The Pioneer of Uhuru and Socialism – On the 20th anniversary of A. M. Obote´s demise

“Obote had long been an advocate of socialism.”1 – Xavier Ogena The 10th October marks the day on which our dear Apollo Milton Obote died two decades ago. He was the one who led Uganda into independence. He was the one who first tried to lead Uganda on a socialist path of development. He was truly a pioneer of Uhuru and socialism in Uganda. Uhuru and socialism are inseparable. On the eve of independence Obote delivered a speech on 8th

Dumping the Common Man’s Charter? – A reply to Comrade Yoga Adhola

The Common Man’s Charter is until today seen by the Ugandan left as a major document, especially among the left wing of the UPC. In a statement from 2023, which can not be called a thorough analysis at all, Yoga Adhola addresses this matter. He claims that there is no need to study it just because “the author regretted it”1. Yes, Obote in his last years of life said that he regretted the Move to the Left. He said in

The Class Composition of the Ugandan Society

“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.”1 – Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels Uganda’s society is divided in classes. Before the arrival of the British colonialists most of Uganda already was a class society, a feudal one under the rule of local kings, such as the Kabaka of Buganda. The society of today’s Uganda is a capitalist one. Therefore the class structure is mainly divided between the bourgeoisie, the capitalist class, and the proletariat,

Okwogera n’ekibiina kya Communist League of Uganda (January 2025)

Dear readers, dear comrades! In the following we post the interview with the CLU in Luganda. Qn: 1. Ekibuuzo Watandikibwawo ddi era embeera eri wa? Nga 2nd October 2024, twafuna ekirowoozo ky’okutandikawo ekibiina ky’abakomunisiti eky’amaanyi mu Uganda nga twesigama ku nkola za kikula kya Marxism-Leninism. Era okutuukiriza kino mu bbanga ettono, kyategeerekese nti kijja kuba tekisoboka olw’embeera z’ebyobufuzi ezitali za bwenkanya ezibaddewo mu ggwanga, naye kiyinza okuba ekigendererwa eky’ekiseera ekiwanvu oluvannyuma lw’okukunga abantu abangi mu bujjuvu, okuwa okusomesa mu byobufuzi

How to organize our study?

It is a truism to say: Marxism needs efforts to be studied. But that mere fact does not help, only concrete ways to organize that study help. Self-study can work, but it is mostly without structure. The best would be of course establishing Marxism courses or even an ideological school, like the UPC operates one. That needs a plan of course. First of all, the content of the study. We need to set up a curriculum suiting the Ugandan national

Thoughts about the Language Question in Uganda

It is obvious that Uganda, despite its country name that is derived from Buganda, is not a national state of the Baganda. On Uganda these biblical words are not applying: “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language.”1 Instead Uganda is more like Babylon after the Confusion of Tongues2: There is no native language that could even closely claim to be a majority language. I agree with most points of Comrade Joseph´s important interview on fundamental questions.

Interview with the Communist League of Uganda (January 2025)

Qn: 1 When have you been founded and what where the circumstances? On 2nd October 2024, we conceived the idea of establishing a strong communist party in Uganda based on the classics of Marxism-Leninism. And to achieve this in short term, was realised that it will be impossible due to the unfair prevailing political circumstances in the country, but can be a long term goal after full mobilization of the masses, giving political education and sensitization so as to raise

Social-Democracy or Socialism?

The UPC has one main ideological problem: It’s ideology is not very distinct from it´s main competitors NRM and NUP. I am not saying that the UPC would be the same in practice as the NRM or NUP, but at least in proclamations they are. According to the 2008 Constitution of the UPC the party is a “social-democratic party”1. The thing is that the NUP also claims to be a “progressive, social-democratic organization”2. Even the NRM calls itself a “social-democratic

Remarks on the UPC´s “Aims & Objectives”

The UPC has ten points on its website titled “Aims & Objectives”1. This can be seen as a sort of short program. These points are too less to be called a “program of socialism”. From our perspective the question is if these points are suitable to rally the people for the transitional phase from capitalism to socialism. The Bible says: “Test all things; hold fast what is good.”2 So then, let’s check these ten points up. To build the Republic

Was the Obote II Government not following the socialist path anymore?

In September 2006 Patrick Rubaihayo made the following claim, which is reproduced on the UPC´s party website: “When the parties were allowed to function again after the fall of Idi Amin in 1980, UPC shifted its ideological position from socialism to a free market economy.”1 When this would be true, Obote´s second government would not have pursued the path of socialism anymore. But is it the truth? For that let us look at the 1980 UPC Manifesto. The UPC Manifesto

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