BY DAN WANDERA
LUWEERO. Veteran liberation war veteran and Senior Presidential Advisor Hajji Abdul Nadduli is uncomfortable over emerging debates about Uganda’s future, 64-years after independence and the 1995 Constitution.
Nadduli who turns 84 in December 2026 dismisses claims that the former colonial masters possibly take responsibility for the post-independence political uncertainty, governance issues that now form part of the emerging debates yet the Country has a powerful constitution to stare the Country to a bright future.
Unlike many of the senior citizens that possibly lived through the times when Uganda got its independence in October 1962, Nadduli explains that he is privileged to have physically witnessed most of the activities that crowned the independence celebrations on October 9, 1962 at the age of 20 after attending the Bulange (Mengo) occasion on October 8, 1962 and the Uganda Independence Day celebration at Kololo on October 9, 1962.
“Our unending blame game targeting the former colonial masters for Uganda’s failures even 64-years after independence is misplaced. Uganda’s future will only be smooth if the Country sticks to Constitutionalism and not any other path outside the Uganda Constitution. I hold the portfolio of a Senior Presidential Advisor and speak with experience and authority that the Constitution should be above any individual in Uganda,” told the Monitor in an interview on October 8, 2026.
Nadduli who restrained himself from tearing into the now open debate about Uganda’s next President (2031), just months after Ugandans went to polls in January 2026 and elected President Yoweri Museveni for next 5-year term insists that the debate should be about guarding Constitutionalism and not who is more powerful since President Museveni remains Fountain of Honour for the next 5-years.
“We should all be looking towards a bright future and ensuring that we enjoy the same rights without any discrimination, abuse and unexplained arrests,” he told the Monitor.
1962 Independence;
Nadduli, born of Kadunda village in Kapeeka Subcounty, Nakaseke District in October 1962 travelled from Nakaseke in company of his father, Ali Nadduli to Mengo on October 8, 1962. This is the day that the Duke of Kent visited Buganda Parliament and met Kabaka Edward Muteesa II at Bulange where performed some functions including handing over agreements that reportedly defined Buganda’s federal status, a day before Uganda’s Independence Day on October 9, 1962.
“I witnessed both functions beginning with the Bulange Mengo function when the Duke of Kent came to Bulange and met the Kabaka and the Buganda Parliament on October 8, 1962. In company of my father Ali Nadduli, we travelled to Kololo grounds on October 9, 1962 for the Independence celebrations. I physically witnessed both activities,” he told the Monitor.
According to Nadduli, both functions are very important for both Buganda and Uganda and should not be misinterpreted to suit selfish ends.
“The Duke of Kent handed to Buganda important agreements earlier undertaken by Britain as the Colonial master of Uganda. Buganda is right to celebrate October 8, 1962 as its independence under a federal status that had been granted by the colonial master Britain. The difference is that several of the documents and agreements that the Central Government (Uganda) was to accord to Buganda were later disregarded and never honored,” Nadduli tells the Monitor.
The 9,000 square mile issue was not about the entire Uganda but for Buganda. The Lakes and Rivers that had earlier been under Buganda Kingdom supervision among many other resources were never returned. This defined the federal status of Buganda handed to Kabaka Muteesa by the Duke of Kent on October 8, 1962, Nadduli reveals.
“For individuals that are keen at following events and have Uganda at heart, Buganda Kingdom had its own cake that had earlier been taken away. It is not a mockery when Buganda stands out to celebrate its independence granted on October 8, 1962. We are among the many witnesses. Buganda’s status is different from the Uganda Independence,” Nadduli clarifies in an interview with the Monitor.
While the British dealt directly with Buganda Kingdom under the 1900 agreement, they also smuggled in areas that were outside Buganda including Ankole, Bunyoro, Busoga among other areas into their administration. At the time of Independence in 1962, the mixup remained unresolved and formed part of the challenges that the new Uganda inherited. These mistakes can be resolved by Ugandans and may never get reverted to the British. The 9,000 square mile land issue was about Buganda and not areas outside Buganda, Nadduli reveals.
The Constitutional crisis, 1966
Because the British the Central government led by Milton Obote as Prime Minister envied Buganda’s Federal Status granted just a day before Uganda’s independence, Obote suspended and later abolished Buganda’s feral status. Buganda’s independence only lasted for 4-years, Nadduli reveals. The storming of the Kabaka’s seat at Bulange, abolition of Kingdoms among other events that followed partly form Uganda’s political journey in the last 64-years of independence. Ugandans must put full trust in the Constitution and not any other path to a bright future, he tells the Monitor.
Museveni-Nadduli (bush) conversation -Kasaka
During the early days of the 1980s liberation war, in an effort to rally Buganda population to support the liberation war, Nadduli says, he had a conversation with the then bush-war leader (commander) Yoweri Museveni.
The conversation was about the concerns of many Baganda that believed the Central government under the Obote regime disregarded many of the agreements that the Duke of Kent made with Buganda, a day before Uganda got its independence on October 9, 1962.
“We had a good conversation with the bush war commander Yoweri Museveni. He promised that if what narrated was the will of the majority people in Buganda, there would be no reason to grant these particular wishes. While some of the issues were later resolved including the return of Bulanga building, Lubiri among many other issues, the pending issues form part of Uganda’s post-independence unresolved issues,” Nadduli reveals.
Because some of the issues never got resolved including the Lakes and Rivers that belonged to Buganda, the fishing programs remain in a mess. Perfecting agreements remains a fair game. This must be practical in the current Ugandan Democracy, Nadduli reveals without going into detail the different agreements that have perhaps not been perfected by the Central Government.
What to fix 64-years after independence;
According to Nadduli, the people of Uganda should accept facts that remain well documented since the colonial days. The leadership in Uganda should not act independently but consult all stakeholders on issues that concern Uganda’s future.
“When you are in a Democracy like the multiparty state, you should respect the rules of the game. Political parties must stand out and get empowered to thrive in a democracy. As a Presidential Advisor, I may not be in the capacity to advice on how a registered political party like the ruling NRM can at the same time have a parallel structure with powers to check the registered party in the name of Patriotic League of Uganda. These are political games that must not destroy the multiparty democracy path,” Nadduli reveals.
Nadduli was born at Kadunda village, Kapeeka Subcounty in the present day Nakaseke District in 1942. The veteran politician was part of the 1980s bush war fighters from the greater Luweero region that joined the NRA war. He later served District LC5 Chairperson for Luweero District Cabinet Minister and Senior Presidential Advisor.
