Kenyan renowned lawyer and political scholar Prof. Patrick Lumumba has challenged the political leadership in Uganda to draw lessons from former President Milton Obote’s spirit of Pan Africanism and regional integration. He said that Obote’s administration played a central role in making Uganda a force to reckon with in various aspects which is no longer the case.
Prof. Lumumba described Obote as a freedom fighter, a unifying leader and peacemaker who together with compatriots like Jomo Kenyatta and Julius Nyerere secured Independence for East Africa.
The Kenyan academic was delivering the 5th edition of the Milton Obote Memorial Lecture at Sheraton Hotel Kampala on Tuesday, organized by the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC).
“History might judge him harshly but Obote teaches us positive lessons. I celebrate the Obote who led Uganda when; Jinja was booming with industries, copper mines were vibrant, Mulago hospital treated all patients in East Africa and Makerere University was the ‘academic Mecah’ in which we all paid pilgrimage,” Lumumba remarked, in a moving presentation that received a standing ovation.
According to Prof. Lumumba, the East African Community (EAC) has failed to benchmark on the ideas and guiding principles conveived by Obote, Kenyatta and Nyerere to further earlier successes in economic and political integration.
“I long for the days when you moved from Mombasa to Hoima and back to Dares-Salam in Tanzania using a single currency. When one worked in another country without necessarily having a work permit and when countries shared electricity without signing treaties,” he stated.
The departure of Obote, Lumumba said was responsible for the ‘incomplete equation’ and fall of the EAC.
At a national level, Lumumba praised the two time President of Uganda for promoting national unity even when it rubbed kingdoms like Buganda and Bunyoro the wrong way. “Uganda has turned 55 years because of the foundation work of Obote. His spirit must be kept alive.”
However, Makerere University historian Prof. Mwambusya Ndebesa who was a discussant used the forum to highlight Obote’s weakness from which UPC and the ruling government must learn from. Ndebesa hinted on the militarism that dominated Obote’s administration even when he disguised it as civil.
“At the core of his regime, Obote’s used militarism even though he sugarcoated it as being civil. And later, it is was the same military commanders that ousted him,” he said.
In his critique, Ndebesa also faulted UPC for its dented internal democracy as well as gross intolerance of other political parties like Democratic Party (DP) which bordered to threats and intimidation. UPC might be alive but it is not well and needs to bring its house to order, Ndebesa said.
“This business of refusing to hand over power has a genealogy in UPC and it needs to give us lessons. Obote hang onto power even when he was out of the country which had a blow on the party,” he said.
Tuesday’s lecture was attended by Obote’ wife Miria Obote and son Jimmy Akena, former Ministers; Chris Rwakasisi, Yona Kanyomozi and Dr. Moses Abiriga among other UPC senior members.
