St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1961-10-20
By Enoc P. Waters

factions.
The autocrats, the hereditary
kings, include Asabajasappa, the
Kabaka of Buganda; the Omugabe
of Ankole; the Omukama of Buny-
orokitara; the Omukama of Toro
and the Kyabazinga of Busoga.
The democrats are led by Bene-
dicto Kiwanuka, the chief minis
ter of Buganda whom I met at
Jomo Kenyatta's home in Gutandu
in Kenya the Saturday before the
great Jomo returned officially to
Nairobi and Milton Obote, leader
of the opposition party.
At the time of my visit, the
talks in London with Colonial Sec
rotary Lain Macleod were pro-
crossing so slowly that Kiwanuka
declared half in jest that he sup
posed that he would have to cele-
brate the independence of Tangan-
yika in London instead of Oar es
Salaam on December 8.
The youngest, most colorful and
most powerful of the Ugandan
kings is the Kabaka whose capital
is Kampala, the country's largest
city.
Born Edward William Frederick
David Walugembo Luwangula Mu-
tobi, he is now at 81 and has been
since 1889 His Royal Highness
Mustesa II, Kabalxa of Guganda.
Though he makes no strenuous
effort to turn his head when a
Ithesome filly filters by, he is far
from the playboy King Freddie
who was trailed home from Eng
land in 1855 by two blondes fond
ly hoping to become the white
queen of Buganda.
The special throne chairs in the
offices of each of his ministers
which are reserved only for his
royal use show signs of many
visits by the Kabaka as he has
conferred with his key men about
the welfare of his province.
With the exception of nagging
indebtedness, his record of accomp-
lishment has been good according
to those in a position to make a
sound judgement.
If the roles of the traditional
kings in a free and independent
Uganda can be resolved to the
satisfaction of all concerned, the
gem of Britian's East African fed
Grafton is on its way to an early
realization of its fondest dreams.
It has, more than either Kenya
or Tanganyika, the qualifications.
Unlike Kenya, wrestling over the
fate of the white settlers in the
order, Uganda is a real African
state where no white does nor can
own property.
It exports enough coffee and
cotton produced on small, individ-
ually owned farms to pay its debts
and have a balance left over. Its
literacy rate is the highest and it
is blessed with a corps of intelli-
gent though highly competitive
politicians. The presence of Max
rere College makes it the center
for higher education for the feder-
alton.
To be sure, all is not sweetness
and light in Uganda. The $500, 900
people speak half dozen differ
ent indigenous languages and a
bewildering array of dialogues.
However, Lugunda, the language
of Buganda, comes closest to be-
ing a national language and, as a
matter of fierce pride among the
Ugandans, is preferred to Kiswa-
hill.
Another discordant element is
religion. Such fierce competition
has existed in the past between
Catholic and Protestant missionar-
les that it was frequently express
sed through violence that became
even more confusing when the
Moslems decided that theirs was
the only true religion of the people.
Now in retrospect it hardly
seems worth it, for three-fourths
of the Ugandans still cling to their
own and ancient beliefs which I
would hesitate to call pagan. But
the whole sorry episode has left
scars that have not totally healed.
One of the criticisms of Kiwanuka
is that he is Catholic.
TIE African Catholic archbishop
of Rugaga DR.. ]. Kiwanuka who
visited the States in 1850, deplored
the religious animosities which he
said are tending to slow up pro-
gress toward independence. Incid-
entally the name Kiwanuka is like
Jones in the States. 1t does not
necessarily denote a kinship be-
tween persons bearing that name.
The archbishop, a man Of dark
skin, gray hair and medium build