Imperialism and revolution in Uganda

387 Pages·1980·15.765 MB·English

by  Dan Wadada Nabudere

UMASS/AilIHERS'r . cp
onyx press
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reuolution in Uganda
llabuderc
D.Wadada
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This book provides a rare opportunity for an inside view of the turbulent
poi¡tiór of üganda. Professoi Nabudere has been an active participant in
the politics of that country for many years'
ihe author's attempt to come to terms with the continuing crisis
wfr¡ch ìaces Uganda takes him first to the precolonial societies whose
inn"ì .ontr.diðtions helped imperialism to subiugate them.. He then
irr.", the development of colonialism and the often heroic resistance to
',1. iú post-lndependence period is divided ¡nto two phases, the civilian
d- ic- tatoiship under Obote, and the military d¡ctatorsh¡p of Amin.
ãmin governed for imperialism', the author argues, and_his analysis
provides añrple evidence oi imperialism's continuing grip on the-Ugandan
ã.ã"or'.uãn while the Western press were denouncing Amin's reign of
te-r ror.
Àn Epilogue brings the analysis up to date, covering Amin's
overthrow, th--e eleven months of the Binaisa government, and the most
recent couP d'etat.
Dan Wadada Nabudere was born in uganda in 1932. He studied law
at Lincotn,s lnn, and was a -phrea ct¡s¡ng lawyer in uganda for several
y""t". ln the late sixties was imprisoned by Obot-e for his
åctivities as chairman of the Uganda-Vietnam Solidarity
Gommittee. Amin released him from detention and appointed him
chairman of the East African Railways Commission, but in April
1973 he resigned in protest at the brutal¡t¡es committed by the
.itit"ry regiire. He went into exlle in Tanzania, where he taught
lÀw at ih" Ún¡u"r"ity of Dar es Salaam. With other Ugandan exiles
he worked for the convening of the Moshi unity Gonferenco
ùt¡"tr led to the formation of the Uganda National Liberation
Front, and became socretary of its political and diplomatic
commission. After the overthrow of Amin he returned to Uganda
where he was a governmsnt minister until the recent coup d'etat.
He is now in exile again, this time in Kenya'
f,14.25
|SBN 0 906383 06 4 cover design bv An Dekker
Available in Africa from Tanzania Publishing House
Available elsewhere from Onyx Press
--r
ì
tanzania publishing house
Imperialism and revolution
in Uganda
D. Wadada Nabudere
onyx press
Contents
List of Contents 111
vll
Abbreviations
tilì.lì.AT¿\
p' Gdt iTnhsee rfto lbloewfoirneg rsEepciltoiognu eotf the contents rist was omitted in error, please
5, Banks and Finance Capital
240
13. The politics of Neocolonialism: Civilian Dictatorship
l. General 249
2. Alliance for Independence 249
O86n Lyax uPrirsetsosn L ItRmdo.paedrialism and Revoluatniodn in Ugonda was firsTt apnuzbalnisiah ePdu bbyliPshOi nBgo xH o2ul s3e8 435... TTThhheee Ri1M9ivo6av6e lrC ytro iIs ntihtsee n -sL ierfRifetedr vSolturatitoengry Stood on its Head 22z65558I
London E9 7HA Dar eTs aSnazlaaanmia 14. The Uganda Neocolonial State _ phase Two: Military 273
Dictatorship. The l97l Coup d'Etat
Distributed throughout Africa (except South Africa) by Tanzania publishing House 279
Distributedelsewhere by Onyx Press. 15, Aminomics - The Economics of Neocolonial Crisis
l. The Third plan z9z
iNno a pnay.rfto ormf t hoisr bpyu balnicy amtioeann sm, aeyl ebcet rroenpirco, dmuceecdh,a nstiocarel,d pihno at orceotrpieyvinagl sôysr toetmhe orwr itsrae nwsmithittoeudt 2. tEconomic Warr 229925
the prior permission of Onyx Press or Tanzania Publishing House. a) Agriculture
292
b) Indusrry
ISBN 0 906383 06 4 (cased) 3. rThe Action programmer 300
ISBN 0 906383 07 2 (paper) 4. Petty-bourgeois politics and Amin 330tI5
@Dan Wadada Nabudere 1980 ló. Revolution in Uganda
First Published 1980 l. The principal Enemy 3t7
Printed by Russell Press Ltd., Nottingham a) Imperialist Bourgeoisie 33rr88
b) Comprador Bourgeoisie
3t9
2. The New Democratic Revolution
3. The Motive Forces of the Revolution 320
a) The proletariat 3ZZ
b) The peasantry 323
324
c) The Capitalist Farmer
d) Other petty-bourgeois Strata 325
326
e) The So-called Nafionat Bourgeoisie
4, The Refutation of Neo_Trotskyisrn- 327
5, The politics and Economice of the New Democratic 328
Revolution
329
p. 278, eleven lines from the end, rNakivubo fire, should read !lugogo firer
á M........
