Political solidarity is the currency of regional development, but between 1971 and 1981, Busoga’s leading politicians declared bitter rivalries and power struggles in the shadows of tyranny . During one of the most turbulent decades in Ugandan history, the prominent political figures of the Busoga sub-region chose factionalism over cooperation. Marked by relentless bickering, deep-seated grudges, and public wrangling, this era of disunity systematically dismantled Busoga’s collective bargaining power at the national table.
By examining the anatomy of these political feuds, this article uncovers how internal divisions during the Amin regime and the early UNLF years cost Busoga its development momentum—leaving scars that the region still bears today.
A new wave of Busoga politicians rose to prominence at the national level: However, looking at sheer executive authority and regional command over Busoga as a cohesive bloc, Dr. John Luwuliza-Kirunda stands out as the most structurally dominant politician of that specific era and Joshua Wanume Kibedi remains the most internationally famous and high-profile figure from the region during the height of the 1970s.
The political division within Busoga manifested across several dimensions. Remember, before Idi Amin seized power in a 1971 coup, the prominent elites from Busoga were already deeply fractured. Busoga leaders split into distinct factions based on how they chose to deal with the military regime.
Resistance or collaboration with Amin tore Busoga politicians apart.
Henry Kisajja Magumba Kyemba, one of the most prominent national figures from Busoga chose to collaborate with the regime. Initially serving as the Principal Private Secretary to Milton Obote, he stayed on during the coup and served as Amin’s Minister of Health from 1974 until 1977, when he fled to London.
Similarity, Eng. James Nhonhintono Mbuzi Zikusoka took the same path. He served as the Minister of Works and Housing during the early years of Amin’s military government. Ibrahim Galandi who was appointed by Amin as the Minister of Agriculture followed suit and Colonel Samuel John Lukakamwa who was a high-ranking military officer from Busoga served as the Minister of Housing and Physical Planning.
Other historical leaders like Shaban Nkutu refused to align with Amin’s military government, choosing instead to lie low or voice silent dissent. He remained a highly respected UPC figure. He was abducted and brutally murdered by Amin’s State Research Bureau forces in January 1973.
Sir William Nadiope saw his local and national influence systematically destroyed following the abolition of traditional institutions, dying in 1978 during the height of Amin’s reign.
This divergence in strategies caused friction and lack of a unified political front to protect the sub-region from Amin’s purge of former Obote loyalists.
The UNLF Transitional Era (1979–1980) brought a new crop of educated elites from Busoga (many of whom were alumni of Busoga College Mwiri) into the national fold.
However, the old divisions immediately resurfaced. Significant bickering, conflict, and disunity among prominent Busoga leaders during the UNLF government (1979–1980) continued. This friction was part of the broader ideological, partisan, and personality clashes. It manifested in several ways:
Re-emergence of Multiparty Rifts (UPC vs. DP vs. UPM). The UNLF was formed as an umbrella organization to unite all anti-Idi Amin forces. However, once Amin was overthrown in 1979, the old partisan divisions immediately resurfaced.
The UPC Faction: Prominent Basoga stalwarts who had historical ties to Milton Obote’s Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) sought to regain the political dominance they enjoyed in the 1960s.
Other leaders leaned heavily toward the Democratic Party (DP) or aligned with the newly formed Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM), which was led by Yoweri Museveni.
These competing loyalties prevented Busoga leaders from presenting a unified regional agenda, as they were deeply divided over which faction should control the post-Amin state.
The Legacy of the Traditional Kyabazinga Rivalry resumed. The deep-seated historical animosity between the royal lineages of Busoga—most notably the decades-long rivalry between the camps of Sir William Wilberforce Nadiope (associated with the UPC) and Henry Wako Muloki (associated with the DP)—continued to cast a shadow over the transitional period. Although Nadiope had passed away before the UNLF took power, the political networks and factional polarization created by this traditional-political divide persisted among the elite who entered the UNLF government.
Busoga’s representatives in the National Consultative Council (NCC) and the interim cabinet regularly clashed over resource allocation, influence within the transitional presidency (under Yusuf Lule and later Godfrey Binaisa), and preparations for the highly controversial December 1980 general election.
While Luwuliza-Kirunda worked to reinstate UPC hegemony, Mathias Ngobi and Professor Yoweri Kyesimira aligned with the Democratic Party (DP), which won overwhelmingly in Busoga during the 1980 polls.
Instead of organizing as a cohesive voting block to leverage concessions for the sub-region, prominent figures like Kirunda Kivejinja (who joined the UPM faction) and various UPC-leaning politicians spent the transition fighting for ideological supremacy.
This election-era polarization eventually escalated into severe state-sponsored intimidation, where Luwuliza-Kirunda used his subsequent ministerial powers to force Busoga’s DP representatives into compliance, leaving Kyesimira as the lone regional leader who openly defied him.
The writer, George Mubiru, is a Jinja based researcher, senior teacher and Assistant RCC Jinja City.
Tel: 0786578979
Email: georgemubiru93@gmail.com
The post GEORGE MUBIRU: Busoga decade of discord 1971-1981. Power, pride and political feuds appeared first on Watchdog Uganda.