{UAH} Pojim/WBK: Kiwanuka’s book fails to see the light of day - People & Power

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Kiwanuka's book fails to see the light of day

Former Chief Justice Benedicto Kiwanuka (C), his wife Maxencia Zalwango (L) and personal assistant Paul Ssemogerere. FILE PHOTO 

In Summary

Final episode. In our final part of the Last Days of Ben Kiwanuka series, Faustin Mugabe looks at the former Chief Justice's unpublished book. Meant to be launched on Kiwanuka's 50th birthday, the book never saw the light of day.

On his 50th birthday, Benedicto Kiwanuka had planned to release a book he had written. The former Chief Justice had authored a book that detailed his life as the Democratic Party (DP) president general, a lawyer, an activist and as former prisoner. 
The book, whose title he did not mention, was scheduled to be launched on May 8, 1972, at his home in Masaka.
Sunday Monitor was unable to establish why the former Chief Justice did not launch the book, and yet he hosted a pre-launch party. But we were able to find out why he authored the book and some of the content that would have been included in it.

Press briefing
On May 5, 1972, about three days to its launch, the former Chief Justice met journalists in Kampala. Kiwanuka told them that he was to release a book on his 50th birthday. 
He, however, did not mention its title, but said it would be a landmark in his life. It was to reveal his adversities and triumphs.
"This will be the beginning of a new life," the Uganda Argus of Saturday May 6, 1972, quoted the former Chief Justice as having said.
"It is going to be an opportunity for me to start a new life on a clean mind. And I am going to try to forget the whole past. Even the memory of what happened a few years back."
The newspaper wrote: "Recalling his days of detention, the Chief Justice felt bitter for he thought his imprisonment was for no reason. And bad charges had been labelled against him…'but now this is a matter for the past since God has helped me to get out of the grip'."
The paper further quoted the former Chief Justice: "I am going to forgive and forget to the extent of even forgiving those who were responsible for my punishment."

Inspiration for writing
Asked what inspired him to write the book, Kiwanuka said the idea came after he had testified before the tribunal that was investigating the abuse of power and human rights by the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) government. 
The commission was established by president Idi Amin after the fall of the UPC government in January 1971. 
Justice Kiwanuka said he was encouraged by friends who liked the testimony and writings he gave to the commission and was persuaded to document them into a book for posterity. Kiwanuka said he had indeed written the book so that the public could learn of the condition under which they were imprisoned, the brutal treatment they endured as well as how they were thinking while in prison. 
Kiwanuka was arrested for allegedly being behind the attempted assassination of the president Milton Obote on December 19, 1969. On December 21, he was arrested and incarcerated at Luzira prison where he stayed until January 1971 after Obote had been toppled.

Planned launch
Kiwanuka warned that there would be no speeches at the launch of the book, which was to be at his country home in Masaka. Although the book launch never happened, Kiwanuka's birthday party went on and was attended by several dignitaries. 
Among them was then Archbishop of Rubaga, Rev Fr Emmanuel Nsubuga, the former Chief Khadi of Uganda, Sheik Suleiman Yusuf Matovu, and then Bishop of Namirembe Dunstan Nsubuga, Prince Badru Kakungulu of Buganda and Fr Sparta of the Orthodox Church who represented the bishop.
Sunday Monitor was unable to establish what happened to the book. Efforts to talk to Paul Ssemogerere, a former personal assistant to Kiwanuka, about the unpublished book were futile as he did not respond to our telephone calls.

How Idi Amin killed Kiwanuka

This week marked 43 years since the immortal Benedicto Kiwanuka was last seen in public on. 
It was on September 21, 1972, when Uganda's first black Chief Justice was kidnapped from his court chambers in Kampala and four days later shot dead at State lodge Nakasero by president Idi Amin. This was revealed by the retired 71-year-old superintendent of police, Daniel Mulemezi, a resident of Kamuli District in eastern Uganda.
The retired police detective was appearing before the commission of inquiry into the violation of Human Rights in Uganda from October 9, 1962, to January 25, 1986, sitting at the International Conference (now Serena Conference) in Kampala. 
Mulemezi, who was witness number 140, had volunteered to appear before the commission to debunk the mystery surrounding Kiwanuka's death since 1972.
On October 5, 1988, he revealed for the first time on record how Amin killed the Chief Justice. 
Mulemezi indicated that his impeccable source was a Uganda Army (UA) intelligence officer; Corporal Odwori Okoth attached to the Lubiri Barracks in Kampala but since joined the National Resistance Army and was currently based in Kampala.
He also admitted that until 1973, he was the commander of the Uganda Police Flying Squad which was charged with investigating serious criminal cases in the country but resigned after Amin assigned him to spy on former president Milton Obote who was in exile in Tanzania.
According to the commission report, Mulemezi personally attempted to investigate the abduction and disappearance of Kiwanuka but was intimidated by some soldiers. He also revealed that when he heard that Kiwanuka had been arrested by soldiers, he tried to investigate the matter but was frustrated.
Why Kiwanuka was killed
Mulemezi said this was after he had received intelligence information from his reliable source that Amin had personally shot Kiwanuka dead. His source had confided to him that Kiwanuka would have survived death if he had conditionally accepted to make a statement before Amin and aired on Radio Uganda claiming that he had been kidnapped by the guerrillas – which Kiwanuka adamantly refused.
And the furious Amin pulled out a pistol from his waist and said: "Don't you think I can kill you?" To which the intrepid Kiwanuka responded: "You can do so, but I am not going to say anything at all. I will die with the truth".
The infuriated Amin pulled the trigger, shot and killed Kiwanuka. Mulemezi stated.
The report, however, does not reveal how many bullets were shot into Kiwanuka's body.

Kiwanuka's book fails to see the light of day - People & Power

http://www.monitor.co.ug/Magazines/PeoplePower/Kiwanuka-s-book-fails-to-see-the-light-of-day/-/689844/2886146/-/emjnjf/-/index.html

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