Dani Wadada Nabudere

**Dani Wadada Nabudere** (15 December 1932 – 9 November 2011) be Ugandan academic, Pan-Africanist, lawyer, politician, author, political scientist, den development specialist. By de time wey he pass away, he be professor insyd Islamic University plus executive director for Marcus Garvey Pan-Afrikan Institute, Mbale, Uganda.

Ein political, intellectual plus community work cover more than half century of public activism. He be speaker, mobilizer, den person wey write plenty. Some of de matters wey he involve himself inside be food security, peace, knowledge heritages, Africa ein contribution to make de world more humane, lifelong learning, cross-border solidarities, international political economy, Pan-Africanism, protection of de commons, cognitive justice, community places of knowledge, restorative governance, economy, den justice.

Professor Nabudere be Minister of Justice insyd Uganda insyd 1979, den Minister of Culture, Community Development, plus Rehabilitation for Uganda between 1979–1980 under de UNLF Interim Government of Uganda. He be one of de early Presidents for African Association of Political Science, den from 1985 go 1988 he be Vice-President for International Political Science Association (IPSA). He be de founder plus principal insyd Marcus Garvey Pan-Afrikan Institute (MPAI), Mbale, Uganda. Insyd de last ten years of ein life, Nabudere dey work to build grassroots organizations wey go help rural communities den give dem voice on matters wey affect demma lives.

## Biography

### Early life
Dem born Dani Wadada Nabudere insyd 15 December 1932 for Budadiri, Uganda, into one family from Bumayamba village, Buyobo.

Nabudere go school for Bugisu before he graduate from Aggrey Memorial College, Bunamwaya. He work as postal clerk for some years before he apply go study law insyd United Kingdom. Insyd early 1960s, he travel go England to study law, wey he take get Bachelor of Laws Degree insyd 1963, plus he get admission as Barrister at Law for Lincoln's Inn, London.

### Insyd Ugandan Independence movement
Nabudere enter national political scene for Uganda insyd 1960s. As student for London insyd 1961, he be member for Executive Committee of de United Kingdom Uganda Students Association (UGASA) together plus Yash Tandon, Ateker Ejalu, Chango Machyo, den Edward Rugumayo—wey all later come play big role insyd Uganda ein history. UGASA dey work to raise de political awareness of young Ugandans wey dey study or work for UK plus Europe. One key activity for de organization be to lobby British parliamentarians make Uganda get independence.

### Activism under de Obote government
When he come back from UK insyd 1964, he quick start fall out of favour plus Uganda People's Congress (UPC). De UPC be radical nationalist party. Demma Secretary-General by dat time, John Kakonge, get strong communist orientation, den plenty youth members for de party support am, including Nabudere. Insyd de Gulu Conference of de party insyd 1964, Milton Obote plus de mainstream leadership use strategy override de left wing. 

Nabudere too be Marxist socialist, but de UPC government for dat time stand against communism. So insyd 1965, dem expel am from de party together plus Kirunda Kivejinja, Jaberi Bidandi-Ssali, den Kintu Musoke. But even after dem expel am from UPC, Nabudere still oppose de Obote side plus ein radical views. Around dat same period, Nabudere plus Raiti Omongin form de first Maoist Party inside Uganda. During dis time too, Nabudere play important role for de talks to unite Zanzibar plus Tanganyika.

When Obote cancel political parties den declare one-party state for 1969, Nabudere suffer because of how he still dey do party activism. Earlier for 1963, Nabudere form one activist group for Mbale wey dem call Uganda Vietnam Solidarity Committee to campaign against American imperialism plus aggression for Vietnam.

Insyd September 1965, one member insyd Uganda Parliament accuse Nabudere say he dey plan "communist plot" to overthrow de government. Then for December 1969, after one attack happen on Obote ein life during UPC congress, dem arrest Nabudere plus some others, den put dem for detention under de Emergency Laws. Dem release am around late November 1970.

