UPC perishability and Nekyon

December 30, 2008 at 2:47 am (POLITICS)

 

 A/C. Referring to subject: let those who thing ‘UPACHA’ is ‘imperishable’ first solve the following riddle:

  1. Adoko Nekyon left his cousin’s UPC Gov’t in 1967. may be this was a sign of what was to come, in 1971(?).
  2. In 1980, Adoko Nekyon, as a DP, was the first to carry the news to Uganda and to the World [over the BBC and so on] that the DP had worn. After Paulo Muwanga imposed an embargo and announced the UPC ‘victory’, it was Nekyon who gave first-hand information on how cheating/rigging had occurred in the North. Detailed the rigging process. He later went into exile form his “cousin-brother’s” thieving government.
  3. Under M7 after 1986, Nekyon was at home. he served m7 very well.
  4. In the late 1990′a/early 2000’s, Adoko Nekyon starts a war against Sister ‘Chechilia’ and Dr. Rwanyarara, the then interim leader of UPC.
  5. he completes the coup by journeying to Zambia and presenting a make-up of the “New UPC leadership” that exclude Dr. Rwanyarara/Checilia group. the ailing leader asked one question: “have you discussed this in at Uganda House??” (with Rwanyarara and Co, that is}. The ‘fox’ in Nekyon said, “YES” [which was a lie and for which the "Dr." later went to Court in Kampala ].Obote approved the new leadership structure and the rest is history.

B/C. CAUSE OF ACTION: The cause and consequnces are there for all to see. Why do you think, of late, up to and even during the burial of Obote, Nekyon was able to get away with such “political malayaism“, even to the extent of using his ‘clan-headship’ to close out the historical UPC’s and Miria’s family-friends from the burial rituals? The reasons are many but the following are indicative.

  1. Nekyon, may be, being remorseful for abandoning his brother in 1967 for egoistic reasons, may have been trying to make amends before the old man’s demise.
  2. May be Nekyon, having moved from UPC to UNLF then to DP and finally to the NRM, which may have disappointed him, my have wished to play a ‘prodigal son’ returning home, which home only be UPC could provide.
  3. may be Nekyon is /was just being opportunistic and envious of Dr. Rwanyarara? “Why should this “munyarwanda lead our party”?
  4. For political scientists, the most plausible reason has remained one: being an experienced politician, of the ‘meandering type’ though he may be, Nekyon and his group perceived wrongly or otherwise, the NRM as a “Westerner” party that has/had eaten into the UPC strongholds in Ankole, etc. Similarly, they may have wrongly/rightly seen DP as a “Ganda Party”. The strategy, therefore was to create a party for the “EAST and NORTH, so that UPC, presumably known to the people already, would still have a presence in Parliament and therefore give Nekyon and his budies ['Wangoola and Co'] a lasting and retirement voice in the final days, in parliament. Numbers thus attained would also give them a ‘block’ from which to bargain with the powers that be [NRM, etc].
  5. They forgot one or two things though:
    • The parliamentary elections of the mid-90’s left the UPC divided and discredited in the North. The UPC witch-hunted people like Checilia and Dr. Okullo Epak because they campaigned for and entred parliament against the party’s advice. they had/have followers too.
    • the KONY accentuated the Acholi_Langi divide. there is no way they were ever going to belong to the same party again, at least not the UPC.
    • They under-estimated the NRM machinations and propaganda abilities. After herding people into concentration camps, only NRM-sifted propaganda could reach them. Only NRM food could reach them. they therefore had a semblance of security under the new ‘regime’. The NRM presented national efforst as NRM-party efforts and this happens up to tpday.
    • Nekyon and his group disillusioned the UPC supporters all over Uganda by becoming too regional/tribal while the UPC in power had, at least, pretended to appear ‘national’. No wonder, Miria could not register even a single vote at many stations outside Lango/Bugisu. It is almost certain that, had the Nekyon group not fragmented the UPC leadership, UPC’s national credentials would have been retained in many places, minimal as these could have been.

C. MONTHER OF ALL QUESTIONS THEREFORE: “Is UPC perishable?” The answer is simple. When the likes of Dr. Oyet cross from London to the NRMO, things are not simple. He is not a stupid “everybody”. Imagine then, what could have happened on the ground.

