Uganda National Congress

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Uganda National Congress (UNC) was the first political party in Uganda. [1] [2] [3] It was a socialist party. [4]

Contents

UNC formed

Formed on Sunday 2 March 1952, Ignatius Kangave Musaazi was its first President, and Abubaker Kakyama Mayanja the party's first Secretary General. Apollo K. Kironde was the legal advisor to the party. The six men who founded the party were: Ignatius Kangave Musaazi (Buganda), Abubakar Kakyama Mayanja (Buganda), Stefano Abwangoto (Bugisu), Ben Okwerede (Teso), Yekosofati Engur (Lango) and S.B. Katembo (Toro). [5]

UNC conceived at Musajjalumbwa's house

The UNC was conceived at Musajjalumbwa's house located on what is now Musajjalumbwa Road, near the Lubiri (Kabaka's palace), at Mengo. In 1951, Ignatius Musaazi rented part of the ground floor of Musajjalumbwa's house, a house of the late Yakobo Musajjalumbwa, who was a Treasurer (Omuwanika) in the Buganda Kingdom. At this house, a lot of work was done which resulted in the creation of the UNC. The party did much to help achieve Uganda's independence from Great Britain on Tuesday 9 October 1962. [6]

UNC involvement in the struggle for independence in Africa

The UNC was involved in the struggle for independence in Africa. In Cairo (Egypt) John Kale represented the UNC and co-ordinated the struggle for the independence of African Countries. Abu Mayanja and John Kale established a UNC office in Cairo to link up with contacts all over the world in order to assist freedom fighters in Africa.

The Secretary General of the UNC, Abu Mayanja, used his close relationship with the then Chinese leader Mao Tse-tung and Prime Minister Zhou Enlai, to secure support for African freedom fighters involved in the struggle for independence in Africa. The UNC received £500,000 from China, as well as a modern printing press for the UNC from Italy. The printing press was installed in offices of two Ugandan newspapers at the time, namely The Uganda Post and The Uganda Express, which were based at Kololo in Kampala. [7]

Other political parties formed in Uganda

Following the birth of the UNC, other political parties were formed. In 1956, DP (Democratic Party) was formed. After the 1958 general election in Uganda, seven unaffiliated members of the Uganda Legislative Council (which was in effect Parliament in those colonial days), formed the Uganda People's Union. In 1960 there was a split in the UNC party: there was a Musaazi faction and an Apollo Milton Obote-led faction. The Uganda People's Union together with the Obote-led faction of the UNC, got together and formed a new party, the Uganda People's Congress (UPC) in March 1960. The DP and UPC parties became major political parties in Uganda. The UNC became less of a force, mainly because DP became popular and a new party emerged: Kabaka Yekka party (KY). [7]

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Ignatius Kangave Musaazi (1905–1990) formed the first political party in Uganda, namely the Uganda National Congress (UNC) party on Sunday 2 March 1952. Musaazi became its first President, and Abubaker Kakyama Mayanja was the party's first Secretary General. Other key figures of the UNC included Apollo K. Kironde who was the legal advisor to the party. Towards the end of 1951, Ignatius Musaazi rented part of the ground floor at Musajjalumbwa's house, a house on what is now known as Musajjalumbwa Road near the Lubiri (palace) in Mengo. The house belonged to the late Yakobo Musajjalumbwa, a former Treasurer (Omuwanika) of the Buganda kingdom. This house became a centre of political activity and in 1952 witnessed the birth of the Uganda National Congress.

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Abubaker Kakyama Mayanja was the first Secretary General of the Uganda National Congress party, the first political party in Uganda set up on 6 March 1952 by Ignatius K. Musaazi. He became the Secretary General of the UNC in his youth and while an undergraduate student at Makerere University College, which later became Makerere University. Abu Mayanja helped Musaazi draft the Constitution of the Uganda National Congress party. Abu was a fighter for independence in Uganda and Africa, a strong parliamentarian and one who disliked injustice. He contributed greatly to the political life of Uganda as a constitutional expert, formidable parliamentarian, government minister at various times, and as an excellent Barrister in private practice. His written contributions in the Tribune magazine, Transition, Uganda Argus and New Vision newspapers were always well received and much respected.

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References

  1. Engholm, Geoffrey, “Political Parties and Uganda's Independence”, Transition, No. 3 (Jan., 1962), pp. 15-17
  2. Earle, Jonathon Lynn, “Political Theologies in Late Colonial Buganda, p102, University of Cambridge, 2012
  3. Kayunga, Sallie S., ‘Uganda National Congress and the Struggle for Democracy: 1952– 1962’ (CBR Publications (Working Paper No. 14), 1995)
  4. Simba, S. K. (2015). "Same Same but Different: Parties, Politics and Ideology in Uganda" (PDF). Makerere University College of Humanities and Social Sciences. p. 12. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  5. Kavuma-Kaggwa, J. M., “The UNC was the pioneer of Uganda's independence”, Daily Monitor Newspaper (Uganda), 12 Oct 2010
  6. Mayanja, Peter Mulira, “Parallel authorities in Buganda are a time bomb”, New Vision newspaper (Uganda), 20 Dec 2005
  7. 1 2 Kavuma-Kaggwa, J.M. (9 Oct 2019). "Road to Uganda's Independence: A view from a witness". PML Daily.