How government ministries were created – Part Two

Establishment of institutions. In Part I last week, we looked at formation of the first three government institutions – medical, public works and agriculture departments – and how they developed into ministries. This week we look at the creation of the native governments (local government) and the creation of the security forces.

Administratively, the protectorate was divided into provinces and the provincial administration represented the governor’s office. The provincial commissioner (PC) was the chief executive responsible for the administration, peace and order in his province.

Also read: How govt ministries were created -Part one
From the 1920s, provincial commissioners met regularly in the provincial commissioners’ conference to discuss policy. The conference played a vital part in the formulation of protectorate policy.
Below the PC was the district commissioner (DC) who was largely responsible for not only supervision and coordination, but for the actual implementation of policy.
It was upon the DC that the government machinery largely depended. His responsibilities, according to the native administration ordinances, “described him as being a township authority, a registrar of marriages, a licensing authority and an agent of the administrator-general, on top of acting as the executive officer of any department which had no representative in the district”.

However, in 1945 after World War II, district teams were established and four years later the native authorities were organised to have councils with elected members.
In 1955, there were more changes to the local administration structure with the role of the district commissioner changing to being an adviser and inspector of government projects in the district.
In the 1950s, the district commissioners were given another task of being the district magistrate. In this capacity they reported to the High Court.
But in 1956, according to that year’s annual reports, the policy of having the district commissioner as a magistrate was done away with, “resident magistrates of the Judicial Department were appointed to reside in, or visit, virtually all district headquarters, thus relieving the district officers of all magisterial duties”.

Police force
The origins of the Uganda police service lay in the King’s African Rifles. But the 1903 Uganda Armed Constabulary and the Uganda Prisons ordinances led to the establishment of the civil police force and prison service.
Shortly afterwards, a separate department responsible for the police as a civil armed force was created, and in 1908 an inspector general was appointed to head the civil police in Uganda, though he would sit in Kenya. According to the colonial files, “the post remained in existence until 1921”.

Administrator general
Following the passing of the 1933 Administrator General Ordinance, the department of the administrator general became independent from the office of chief justice.
Among its functions included, the ordinance stated, “where a deceased person had died intestate (without a will) and in certain other circumstances, to apply to a court for letters of administration of the estate.”
Other duties included the administrator general being the “registrar-general of births, marriages, deaths; registrar of documents, of companies, of business names, of patents, designs and trademarks”.

Public service and police service commissions
In 1955, the Public Service Commission was created as an advisory body to the governor on civil servants’ appointments.
It was also responsible for the training, evaluation and monitoring of discipline of civil servants. In 1957, a police service commission was set up. This followed the separation of the force from that of the East African Protectorate (Kenya). The police service commission’s duties were not much different to those of the civil service to the governor.

Treasury accountant general
Before 1937, there was a treasurer who was a member of the executive council and was the government’s adviser on all financial affairs and head of the treasury. At the dawn of 1937, the title was changed to financial secretary. The office was responsible for publishing statements on the financial position of the protectorate.

Uganda Credit and Savings Bank
The Uganda Credit and Saving Bank 1950 Ordinance eased the access to loans by the indigenous people. Earlier, they had been excluded from this service.
The ordinance stated that the new bank would provide “for the facilitating of loans to Africans in furtherance of agricultural, commercial, building and co-operative purposes”.
In 1954, the bank established an African Loans Fund through which it extended loans people with customarily owned land.

Judicial department
The protectorate’s judicial backbone had been established by the Uganda Order in Council of 1902. By 1903, there were two judges of the High Court; Ennis and Morris Carter. Until the close of the decade, the justice system was based primarily on Indian law in the form of comprehensive codes formulated for India by prominent jurists in the 19th Century.
The two High Court judges also performed duties of the attorney general. They drafted legislation and advised the governor on legal matters.
In 1906, the position of crown advocate and crown law officer came into existence and took over the responsibilities of providing the government with legal advice, drafting legislation and conducting crown prosecutions.
In 1912, the title of crown advocate was changed to attorney general and in 1928 a solicitor general was appointed.

Uganda Development Corporation
In 1952, the Uganda Development Act was passed and it created the Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) with government holding not less than 51 per cent. The Corporation was to spearhead the industrial and economic development of the protectorate by promoting and assisting in mobilisation of funds and management and establishment of new undertakings.
It was also mandated to conduct research into the industrial, mineral and agricultural potentialities of the country. The 1962 economic survey by the World Bank stated that “the UDC has extended its interests into many fields. It is the only producer in Uganda of cement, textiles and enamelled metal ware.”
“Through other subsidiaries, it controls a number of tea estates, a cattle ranch, a chain of modern hotels and national park lodges, several leasehold properties and, in association with overseas firms, participates as a minority shareholder in hire-purchase banking, mining ventures, food processing companies and production of specialised building materials.”

Education
When the missionaries arrived in Uganda, Christianity was immediately associated with literacy. Up until 1921, education was in the hands of the missionaries. It was in 1921 that the first government owned school, the Uganda Technical College for the training of African artisans, was established.
The following year, an advisory council on native education was established for the government to have a say in the education system.
In 1927, governor William Gowers took a decision to have Swahili, instead of Luganda, as the official native language, causing tension between the government and the missionaries.
The International Institute of African Languages and Culture supported the governor, saying: “Swahili was the only vernacular language in East Africa which can prove in the long run anything but an educational cul-de-sac (dead end).”
With Gower’s departure in 1937, the policy died.

Medical department
The Medical Department was one of the first specialised departments to be created in 1898 with the creation of the principal medical officer.
Between 1903 and 1908, the Medical Departments of Uganda and the East Africa Protectorate were combined. Started as a department to cater for government officials, it started taking care of Africans following the outbreak of sleeping sickness.
In 1907, attention was turned to the prevalence of venereal diseases. This led to the creation of three treatment centres for Africans suffering from these diseases.
In 1924, what had started as one of the government’s venereal diseases hospitals at Mulago became a general hospital for Africans. It also provided medical training for African junior staff in the department.
In 1928, a medical school was established at the hospital.

About UDC

History of education department

When the missionaries arrived in Uganda, Christianity was immediately associated with literacy. Up until 1921, education was in the hands of the missionaries. It was in 1921 that the first government owned school, the Uganda Technical College for the training of African artisans, was established.

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