 The UPC that ruled Uganda with KY’s help from 1962-1966, with KY/DP crossovers from 1967-1971, with Tanzania ’s help from 1980-1985 CAN NEVER BE RESURRECTED. In other words, it is a waste of time to even ask about the ‘perish-ability’ or not of UPC. The question is just academic. The National UPC was on the death-bed when Obote was ailing on his death-bed in Zambia , and Adoko Nekyon, who saw the national UPC as a dead “Co” tried to replace it with a regional UPC, with catastrophic consequences. The national UPC therefore perished long ago when Nekyon, Wangola, Walubiri, etc decided to hammier the final nail in its head.

It may remain as a Lira-party centred on Hon. Akena. New parties, including a possible ‘Acholi one” [not the Liberal party of Tiberio Okeny and Leander Komakech of 1980 but may one centred on Mao] after the DP rejects him], etc. “National UPC is History”. If this prediction is to be proved wrong, then today is certainly not the time. The ‘bwino” – hard evidence we have is that the UPC is no more, at least as a national party, thanks, among other things, to M7_Adoko joint Nekyon action.

 Christopher Muwanga,

Nakasero,

Kampala.  

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Kakungulu Not a Traitor(part 5)

December 30, 2008 at 2:33 am (CULTURE, History, KINGDOMS)

Dear “Sir” Henry Ford and others.

 

Summary: “Revanchism” and “Revisionism” -the desire for revenge and for the re-writing of history is a double edged sword. You may use it for a moment but it may cause you losses in the end.? How? Why? One now talks of a “master Plan”, etc. Does “Sir” Ford want a Kingdom where the Banyoro are a minority again?

 

It is a disease that occupies short-sighted minds, that plan looking at short-term scenarios and act without strategic calculations. Two examples will suffice before more details are furnished.

 

1/6. After the defeat of Germany in WW-I, many in Germany felt bad, despite the fact that their leaders at the time has started WW-I. One hot-head, a street artist called Adolfo Hitler used extremist language and support from conservatives to try to re-draw the borders of Germany as affirmed by the treaty of Versailles [Take note "Sir" Ford].

 

Well, he eventually became elected Chancellor of Germany in 1933 BUT remember, by May 9th, 1945, after WW-II, Germany was even smaller than it had been when he came to power. The rest is history. Even a re-united Germany [1989] is far smaller than the ‘post-WW-I’ one.

If revisionism were right or logical, Russia would demand for Alaska, France for Louisiana, Italy for Egypt or even for India and all the territories in-between [Roman Empire], etc, etc.

Mother of all questions; therefore, how far back in history or when does demand for the  ‘restitution’ and restoration of ‘lost territories ‘ begin and end? Shall all humanity now claim the so called “Garden of Aden” -because that is where we ‘all’ came from, mbu [one hears]? Stop being misled and excited by the heat of the moment please. Do not behave as though the ‘project’ called Uganda has ceased to exist.  Buganda is not a sovereign State. Neither is Bunyoro. How can then, one start claiming territory from the other? You are be shaming the State and GoU. Am surprised you are not yet charged with ‘treason’, for advocating ‘un-constitutional measures’ to solve sentimental problems.

 

2/6. Revisionism is illogical, especially when you mix mythology, wishes etc with fact. You say that even the people in the ‘3 -original counties’ of Buganda “would be speaking Luo…”. Since when, “Sir” Ford, did inhabitants speak the language of the visitors? The Banyoro Kings are of Luo origin, so we are told. Why then is Runyoro spoken in Bunyoro-Kitara, today, not Luo? It is like saying that there were no people in Buganda in advance of the Biito dynasties? I still have to learn that version of history which says “creation /existence started with the centralized states in the interlocutrice area”. Welcome to the World man. 

