A 1977 report written by John Olav Kerr the then Private Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth reveals how Henry Kyemba went to the Sunday Times with an offer to sell them his story alleging that he knew the true story of how 75-year-old British Jewish immigrant Dora Bloch and Archbishop Janan Luwum were killed during the Idi Amin regime.
This is in contrast to a letter in the Sunday Monitor of May 12 titled, 'Henry Kyemba: How I fled from Idi Amin regime', where Mr Kyemba says he learned of the death of the archbishop from then Vice President Mustafa Adrisi in a phone call where the latter only told him of a car accident.
Kerr's report goes on to say that the newspaper had given him a large sum of money and proposed to send him to a cottage, accompanied by a member of their staff who would assist him in producing a fairly long report. Kerr's report was submitted to Sir Anthony Duff, who at one time was the head of British intelligence.
I contacted one of Amin's sons, Lumumba Amin for his opinion. In his response, Lumumba wrote, "It is clear that Kyemba knew what the British government's interests were in regards to Amin, so he played them the music they wanted to hear.
It is like how today you have people who, just because they want to live in Europe, are ready to claim that they are homosexuals being persecuted in Uganda. That way they get asylum and free government care. This man wasn't persecuted by anyone. He was an economic migrant possibly fleeing with taxpayers' money. Because at the time, Kyemba was one of those officials whom the government would send abroad to make large cash purchases".
Mr Kyemba claims to have been approached by the Sunday Times editor. But the report seems to show that he was the one who visited them and sought to sell a juicy story.
Kyemba's book "The State of Blood", was subsequently the main narrative that galvanised international support against Amin. Kyemba had made sure that he distributed the book to all ambassadors at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
In wonderment, Mr Lumumba says, "I for sure have been trying to know the truth. For example, which organisation counted the alleged 500, 000 deaths in Uganda during that time? I am discovering that it was just Kyemba. That man used everyone, even the United Nations. I want to say one thing to Mr Kyemba, withdraw your book "The State of Blood" or tell us who counted those alleged deaths. "
George Hayston, Researcher in contemporary history
Southampton, UK
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