In a candid open letter addressed to President Yoweri Museveni, the Chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party and President of Uganda, the son of former Ugandan leader Idi Amin, responded to a recent letter attributed to President Museveni. The exchange has garnered significant attention and added a new layer of controversy to the political landscape of Uganda.
In the letter, Amin's son, Hussein Lumumba Amin, expressed concern about a purported letter dated October 5, 2023, from President Museveni to his spouse, First Lady Janet Museveni, regarding an "Idi Amin institute." He raised several pointed questions and concerns:
1. Legal Basis for Actions: Amin's son pointed out that the letter lacked clear legal or procedural justifications for the proposed actions, emphasizing that official government letters should be grounded in the laws, rules, and regulations governing such decisions. He called for transparency and adherence to the rule of law.
2. Disassociation from Alleged Request: The Amin family denied making any requests related to the purported "Idi Amin institute" and expressed skepticism about the motives behind the letter, suggesting it might be a political maneuver, an intelligence operation, or a corruption attempt. They expressed a desire to see how the situation unfolds.
However, what appeared to be the core of the response was a demand for President Museveni to address the historical and contentious issue related to the disappearance of Mr. Benedicto Kiwanuka, Uganda's first indigenous Prime Minister, Secretary General of the Democratic Party, and Chief Justice of the Ugandan Judiciary, in January 1973. Amin's son challenged President Museveni to reveal the whereabouts of Mr. Kiwanuka's remains and those of other victims in the case.
The letter specifically referenced an incident at House 49, Maluku Housing Estate in Mbale, where eyewitnesses reported the heinous abduction of Mr. Kiwanuka. Amin's son invoked President Museveni's own account of the day, including driving a Volkswagen with registration number UUU 171, which was linked to the incident. He also highlighted President Museveni's confession to fleeing police arrest and hiding in the nearby forest. Amin's son urged President Museveni to provide a clear explanation to the Ugandan people, thus allowing them to offer a proper state funeral to the victims.
The exchange between President Museveni and Amin's son underscores the deep-seated historical controversies and political tensions in Uganda. As the country grapples with these issues, the demand for transparency and accountability remains at the forefront of public discourse. The response from the Amin family has opened a new chapter in this ongoing narrative, prompting a renewed call for answers regarding past events in Uganda's history.