 

3/6. I have no words for the statements put out by one “Patric Von Otto” who seems to have qualified more in spewing vulgarities than ideas. One point though: by talking of a non-aggression pact between entities or peoples, I did not necessarily mean written ones. There is what we call “omukkago” stamped by “blood brother-hood” or consented intermarriage. There was such an arrangement between the principalities of Busoga and Buganda Kingdom. Kooki is another example. The Banyala of Bugerere changed/sought allegiance with Buganda, for protection at their own request for fear of Bunyoro, far in advance of the British arrival. They even produced one of the most famous Katikiro’s at Mengo, in recent times. Hold a referendum there today and see. So, the “tolintabaala-siri kutabaala’ is a non-aggression pact, written or not. Why should Bunyoro want to re-assert her authority on non-Banyoro peoples that were happy to survive its yoke earlier on. Are Banyala, Banyoro? Are Baluli, Banyoro? Are people of Bulemezi, Banyoro? Or you want the place empty when you re-gain it? The Nyamwezi Empire gave Buganda trade missions/expeditions rights of ‘safe –passage’ to and from the coast, while trading in cloth, guns, merchandise, Ivory, etc. Why was this possible? Why was Buganda not fighting the Nyamwezi to the south-west? Because there was a ‘non-agression pact’ arrangement, which was missing in the Buganda-Bunyoro relationship.

 

4/6. To come to our days: the British have no written constitution, neither had/has Buganda. It does not mean they do not have laws.

Please “Von” Otto, I know what I was talking about. If the Banyoro had “omukkago” with Buganda, they would have faced the Arabs and the British together.  But come this situation when Buganda had relations with England and not with Bunyoro and you expect them to betray this relationship because of a local rival they have been at war with for 300 years, because of geography and colour? One: Buganda is a dependable alley [Ask UPC: Buganda gave them power].Buganda is neither racist nor short sighted, please [see the nationalities represented in the Great Lukiiko, even former porters and herdsmen are represented!!]. But Buganda is Principled. There was no need to jeopardize a well-nurtured relationship with a World power that had the ability to provide education ,etc with a fair-weather neigbour, for sentimental reasons of race, proximity, etc, even when the neigbour has not requested for help. You cannot always guess the needs of people for them.

 

5/6. Why is all this coming up at this time? It is, among other reasons, the misplaced envy and nostalgia that are at work [giving rise to the ‘gandophobia’ syndrome].

 When a child from a needy family grows up and becomes able, it may want to revenge on a neigbour, “why did you have better toys than I did when we were young?” –mainly because the former needy child has a stick and may be campaigned by a ‘bully’, while the former well-off one has his (stick) unready and may be is seemingly un-campaigned. The real truth is that, the insolence of the former needy child, now envious of the peer would still have no chance in an ‘equal contest’ (without a biased third party that is).

 Wait till the Bachope and Alur start demanding for their own Cultural heads and districts apart from Masindi. Even the Buliisa people [e.g. the long suffering Bagungu, the original inhabitants of the Albertine shores, long subjugated by Bunyoro], may demand an ‘equitable share’ of the oil resources, to remain in the local communities.

The advise remains: Let Buganda and Bunyoro join to demand their say in a United Uganda, for the benefits of their people and Ugandans at large.

 

6/6. Concluding: So, “Sir” Henry Ford, seek not revenge. Revisionisim is a double –edged sword that can even harm the user. Do not mix the extent of the former Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom with “Bunyoro-ness”. This is one of the reasons ancient Bunyoro Kitara  broke up into pieces, in the first place!! Tooro did not secede on the intervention of Buganda. Karagwe in Tanzania was not lost due to Buganda, neither did Ankole, let alone Bunyala or even Bulemezi you wrongly talk of. If push and further you go back to that situation, Banyoro will become a minority in the Kingdom again and, what went around will still come around. Better keep what you have now and enjoy what the Central GoU and the locals will give to you, from the oil revenues. Better fight for more. Check the Oil Agreements first.

As for “Von” Otto, I am not ready to stoop to his level of vulgarities contained in his post on subject. Germany started WW-I and lost. Still it started WW-II and lost further. There is no benefit in revisionism especially that grounded on ‘illogic’ and blind revenge. Full stop.

 

Happy New year to the Compatriots.

 

Christopher Muwanga,

Nakasero,

Kampala.