Contents
List of Contents 111
vll
Abbreviations
tilì.lì.AT¿\
p' Gdt iTnhsee rfto lbloewfoirneg rsEepciltoiognu eotf the contents rist was omitted in error, please
5, Banks and Finance Capital
240
13. The politics of Neocolonialism: Civilian Dictatorship
l. General 249
2. Alliance for Independence 249
O86n Lyax uPrirsetsosn L ItRmdo.paedrialism and Revoluatniodn in Ugonda was firsTt apnuzbalnisiah ePdu bbyliPshOi nBgo xH o2ul s3e8 435... TTThhheee Ri1M9ivo6av6e lrC ytro iIs ntihtsee n -sL ierfRifetedr vSolturatitoengry Stood on its Head 22z65558I
London E9 7HA Dar eTs aSnazlaaanmia 14. The Uganda Neocolonial State _ phase Two: Military 273
Dictatorship. The l97l Coup d'Etat
Distributed throughout Africa (except South Africa) by Tanzania publishing House 279
Distributedelsewhere by Onyx Press. 15, Aminomics - The Economics of Neocolonial Crisis
l. The Third plan z9z
iNno a pnay.rfto ormf t hoisr bpyu balnicy amtioeann sm, aeyl ebcet rroenpirco, dmuceecdh,a nstiocarel,d pihno at orceotrpieyvinagl sôysr toetmhe orwr itsrae nwsmithittoeudt 2. tEconomic Warr 229925
the prior permission of Onyx Press or Tanzania Publishing House. a) Agriculture
292
b) Indusrry
ISBN 0 906383 06 4 (cased) 3. rThe Action programmer 300
ISBN 0 906383 07 2 (paper) 4. Petty-bourgeois politics and Amin 330tI5
@Dan Wadada Nabudere 1980 ló. Revolution in Uganda
First Published 1980 l. The principal Enemy 3t7
Printed by Russell Press Ltd., Nottingham a) Imperialist Bourgeoisie 33rr88
b) Comprador Bourgeoisie
3t9
2. The New Democratic Revolution
3. The Motive Forces of the Revolution 320
a) The proletariat 3ZZ
b) The peasantry 323
324
c) The Capitalist Farmer
d) Other petty-bourgeois Strata 325
326
e) The So-called Nafionat Bourgeoisie
4, The Refutation of Neo_Trotskyisrn- 327
5, The politics and Economice of the New Democratic 328
Revolution
329
p. 278, eleven lines from the end, rNakivubo fire, should read !lugogo firer
á M........
þq9ÈÆi!4ú*ttái6i*i*eÊ;G:."
.,ì
Contents
tll
List of Contents
vll
Abbreviations
GlossarY of Ugandan Terms vlll
Introduction
Part One - Colonialism and Resistance
l. Uganda Before Colonialism 9
1. The Pre-contact Period 9
2. Uganda's Earliest Contact with Europe 20
LÍ.; ! i .:. l. r"rperialism and the Colonisation of Uganda 23
I . Imperialism as a Stage of Capitalism 23
2. The Uganda Protectorate - First Phase 26
3. The Uganda Protectorate - Second Phase 28
I. Uganda in the East African Context 35
i. Finance Capital and the Creation of the Colonial
37
EconomY
37
1. General
2. Agriculture 39
3. Land Distribution and the 'Free' Peasant 45
4. The Dominance of Finance Capital in Production 56
a) State CaPital 56
6l
b) Banks and the Credit System in Ceneral
c) Finance and Credit for Peasant Production 66
4. The Marketing and Distribution System 72
l. The Eraof the SmallTrader and the Hand-gin 73
2. The Era of Marketing Restriction and Ginnery Processing 74
74
a) Cotton
b) Coffee 82
3. Bulk-purchasing Contracts 82
a) Cotton 83
b) Coffee 85
4. Co-operative Marketing 89
I 5. Credit for Cash-croP Marketing 94
tt 5. Mining and IndustriaÌisation 97
l. Mining 97
2. Industrialisation 99
6. The Rise of the Working Class and its Organisation r08
l. Migrants and Proletarians 108
t12
2. Forms of Exploitation lt2
:: a) RuralEmPloYment n3
b) UrbanEmPloYment lt7
3. Conditions of Work ll9
:i 4. The Organisation of the Working Class
i.'
