St. Paul recorder., 1962-12-21
Focus On
Africa
Mixed Reactions On
Secret Plan To
Speed Kenya Freedom
BY EDDIE L. MADISON, JR.

~" ~ ISSNSltt
BY EDDIE L. MADISON, JR.
Reaction to Uganda Prime
Minister A. Milton Obote s
"secret plan" to speed Kenya s
independence has run the ex-
tremes of complete endorse
ment by one major Kenya pol
itical party, immediate attack
from another, and speculation that
the plan, if it exists at all, would
take an altogether different course
from the announced boycott of
Kenya imports.
Purported details Of the plan
were leaked" on December 8, by
the Government-controlled Radio
Uganda, only a few hours after
Obote had said in Nairobi, Kenya,
that he did not intend to reveal the
details yet. The radio, quoting ire
liable sources" said Obote's plan
which has the full support of
KANU (Kenya African National
Union) and which is likely to be
acceptable to the Tanganyika Gov
ernment," contained the following
outstanding points:
1-Obote was likely to decline
to participate in the then
pending meeting of the
East African Common
Services Authority in Oar
es Salaam, Tanganyika.
@Obote is likely to instruct
his Finance Minister to re-
frain from exchanging fur
ther notes with the Kenya
Finance Minister "who has
no mandate from the people
of Kenya"; and
3-Obote is likely to declare
a national boycott of all
goods from Kenya."
There was some doubt that this
broadcast account was authentic.
Some observers felt it might have
come from some over-zealous
member of Obote's encourage who
misunderstood something under
consideration, took it for definite
policy, and leaked it on his on in
itiative. Others felt that it may
have been a tactic on Obote's part
to gain as much publicity as possi-
BILE for a political move designed to
distract attention at home away
from reported domestic difficulties.
While final results of the East
African Common Services Auth
ority meeting were not available,
it was known that the Uganda
Prime Minister did attend. Also,
the furor created by the secret
plan" was said to have taken some
of the limelight from Tanganyika's
Republic day celebration.
Obote, speaking earlier in Nair-
ibi after talks with KANU leaders
Jomo Kenyatta, Oginga Odinga,
and Tom Mboya, said that Ugan-
da's delegation to the United Ma
tions had been instructed to "at-
tack British cloonial policy left,
right, center and everywhere"
This was regarded as a clue to his
plan.
He added: The United Nations
is my responsibility, because Ken
va is not a member, and as a re-
suit of my talks with KANU lead
ers we shall send more detailed
instructions to the mission at the
UN." The prime minister said
Uganda would not hesitate to
rock the bottom of the boat" to
free Kenya from colonial rule and
1t was high time Colonial Secre-
tary Duncan Sandys made a de-
cision on the matter.
People think there is plenty of
time in Africa. There Is no time in
Africa. So my plan to help Kenya
will be announced soon," he said.
Kenyatta, KANU president and
co-minister Of state, said: I'VE
think very highly of it. We think
it is very important and we think
it will work"
However, Ronald Ngala, presi-
dent Of the Kenya African Demo-
cratic Union and Masinde Muliro,
KADU vice president, attacked the
plan.
Perhaps it would be safer to say
they attacked the plan as they
understood it from the Uganda
Radio account, especially the part
dealing with a boycott of Kenya
exports to Tanganyika. Ngala de-
scribed the idea as bordering on
madness" Muliro said Obote was
IAN idiot"
Also attacking the plan was
Peter Kbisu, acting general secre-
tary of the Kenya Federation of
Labor, who called it "a direct chal-
lenge to present African leaders in
the Coalition Government"