29.12.2008

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UPC perishability,Nekyon & Dr. Rwanyayare

December 30, 2008 at 2:14 am (History, POLITICS)
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1/8. Summary: I will summarise the situation in advance of the replacement of Dr. Rwanyarare’s/Celilia’s  PPC – Presidential policy commission by Adoko Nekyon-Okello Okello/Wegulo’s SCC – Constitutional Steering Committee. My research shows that the PPC, mainly backed by the young Turks, Makerere academia, etc was being undermined by at least two groups:

  1.  
    1. The Nekyon-Okello Okello group.
    2. The Wegulo group.
    3. Ruhaihayo did not have a group but he was suspected to be vacillating between the Rwanyarare/Cecilia group and that of Wegulo. Rurangaranga was with the PPC.

                                                             i.      Objectives: To overthrow the PPC, openly because its members like Dr. Okullo Epak and Cecilia, etc  had stood for Parliament defying Party dictives but inside/innermost, because the party had to have a “home” [regional base].

                                                           ii.      Execution of the ‘coup plan’:  The Nekyon – Okello Okello group wrote a very convincing proposal and took it to the party president. On receiving it and after talking to them, he, as said earlier, asked them if there had been consultation. They answered “yes”. He told them to hold on. Meanwhile, someone from the ‘household’ (name withheld) rang Rwanyarare, “Nekyon and Okello Okello are here, confusing Mzee, yet he is tired”. Dr. Rwanyarare replied that, that, was unfair because, the last time he had visited , Mzee had been in such health as needing rest. On the question, by the caller, as to whether they had discussed the proposals, Rwanyarare answered in the negative. They spent two days and after seemingly getting some opinion from the Wegulo group, Obote signed their proposal.

                                                        iii.      In Kampala , when the PPC heard of the ‘coup’ [Obote did not infact overthrow the PPC members. Instead, he created the CSC- the Constitutional Steering Committee but  to which Rwanyarare was to hand over to, him coming in charge of the ‘Inter party desk” [liaison with NRM, DP, that is, imagine!!!]. The PPC young Turks refused the handover. Rwanyarare said, “no we shall create a larger crisis for the party. Instead we shall go to Court, after consulting the party president”.  When contacted, Obote ordered them, “Sit together and discuss”. This was his last open word on party issues. The PPC group decided to go to Court and they did, judging that Mzee was too tired to be involved in the day-today conflicts at Uganda House. The Court Process dragged on, Uganda style till it was considered futile. At Obote’s burial ceremonies, word went around that some group had overworked Obote to death but this never held ground. Some cursed Nekyon but when he took charge of the ceremonies as clan elder, every rumour ‘died’ and complacency set in. The elections and the results are history.

 

2/8. BACK TO THE MAIN STORY AND ISSUES RAISED BY JOHN OCHIENO:

  •  
    • Dr. Rwanyarare is not a “Munyarwanda” at all. He is a typical Muchiga, from Kanungu District.
    • Dr. Rwanyayare has at least two achievements attributed to him, in his long life:
      •   He was among the group of Junior School students taken from Kigezi high School (outside Kabale town) to talk English to the African who talked ‘better English’ that white men. This was Sir Edward Mutesa, on his tour of the then Kigezi district, in 1957. He [Rwanyarare] was by then, already a member of the UNC.
      • He joined the UPC-youth wing at the party’s founding, March 15th,1960 [ Kampala club]. 
      • After the anti-Amin liberation, when all UPC’s walked with their heads bowed, Dr. Rwanyarare was the first person to fly the ‘blue-black-red‘ flag [at his clinic, Blue Room, Namirembe rd, Kampala ]. No wonder he became the minister of culture in the Obote-II government soon after.
        • Ironically, though it is at the same Blue Rooms { Namirembe Rd } that trouble started for veteran Musaazi in ‘59. In reality, he was overthrown by the young Turks led by Jolly Joe Kiwanuka [Founder of Express FC, who introduced Obote], although the ‘coup de grace’ was finally acted in the Mbale conference, where his vice president Obote took charge of the ‘progressive wing’.
    • Dr. Rwanyarare had another quality. He knew Museveni so well that attacks on him ]M7] were always well grounded, since the Dr. knew the ‘rubble-rouser’ from his days as a DP activist in the early 1960’s. More to that, he was useful as M7’s propaganda could not undermine UPC as a ‘party for northerners’.
    • Finally, it is Dr. Rwanyarare  [and Chechilia] who registered the new UPC party as we know it today, according to the requirements of the current constitution of Uganda . May factions were against this. So, he is the founder of the “new UPC”.