\ ::.
::
(iiÐ
k
!h
Si :,
*
w
W
Æ!!tx#.d
7. The Rise of the National Democratic Revolution t25
2l.. TPhoeli tiCcso loannida lS aoncdia lN Paotiloicnyal Question 112256 ó7 .. TBhinea Cisoau'sP A dd'Emtøint isotfr a1t2ioMnaY 1980 334412
3. The Evolution of theAnti-colonial DemocraticAlliance 128 Notes and References 347
4. The Bataka Movement 130 BibliograPhY 362
a) Bana ba Kintu 130 Index 366
b) TheBaraka Parry t32
5. The Politics of Revolt 133 Tables
a) 1945 134
b) 1949 138 I Commodity Exports and Imports and State Revenue l911-61 53
8. Reform and the Politics of Negotiation 144 2 Bank Deposits and Advances in Uganda, 1938 to 1958 65
l. General Reform Policy 144 3 Loan APProvals 1959-60 68
2. The New Intermediary Class 148 4 AfricanLoans Fund: Applications Submitted by Districts 1956-7 70
3. The Rise of Legal Political Parties ls5 5 Exports of Uganda Cotton to UK and India 79
4. The Politics of the New Forces of Nationalism 158 6 Disbursements into African Development Projects 1950 86
a) 1953-8 158 7 Average Selling Prices 1949-50 for Various Uganda Coffees 88
b) 1959-60 l6t 8 Minerals ExPorted 1950 and 195 I 98
9 Royalties Collected by Government from Minerals 1945-54 99
Part Two Neocolonialism and Revolution
- 10 East Africa: Cement Production and Imports in Tons 104
9. The General Strategy of Multilateral Imperialism l7t I I Company Registrations and Capital 1938-54 106
l2 UDC Industrial Investments 106
10. The Uganda Neocolonial State - Phase One: Foundations l3 UDC Trade Investments t07
of Dictatorship 174 14 Summary of Principal Economic Indicators 1954-62 101
l. A Theoretical Treatment of the Question t74 l5 Average Wages by Industry and Occupation, 1949 t20
2. The Neocolonial State in Uganda - A Concrete Treatment t't6 16 Development of Strike Action 1938-62 t23
.àF,,...¡' 11. T23l.h.. eTCM hrNueeldePtiilotlaa ctfneoosrrl aoAln giIamrilc puEelrtcuiaorlenisomm iyn U- gal:n dAagriculture 11t178875939 2lIl 7890 TCDInroiavsmdetrespi btamUurneitsiinoootnnn, o YoGf fie rMOoldwaf ftiailhconi aTdinl i t RlaUeensgdm a iUunnnd nBeaor ufa1fgi9tcai5oina2nd-l 6 ao0M,f e1tm9h5eb0 eTros boafc cthoe Lu kiiko tt1245349
a) Credit for Cash Crops 186 Growers Scheme 190
b) Credit for Perennial Crops and Livestock 189 21 Co-operative Ginneries 1962/3-1967 /8 193
c) The Co-operative Movement and Livestock 192 22 AgriculturalCo-operativeLoans 195
i) The co-operative society t92 23 Coffee and Cotton Production196l/2-1970/l 201
ii) Credit r93 24 Employment of Labour on Land 201
ffi 4. Production Results 200 25 Employment of Labour by Size of Holding: Regions 209
5. Land Policy 201 26 Prices Paid to Producers for Cotton and Coffee 1950-69 2t5
76.. MDiaffrekreetnintiga,t iPornic iAnmg oanngd Tthaex Paetiaosnantry 221006 27 ExportTaxes 1964-70 216
'ì a) Marketing of Cash Crops 210 28 Gross Domestic Product by Sector. Actual Performance
b) Marketing of Minor Crops 212 1966-70 and Plan Targets 230
{ c) PricingandTaxation 2t4 29 Recorded Employment and Earnings 232
30 Cost of Living Indices 1966-70 234
& 12. The Neocolonial Economy - 2: Industry, Commerce and 31 Workers' StrikeAction 23s
Finance 217 32 Net Balance Due from all Banks 1962-8 241
l. Industry 2t7 33 Official Foreign Investment 196l-6 246
23.. MCoinnidnigtions of the Workers 222299 34 Official External Finance for the Second PIan I 966-7 I 248
4. Trade Links and Commerce 236 35 Export Tax on Coffee 1972-5 300
36 Gross Domestic Product at Factor Cost by Industry 302
Epilogue 37 Kampala Cost of Living Indices 303
l. Introduction 38 Rehabilitation Costs 306
\ 331
2. TheRoadtoMoshi
331
3. The Moshi Unity Conference 332 Figure
45.. TThhee ULuNleL FA fGfaoivrernment Moves to Kampala 333364 I The Finance Capital Circuit in Agriculture 200
(iv)
(v)
.erw r-
