Battle of Mengo Hill

The Battle of Mengo Hill refers to the successful 1966 assault upon the residence of the Kabaka of Buganda by the army of Uganda.

In February 1966, Prime Minister Milton Obote had changed the constitution, taking the powers of the presidency, formerly held by the Kabaka, for himself. The Kabaka is the ruler of Buganda, the largest and most influential of the five traditional kingdoms within Uganda, and the capital of the kingdom, Kampala, is also the capital of the country. The Kabaka at the time was Mutesa II. Kabaka Mutesa II protested Obote's actions, ordering Obote to leave Buganda lands and appealing to United Nations Secretary-General U Thant to intervene. Obote immediately accused the Kabaka of high treason and ordered his protege, Idi Amin Dada, to lead troops against the Kabaka's residence on Mengo Hill, which was promptly surrounded. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,835718,00.html "The Battle of Mengo Hill"] by "Time", 3 June 1966]

The Kabaka called for his subjects to defend him, and many responded by acts of sabotage throughout Buganda, while thousands of monarchists attempted to set up blockades to hinder Amin's troops and engaged in running street skirmishes. However, the Kabaka's bodyguards were lightly armed with hunting rifles, especially as compared to the army units and, two days after the palace was surrounded, the palace was overrun and set alight. Kabaka Mutesa II himself escaped the compound during a cloudburst in the middle of the battle. Volunteers carried over 200 bodies of fallen Baganda to the morgue, while the military buried uncounted numbers in mass graves.

Various Baganda chiefs, as well as others thought loyal to the Kabaka, were imprisoned. [ [http://www.ugandaobserver.com/new/specials/prison/prison200706211.php "We used to watch films in Luzira"] by George Herman Jjuuko Kkolokolo, "The Observer" (Uganda), June 15, 2007] Mutesa II died in exile, but was allowed to be buried in Buganda by a new president, Idi Amin. Amin promoted the narrative of a Muslim boy from the poor outskirts of the country taking on the Christian leader of Uganda's dominant tribe. The mystique of this action granted him greater legitimacy at least in some sub-populations. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604,1020657,00.html "Obituary:Idi Amin"] , "The Guardian", August 18, 2003]

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