Reasons for Buganda's failure to secede.
Lack
of support from elites. The young Baganda elites e.g Abu Mayanja, Ben
Kiwanuka and Ignatius Musaazi did not bless Buganda's secessionist
demands; hence its failure.
The British determination to create a unitary state led to the failure
of Buganda's secession. Governor Cohen and his successor Fredrick
Crawford insisted that Uganda was too small to be fragmented into small
units of government.
The deportation of the Kabaka in 1953 had an effect of intimidating
both the conservative diehards and the Kabaka himself. On his return,
he was no longer very vocal and this led to the failure of the
secession.
The absence of a strong army to back up Buganda's secessionist demands
led to its failure. Compared to Eritrea which seceded from Ethiopia
using force of arms, Buganda lacked a strong army.
Buganda's central position undermined her secessionist attempts. The
Kingdom was geographically located in the central pan of Uganda and had
enormous resource endowments such as Lake Victoria fish grounds and
fertile agricultural soils. She also had several up to date schools,
hospitals and roads. Other tribes couldn't allow her to secede.
Divisions within the Lukiiko undermined Buganda's secessionist efforts.
There existed divisions between the supporters of the Kabaka and
collaborators of the British within the Lukiiko. Since a number of
Ganda wanted favours from the British, they betrayed Buganda's
secessionist move.
The 1954 Namirembe conference led to the failure of Buganda's
secession. It was organised by Sir Keith Hancook and was attended by
key figures in Buganda e-g Bishop Kiwanuka. It recommended that Buganda
be integrated into the rest of Uganda and this was a big blow to
Buganda's secessionist attempts.
The rise of anti-Baganda parties undermined Buganda's secession.
Political parties with anti-Ganda sentiments included the DP (1954)
Uganda Peoples' Union (1958) and UPC 1960.
A post-independence affair" The British termed Buganda's secessionist
demands as a simple tribal affair which would be handled by the post
independent Ugandan politicians. This attitude of the British led to
its failure because no post-independent leader could allow Buganda
secession.
The 1955 Buganda agreement Namirembe agreement led to the failure of
Buganda's secession. This was because the Kabaka accepted the
recommendations of the 1954 Namirembe conference by which Buganda was
to be an integral part of Uganda.
Obote's political shrewdness also led to the failure of Buganda's
secession. He made an alliance with the KY, allowed the Kabaka of
Buganda to be the first President of Uganda etc. However, in obtaining
constitutional powers as Prime Minister in 1962, he de-campaigned
secessionism.
The 1961 Munster committee recommended that Buganda had to remain pan of Uganda- hence the failure of secessionism.
The 1966 crisis led to the failure of the secessionist attempts. The
crisis was between Milton Obote and Mutesa II and arose over Obote's
return of Bunyoro's lost countries. It led to armed clashes and ended
into the exile of Mutesa II to London. This was a big blow to Buganda's
secessionist struggles.
The Pan African Movement and the general wind of change across African
led to the failure of Buganda's secession. Pan Africanists condemned
parochialism in Buganda and sensitised other tribes to reject it. Even
some Baganda e.g Musaazi de- campaigned it seriously-
The 1967 constitution finally destroyed Buganda's dreams of secession. It declared Uganda a republic and abolished the Kingdoms.
National Movements and New States in Africa