3/8. On Hon. Nekyon, I know he was an effective minister. Especially, when he said, “..History will prove me right..” on signing off the conversion of Nakasero European hospital into UTV/Radio Uganda headquarters in 1967, as  M.o. Information, Broadcasting and Tourism.

Ø      We must admit though, a fact you seem not to accept, that he is the one who engineered the removal of Dr. Rwanyarare from the PPC [leadership of UPC] together with Okello Okello. Wegulo was in the wings though. I stand by what I say on this and I would like you to find out more about it: Words always reached the ‘party president’ and many came with their views. I find it strange that you forget that Sister Cecilia [read Chechilia] was ostracized from the party for standing in the parliamentary elections. When Adoko Nekyon arrived with his team, with proposal for the future of the party, the one questions Obote reportedly continued asking were:

o       Rwanyarare, Cecilia and Co. are in touch with the grass-roots. Are you people there? How will you communicate and explain the change?

o       Most important: have you discussed this issue with Uganda House? [meaning the Rwanyarare faction, the PPC]? To which they reportedly answered in the affirmative. Now, if Nekton’s pre-mature announcement of the DP victory in 1980 [claiming support of soldiers, in case] was bad for UPC, this lie, to the ailing party president my be the one to haunt Nekyon and the party, for a long time to come. In fact, when a member of the Rwanyarare team visited soon after Nekyon’s team’s  departure Obote he behaved, not unlike Jacob after he has blessed Abel in place of Cain. He reportedly only communicated with body language and offered Nekyon’s reasons, not his. May be because of ailment or of remorse but, the rest is history.

4/8. In my para. 5, of the earlier post, I did not imply that Obote never signed the “Appointing” instruments. Indeed he appointed and dismissed officials at Uganda House (when inexile) BUT, AFTER “CONSULTATIONS”, in this case, “LOBBYING”. It was after such consultations that he ‘dis-engaged’ the Rwanyarare PPC team from the leadership of UPC [he instead created a parallel organ, the CSC- Constitutional Steering Committee, headed by Hajji Badru Wegulo, another [anti-Rwanyarare coup plotter], making Rwanyarare the head of “Inter-party” relations. Another point though: The preparations for his come back were now  silently in progress. It may be that, since he was to go home in Lira/Apach, it may be be assumed that Adoko and his team would have done better at grass-root mobelisation in the area, or so they thought.

5/8. The Dr. Olet I mentioned is one Egwea.

6/8. UPC a party of the future? Hmm. Physical scientists believe what they can ‘see’. Only social scientists try to predict the future. True, UPC will be there in the future. But, in power? May be. Did it not come in power in 1962, with no majority in parliament? Good luck.

7/8. On being ‘happy’ with Mama Akena, a.k.a. Mrs. Kalule Obote in charge: Ha ha!! Is it really believed that our people can support anything of their ‘like’ on such simplistic whims, even a hyena in a sheep’s fleece? Does she have power? If so, why is she being sidelined by Foreign Minister Sam Odaka from the Milton Obote Foundation in charge of Uganda House, Uganda School Supply, etc. Do you not know that Uganda House was gone but was only saved by one of the 99 tricks appied by the ‘city boys left in Kampala’ ? Did Miria contribute to saving it?

8/8. Concluding: Party belonging is a commitment. A party is judged by its dream and may be UPC will rejuvenate and re-package itself but the latest anti-Miria conference did not market you well. The intrigue that made the ‘once turn-coat’ Nekyon the party-hero in the evening of his cousin’s life makes the party an ‘enigma’  bundled in mystery, a mystery that can only be unwrapped by your geuine party members, that is ,if one of the 99 tricks does not include ‘fratricide’ as exhibited in the PPC-CSC un-necessary struggle, detailed above. That was a self-scored goal whose effects will take years, if not decades to heal.

[Note: These vies are only cademic and are not based on my political leanings. the contents are open secrets ta Kampala club, Kitante Golf course, Uganda House Shed, among many  makeree discussin circles, etc].

 

Christopher Muwanga,

Nakasero,

Kampala.

 

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