ugnet_: Re: [DPNet] Re: Kanyeihamba on the Phantom Armsofthe1960s, Ibingira andtheConspiracies

2003-07-23 Thread YOSWA DAMBISYA
Ndugu Ssemakula,

Though these questions were addressed to Karoli Ssemogerere, I believe
my reply to you covered most of those grounds. Kanyeihamba describes
himself as one of the "Pillars of the NRM until appointed Justice of the
Supreme Court".  You may want to know that the book is most unflattering
of UPC, its leadership and legacy. Knowing your disposition, it is
actually your type of book :-) 
I hope you still have a sense of humour!

Best regards,

Yoswa

>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 07/21/03 10:44PM >>>

I am afraid I do not see your point. What I need to know is:
- Did Kanyeihamba witness the events he writes about firsthand as a
member of the inner circle of a given party, as Ibingira was in UPC, or
not? Membership in a given political party can help me gauge political
bias, conscious or otherwise.
- If not, who were his informants or sources -- especially published
ones? All I am trying to do is gauge his credibility and depth of his
knowledge.
- If he is relying on secondary sources, as many people -- including
myself -- normally do, I want to know that too. (And yes, I am aware
that "eyewitnesses" do not always see the same things -- many
experiments in psychology, etc -- have firmly established this).
- Does the "letter", that was supposedly written to the Queen of
England, actually exist, and if so where?

That is all there is to it. If you have anything to say about the above
points I am all ears.
ssemakula

Original Message Follows 
From: Karoli Ssemogerere 
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Subject: Re: [DPNet] Re: Kanyeihamba on the Phantom Arms ofthe1960s,
Ibingira and theConspiracies 
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 12:08:07 -0700 (PDT) 

Never been the one to agree with JSC Kanyeihamba on all occasions. As
an academic however, he has always been fairly objective. The fact that
he is a former UPC et al, is irrelevant. More Ugandans have belonged to
UPC or its offshoots in the past than any other political party, that
alone does not disqualify him. Secondly, the politics of suspicion,
treachery were a very component of Uganda's politics to this day. Some
of these revelations may be new, but most are repeated in Samwiri
Rubaraza Karugire's Political History of Uganda. 

kls. 


 
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Re: ugnet_: Re: [DPNet] Re: Kanyeihamba on the Phantom Armsofthe1960s,Ibingira andtheConspiracies

2003-07-24 Thread YOSWA DAMBISYA
I thought I had said my last bit on Ndugu Ssemakula's responses to my
response, but find I need to add something here as well.

>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 07/24/03 12:33AM >>>

>Addenda: 1. For what it is worth, I understand that it was
probably Toronto's Dr. Muniini who first described Mr. Kanyeihamba, as
"a pillar of the National Resistance Movement", and that this was in the
5th June, 2000 issue of the Monitor newspaper. >

That may well have been the case. This is how Kanyeihamba sees his role
in the NRM: "The author was a cadre during the years of the struggle
1980-1985. Was minister of Commerce 1986-9. Minister of Justice and
Attorney General (AG) 1989-91. First Senior presidential Adviser on
International and Human Rights Affairs, 1991-97. While AG the author
moved and steered the Bill through Parliament that extended the NRM
Administration for another five years. In Sept. 1997 became Justice of
the Supreme Court."  Footnote on Page 222.

2. Mr. Kanyeihamba apparently also hails from Kigezi -- another
area that seriously bamboozled by the conniving Obote. 

The context and relevance of no. 2 above is not so clear to me,
elaborate please.

3. In Gureme's review of the book in the June 23, 2003 issue of the
Monitor ( www.monitor.co.ug/archives/oped/2003/0623/op2.php ) he puts
the so-called 'Dramatic Years' in context. He said: "The book also
dissects the constitutional discussions: here and in Britain, where our
1962 Constitution was concluded. And through the absurdities of
electioneering, where the avail of symbols (e.g. the open hand) rather
than principles were debated! Kanyeihamba labels the years 1962 to 1966
as the "Dramatic Years," because of the theatricals culminating in
Milton Obote's home-brewed "Crisis" of 1966.>.

I have already apologised for giving the impression that the entire
book was the 2-3 pages I quoted on this forum! May be I should withdraw
the apology: should i have mentioned the constitutional talks when we
were looking at the "phantom arms of the 1960s"? Mine was not at attempt
to review Kanyeihamba's book!

>>>"Incidentally, Ibingira's recollection of those debates is also
illuminating. Obote, whom he accompanied was too busy sight-seeing and
gawking at red doubledecker buses of London to attend many of the
sessions.>>>..

And Ibingira, having been in full attendance (while Obote was
red-doubledecker buses of London-gawking) not only knew what the
absentee Obote was doing, but came back and supported the same
irresponsible Obote to lead his party to Independence! You know what,
that Obote man must have been quite something, for somehow he got to
take credit for what others did whilst he was gawking at red
doubledecker buses. Listen to what Sir Edward said of Obote's role in
those talks:
"THE TALKS WERE SUCCESSFUL FOR US. WITH OBOTE'S SUPPORT, WE OBTAINED A
GREAT DEAL OF WHAT WE WANTED AND LOOKED TO RECEIVE THE REST LATER. WE
WERE TO HAVE OUR OWN HIGH COURT" The Kabaka of
Buganda, Desecration of My Kingdom; Pages 161-162.
In 1967, Sir Edward did not have to give Obote credit where it was not
due, why did he attribute the "Ebyaffe" from those talks to the red
doubledecker gawking Obote instead of the erudite Ibingira?

> (Also, Ibingira accompanied Obote to Long Island, NY where a
small college gave him an honorary doctorate that Obote was to "wear" --
almost thread-bare, as though it were an earned doctorate, throught his
life.) 

Now we want, even, to begrudge Obote of the honorary degree he was
awarded? 

4. Elsewhere, it has been suggested that Keith Ingham,
author/editor of books like:  The making of modern Uganda (1958, 1983); 
A History of  East Africa (1967), The kingdom of Toro in Uganda (1975),
Obote: A Political Biography (1994), etc, was/is a foreigner and
therefore somehow an impartial observer of events in Uganda. Nothing
could be further from the truth.Ingham, a former lecturer at Makerere,
was also a member of the Uganda Legislative  Council (a.k.a) in 1958 --
which is when he first met Obote with whom he formed a longlasting
friendship. Further, Ingham was/is also a card-carrying member of the
UPC -- a factor that probably excercebated his biblical naivety, and
upon which at least one reviewer of his rather incomplete biography of
Obote remarked.

I have a copy of Ingham's Obote: A Political Biography. The author
seems to be Kenneth Ingham, and not Keith Ingham. The preface to the
book has all the information above, including Ingham's admission that he
joined the UPC soon after it was formed and his contacts/lengthy
conversations with Obote. So, now, you are saying: "Don't believe
anything Ingham says for he is a card-carrying member of the UPC", and
yet a shrot while ago you were saying: "Believe everything Ibingira says
because he was a UPC insider". Does being/having been UPC have any
bearing to the veracity ofg information about our historical events, or
is it the relationship between an individual a