Homecomings

A corpse and an ambitious politician return to upset President Museveni's re-election plans

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni's two big political rivals have returned from exile and sparked major new challenges to the President and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). First came 80-year-old Apollo Milton Obote, leader of the Uganda People's Congress (UPC). Forty-three years and a day after becoming Uganda's independence leader, Obote died of kidney failure in South Africa. He arrived at Entebbe airport in a casket draped with the Ugandan flag. Even Milton Obote's own supporters were taken aback by the impact of his death and funeral. Firstly, against expectations and his own political inclinations, Museveni ordered a state funeral. Then the government reversed its decision not to declare a public holiday on the day of the funeral. It is a clear sign that Museveni has started to calculate his political moves much more carefully before the March elections (AC Vol 46 No 19).

Article Tags:
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Apollo Milton Obote, South Africa, Kizza Besigye, Monster truck, huge crowds, Nasser Ssebagala, United States, Elizabeth Kuteesa, Ken Lukyamuzi, Winnie Byanyima, Sulaiman Kiggundu, Salaamu Musumba, Geoffrey Ekanya, Beti Kamya, Alice Alaso, Miria Obote, Idi Amin Dada, Edward Muteesa, Yusuf Kironde Lule, New leader for the UPC, Zambia, Badru Wegulo, Joseph Pinytek Ochieno, agende, Kasanja

end of preview

To read the rest of the article you need to either log in or do one of the following:

Subscribe to Africa Confidential Find out more
Purchase this article on its own Find out more

If you have a print subscription already please click here for full access to the website.
If you have already logged in and believe you should have access to this article please contact customer services.