Analyze the relationship between the Democratic Party (D.P.) and the Kabaka Yekka (K.Y) - 'King Alone' movement.

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        A political party is an autonomous organized group that makes nominations in contested elections hoping to gain control of the personnel and policies of government. In this case, the relationship being analyzed is that of the Democratic Party (D.P.) and the Kabaka Yekka (K.Y) – ‘King Alone’ movement. The relationship between these two parties was one of antagonism right from the formation of the Kabaka Yekka (King Alone) in 1961. In answering this question, we shall look at what the Democratic Party and the Kabaka Yekka movement stood for, the social, political and religious situation prevailing in Buganda at the time of their existence, how the Kabaka Yekka through its activities affected Buganda between the period 1961-1962

        The Democratic Party was the second political party to be formed in Uganda. It was formed in 1956. At the onset, it was exclusively Roman Catholic in origin, inspiration and membership. Their chief concern was with the furtherance of the interests of the Catholic elements in the country, and the popular support for the Democratic Party was primarily dependent upon the hostility amongst Catholics all over Uganda at the preference which de facto had been accorded to the Protestants in procuring positions of authority. Compared to the radical Uganda Peoples Congress (U.P.C) Party, the Democratic Party was more moderate. It campaigned for Africanization of the civil service and was in the main opposed to Buganda separatism. It was soon joined by many non-catholics, often men out-side the traditional Buganda ruling class or opposed to the rule of the Mengo government. Initially the Party chose as it’s first President Matayo Mugwanya, who had been Omulamuzi (Chief Justice) of Buganda—the highest position to which a Catholic could aspire. He had also been the unsuccessful Catholic candidate at the first elections for the office of Katikiro, held after the conclusion of the new Buganda Agreement of 1955. In 1958, however, his place as President of the Democratic Party was taken by the leading African Roman Catholic lawyer, Benedicto Kiwanuka.  This personal change exemplified the transformation of the party from being Catholic oriented as a priority, to focusing more on achieving democracy in Buganda.

         During 1960 a popular neo-traditionalist organization calling Mwoyo gwa Gwanga (‘ Spirit of the people’) had appeared, but by 1961 it had been overtaken by a new political movement in Buganda called Kabaka Yekka (‘The Kabaka Only), which by November 1961 had become the main vehicle for political activity of the great bulk of Buganda’s neo-traditionalists. If not the lineal successor, the ‘Kabaka Yekka’ was certainly the heir to the Uganda National Movement (U.N.M), and its reincarnations of 1959. The movement also consisted of members of Buganda government, supporters of the old Bataka Union, Muslims headed by Prince Badru Kakungulu and leaders of ephemeral traditional groups, i.e. four representatives of the Sitakange (‘What I have, I hold’) Party; and one from the Amabega ggwa Namulondo (‘Behind the throne’).The movement was dedicated, it was claimed, to cause of the Kabaka, the defense and preservation of Buganda’s rights and traditions. The movement took up the slogan, ‘Kabaka Yekka’ ,which meant overtly that all the power in Buganda must remain with the Kabaka, who alone could preserve her ancient customs and traditions. However, others saw it’s formation as a tool to defeat the Democratic Party—its arch enemy—which was regarded as politically too involved with the West.

       The causes of the antagonism between the Democratic Party and Kabaka Yekka have their roots even before the formation of the Kabaka Yekka. Some of them were cultural and religious which had existed for centuries. Before Kabaka Yekka came into existence, the relationship between the Democratic Party and the Mengo government had soured right from the formation of the Democratic Party in 1956. It was this sour relationship that largely contributed to the formation of the Kabaka’s party. When the Kabaka Yekka movement was began in 1961, by reason of historical background, it inherited some of these antagonistic feeling. However, others arose as a result of difference in ideology between D.P. and K.Y. This is explained further below:    
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             The appointment of Kiwanuka as chief Minister of the Interim Government of Uganda on 24
th March 1961 infuriated the Buganda government which saw for the first time in its history a Muganda holding a higher post of authority in the country than the Kabaka. In Buganda, Kiwanuka was viewed as a mukopi, a peasant, a nobody, a phrase used openly at this time by the English-speaking Ganda. The Kabaka on the other hand was viewed by most Baganda as almost semi-divine and the supreme ruler in Buganda.  For any Ganda to claim—as the Chief Minister of Uganda must claim—to be in the long run above the Kabaka was treason. The word treason was constantly used in the vernacular press and Baganda were particularly outraged by the fact that Kiwanuka opened his ministry by announcing that if the Kabaka had any difficulties he had only to consult him, the Chief Minister. The D.P’s task might have been considerably less difficult if it was led by a non-muganda. Culturally, the Democratic Party was a fundamental threat to the Kabakaship itself, to the living roots of Buganda’s future. Its members were the nabbe, the red ant which destroys the termites. In contrast the Kabaka was nnamunswa, the queen termite which protects her brood. Bearing in mind this background, the Kabaka Yekka was formed so as to maintain the status quo since it represented the interests of the Kabakaship and since it was the Kabaka’s party it viewed the commoners party with despise.


                Another instance of division lay in the field of religion. Kiwanuka’s Party was predominantly Catholic in origin whereas the Mengo leadership was mainly Protestant. There had been a history of conflict between these two religions in Buganda in their quest for power as exemplified in the religious wars of the 1890’s in Buganda between Catholics and Protestants. Worse still, in Buganda most positions of authority were occupied by Protestants at the expense of the Catholics moreover 49% of Buganda’s population was Roman Catholic compared with 29.5% Protestants.
 In Buganda, for instance there had never been any but Protestant Katikkiro’s since and before the British occupation. There had always been ten Protestant county chiefs, compared with the eight Catholics: and in the Kabaka’s government which was formed in 1955 four of the Ministers were Protestants, one Mohammedan, and only one Catholic; yet there were assuredly more Catholics in Buganda than Protestants, and certainly many more Catholics than Mohammedans. It was equally unthinkable to many members of the Buganda government that the Chief Minister should be Catholic. Whatever their numbers, the Kabaka, the Katikkiro, the Omuwanika and most of the county chiefs had ‘always’ been Protestant, that is to say for the last sixty to seventy years. With the threat of a Catholic take over of power the Kabaka Yekka Party was formed in 1961—with most of the top leadership including the Kabaka being mostly Protestant and some Muslims—4to counter this threat. Bearing in mind such a conflicting religious background it’s no surprise that Democratic Party and Kabaka Yekka were arch rivals.

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           In the area of ideology, there existed antagonism between the Democratic Party and the Kabaka Yekka. From the onset the Democratic Party had varying ideas from those of the Mengo government. When the Mengo government called for a boycott of the 1961 elections to the newly formed National Assembly, the Democratic Party went a head and conducted them. With the formation of the Kabaka Yekka in the same year, the Democratic Party opposed most of its demands.  One of the main objectives of the Kabaka Yekka, involved the demand for federal status of Buganda ...

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