§ 24. Mr. Willeyasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement on the recent disturbances in Uganda.
§ 28. Mr. Stonehouseasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the present political situation in Uganda and the position of the Buganda Lukiko, and the action taken by the Uganda Government following the recent disturbances.
§ Mr. J. AmeryA Constitutional Committee is at present taking evidence from 209 local governments, political parties and individuals in Uganda on the introduction of common roll elections in 1961 and related constitutional issues.
I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library of my right hon. Friend's reply to a letter from His Highness the Kabaka to Her Majesty The Queen forwarding a memorandum from the Buganda Lukiko seeking cessation of the Buganda Agreements.
The position of the Lukiko is as defined in the Buganda Agreement, 1955.
Because of acts of violence and intimidation which have occurred as a result of a trade boycott organised by the Uganda National Movement and the likelihood of further disturbances, the Uganda Government has prohibited meetings of more than 250 persons without permission in the Districts of Mengo, Masaka, Busoga, Mbale Township, Bukedi and Bugisu.
I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the text of a statement issued by the Uganda Government on 24th April.
§ Mr. WilleyWill the Under-Secretary say what response there has been to the Secretary of State's letter to the Kabaka?
§ Mr. StonehouseWhile agreeing with the Secretary of State's reply to the Buganda Lukiko, may I ask the Under-Secretary of State if he is aware that there is very great concern about the action taken by the Uganda police in dealing with the disturbances last Tuesday? If I arrange to send to the Under-Secretary a copy of some allegations which have been made concerning the actions of the Uganda police, will he arrange for an inquiry to be held?
§ Mr. AmeryI will certainly look into any allegations the hon. Member is prepared to send to me.
Following is the Statement:
On 10th April the Protectorate Government announced that because of the violence and intimidation which occurred as a result of the trade boycott organised by the Uganda National Movement, and of meetings of the Movement. the Governor had decided to gazette the Mengo and Masaka Districts under Section 34A of the Police Ordinance; as a result no meetings of more than 250 persons can be held in those districts without a permit from the proper authority.It is now clear that the organisers of the Uganda National Movement are turning their 210 attention to other areas, especially the Busoga District and the Mbale Township District; and unless steps are taken to prevent it, intimidation and violence are likely to occur in these Districts as they occurred in Mengo and Masaka. The Governor has therefore decided to extend the restriction on the holding of meetings to the Busoga and Mbale Township Districts, and has declared both of them to be gazetted areas under Section 34A of the Police Ordinance by notice published in a Gazette Extraordinary today. Meetings of more than 250 persons in these Districts can therefore only be held with the permission of the District Commissioner concerned.The Government wishes to reiterate that it wilt not hesitate to take further and more drastic action, if that becomes necessary to preserve law and order, and the rights of the individual citizen to live his normal life without molestation; but the Government still hopes that public opinion, good sense and goodwill will prevail.