Kampala, 11/10/2007

UGANDA :A COUNTRY WHICH HAS HAD EIGHT PRESIDENTS IN STORMY 45 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE FULL OF TURBULENTS AND POLITICAL TURMOIL

By Leo Odera Omolo

The writer visited Kampala on October 5-6 as the country celebrated its 45th independence anniversary last week. The country attained her political independence from Great Britain on 6th October 1962.

Uganda celebrated her 45th independence anniversary on Tuesday 6th October 2007 but not away from four decades full of contrast and conflicting historical background.

This is a country where life expectancy is 48 therefore if Uganda were a person, it have just three more years to live. But what kind of a life it would have lived ?

Uganda arguably has seen and witnessed many man-made catastrophes as well as natural calamities like any country in the world.

In March 2006 Uganda held her first presidential, parliamentary and local council elections under the new multiparty democratic system. But that was just the latest chapter in the action packed life of the 45-year-old country.

It has four decades of changes most of them bloody. That is why whereas the other East African countries like Kenya and Tanzania have had an average of three heads of state over a period of 45 years, Uganda has had nine presidents.

The large number is not a testimony of a booming democracy since most of these leaders were ever elected through the ballot boxes but came to power by the barrel of cuns.

Benedicto Kiwanuka a devoted catholic and a lawyer by training (first Chief Minister) and Apollo Milton Obote (first Executive Prime Minister) were elected in the run up to independence .The first President, Sir Edward Muteesa was duly elected by parliament under the auspices of UPC/ Kabaka Yekka alliance. Sir Edward also remained the monarch ruler of the populous Buganda Kingdom.

To become president the first time Milton Obote simply issued a decree in 1966 after storming the Lubiri Palace and chasing away Muteesa .Lubiri is the seat of power of the Buganda Kingdom.

Although Obote tried in vain to make his action of overthrowing King Freddie Mutesa appear legal, claiming Muteesa was a threat to Uganda's national security Obote's action was viewed by many Ugandan as amounting to a military takeover.

The next president, self styled Field Marshall Dr.Idi Amin Dada,V.C and the Conqurer of the Bristish Empire who had earlier played a key role in the storming of the Lubiri (Kabaka'a palace) turned the gun on his master (Obote) and overthrow him in 1971,eventually declaring himself life president!!

Idi Amin forcefully entry meant that Uganda had been led by four leaders within its first 10 years of Independence on the other hand, Uganda immediate neighbours country Kenya and Tanzania were still being ruled by one leader each - - the late Jomo Kenyatta and the late Julius Kambarage Nyerere.

Amin despotic rule came to an abrupt end in 1979.The overthrowing of Idi Amin brought in a string of new leaders. It started with the late Prof Yusuf Lule, elected at the Moshi Conference that comprised various anti-Amin exile groups, which had camped in the neighbouring countries or were simply termed exiled leaders.

Despite of Lule's massive popularity those who wielded the real power removed him from power after just 68 days. It was by the National Consultative Council (NCC), which he had allegedly tried to undermine.

Lule was replaced by Godfrey Lukongwa Binaisa another London trained lawyer who had earlier served in the post-independence cabinet as the Attorney General under Milton Obote.Binaisa is credited for having introduced minvuli (Umbrella) system under which he tried to bring together the various warring political groups .The umbrella, however, did not survive the rains of intrigue conspiracies and hunger for power.

And then Uganda prepared herself for what were anticipated to be the first truly free and fair elections since independence in 1962.The elections were held in 1980

The Uganda People Congress (UPC) and Democratic Party (DP) were the major political parties and major players but there was also the Consecutive Party (CP) and Uganda- Patriotic Movement (UPM)

The population took part in the elections with high expectations. However the elections were rigged in favour of Dr.Obot's UPC party. But still at least Ugandans electorate had had a taste of an election after many years of successive military dictatorship

But between 1980 and 2007,aperiod of 26 years Uganda has had three presidents compared to the period between 1962 and 1980 (18yrs) when it had six!

Of the three presidents in he last 26 years only General Tito Okello did not go to the polls.

Although Museveni has been in power for 21 years ,he has been directly elected by the population three times on his own right and on the account of high caliber of track record of massive development achieved in a country which has been devastated by the effect of armed conflict and military rule.

During the same period of 26 years the neighboring Tanzania had also had three Presidents - - Ali Hassan Mwinyi,Benjamin Mkapa and now Jakaya Kikwete - - while Kenya has had only two Daniel Arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki.

The similarity in leadership statistics with Kenya and Tanzania over the last 21 years is a clear indication that perhaps Uganda has been more settled politically than it was during her first 20 years on Independence.

After a turbulent of teething problems, childhood and youth a middle aged Uganda is looking forward to ripe old age that will definitely go beyond the national life expectancy of 48 years.

The country under Museveni has since joined the rank of Oil rich nation of the world after discovering that underneath of Lake Albert in the Western part lies billion barrels of Oil which could be exploited commercially.

The drilling is now underway while several productive out wells are already in productions what a hard work that came during Museveni's reign of power!!

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com