### Under Idi Amin government
When Idi Amin take power for January 1971, some Ugandans wey dey left-wing decide make dem work plus Amin ein government, but dem quick lose hope, den starting from Rugumayo, plenty of dem resign from government for 1972. Idi Amin appoint Nabudere insyd 1971 as East Africa Railways and Harbours chairman wey base for Nairobi, Kenya, but for 1974, as protest against Amin ein brutal ways, Nabudere resign den move go Tanzania, where he become one of de leaders for de anti-Amin resistance movement.

### 1970s: Dar Es Salaam Exile & D''e Debate''
As academic person, Nabudere play important role for at least three debates wey get political den educational meaning for University of Dar es Salaam for late 1960s go through de 1970s decade. Dis academic plus public debates catch attention during dat period, wey be era of newly independent African states, where political leaders like Julius Nyerere, Kwame Nkrumah, or Sekou Touré, plus academics like Nabudere, Mamdani, or Cheikh Anta Diop all dey struggle to push forward either some forms of African Socialism, Marxism, Pan-African ideologies, or dem dey try adapt western Development theory into African setting.

De first debate be about Tanzania, de direction wey e dey go, den how e fit show way give de rest of Africa toward de final goal of socialism. Dis debate happen mainly among Tanzanian radicals, but sometimes people from outside like Walter Rodney den Nabudere join inside.

De second one be debate wey happen mostly among African members of de teaching staff for de University, especially for de Faculty of Social Sciences. Dem dey discuss how de current way wey dem dey teach de disciplines fit be questioned den changed make e reflect African context plus conditions.

De third debate be among mainly Ugandan people wey dey “de Hill” (wey be how dem dey call Makerere University), plus some wey dey exile insyd East Africa, den sometimes people from outside East Africa too go join. Dis debate get part inspiration from Nabudere ein book *Imperialism and Revolution in Uganda* (1980), plus de critique wey Mahmood Mamdani, Harkishan Bhagat, den Karim Hirji do on top. Later on, dem compile de discussions into one book wey dem call *The Dar es Salaam Debate on Class, State and Imperialism* (1982), wey Yash Tandon edit, plus foreword from Mohammad Babu, de well-known Marxist revolutionary from Zanzibar. Dis debate carry intellectual, teaching (pedagogical), political den strategic importance — not only insyd Uganda but insyd Africa as whole, plus de third world. De true importance of de debate wey no too clear by de time e dey happen, come shine well well for de early part of 1979, as de same matters wey dem dey discuss come turn serious political issues after Amin invade Tanzania for December 1978. Tanzania fight am back, but President Julius Nyerere wey be Tanzania ein leader come face one heavy choice: make e carry ein army go Kampala, wey go make am look like say dem dey occupy Uganda, or make e try gather all de Ugandan political groups to form one united front to lead de country. E choose de second option. But to bring all de different Ugandan factions together no be easy at all — e turn wahala.

### De Gang of Four den de Ugandan National Liberation Front
Insyd ein account of de time wey de Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF) take dey active — de political group wey Ugandan exiles form to remove Amin — Prof. Edward Rugumayo (wey later become chairman for UNLF ein ruling council) talk say Nabudere play central role for how dem form de liberation group.  When dem establish de UNLF plus form ein ruling body wey dem call de National Consultative Council (NCC), dem elect Nabudere as chairman for de political plus diplomatic committee. E come turn key leader for de NCC together plus Edward Rugumayo, Yash Tandon, den Omwony Ojwok. People come dey call dem ‘de Gang of Four’, as reference to de Chinese Communist ruling group wey dem call Gang of Four during de Chinese Cultural Revolution.

Under de interim government of de UNLF, Nabudere get ministerial post two times: insyd 1979 e be Minister of Justice, den from 1979 to 1980 e serve as Minister of Culture, Community Development den Rehabilitation.

De first UNLF administration under President Yusuf Lule last only about six to eight days. Insyd September 1979, dem comot am through vote of no confidence inside de transitional parliament (de NCC) wey Edward Rugumayo chair. Dem replace am democratically plus put President Godfrey Binaisa. Later, na de Binaisa government too dem remove from power through de Military Commission of de UNLF, wey Paulo Muwanga and Yoweri Museveni lead — dem probably get support from Tanzania.

