On Uganda Argus. UG has produced some of the world’s leading journalists. These include, although are not limited to (apologies for omission), @cobbo3 @Opiaiya @JoelSsenyonyi @danielk @fsnakazibwe @AndrewMwenda @kasujja @SamsonKasumba & others. They follow a rich tradition 1/6
of journalistic vitality. There were 8,200 copies of the Uganda Argus in circulation by 1958. Throughout the 1960s it remained Uganda’s leading English press, which meant that its pages constituted a significant site for debate and public management. 2/6
Benedicto Kiwanuka believed that the paper had become a socialist mouthpiece for the UPC by the late 1960s. Ironically, BK had himself been accused earlier by Catholic missionaries of being a Communist sympathizer. To counter the political leanings of the press, Kiwanuka 3/6 Image
approached Catholic colleagues in West Germany about the possibility of creating a new newspaper in Uganda. In one letter, seen here, Kiwanuka pleaded: ‘Is there no good Catholic of sufficient means who can help us in the name of God?’ He continued: ‘If East Germany can give 4/6 Image
about 4 times the help I need to those who go there, why not West Germany which is richer and of better intentions? Is the expansion of communism of more importance to the human race than the preservation of Christian principles?’ BK's paper did not materialize. 5/6
Activists and writers continued to fill Argus’ pages with historical lessons, competing chronologies of the past, editorials, and accusations about economic mismanagement. The paper was rebranded under Amin's Second Republic. 6/6
DanielK = @Kalinaki

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Jonathon L. Earle

Jonathon L. Earle Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @JonathonLEarle

12 Oct
Following Independence, ongoing debates continued in Mbale about the charter of Nakaloke county and Mbale town, which Milton Obote was eyeing as Uganda's future capital. One of the most vocal writers of this time was Samwiri Mulabbi, who "advise[d] every Mugisu 1/9 Image
wherever he or she may be to be quiet as you did when the boundary commission was doing its work." At length, he continued, "I ask all people of Bukedi to be calm about our land problem. [...] All of our trust is within God who created us on this jolly land of Bukedi. 2/9 Image
I know that our independent Uganda is not going to use the British saying which says that disturb and rule." 3/9
Read 10 tweets
11 Oct
On Jopadhola activism. Throughout the late 1950s, organisers articulated their frustrations about the state's economic demands & religious influences in Bunyole, Kisoko, & Tororo. On the one hand, communities were frustrated that the government & some writers in Buganda 1/7 Image
insisted on accruing revenues from the region's cement production. On 20 February 1956, for instance, writers in Dobozi suggested that 'the Buganda Government should share in the revenue derived from Tororo cement [...] 2/7 Image
b/c "it was through the generosity of the Baganda that the British ever went to those parts—in fact they were assigned to them by the Baganda."' On the other hand, writers in Padhola published an editorial in Uganda Empya on 7 June 1956, wondering 'whether the Protectorate 3/7 Image
Read 7 tweets
8 Oct
Buganda did not declare its Independence on 9 October 1962. It did so on 1 January 1961—and it nearly tore the kingdom apart. It was a decision that provoked outcry throughout the kingdom, and for some in the Lukiiko. I have provided a copy of the 1961 Agreement below. 1/
The new Agreement provoked immediate outcry throughout the kingdom, resulting in hundreds of petitions for the Lukiiko to resign. The petitions were recirculated by @DPSecretariat1 and in the Luganda press. They also began to resurface in Argus. 2/
Godfrey Binaisa and Luyimbazi Zake were among the most vocal critics of the declaration. In one letter to Katikkiro Kintu, they stated: 'We have had ample opportunity to make a careful study of the issues that made the Lukiiko decide upon secession. [...].' The two 'were 3/
Read 22 tweets
8 Oct
'"Beautiful Women Change the Course of History!": Advertising Independence in early 1960s Uganda.' In the weeks surrounding #UgandaAt59, several hundred national & international companies congratulated UG on its Independence in Uganda Argus. Here are 87 examples.
The range of advertisements is incredibly diverse—from movie theatres to @Ford. Or from @BootsUK to @pepsi. I think there are many ways to read (or interpret) the images. We might, for instance, see them as illustrating the marketability of nationalism.
We can surely see how the images build upon and complicate tropes re: race, gender, and class. Walter Rodney might use them to convincingly argue that they show how late colonial capital maintained its grip on African economies in the postcolony.
Read 22 tweets
7 Oct
What did logistics look like on UG's Independence Day? @PoliceUg worked incredibly hard to create a list of emergency nos., travel tips, general security guidance, & road contingencies. To guide spectators, they published the following booklet in the Uganda Argus. #UgandaAt59 1/7
2/7
3/7
Read 7 tweets
25 Sep
Was Kabaka Muteesa II the son of Kabaka Chwa II? Prior to 1953, Kabaka Muteesa II was one of the more controversial rulers of a generation. Why? 1/thread
At the time of his death in late 1939, Kabaka Chwa had identified 'the real children of whom I am father'. He recognized 36, as noted here: 2/
3/
Read 19 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!

:(