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President Museveni and Makerere University Professors Discuss African History
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni met with professors from the Makerere University History Department on 16th October 2024 at State House, Entebbe, to discuss African history and heritage.
“I was watching some commentaries on the recently concluded 62nd Independence Day Anniversary, and one by Prof. Ndebesa Mwambutsya caught my attention. He remarked that there was no Uganda until the British created it,” President Museveni noted.
“This prompted me to invite the professor, along with a few others from Makerere’s History Department, to discuss African history and heritage. Fortunately, I have been actively engaged in these subjects for a long time,” he added.
The President highlighted the various ethnic groups that make up Uganda, including the Bantu, Nilotics, and Nilo-Hamites.
“The question is, was Uganda ever politically unified before the British arrived? I believe the answer lies in our oral history, archaeology, and mythology,” he said.
President Museveni referenced the efforts of the Abatembuuzi and Bachwezi dynasties, which successfully governed territories like Ankole, Bunyoro, Tooro, Buganda, and parts of northern Uganda. He added that the Luo also assumed political control after the Bachwezi.
He explained that linguistic, cultural, and genealogical similarities serve as evidence of these political efforts, particularly the Luo influence on Tooro, Bunyoro, Ankole, and Buganda, which can be seen in their names and physical characteristics.
“So yes, there should be a spiritual aspect to these findings, but only insofar as it aligns with the political influence of that era,” Museveni noted.
He urged Prof. Ndebesa, the Makerere History Department, and other institutions to adopt a broader perspective on political governance in Uganda, emphasizing that it did not begin with the British and that presenting it as such is a historical distortion.
“Certainly, none of these entities named the territory ‘Uganda,’ but history tells us that there were significant and successful political efforts beyond clans and tribes, regardless of their motivations,” he said.
Museveni added that the debate has shifted focus to the structure and content of post-colonial education, calling for a new narrative on Uganda’s history and heritage through education and research.
The President also thanked the professors for their service to the country.
In response, Prof. Ndebesa acknowledged that there had been efforts to unite Africans before the British, but he added that state formation evolved from a combination of political and religious leadership.
“Maybe ideologically, they had the idea of keeping people together. I agree that there were efforts to unite Africans before the British,” he said.
Prof. Samwiri Lwanga Lunyiigo encouraged the President to take the time to write a book on the history of Uganda and Africa, noting that it is time for Africans to write their own history. He also highlighted the importance of clans in understanding who Ugandans are.
The professor commended President Museveni for his extensive knowledge of African history.
The meeting was also attended by Minister of State for Sports, Hon. Peter Ogwang, and Makerere University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, among others.