{UAH} Ugandans Seek to Decolonise Kampala’s Streets

A campaign to rename street names Kampala has gained momentum as the Black Lives Matter protests and decolonisation movement sweep across the globe

The Online petition that was launched on June 9, urges government to remove the names of British colonial figures from the streets, monuments and landmarks in Kampala. The petition has received more than 5,000 signatures of validation.

The campaigners handed in their petition to the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, on Friday 26, seeking action in the next 90 days.

Almost 60 years after independence, streets across Uganda are still named after British colonial soldiers, including Major-General Henry Colville and Lord Frederick Lugard among others.

Exact numbers of people massacred by colonial soldiers and administrators are not known partly because the British government systematically destroyed records of colonial crimes to prevent the information from falling into the hands of post-independence governments. Today, many people walking along Kampala's streets are unaware that atrocities against their ancestors were perpetrated by people honoured with street names.

"Social media has helped to bring this subject [renaming streets] to the fore, and we must do it. We need to recognise our streets with authentic African figures who have brought us this far" Apollo Makubuya, a lawyer and chief petitioner said.

This is not the first time that there has been an attempt to get rid of colonial names from road signage in Kampala.

During the government of former leader Idi Amin, who ruled Uganda from 1971 to 1979, many streets in the capital were renamed.

Malcolm X Avenue after the Black liberation and civil rights leader and Nkrumah Road after the revolutionary figure who led Ghana out of British rule still survive to this day after being renamed in 1972.

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"When a man is stung by a bee, he doesn't set off to destroy all beehives"

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