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Uganda Legislative Council
The Uganda Legislative Council (LEGCO) was the predecessor of the Parliament of Uganda, prior to Uganda's independence from the United Kingdom. LEGCO was small to start with and all its members were Europeans. Its legislative powers were limited, since all important decisions came from the British Government in Whitehall.
Uganda's Legislative Council (LEGCO) was created by the Colonial Office in 1920 by an Order-in-Council. The LEGCO had its first meeting on Wednesday, 23 March 1921. Its composition then was small and all its members were Europeans. It was made up of the colonial Governor as President, and 4 officials namely: the Chief Secretary, the Attorney General, the Treasurer, and the Principal Medical Officer, plus 2 nominated non-officials who were: H.H. Hunter (a Lawyer from Kampala), H.E. Lewis (a Manager of the East Africa Company, which was the successor to the Imperial British East Africa Company). The intention had been to have 3 non-official members made up of one representative of the planters and ginners, one representative from the business community and one Indian. The Indians wanted a representation in the LEGCO equal to the Europeans. This was refused on the grounds, according to the colonial government at the time, that representation in the LEGCO was not based on any community group.
In 1921, the number of Asians in Uganda was 5,000. The Europeans numbered 1,000. There was, therefore, a vacant Asian position. This was filled on a temporary basis by Major A.L. Ranton, who was not a resident in Uganda, but had estates in Mityana, approximately 48 miles west of Kampala.
The unofficial membership of the LEGCO consisted of only Europeans between 1921 and 1926. The four official members at this time were all Europeans. The first Indian member of the LEGCO was nominated in 1926 and the second member was appointed in 1933. They were appointed in their personal capacity. Thus the early years of the LEGCO were dominated by a European membership, later a few Indians were added. In 1946 the number of European and Asian members was increased to 3 each.
There were some concerns about the powers of the LEGCO from Buganda. On Monday 21 March 1921, Ssekabaka Daudi Chwa (King of Buganda) and Sir Apollo Kaggwa wrote a letter to the colonial Governor questioning the Legislative Council's powers to make laws in Buganda. The letter referred to Article 5 of the Uganda Agreement 1900 which in effect meant Buganda had complete self-governance in terms of local administration and so any laws made by the colonial Governor applied to Buganda only if they did not conflict with the terms of the 1900 agreement.
The British Government, having declared Buganda a British Protectorate on Monday 18 June 1894, following a mission to Uganda by Sir Gerald Portal as a newly appointed British Special Commissioner in 1892, expanded the Protectorate. Other parts of what is now Uganda were added to the British Protectorate two years later in 1896; these were: Bunyoro, Toro, Ankole and Busoga. Other parts of Uganda were added by treaties. The establishment of a Legislative Council in Uganda took a long time. After the declaration of a British Protectorate, it took 27 years before a Legislative Council (LEGCO) was set up in Uganda. It took even longer to admit African members to the LEGCO.
The first African members of the LEGCO were admitted in 1945; some 25 years after the LEGCO was set up. The three African representatives who joined the LEGCO were sworn in on Tuesday 4 December 1945; they were: Michael Ernest Kawalya Kaggwa (Katikiro, i.e. Prime Minister of Buganda), Petero Nyangabyaki (Katikiro of Bunyoro), and Yekonia Zirabamuzaale (Secretary General of Busoga). In the mid 1950s, the number of seats for Africans were substantially increased, so that by 1954 fifty percent of the membership was African.
In January 1958, a Speaker to preside over the Legislative Council was appointed by the colonial Governor. Later on in October that year (1958), the first direct elections of African representative members were held. They were held in only 10 constituencies. These elections were supervised by Mr C.P.S. Allen. The actual figures on the final register were 626,046 and those who actually cast votes were 534,326. The elections were flawed – not everyone participated.
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Uganda Legislative Council
The Uganda Legislative Council (LEGCO) was the predecessor of the Parliament of Uganda, prior to Uganda's independence from the United Kingdom. LEGCO was small to start with and all its members were Europeans. Its legislative powers were limited, since all important decisions came from the British Government in Whitehall.
Uganda's Legislative Council (LEGCO) was created by the Colonial Office in 1920 by an Order-in-Council. The LEGCO had its first meeting on Wednesday, 23 March 1921. Its composition then was small and all its members were Europeans. It was made up of the colonial Governor as President, and 4 officials namely: the Chief Secretary, the Attorney General, the Treasurer, and the Principal Medical Officer, plus 2 nominated non-officials who were: H.H. Hunter (a Lawyer from Kampala), H.E. Lewis (a Manager of the East Africa Company, which was the successor to the Imperial British East Africa Company). The intention had been to have 3 non-official members made up of one representative of the planters and ginners, one representative from the business community and one Indian. The Indians wanted a representation in the LEGCO equal to the Europeans. This was refused on the grounds, according to the colonial government at the time, that representation in the LEGCO was not based on any community group.
In 1921, the number of Asians in Uganda was 5,000. The Europeans numbered 1,000. There was, therefore, a vacant Asian position. This was filled on a temporary basis by Major A.L. Ranton, who was not a resident in Uganda, but had estates in Mityana, approximately 48 miles west of Kampala.
The unofficial membership of the LEGCO consisted of only Europeans between 1921 and 1926. The four official members at this time were all Europeans. The first Indian member of the LEGCO was nominated in 1926 and the second member was appointed in 1933. They were appointed in their personal capacity. Thus the early years of the LEGCO were dominated by a European membership, later a few Indians were added. In 1946 the number of European and Asian members was increased to 3 each.
There were some concerns about the powers of the LEGCO from Buganda. On Monday 21 March 1921, Ssekabaka Daudi Chwa (King of Buganda) and Sir Apollo Kaggwa wrote a letter to the colonial Governor questioning the Legislative Council's powers to make laws in Buganda. The letter referred to Article 5 of the Uganda Agreement 1900 which in effect meant Buganda had complete self-governance in terms of local administration and so any laws made by the colonial Governor applied to Buganda only if they did not conflict with the terms of the 1900 agreement.
The British Government, having declared Buganda a British Protectorate on Monday 18 June 1894, following a mission to Uganda by Sir Gerald Portal as a newly appointed British Special Commissioner in 1892, expanded the Protectorate. Other parts of what is now Uganda were added to the British Protectorate two years later in 1896; these were: Bunyoro, Toro, Ankole and Busoga. Other parts of Uganda were added by treaties. The establishment of a Legislative Council in Uganda took a long time. After the declaration of a British Protectorate, it took 27 years before a Legislative Council (LEGCO) was set up in Uganda. It took even longer to admit African members to the LEGCO.
The first African members of the LEGCO were admitted in 1945; some 25 years after the LEGCO was set up. The three African representatives who joined the LEGCO were sworn in on Tuesday 4 December 1945; they were: Michael Ernest Kawalya Kaggwa (Katikiro, i.e. Prime Minister of Buganda), Petero Nyangabyaki (Katikiro of Bunyoro), and Yekonia Zirabamuzaale (Secretary General of Busoga). In the mid 1950s, the number of seats for Africans were substantially increased, so that by 1954 fifty percent of the membership was African.
In January 1958, a Speaker to preside over the Legislative Council was appointed by the colonial Governor. Later on in October that year (1958), the first direct elections of African representative members were held. They were held in only 10 constituencies. These elections were supervised by Mr C.P.S. Allen. The actual figures on the final register were 626,046 and those who actually cast votes were 534,326. The elections were flawed – not everyone participated.