Uganda- When a revolution goes awry
By Santonino Banya Ku’Caya
Oct 21, 2006 — In Isaac Deutscher’s “The Prophet Armed,” one of the outstanding volumes of the biography of Leon Trotsky, a tragedy depicts an honest effort at ending the oppression and poverty of Tsarist Russia by a group of “idealists” coming together to save their country from itself. Unfortunately, these idealists end up betraying their very own ideals and causing the rise of one of the most oppressive and inhumane regimes in all of Russia’s history.
It must be remembered that Trotsky, Lenin, and all the other revolutionaries had joined forces for the common good of their fellow Russians. During the revolution of 1905 and their subsequent trial and exile, the revolutionists adhered to their cause. They maintained their idealism even after taking over power in the October 1917 revolution. However, events soon intervened and the pressures of internal conflict and external invasion forced them into taking “temporary” measures for the “good” of the Republic. Nonetheless, that’s when everything began to go downhill.
Trotsky, a huge player in the revolution, was both instrumental in designing the idealistic plans of the early days and at the beginnings of the spiral into totalitarianism. Despite Trotsky’s failings and the ultimate impracticability of his dream, he remained an admirable personality in the Russian revolution. His rhetoric initiated the revolution and his foresight was unmatched among his peers. He even predicted accurately the course of the revolution, along with the rise of a ruthless totalitarian dictator.
And yet, Trotsky, like all his cotemporaries, was swept up by the current of events. He failed to see how the coercive measures that he himself instigated violated the core principles that he had advocated for twenty years, and how his own actions during the civil war helped pave the way for the rise of Stalin to power. Trotsky changed his tune after Stalin seized power and thrust him from the halls of soviet power, but then, it was too late. One is left wondering what it might have been, had the Russian revolutionaries stuck to their original democratic ideals and allowed the masses to decide their own destiny rather than forcing one upon them.
Closer to home, Ugandans are familiar with the Russian tragedy. The NRA, with the claim to idealism, took up arms to rescue Uganda from itself. One wonders whether there was going to be another overthrow of the already overthrown constitution. However, as we all know now, the so-called “revolution” had a sectarian motive: “Removing Northerners (the Banyanyas) from power,” and not saving Uganda from itself. When the uninformed populace was being fed on “rigged” election, the “idealists” were singing: “When you reach Soroti and Lira burn everything in sight. When you reach Gulu and Kitgum, burn everything and kill anything that moves.”
Ugandans were duped into accepting self-serving thugs who were far from idealists; and no sooner had they taken over power, than they fell upon one another. The Kayira’s and the Gwanga’s were quickly eliminated and the lead “idealists” began to scare the mostly uninformed populace that the Northerners would return if they were not allowed to remain in power. Before long, Generals were all their clans-mates, and they were selling off land and government properties to foreigners and local psychopaths. Ten years after the return to ‘democracy,’ Ugandans were being told: “You are too stupid to think for yourselves. You need us to make decisions for you and for your country.”
A make-believe constitution was put into place, and within nine years, it was overthrown through bribery to remove a clause on term limits; permitting life presidency for one of the idealists who instigated the revolution to “save” the country.
Opponents of violation to the foundation of the revolution are no more. Unfortunately, the majority of Ugandan Trotskyites could be bought for a mere pittance. While one of African nation’s senators were being wooed in the tune of two hundred and seventy thousand dollars to effect a sad term, an act that they rejected, even after some of them had eaten the bribe loot, our Ugandan equivalents were bought for a mere two thousand and seven hundred dollars; just one percent of the offer made to those other senators, to help in overthrowing their country’s constitution. One may ask, what happened to the ideals of Uganda’s revolutionaries?
In neighboring Southern Sudan, the long suffering of our Sudanese brothers and sisters cannot be forgotten. It is hoped that the GOSS headed by His Excellency Salva Kiir, will do their utmost best not to let the struggle for which our dearest revolutionary, the late Dr. John Garang (RIP) gave his life, go awry as was the case for Russia and Uganda.
* The author is based in Indianapolis, USA. He can be reached at
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