Binaisa’s anti-colonial legal battles

The ‘collaborating’ political parties and the colonial government contacted Binaisa through an astute non-politician called Daudi Ocheng. Through Ocheng, a longtime friend of Kabaka Mutesa of Buganda and Kyabazinga Muloki of Busoga, private personal level negotiations involving all the groups were opened with Binaisa. Without consultation, Binaisa suddenly stopped the ‘United Front’ anti-colonial campaign.

Political parties and individual supporters of the Binaisa generated hard line anti-colonial militant struggle, addressed rallies condemning him as a traitor and vowing to continue. From February 15, 958, Binaisa countered through public rallies, explaining that in politics ‘change of strategy’ is one of the ‘tactics’ that will lead Uganda to independence.

Making U-turn
In spite of Binaisa, the Buganda Lukiiko rejected the March 1958 Legislative Council elections. Not to be outdone, Binaisa turned round and publicly praised Buganda for rejecting the Legislative Council elections.

For most of 1958, the UCP engaged in global, Africa and regional (East and Central Africa) self government initiatives and conferences. This was a period for Uganda political party leaders, Binaisa inclusive, to enjoy numerous costs and allowances paid for international trips. The foreign demands were for the numerous small Uganda political parties to merge.

A conference to unite Uganda political parties was sponsored in Kampala by foreign patrons of the independence struggle in November 1958. It had technical advisers and politicians like Julius Nyerere and Tom Mboya to assist. For UCP, Binaisa said he accepted the principle of merging but could not concede to surrendering leadership or winding up. Other parties did not accept any formula of unity in pursuing Uganda independence.

Militant anti-colonialism
In December 1958, Binaisa led the political parties reaction to the colonial government release of a development plan that offered prospects to Africans. The plan was welcomed by all native kingdoms and local governments except Buganda Kingdom. Binaisa organised political parties to denounce British rule and the right of Britain to develop Uganda. He launched a campaign that only Ugandans should develop Uganda, not Britain, European companies and local minority Indians.

The next campaign Binaisa launched was against the 1959 Education Bill which gave powers to the colonial government minister, Hon Cartland, to license and inspect all non-government schools in Uganda.

Prior, the education sector was open to entry by religious, cultural, native local government and private native entrepreneurs. Binaisa sent messages to all native stakeholders that this Bill was designed was a declaration of war on African Education in Uganda. He organised a national public rally to denounce this Bill and launch the campaign. Before the conclusion of the anti-Education Bill struggle, Binaisa launched the collection of signatures from Uganda Africans petitioning against the 1959 Constitution Committee.

The Committee was soliciting public views to draft a Uganda Constitution based on three races; Africans, Europeans and Indians. Binaisa called on Ugandans to boycott the Committee, arguing that Uganda is only for African Ugandans.

The campaign was also launched with a public rally at Katwe. After the Katwe rally, the colonial government and British companies in Uganda reached a private agreement with Binaisa not to oppose the goodwill visit of the Queen Mother. The British Queen Mother visit was a greater contradiction to Uganda independence struggle but Binaisa usually compromised especially where, as in this case, he negotiated with financial interests.

In February 1959, the governor removed Mr Yusuf Kironde Lule from the post of Minister of Rural Development responsible for improving Africans. Lule had established a Bank for Africans (later Uganda Commercial Bank), African Cooperatives, African shops and ginneries. At a Katwe rally to denounce the removal of Lule, resolutions were drawn to end peaceful intercourse with colonialists and fight for economic rights.

Binaisa was one of the principal speakers at the rally where the mob forced Musaazi to retract his invitation to non-Africans to join the UNC. The final resolution drawn by Binaisa was to create the Uganda National Movement to show by proactive action (boycott) that Ugandans were tired of British rule. Binaisa was chairman of the finance committee and the only member of all other committees. The most powerful committee was one determining the (British) goods, companies, shops and services to boycott. The UNM boycott list was more than a religion to the local public in Buganda, Jinja, Mbale and Tororo.

Any African sighted working, transporting, buying or associating with boycotted goods, services, company, shop or racial group suffered mob violence, burning of the house and slashing the garden.
Binaisa was on the committee which determined the items most associated with colonial rule and exploiting natives. The committee listed and de-listed boycott items.

The late Binaisa was empowered to negotiate with business interests subject to boycott. Within three months the UNM organised boycott had brought to a standstill each of the industries, goods and services under African boycott. Binaisa engaged in private negotiations, on his terms, with companies to overlook their products or de-list them from the boycott.