By Ken Mutenyo
President Idi Amin overthrew Milton Obote's government on January 25th, 1971. He went on to rule Uganda with an iron hand for eight years until his regime was toppled on April 11th, 1979.
During Amin's reign, the country witnessed horrific human rights abuses. People were tied to poles and executed by firing squad. Many were abducted, never to be seen again. In Mbale, as schoolchildren, we would encounter bodies dumped in the forests along the Mbale-Tororo road on our way to school.
One of the most painful chapters of this dark era was the abduction of Benedicto Kiwanuka, the Democratic Party’s third president. He was dragged from his chambers at the High Court, bundled into a vehicle boot, and vanished — to this day, his body lies in an unmarked grave.
So when we talk about abductions, disappearances, detentions without trial, extrajudicial killings, and gross human rights violations, the Democratic Party has borne the brunt of it all.
As the liberation war gathered momentum in 1979, the Moshi Conference was convened in Tanzania, bringing together Ugandan exiles. The Democratic Party, represented by Paul Ssemogerere, played a key role in this effort. At the conclusion of the conference, Professor Yusuf Kironde Lule, another DP stalwart, was elected as the post-Amin president.
Lule governed Uganda for only 68 days before he was ousted by political schemers. Yet in those few weeks, Ugandans embraced him. The prices of basic commodities fell as a gesture of support and renewed hope.
His growing popularity frightened those behind the scenes who, just as they denied Ben Kiwanuka the chance to govern beyond nine months in 1961, now denied Lule the opportunity to lead post-Amin Uganda.
And so, once again, Ugandans were denied the full benefits of liberation.
April 11th, 1979: A Day of National Liberation
On this day, a combined force of Ugandans and Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) overthrew Idi Amin's government, much to the jubilation of Ugandans across the country.
The fall of Amin’s regime marked the end of a reign under which prominent Ugandans disappeared without trace. These included Chief Justice Ben Kiwanuka, Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. Frank Kalimuzo, Anglican Archbishop Janan Luwum, Bank of Uganda Governor Joseph Mubiru, Catholic priest and journalist Fr. Kiggundu, and countless others.
April 11th became a day of freedom, relief, and national pride.
Why Isn’t April 11th a Public Holiday?
Unfortunately, Uganda has always had a segment of its population bent on rewriting our history.
Take, for example, the claim that Milton Obote led Uganda to independence. In truth, it was Ben Kiwanuka and the Democratic Party who formed the government during the Lancaster House independence negotiations, leading to Uganda’s independence on October 9th, 1962.
In the same way, the significance of April 11th has been deliberately erased from the national calendar. Why, no one can fully explain.
But in memory of all who perished under Amin’s eight-year rule, I ask:
Why doesn’t Uganda officially mark April 11th as Liberation Day anymore?
I call upon the powers that be — please restore April 11th as a Liberation Day and a Public Holiday in Uganda.
I beg to move.
Mr Ken Mutenyo is the Current Chairman Electoral Commission of the Democratic Party