Andrew Kayiira

Andrew Lutaakome Kayiira (30 January 1945 - 9 March 1987), M.A., PhD, was the Leader of the Uganda Freedom Movement (UFM), a guerrilla organization that fought the governments of Milton Obote and Tito Okello between 1980 and 1986. Andrew Kayiira and the UFM were often seen as a rival to the National Resistance Movement led by Yoweri Museveni which was also fighting a guerrilla war against the Obote and Okello governments. When the National Resistance Movement took power in 1986, Andrew Kayiira was appointed Minister for Energy by Yoweri Museveni. Later that year Kayiira was arrested for treason but later released. He was murdered by unknown gunmen on 9 March 1987.^[1][2]

Education and early career

Kayiira attended Namilyango College, and was admitted to the Faculty of Mathematics at Makerere University but instead he chose to work for the government Civil Service in the Prisons Department where he rose to Assistant Superintendent. He later won a scholarship to the United Kingdom where he obtained a Diploma in Criminal Justice. He then moved to the United States to attend the University of Southern Illinois, where he gained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and an M.A. and a PhD in Criminal Justice from the State University of New York.^[3]

The regime of Idi Amin was in full swing at the time Kayiira completed his studies, so he remained in the USA, where he took up the position of Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. It was at this time that he began active politics, founding the Uganda Freedom Union (UFU) with other Ugandans living in the United States - including Godfrey Binaisa.

After the overthrow of Idi Amin in 1979, Andrew Kayiira returned to Uganda as a member of the quasi-legislative National Consultative Council under President Yusuf Lule. Some of his siblings include Kayiira David professing the legal art in Uganda inter alia.

Early life

Kayiira was born in Nkokonjeru of the Province of the Kingdom of Buganda in Uganda Protectorate, on January 30, 1945. He did his pre-High School schooling at Nsambya, a suburb of Kampala. At fifteen years of age he was admitted to Namilyango Secondary School, where he obtained the High School Certificate with flying colors. He was admitted to the Department of Mathematics at Makerere University College, but he opted for civil service.

Civil service

He was recruited by the Uganda Government civil service as a cadet officer trainee, and in 1966 was appointed an Assistant Superintendent of Uganda Prisons. In 1968, the Uganda Government awarded him a scholarship for further studies in Great Britain in appreciation of his work.

UK and USA

He completed his studies in UK with a diploma in Criminal Justice. He was awarded a scholarship by the United States Government to attend the University of Southern Illinois, where in 1971 he achieved his Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice. In Albany, the capital of the State of New York, at the State University Lutaakome Andrew Kayiira worked and respectively obtained an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice. His doctoral dissertation titled "Kondoism in Uganda" has internationally contributed an addition of "kondoism" as a new terminology in criminology.

Pressed by the vicissitude of the Idi Amin conditions, Dr. Kayiira found himself being forced into exile in the USA. He gained an Assistant Professorship of Criminal Justice at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, USA. With this base Dr. Kayiira reached out to Ugandans in the USA. It was his practice that whenever he arrived in a city or town he was not familiar with one of the first things he did was to pick up a telephone directory, look up Ugandan names and try to link up with them.

He founded the UFU, that is Uganda Freedom Union, which he enunciated by means of a Newsletter called "SASA UFU". An Executive Committee was established in 1978 the chair of which was Attorney Godfrey Binaayiisa. It was then sensed by the Boston group, which included Henry Bwambale (RIP), Kalu Kalumiya, Olara Otunnu, Justine Sabiti, Mubiru Musoke, Aloysius Lugira, that UFU needed a new leadership. Dr. Kayiira was nominated to stand side by side with Attorney Binaisa. At the general meeting that was held in New York, Kayiira was unanimously elected chairman of UFU.^[3]

At the meeting he stood up and articulately clarified the position that "I will accept to be president of UFU on condition that membership of the executive committee has to reflect and represent the four regions of Uganda. Thus his executive committee included Olara Otunnu, Justine Sabiti, Okoth Nyoromoi, just to mention a few of the then Ugandan liberational activists obtaining in USA.

Following in the line of American politician Tip O'Neill, Kayiira became convinced that "All politics", worth the name, "is local". Dr. Kayiira made sure that he talked to Ugandans and all Ugandans in the USA. The convention was held at the Elma Lewis School in Roxbury of Greater Boston, USA. Present at this Convention were Attorney Godfrey Lukongwa Binaayiisa, Bishop Festo Kivengere, Brigadier Toko, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, Hon. Grace Ibingira, former Ambassador Perezi Kamunanwire, and many others.

UFU activism

Much of the foot work in effecting this convention under the leadership of Dr. Kayiira was done under the care of the Boston activists. These included Henry Bwambale, Peter Kwizera, Kallu Karumiya, Justine Sabiti, Okoth Nyoromoi, Rocky Wasswa Biriggwa, Mubiru Musoke and many others. The mainly concrete resolution out of this convention was to embark on a lobbying process which resulted in President Carter signing an embargo against Ugandan coffee which was the financial backbone of Aminism.

