Uganda and Buganda react to Muteesa’s death

A day after his 45 birthday, Sir Edward Muteesa was looking forward to the weekend. His subjects has organised for him a birthday party. Unfortunately he passed away on the eve of the fete.

November 19, 1969 being a Thursday, would make it hard for the Baganda community in the UK to attend the party, so it was scheduled for Saturday November 21, starting with a church service at St Martins.

The Uganda Argus of Monday November 24, 1969 first reported the death and it quoted the Katikkiro, then Mayanja Nkangi, also exiled, having issued a statement in which he explained how he got the news of Kabaka Muteesa’s death.
“He was very cheerful and we chatted for several minutes. I was planning to attend the service at St Martin on Saturday and we were going to give him a party afterwards. But on Friday night, I heard the tragic news,” Nkangi is quoted saying.

Recently, when Sunday Monitor contacted Mayanja – who was then an economics lecturer at the University of Lancaster, he said: “I was planning to go to London the next day for the celebration of Kabaka’s birthday; at around 9pm, I received a call from Fred Mpanga telling me that the Kabaka was dead. The Baganda community in the UK was shocked and surprised since the Kabaka was not known to have been sick at all. We were all looking forward to the birthday celebrations.”

When the news of his death reached the government, the Secretary to the Cabinet, Mr Frank Kalimuzo, visited the home of Lady Damalie Kisosonkole, Muteesa’s wife, to deliver a condolence message from the government before she left the country on Sunday November 23.

Cabinet went ahead to say they had directed the Uganda High Commission to facilitate the return of the body. “Government has allowed the people to choose a place of their choice where Muteesa will be buried, including Kasubi,” the Cabinet statement read in part.

It was Uganda’s High Commissioner to the UK, Paul Etiang, who informed the Obote government of Muteesa’s death. In response, the government gave permission to Lady Damalie to travel to London. According to Uganda Argus of November 24, 1969, “she went alone and was seen off the airport by a group of 20 sombre airport staff”.
The government instructed Etiang to make immediate arrangements for the return of the body and also instructed him to find out from the British government the cause of his death.

As a sign of good will, the Obote government released Nalinya Mpologoma, a sister of Muteesa, who had been detained for some time under the emergency laws that came into force in 1967.

The People newspaper, affiliated to the ruling party UPC, quoted Etiang as saying, “like any other human being, I have much regret, the loss of life, especially for a person like Sir Edward Muteesa who was at a young age of 45.”
There were different reactions to the death of Muteesa. Bagenda Mpima, a reporter for The People newspaper, talked to Josua Katende who was Muteesa’s bodyguard with whom he went with into exile.

Katende said: “I was shocked. I could not believe it. He was alright when he was having dinner, he did not complain to us of anything. But when I came in, I found him lying flat on the floor. He had just finished his dinner”.

Muteesa’s sudden death caught many by surprise. Those close to him were looking forward to a weekend of partying with their Kabaka. Fred Mpanga, a former kingdom attorney, was quoted by The People newspaper as saying, “He rung me yesterday (Friday) around 3pm, and later at around 8pm he rung my wife. Muteesa talked of today’s party and wanted my wife to give his daughter Sarah Kagere a busuti (Ganda traditional women’s wear) to wear on the occasion. He was quite normal and in good spirit, he did not complain to me of anything.”

Of those who attended Muteesa’s last dinner was Kasozi Luganda. He is said to have left the flat at around 9pm and a few hours later the king was found dead. “I just cannot tell. I am puzzled because he appeared to me perfect when I left him,” said Kasozi when he got the news of Muteesa’s death.

In Uganda, the news was received differently. The mood in Buganda was sombre as many people did not believe that Muteesa was dead.

News first trickled in on Saturday morning. George Herbert Mulumba Salongo, now the katikkiro of the Masiro (tombs premier), says the news was first taken as a rumour and many people did not believe it.

“That morning as I rode to work, I saw people standing in small groups talking but I didn’t take them serious. I was working with Fiat Uganda on Jinja Road, at around 10am it was confirmed that Muteesa was indeed dead. I immediately left work. By the time I got home in Kasubi, there were lots of people mourning.”

“By afternoon, hundreds of people had gathered at the Masiro, then out of the blue, soldiers arrived in Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC’s) and ordered people to go back home. Their commander stood on top of one of the APC’s and said, “Buli muntu egende ekabile ka wayo.” (Everyone should go and mourn from their home).

Many people did not believe that their hero was dead; they wanted to see the body in order to believe. Students at Makerere University lit a kyoto (bonfire) in front of the main building where they held a vigil to mourn Muteesa’s death. They had their gowns around their waists.

Business almost came to a standstill in Buganda with many shops closed; with many taxis not working as all mourned the passing of their hero. To some, it was not until April 1971 when his body was returned that they believed that Muteesa was indeed dead.