7. The Rise of the National Democratic Revolution t25
2l.. TPhoeli tiCcso loannida lS aoncdia lN Paotiloicnyal Question 112256 ó7 .. TBhinea Cisoau'sP A dd'Emtøint isotfr a1t2ioMnaY 1980 334412
3. The Evolution of theAnti-colonial DemocraticAlliance 128 Notes and References 347
4. The Bataka Movement 130 BibliograPhY 362
a) Bana ba Kintu 130 Index 366
b) TheBaraka Parry t32
5. The Politics of Revolt 133 Tables
a) 1945 134
b) 1949 138 I Commodity Exports and Imports and State Revenue l911-61 53
8. Reform and the Politics of Negotiation 144 2 Bank Deposits and Advances in Uganda, 1938 to 1958 65
l. General Reform Policy 144 3 Loan APProvals 1959-60 68
2. The New Intermediary Class 148 4 AfricanLoans Fund: Applications Submitted by Districts 1956-7 70
3. The Rise of Legal Political Parties ls5 5 Exports of Uganda Cotton to UK and India 79
4. The Politics of the New Forces of Nationalism 158 6 Disbursements into African Development Projects 1950 86
a) 1953-8 158 7 Average Selling Prices 1949-50 for Various Uganda Coffees 88
b) 1959-60 l6t 8 Minerals ExPorted 1950 and 195 I 98
9 Royalties Collected by Government from Minerals 1945-54 99
Part Two Neocolonialism and Revolution
- 10 East Africa: Cement Production and Imports in Tons 104
9. The General Strategy of Multilateral Imperialism l7t I I Company Registrations and Capital 1938-54 106
l2 UDC Industrial Investments 106
10. The Uganda Neocolonial State - Phase One: Foundations l3 UDC Trade Investments t07
of Dictatorship 174 14 Summary of Principal Economic Indicators 1954-62 101
l. A Theoretical Treatment of the Question t74 l5 Average Wages by Industry and Occupation, 1949 t20
2. The Neocolonial State in Uganda - A Concrete Treatment t't6 16 Development of Strike Action 1938-62 t23
.àF,,...¡' 11. T23l.h.. eTCM hrNueeldePtiilotlaa ctfneoosrrl aoAln giIamrilc puEelrtcuiaorlenisomm iyn U- gal:n dAagriculture 11t178875939 2lIl 7890 TCDInroiavsmdetrespi btamUurneitsiinoootnnn, o YoGf fie rMOoldwaf ftiailhconi aTdinl i t RlaUeensgdm a iUunnnd nBeaor ufa1fgi9tcai5oina2nd-l 6 ao0M,f e1tm9h5eb0 eTros boafc cthoe Lu kiiko tt1245349
a) Credit for Cash Crops 186 Growers Scheme 190
b) Credit for Perennial Crops and Livestock 189 21 Co-operative Ginneries 1962/3-1967 /8 193
c) The Co-operative Movement and Livestock 192 22 AgriculturalCo-operativeLoans 195
i) The co-operative society t92 23 Coffee and Cotton Production196l/2-1970/l 201
ii) Credit r93 24 Employment of Labour on Land 201
ffi 4. Production Results 200 25 Employment of Labour by Size of Holding: Regions 209
5. Land Policy 201 26 Prices Paid to Producers for Cotton and Coffee 1950-69 2t5
76.. MDiaffrekreetnintiga,t iPornic iAnmg oanngd Tthaex Paetiaosnantry 221006 27 ExportTaxes 1964-70 216
'ì a) Marketing of Cash Crops 210 28 Gross Domestic Product by Sector. Actual Performance
b) Marketing of Minor Crops 212 1966-70 and Plan Targets 230
{ c) PricingandTaxation 2t4 29 Recorded Employment and Earnings 232
30 Cost of Living Indices 1966-70 234
& 12. The Neocolonial Economy - 2: Industry, Commerce and 31 Workers' StrikeAction 23s
Finance 217 32 Net Balance Due from all Banks 1962-8 241
l. Industry 2t7 33 Official Foreign Investment 196l-6 246
23.. MCoinnidnigtions of the Workers 222299 34 Official External Finance for the Second PIan I 966-7 I 248
4. Trade Links and Commerce 236 35 Export Tax on Coffee 1972-5 300
36 Gross Domestic Product at Factor Cost by Industry 302
Epilogue 37 Kampala Cost of Living Indices 303
l. Introduction 38 Rehabilitation Costs 306
\ 331
2. TheRoadtoMoshi
331
3. The Moshi Unity Conference 332 Figure
45.. TThhee ULuNleL FA fGfaoivrernment Moves to Kampala 333364 I The Finance Capital Circuit in Agriculture 200
(iv)
(v)
.erw r-
Abbreviations
ABP African Business Promotion Ltd.
