Campaigners celebrate court ruling to decolonise Kampala

Campaigners have welcomed a court ruling to remove British colonial monuments from Uganda’s capital, Kampala, and to rename streets that honour “crooks and historical figureheads”.

In last week’s high court ruling, Justice Musa Ssekaana directed the city authorities to remove the names of British figures from streets, monuments and other landmarks.

They include Maj Gen Henry Edward Colville, an early commissioner of the Uganda protectorate, and Frederick Lugard, a prominent colonial official in Africa with a reputation for cruelty. New names will be found for roads and parks that reflect Uganda’s culture after the ruling, which was the culmination of a five-year campaign.

In 2020, more than 5,800 people signed a petition asking MPs to “decolonise and rename” the dozens of statues and streets honouring colonialists, and last year John Ssempebwa, a human rights activist, filed a lawsuit in Kampala, claiming that roads and parks named by the British during colonial times violated Ugandans’ rights to dignity and freedom from cruel treatment.

Apollo Makubuya, a lawyer and leading campaigner, said: “This ruling represents a significant step forward in the recognition of human dignity and the fight against colonial injustices.

“It is essential to break free from the legacy of colonial exploitation, oppression, and impunity by embracing names that truly reflect Uganda’s independence and cultural identity,” he said.