Meanwhile former President Obote together with his host the Mwalimu were planning to entice Attorney Godfrey Binaisa to accept to become President of Uganda while Dr. Obote would be the Prime Minister. In New York Nnamakajjo was appointed to do the preparatory work so that when news was transmitted to the former Attorney General he would easily accept what he himself has described as "Entebe Ewooma".

The Moshi Conference

The UFU executive in the New York had an election for delegates, chosen by secret ballot, the end result of which selected delegates to the exclusion of Dr. Kayiira the chairman of UFU.

Despite this Dr. Kayiira became upbeat in continuing contacting Ugandans he thought could make a difference towards the restoration of political sanity in Uganda. After the necessary consultation he decided immediately to travel to East Africa. Before leaving he contacted Bishop Festo Kivengere, in UK Professor George Kanyeihamba. He flew to Nairobi, where he liaised with personalities like Robert Sserumaga, Manuel Pinto, Sam Mugwisa and many others who attended a crucial meeting at the house of Professor Tarsis Kabwegyere. President Nyerere in face of the crowd decided on shifting the gathering from Dar es Salaam to Moshi.

The meeting of Ugandans in Moshi represented an assortment of Ugandan leaders who included Professor Yusuf K. Lule in addition to those whose names have already been mentioned above. Vocal at this meeting were Dr. Lutaakome Andrew Kayiira and Yoweri Museveni, who at this time had not yet started using the name Kaguta. All assembled in Moshi agreed on two things: one, to unite in the effort of throwing Aminism out of Uganda, two, to avoid the blunder Obote and Museveni committed in 1972 when they clumsily invaded Uganda through Mutukula. The bones of contention at the Moshi meeting were based on ideology and leadership. While Kayiira led the pack in arguing for mixed economy, Museveni led the group which advocated for socialism. As for leadership Museveni argued for the appointment of Paul Muwanga to be the leader of the campaign for the repatriation with the assistance of the Tanzanian Saba Saba contingent. Kayiira argued for the election of Professor Yusuf K. Lule. Lule was elected.

The Buganda factor

The Buganda factor was given appropriate consideration not only in as far as the routing is concerned, but also in as far as the medium of communication is concern[ed]. It should be remembered that Radio Majwala, broadcasting in Luganda, the news about the advancement of the "Wakomboozi" (liberators) did a lot to assure the population of the Ugandan terrain through which the Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF) and the Tanzanian troops passed heading for Kampala, the Ugandan capital.

From this time on the oligarchically dominating figures residing in hideouts like the Nile Mansions turned themselves into targets to be dealt with, with any means possible. The Kayiira activists did not yet possess guns which at this time were a preserve to Muwanga and Museveni. They reverted to other means, crude as they were, in attempting to flush out the oligarchs out of the hideouts. Firing at the people with live ammunition as a way of dispersing peacefully assembled people on the part of Museveni, and the attempt to blow up the Nile Mansion on the part of Kayiira drove the initial deadly wedge between Kayiira and Museveni. The people were terrified and terrorized. Binaisa was sworn in as President and warmed the chair sufficiently until Obote was welcomed back by Paulo Muwanga to campaign for elections under the pigeon-hole Constitution of 1967. As Muwanga declared the oncoming elections some of us, in vain, persuaded Paulo K. Ssemogerere not to go for elections without an amended Constitution from a dictatorial to a democratic one. Elections were held.

The first meeting took place on 7 January 1981, on the side of Lake Victoria. This meeting was attended by Dr. Lutaakome Andrew Kayiira, Francis Bwengye, Onyango Odongo, Lt. Sam Magara, Lt. Col. Peter Oboma, George Nkwanga, and many others. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Kayiira. The objective was to form a united front. It was agreed to unanimously. To that effect a declaration was written. When time to sign the declaration came Lt. Sam Magara, Museveni's representative, refrained from signing because he was not authorized by Museveni to do so. Another meeting was convened and was held at Bunnamwaaya. Museveni attended this meeting in person. He refused to be part of a united front with other groups, "arguing that he did not want the executive committee of such a front, composed of civilians to control his fighters".

The UNLF factor

The Uganda National Liberation Front was a political group formed by exiled Ugandans opposed to the rule of Idi Amin. It worked alongside the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) that acted as a sister wing in liberating Uganda from the alleged autocratic leadership of Idi Amin Dada. It fought alongside Tanzanian forces in the Uganda-Tanzania War that led to the overthrow of Idi Amin's regime.^[4]

Being a product of Ugandan exiles the UNLF undertook operation and East African recognition from 24 to 26 March 1979 in Moshi, northern Tanzania, under the Moshi Conference. The Front was represented by 28 groups. They included the Uganda Freedom Union (UFU) that was led by Andrew Kayiira, Godfrey Binaisa and Olara Otunnu. The others included FRONASA led by Yoweri Museveni, Kikosi Maalum led by Milton Obote, and Save Uganda Movement led by Akena p'Ojok, William Omaria and Ateker Ejalu.

References

External links

• Uganda opposition rally blocked BBC
• "Pressure on Yard to release file on unsolved killing of politician 20 years ago". Guardian Unlimited.