**De 1980s den post-NRM era**

Afta de army coup wey happen insyd 12 May 1980 wey overthrow Binaisa plus put Paulo Muwanga insyd power, Nabudere flee go exile, just like how de other three members of de 'Gang of Four' too do.

Insyd 1982, Nabudere move go Helsingør insyd Denmark, wey e come dey teach insyd one Folk High School.  Dis time turn one of de most productive periods for ein academic life. E write one manuscript wey pass 300 pages wey e call *The Rise and Fall of Money Capital*. Dem publish am for 1990 under one organisation wey dem call *Africa in Transition* — dis group na Yash Tandon plus ein brother Vikash Tandon dem start am.

De book be one deep critique of money wey challenge de ideas of Marx, Engels, Hilferding, Rosa Luxemburg den Keynes. Nabudere do historical analysis of how money rise just as money (wey be different from how e turn capital), plus e predict say one day money go override capital, but later self money go collapse as credit instrument. Dis exact thing na wetin happen for de first ten years of de 21st century, wey people now dey call “financialization of capital”. Nabudere already foresee dis thing during ein research den writing time insyd Helsingør.

Later, dem publish summary of de book through Fahamu, under de title *The Crash of International Finance-Capital and Its Implications for the Third World* (2009), wey Yash Tandon write foreword give am.

Nabudere live insyd exile till 1993 wey President Museveni invite am make e come back to de country make e join de Constituent Assembly (CA).

As Nabudere return, e turn very outspoken critic of Museveni. During de CA sessions, Nabudere plenty times lead members of de Assembly comot for walkouts anytime dem no agree plus de other CA members. E later join hand plus Aggrey Awori form de National Caucus for Democracy (NCD), wey be pressure group wey dey operate insyd de CA.

**De MPAI den Afrikology**

Nabudere be de person wey found de Marcus Garvey Pan-Afrikan Institute (MPAI) for Mbale, Uganda. De main aim of dis institute be make e serve as place wey dem go keep knowledge about African science, philosophy, medicine plus other indigenous African knowledge wey Nabudere call "Afrikology". Later, MPAI turn to university, wey Nabudere be de first Chancellor-Designate.

## Death
Afta e battle diabetes plus high blood pressure, Nabudere die at ein house during de early hours of 9 November 2011. E lef ein wife, ein son, den others behind.

## Notable publications

### Books

* The Political Economy of Imperialism, 1976, Tanzania Publishing House and Zed Press, London;
* Essays on the theory and practice of Imperialism, 1979, Onyx Press, London;
* Imperialism in East Africa, 1980, Zed Press, London (in two volumes);
* Imperialism and Revolution in Uganda, 1980, Onyx Press, London;
* The Crash of International Finance Capital and its implications for the Third World, SAPES Trust, 1989, Harare, Zimbabwe;
* Democracy and the One-Party State in Africa, Institut Für Afrika Kunde, Hamburg, Germany, 1989; Co-edited with P. Meynes;
* The Rise and Fall of Money Capital, 1990, Afrika in Trust, Harare/London;
* Uganda Referendum 2000: Winners and Losers, Monitor Publications, Kampala;
* Pan-Africanism and Integration in Africa, 2002, SAPES Publications, Harare, Zimbabwe, co-edited with Ibbo Mandaza;
* The Global Capitalist Crisis and the Way Forward for Africa, Kampala, 2009.
* The Crash of International Finance Capital and its implications for the Third World, Republished by Ufahamu, London, 2009.
* Afrikology, Philosophy, and Wholeness: An Epistemology, Africa Institute of South Africa, PRETORIA, February 2011.

### Oda Selected writings

* Government should be clear on Obote
* Development theories, knowledge production and emancipatory practice Chapter in 'The development decade? economic and social change in South Africa, 1994–2004', Vishnu Padayachee,
* The Crash of International Finance-Capital and its Implications for the Third World 
* Brave Faces Won't Resolve New Crisis

## References



## External links
* &nbsp;  International Journal of African Renaissance Studies.  University of South Africa Press.  pp.&nbsp;6–34.  2 (1) 2007. ISSN: Print 1818-6874,