The importance of history in governance
We should never forget history in governance because it reminds us of the good and the bad done in the past. Then as intelligent, rational and reasonable human beings, we endeavour to emulate the good and avoid the bad.
Secondly, whatever we do in our lifetime, whether as leaders or citizens, will always re-echo in the future because our successors and theirs will discover what we did in history and archives of public records. They will then praise or curse us because of it.
It is characteristic of human beings to wish to be remembered for the good they did and hope that the bad they did will be forgotten.
Actually, the contrary is true. The classic Shakespearian line in the play Julius Caesar, “The evil that men do lives after them, the good they do is often interned with their bones”, or as best illustrated by France’s Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte who lamented, “All the good I did will be forgotten except my defeat at Waterloo.”
Many world leaders conveniently ignore events and consequences of history and what caused them. Ignoring the history of what caused turbulence, discontent and resentment within any given community or failing to learn to avoid those events or repeating them in our own lifetime is the curse of many nations.
There is nothing more divisive or dangerous in society than a leader, a party or an organisation that governs with impunity, especially when it knows that its predecessors who did likewise perished.
In Africa, history has tended to repeat itself. Many African leaders who on their inauguration, pledged that they would uphold their countries’ constitutions and laws and abide by the principles of participatory democracy, the rule of law and the supremacy of the people negated on all their promises.
There is a host of examples illustrating this phenomenon. Since Uganda became independent in 1962, the periods in which its people have enjoyed good governance and respect for the rule of law are outnumbered by those depicting continuous misrule, misery, impunity and corruption.
‘Major causes of chaos’
Examination of the record of each of the governments that which have ruled Uganda since 1894 shows that the major causes of chaos and misrule are directly attributable to the acts of those who forgot history.
It is a fact that from time immemorial, human rulers of the world of whatever description have deliberately or otherwise destroyed their own regimes by ignoring history which in turn has severely damaged the state of affairs in respective communities.
Today, Ugandan leaders and supporters have tended to forget the misdeeds of their predecessors and their own. Recently, a senior minister arrogantly observed “the NRM will govern this country forever”. Obviously, he has never read or may have forgotten the history of world empires, kingdoms, democracies, autocracies and dictatorships which destroyed themselves.
A predecessor of his once confidently predicted that his party would rule Uganda indefinitely. Shortly after making that prediction, he was arrested and detained for many years. More regrettably, his party lost power to rule and is unlikely to regain it.
He ignored Germany’s Adolf Hitler’s prophecy that his party and government he led would rule Germany for a thousand years. His regime was overthrown within less than 10 years and he committed suicide within hours of his anticipated imminent capture by the Russian army which was part of the forces of the international alliance of countries and armies that were opposed and fighting against Hitler and the Nazi regime.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of history forgotten or repeating itself is of rulers and their supporters who never seem to think that soon or later they will be judged harshly by history and their legacies will be forgotten.
Most importantly, their relatives and close friends and their successors will be shunned, ridiculed or denied comfort by the new rulers who will inevitably replace them.
In Christianity, it is a well-known anticipation that Jesus Christ our good God and Saviour will come back again but no one knows the day and the time of his second coming.
That is why we should always be prepared at any time and constantly conscious and vigilant about everything we do.
Prof Kanyeihamba is a retired Supreme Court judge.
