No more exile

presidents for Uganda

 

 

By Prof. Tarsis B. Kabwegyere
There are very many thoughts that pass through the mind as we celebrate 44 years of Uganda’s independence. As I attended the Executive Committee Meeting of IJNHCR in Geneva, engaged in wide ranging discussions on refugees worldwide, I could not avoid reflecting on Uganda’s leadership and refugee status. I soon discovered that there is no country in the World that can beat Uganda on having had Presidents with a refugee status connection.

 

Prof. Tarsis Kabwegyere

The first President of Uganda, Sir Edward Mutesa ran into exile where he died as refugee in London. Mutesa became a refugee less than five years of independence in 1966. Obote followed him in about the same time after, in 1971. For eight years Obote was in Tanzania.

1979 brought in President Lule who had been in exile in London.

He returned to exile refugee status only 68 days after he replaced Amin who had been ejected into exile by the UNLF forces. Both Lule and Amin died in exile with one improvement for former President Lule, that he came back dead but as a hero representing a new era. Amin remains in exile in his life and death.

1980 saw President Binaisa leave office and ending in Tanzania, leaving office for three Presidents but whose names are never heard of because Muwanga overshadowed them. Nyamuchocho, Musoke and Wacha Olwol joined the troika but were never allowed to act as occupiers of the presidency because Muwanga ignored them and since all of them were stayees, no liberator defended them. The troika idea had come up because the one-man-show had failed. It was thought that a political trinity could be more stable as they were expected to consult among themselves before taking action. It never worked.

1985 saw Obote once again depart to exile. He died a refugee in Zambia.

His remover, Okello Lutwa soon followed him in exile in Tanzania. With a brief stop-over in Kenya, like Binaisa, he returned and went to rest after he had enjoyed his renewed citizenship. Binaisa’s long life has given him the opportunity to enjoy the status of a former president in the new era of Uganda’s political history.

Dr. Kiiza Besigye’s attempt to take power on return from exile in 2006 was an effort to revive a superseded practice. Dr. Kiiza Besigye came from self-exile in South Africa and tried the presidency in February this year. I pointed out at the time that, the effort was not going to yield results. The situation of leading Uganda from outside has totally changed. Invading Uganda either as a person or as an army and proceeding to lead Uganda at Presidential level is no longer tenable.

Uganda has for a long time been a refugee producing country.

This has changed. Uganda has had leaders coming from exile and taking up the Presidency. It is not easy to take over the presidency through an uprising, the way Kiiza Besigye imagines. Ugandans now want to elect their leaders. The message to Kony and those around him is that 44 years of independence have taught Ugandans that democratic elections are the sure methods of recruiting leaders. Come home and seek the people’s mandate.