he have a chance to rebuild the economy and indeed the nation after Idi Amin? Didn't he take over a dying economy only to be taken to task by Museveni's rebellion? Did he really have a chance to make the wrongs right? It seems the best one can do is to let by gones be by gones, reconcile and learn from our rich history for the sake of our country. To that I say Rest in peace, Dr. A.M Obote.