By Grace Kyogabirwe,
KAMPALA
The Democratic party calls onto the government to declare March 1, a national celebration to commemorate Uganda’s self-governance.
Popularly known as Madaraka day, the day is known as the day colonial masters gave a self governance rule to any country before the official independence as a way of putting that particular country on trial by allowing citizens to vote in their leaders to govern for some certain before granting it full independence
Uganda got her self- governance rule on 1st March 1961, and DP’s Benedicto Kiwanuka won the election as Chief Minister to later become the country’s first Prime Minister.
The day is equally observed in other countries like Kenya (1 June, 1963) as a public holiday.
DP says the government is deliberately failing to celebrate Madaraka day because the day concerns a party that is not in leadership.
“As Democratic Party we are concerned why this day is not celebrated in Uganda, Is it because it’s DP’s Bendicto Kiwanuka who won the elections?” wondered Ismail Kiirya, Ag. DP spokesperson.
He said history books still recognize DP as the party which led Uganda into independence something that cannot be deleted and threatened to petition government over celebrating this day.
“DP will petition the government to celebrate the self governance day (Madaraka day) because we need to start appreciating it as a country.” he said.
According to the DP, self government day (1st March) is a day which all Ugandans of good will ought to celebrate.
It should however be noted that Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) is the political party which led Uganda to independence with Dr. Apollo Milton Obote Opeto as the first president on 9 October, 1962 when Uganda got her independence. Ben Kiwanuka was the Prime Minister who also led a delegation of Ugandan government to the Lancaster House for Independence talks which led to granting Uganda independence on 9th October 1962.
