In a historic judgment, the High Court has ordered the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to implement measures aimed at renaming streets, roads, and public spaces, marking a significant step toward decolonization.
The ruling mandates administrative and legislative actions to replace colonial-era names with identities that better reflect Uganda’s heritage and national identity.
According to chimpreports.com, the ruling issued by Justice Musa Ssekaana emphasized that these new names of roads and streets should promote community harmony, unity, and reflect the culture, heritage, and values of the people of Uganda.
The ruling in the case of John Ssempebwa and 2 other vs KCCA dates back to a June 2020 online petition launched at the time Uganda was celebrating Heroes Day.
Thousands of Ugandans signed the petition that called for the renaming of Ugandan streets and landmarks named after colonial masters.
The petition addressed to President Museveni, Parliament, KCCA, and other relevant authorities, called for the removal of street names that honour colonial rulers and military figures such as Sir Henry Colville, Captain Fredrick Lugard, the King’s African Rifles, Gen Dewinton, and Col Ternan among others.
The petition, as Ugandan history shows, argued that these individuals were responsible for atrocities, including pillage, rape, and murder, during British rule in Uganda.
The petitioners argued that the names of colonial masters should be taken off the pedestal they stand, and instead recognize other notable Ugandans or other personalities who are deserving of such esteem based on a consultative process and recommendations of a respectable and representative body of eminent Ugandans.
The petitioners said that the names of the colonial masters belong to museums of colonial history.
In his ruling, Justice Ssekaana addressed the grievance of the applicants, highlighting the continued use of colonial-era names, 62 years after Uganda’s independence.
Ssekaana called for the adoption of names that honour individuals significant to Uganda’s historical transformation since independence.
This ruling marks a historic milestone in Uganda’s journey toward decolonization.
The next crucial step is to ensure that KCCA, along with other authorities in Uganda, fully comply with this ruling.
However, some argue that renaming streets and landmarks already named after colonial masters could be hard, given the Uganda-UK relations and billions of aid that the British government gives Uganda annually.
