Abu Mayanja

He contributed greatly to the political life of Uganda as a constitutional expert, formidable parliamentarian, government minister at various times, and as an excellent Barrister in private practice.

To revive his academic pursuits, Abu sought support from lecturers at Makerere University College; they included Professor A. G. Warner, Dr Kenneth Ingham and Bernard Debansin.

They were all in agreement that it would be a great shame for Uganda if Abu Mayanja, a bright young man, did not continue with his university education.

While still a student at Cambridge University (King's), where he read History, Abu Mayanja attended the first All-African Peoples' Conference held in Accra, Ghana between 5–13 December 1958.

Abu Mayanja resigned in April 1964 after the Speaker, Mr Eriasafi Kalule insulted him during a session of the Lukiiko (Parliament of Buganda).

He was, however, later that year elected by the Lukiiko as MP in September 1964 following the resignation of Jimmy Simpson as representative of Kyaggwe North East.

In October 1968, following a critique of the 1967 Uganda Constitution in the Transition Magazine (April 1968 issue); which upset the then Government, Abu Mayanja was arrested and charged for sedition.

Explaining the reason for their sacking, Idi Amin told the ministers that they could not cope under his government which was now running at “supersonic speed”.

In 1972 Abu Mayanja chaired the committee that made the arrangements for the return of the body of Ssekabaka Sir Edward Mutesa II from London, where he had died in 1969, back to Uganda.

For most of his life, Abu Mayanja lived at Lungujja, near Mengo, apart from episodes abroad as a student in the UK and in exile in Kenya, and also when he was imprisoned during the 1960s for writing an article about the 1967 Uganda Constitution.

He suffered during the colonial period and was arrested a few times; in fact on one memorable occasion it was Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, the late President of Tanzania, who paid the necessary fine to secure his release.

The Abu Mayanja Foundation inaugural memorial lecture was delivered by the renown African academic and political writer Professor Ali Mazrui on 30 July 2007 at the Rwenzori Ball Room, Sheraton Kampala Hotel.

The inaugural lecture by Professor Ali Mazrui was entitled "Between Secular Activism and Religious Observance – Abu Mayanja and Africa's Triple Heritage".