ADB African Development Bank
ALF African Loans Fund
Dedicated to the dead, the living, and the unborn, who died struggling against, APMB Agricultural Produce Marketing Board
who continue to struggle against, and who shall carry on the struggle against BAT British American Tobacco ComPanY
imperialism in Uganda. BCGA British Cotton Crowing Association
BEAC British East Africa Corporation
CPA Calico Printers Association
DP Democratic Party
EAC East African CommunitY
EAISR East African Institute of Social Research
EALB East African Literature Bureau
EAPH East African Publishing House
ECGA Empire Cotton Crowing Association
FAO (United Nations) Food and Agricultural Organisation
FUAF Federation of Uganda African Farmers
FUTU Federation of Uganda Trade Unions
CATT Ceneral Agreement on Trade and Tariffs
HMSO His/Her Majesty's Stationery Office
IBEAC Imperial British East African Company
!; IBRD Intèrnational Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World
i' Bank)
ICA International Co-operation Administration Revolving Fund
IDC Industrial DeveloPment Centre
IMF International MonetarY Fund
ITO International Trade Organisation
KY Kabaka Yekka
MISR Makerere Institute of Social Research
NCC National Consultative Council
.,.: NEC National Executive Committee
:,r, NTC National Trading CorPoration
::: NUSU National Union of Students of Uganda
NUYO National Union of Youth Organisations
.l: SIDF Small Industries Development Fund
sdr special drawing rights
TPH Tanzania Publishing House
TUC Trades Union Congress
:: UDB Uganda Development Bank
UDC Uganda Development CorPoration
UFU Uganda Farmers Union
ULC Uganda Labour Congress
-::l UNC Uganda National Congress
UNLA Uganda National Liberation ArmY
UNLF Uganda National Liberation Front
UPC Uganda Peoples Congress
ii UPH U ganda Publishing House
USAID United States Aid for International Development
Ii (vii)
::ì
,æ';!;2Æ ú
Abbreviations
ABP African Business Promotion Ltd.
ADB African Development Bank
ALF African Loans Fund
Dedicated to the dead, the living, and the unborn, who died struggling against, APMB Agricultural Produce Marketing Board
who continue to struggle against, and who shall carry on the struggle against BAT British American Tobacco ComPanY
imperialism in Uganda. BCGA British Cotton Crowing Association
BEAC British East Africa Corporation
CPA Calico Printers Association
DP Democratic Party
EAC East African CommunitY
EAISR East African Institute of Social Research
EALB East African Literature Bureau
EAPH East African Publishing House
ECGA Empire Cotton Crowing Association
FAO (United Nations) Food and Agricultural Organisation
FUAF Federation of Uganda African Farmers
FUTU Federation of Uganda Trade Unions
CATT Ceneral Agreement on Trade and Tariffs
HMSO His/Her Majesty's Stationery Office
IBEAC Imperial British East African Company
!; IBRD Intèrnational Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World
i' Bank)
ICA International Co-operation Administration Revolving Fund
IDC Industrial DeveloPment Centre
IMF International MonetarY Fund
ITO International Trade Organisation
KY Kabaka Yekka
MISR Makerere Institute of Social Research
NCC National Consultative Council
.,.: NEC National Executive Committee
:,r, NTC National Trading CorPoration
::: NUSU National Union of Students of Uganda
NUYO National Union of Youth Organisations
.l: SIDF Small Industries Development Fund
sdr special drawing rights
TPH Tanzania Publishing House
TUC Trades Union Congress
:: UDB Uganda Development Bank
UDC Uganda Development CorPoration
UFU Uganda Farmers Union
ULC Uganda Labour Congress
-::l UNC Uganda National Congress
UNLA Uganda National Liberation ArmY
UNLF Uganda National Liberation Front
UPC Uganda Peoples Congress
ii UPH U ganda Publishing House
USAID United States Aid for International Development
Ii (vii)
::ì
,æ';!;2Æ ú