By Daily Monitor
In a ruling on February 27, Justice Musa Ssekaana (now a Court of Appeal judge) agreed with petitioner John Ssempebwa that these roads should be renamed
The High Court has ordered the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to rename city roads bearing the names of British colonial officials.
In a ruling on February 27, Justice Musa Ssekaana (now a Court of Appeal judge) agreed with petitioner John Ssempebwa that these roads should be renamed.
“This court, therefore, issues an order directing the respondent (KCCA) to take administrative, legislative, and other measures to enforce the rules for the renaming of streets, roads, and other public places to other appropriate names that promote community harmony, unity or which exemplify the culture, heritage and values of the people of Uganda,” ruled Justice Ssekaana.
He added: “The capital has continued to use the colonial names and this ought to be addressed through a gradual process of choosing appropriate names in honour of persons relevant to Uganda’s historical transformation since independence,”
The judge advised that KCCA should follow a proper process when renaming the streets. This, the judge ruled, should involve consulting the public and following the KCCA Act and the Kampala City Authority Naming Guidelines of 2017, which provide rules for naming and renaming roads.
The petitioner, Mr Ssempebwa, raised concerns about several street names honouring colonial administrators. These include Lord Frederick Lugard, Capt William, Sir Edward Colville, Col Trevor Ternan, Sir Henry (Harry) Hamilton Johnstone, and Sir Gerald Herbert Portal. Other names include Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II, the House of Windsor, Sir Ernest J Lennox Berkeley, and Sir William Mackinnon.
Mr Ssempebwa filed the petition in September last year, arguing that many of these colonial figures were responsible for mass killings, torture, and discrimination during the Uganda Protectorate era.
He said it was wrong for KCCA to honour them by naming streets after them.
“…I am particularly aware of the atrocities, massacres, and other colonial crimes or injustices committed by Henry Colville and Trevor Ternan in the Kingdom of Bunyoro and Frederick Lugard in the Kingdom of Buganda. The legacies of these officials, in addition to those of others such as Sir Henry (Harry) Hamilton Johnston, Captain William, the Kings African Rifles (KAR), and Sir Gerald Herbert Portal are depressing, distasteful, incongruous. They perpetuate hurt and division to me and amongst many members in my community,” Mr Ssempebwa stated in his petition.
He added: “Honouring, celebration, and memorialisation of these former British colonial officials who implemented oppressive policies by the respondent in Uganda’s capital city and elsewhere, carries painful memories and constantly offends my dignity, self-respect, and self-worth. It is torturous, hurtful, and distressful and amounts to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment to me and members of my community whose ancestors suffered decades of inhuman treatment and indignity that accompanied colonial conquest and occupation.”
Mr Ssempebwa, the proprietor of the Ssemagulu Royal Museum at Mutundwe in Rubaga Division, further argued that honouring the colonial figures distorts history, glorifying colonial officials and the British monarchy while ignoring the harm and exploitation they inflicted on local populations.
He further said colonial figures are also symbolic of ongoing oppression and perpetuate the notion that colonialism is prevalent and valid many decades after Uganda got its independence.
“It undermines the sense of independence from British colonial rule and the Ugandans’ right to self-determination. It symbolises and perpetuates a nefarious legacy of violence, domination, control, abuse, impunity and colonial oppression within Kampala and other parts of Uganda, which should come to an end,” the petitioner stated.
When this newspaper contacted Mr Dan Nuwabine, the spokesperson of KCCA, on what measures they would take to implement the court decision, he said they are law-abiding and are taking steps to actualise the ruling.
“Yes, we recognise the ruling and we are to work appropriately, but the names usually come from the community. There are guidelines as per the Kampala House Numbering and Road Naming that spell out the process of arriving at names,” Mr Nuwabine said by telephone yesterday.
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