When Amin wanted Kabaka Mutebi to join Uganda army

Prince Mutebi had returned to Uganda with family members, friends and well wishers for the burial of his mother, Sarah Kisosonkole. Kisosonkole died of cancer of the breast on August 17, 1974 at St Theresa Hospital, Wimbledon in Britain.

She was laid to rest at Kyaliwajala, Namugongo, Wakiso District. At the burial, President Amin was represented by then Chief of Staff, Brigadier Mustafa Idrisi.

On August 22, 1974, after the burial, Amin met princes Mutebi and Richard Walugembe at his parliamentary building offices.

The princes were accompanied by their guardians, Capt Owen, a British, for Prince Mutebi and Koffi Ado, a Ghanaian for Prince Walugembe, as well as their grandfather, Kisosonkole. Counsel Fred Mpanga, who was a close friend of Sir Edward Mutesa’s family, was also present, among other friends and relatives.

Amin asks Mutebi to join army
During a conversation with the members of the Buganda royal family, Amin advised prince Mutebi to be aware of the wrong characters from Uganda, who could want to mislead him.

The Voice of Uganda newspaper of August 23, 1974 wrote about the encounter: “President Amin warned Mutebi to be careful about some people who might go to his university [Cambridge] to confuse him that he would become the Kabaka.

The president declared that Uganda will remain a republic and there is no question of going back to the kingdoms”.
Nevertheless, Amin asked prince Mutebi to return home and join the Uganda army. The Voice of Uganda further reported. “The General urged Mutebi to return home for his next holidays so that he [Amin] would recruit him in the Uganda Armed Forces”.

He added: “A young boy like Mutebi would have good discipline while in the army”.
Amin said Prince Mutebi’s father, Sir Edward Muteesa, was a good soldier in the Grenadier Guards of England.

According to the Colonial Report Uganda 1947, an annual publication about historic events in the country, “His Highness [Muteesa II] the Kabaka of Buganda was able to make a brief visit to Uganda during his 1947 Christmas vacation from Cambridge [university] where he was pursuing his studies.

On August 8 1947, H.M. the king [of England] conferred on him [Kabaka Muteesa] the honorary rank of Captain in the Grenadier Guards”.

The paper also reported that Amin gave a brief military history to Mutebi and his other guests, especially about the role of the military in Africa’s politics and quoted him thus: “President Amin told Mutebi that the future of Africa lies in the hands of military governments, which can stop corruption”.

Amin also emphasised to Mutebi that civilian governments in Africa were corrupt, and that is why the army steps in to stop the situation.

Amin also told Prince Mutebi that as the president of Uganda, his responsibility was to protect everybody and he too would be protected if he returned to Uganda.

It would seem that after the first meeting, Amin realised that he did not convince Mutebi or his guardian Owen and others, who had accompanied the prince. On August 25, 1974, another meeting was held at State Lodge, Nakasero in Kampala.

Prince Mutebi and his brother, Prince Walugembe and their guardians met Amin for the second time in less than 72 hours.

During the meeting, Amin promised the Prince that the government of Uganda would pay his university fees in Britain.

The following day, the Voice of Uganda of August 26, 1974, reported under the front lead titled “government to meet Mutebi’s fees”. It wrote: “President Amin has disclosed that Uganda government is to take over the responsibility of paying all expenses of Ronnie Mutebi at the university in Britain”.

After the morning meeting, again that evening, Amin went and visited members of the late Sir Edward Muteesa’a family at their residence at Nakasero, where he bid farewell to Mutebi and his entourage and wished them a safe journey back to England.

Mutebi was to join Cambridge University in September 1974, where he was to study a Bachelor of Laws degree.

His father, Kabaka Muteesa, had also had education at the same university. At the time, Mutebi was 19 years old. Saturday Monitor was not able to establish whether Amin fulfilled the pledge of the government paying Mutebi’s university fees.

When contacted on the matter, Buganda Kingdom’s Information minister Denis Walusimbi said: “No, I am not aware of that. In fact, I had never heard about it. I cannot comment on that”.

Why want Mutebi in the army?
So what was so serious that necessitated Amin to meet Prince Mutebi and his entourage three times in less than 72 hours?

Since he became the president of Uganda after the January 25, 1971 coup, Amin was under immense pressure from traditionalists, especially from Buganda region, to restore monarchies, which had been abolished in 1967 by then president Milton Obote. Amin, like his predecessor Obote, did not want kingdoms restored in Uganda because of their political interference in the national affairs.

Earlier in April 1971, after the burial of Sir Edward Muteesa II, some rituals were performed on Prince Mutebi as the heir to his late father.

These rituals incensed Amin. He thought it meant that Mutebi was now King of Buganda and he blamed Buganda officials for performing them without informing him as president. He castigated those who had performed those rituals for “misleading” Prince Mutebi.

It was, therefore, clear that Amin was afraid of prince Mutebi that if inspired by some forces, he could lead the struggle to demand for the restoration of Buganda Kingdom.