Government of Uganda - Past Leaders
 Mr.
Benedicto Kiwanuka, was our First Prime Minister of Uganda
in 1961, leader of the Democratic Party (DP) and the first
Ugandan Chief Justice before he was murdered in 1972.
He had humble beginnings much as he was a son of village chief.
This was because his father and his family did not support
him to achieve his education at an early age. He had to work
hard to achieve whatever he did. We may say he grew up in
very hard life and tough times.
He attended Villa Maria Primary School where he was helped
by Rev. Fr. Benedict Nsubuga. He then went on to attend Bikira
Primary School and later Nsambya. When his father died, he
took over the responsibility of supporting his family. WWII
broke out and young Kiwanuka had no more funds to finance
his educational ambitions. He was thus recruited into the
Kings African Riffles (KAR) and joined the war. He rose to
the rank of Sergeant Major. He returned to Uganda in 1946
and married Maxencia Zalwango in 1947
After returning from the war, he worked as an Interpreter
at the High Court of Uganda. Later, he left for South Africa
(Basutoland) to do a matriculation course in Law which he
passed with distinction. He was then admitted to London University
where he studied Law. He earned the LL.B., Barrister-at-Law
and Commissioner for Oaths. It should be noted that Mr. Kiwanuka
was forced to sell all of his family land holdings and cattle
in order to finance his studies abroad because the Buganda
government authorities were not willing to offer financial
assistance to a Catholic.
While a student in London, the late King Muteesa II was exiled
by the Colonial authorities. Many of the Ugandan students
distanced themselves from their King in fear of the British
withdrawing their scholarships. It was Ben Kiwanuka and Emmanuel
Mbaziira as young law students who worked very hard and diligently
with King Muteesa II throughout those troubled times. When
Matayo Mugwanya went to London to pursue the King's release,
it was those two law students that provided him with much
of the support in the legal intricacies including finding
for him a famous British lawyer, Mr. Duncan Foote who successfully
put together the legal case against the Colonial authorities
and won the release of King Muteesa II.
In 1956, Hon. Benedict Kiwanuka returned to Uganda and begun
his Law Practice. He soon became very popular throughout the
country especially after successfully defending Bishop Kiwanuka
against Ssemakula Mulumba malicious accusations. Kiwanuka
was elected President General of the Democratic Party in 1958.
He re-organized the Party and gave it a national outlook
that it lacked before his leadership and made it very popular
throughout Uganda. Because of his commitment to education,
he secured and offered over 300 Scholarships to Ugandans irrespective
of their tribal or religious affiliations to acquire education
in schools abroad.
Kiwanuka's political battles were mostly with the Mengo establishment
whose religious bigotry could not tolerate a Catholic politician's
aspiration for leadership. He won the 1961 general elections
and became the First Prime Minister of Uganda.
As Prime Minister, he raised the minimum wage for workers
and also the prices of cash crops (coffee and cotton). This
pleased the electorate and increased his popularity but frustrated
the colonial government. The Mengo establishment conspired
with the British to remove Kiwanuka from office prior to the
scheduled elections of 1964. The British on their part recalled
Governor Andrew Cohen, a moderate, and replaced him with Governor
Coutts assisted by R.C. Peagram to ensure that Kiwanuka was
ousted from power prior to full independence. The Mengo clique
formed a tribalist political party, KABAKA YEKKA (KY) which
later teamed up with UGANDA PEOPLES CONGRESS (UPC) in an alliance
that was to bring down Kiwanuka and give rise to Dr. Milton
Obote who subsquently became President of Uganda.
Hon. Benedict Kiwanuka was to be later imprisoned in 1969
by A. Milton Obote, and was later released by Idi Amin who
appointed him the First Ugandan Chief Justice. Kiwanuka very
sson came in confrontation with Idi Amin's disregard for the
rule of law. There were numerous occasions when Idi Amin wanted
to circumvent the law but the Chief Justice could not cooperate.
Kiwanuka's defense of Mr. Daniel Stewart against the State
of Uganda was the last straw. On September 22, 1972 after
refusing to sign false documents, he was murdered in cold
blood.
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