§ Mr. Dugdaleasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the situation in which police fired on a crowd demonstrating against tax assessments in Mbale in Uganda.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodA crowd of 2,000 had assaulted the County and Sub-County Chiefs and an Assistant District Commissioner at Bulangira (16 miles west of Mbale). The two Chiefs had to go to hospital and the Assistant District Commissioner sustained slight injuries. When a Protectorate police party arrived it was attacked. I greatly regret that in these and associated disturbances 15 people lost their lives.
The Acting Governor had appointed a commission of inquiry to report on these events and to make recommendations on the origins of and any other 21W factors having a bearing on the disturbances and the steps taken to deal with them.
The Commission will consist of Mr. Justice K. G. Bennett of the Uganda High Court (Chairman) and Mr. A. J. Loveridge, C.M.G., O.B.E., formerly of the Gold Coast administration.