Ugee

UGANDA PEOPLE'S UNION

In 1958, the Uganda People's Union (UPU) was formed. This was, for the first time, an independent party not encircled with the religious affiliations. It comprised the representatives of the Uganda Legislative Council under the leadership of William Rwetsiba from Ankole as the party's president general, with William Nadiope from Busoga and John Babiiha from Toro as vice presidents, and George Magezi from Bunyoro, who was the party's secretary general. The party did not have a Muganda within its ranks because the Baganda had boycotted the 1958 Legislative Council (Legco) elections. However, the party leadership made efforts to recruit Baganda. Under minute 28/59 of the 5th meeting of UPU promoters held on January 10 1959, it was recorded as follows: "After lengthy discussion, it was resolved that each founding member should regard it as a duty to approach reasonable Baganda for recruitment." In the Legco elections of 1958, most of the district councils, which were predominantly Protestant, and the Buganda kingdom rejected direct elections. They preferred indirectly elected members because they feared that the Catholics, who were believed to be the majority, would win. The party was weak because it had not yet mustered support outside the Legco.

 

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