“African King Who Was Exiled Twice Before Dying Of Alcohol Poisoning In London”
Sir Edward Frederick Mutesa II was the 35th Kabaka (King) of Buganda and the first President of independent Uganda. On November 21, 1969, he died under mysterious circumstances while living in exile in London at the age of 45.
He was born on November 19, 1924. Unfortunately, when he was 15 years old, his father, Daudi Cwa II, passed away. Because he was too young to rule independently, he initially ruled under a council of regents. In 1942, when he was 18 years old, he was crowned King at Buddo.
He later went to Britain, where he studied history, economics and law at Magdalene College, University of Cambridge. In 1947, while studying in Britain, he received a commission in the British Army’s Grenadier Guards before returning to Uganda.
Back in Uganda, the British colonial government wanted to bring the country under a stronger central government. However, Kabaka Mutesa II opposed the plan and wanted to protect Buganda’s autonomy. In 1953, he was exiled to Britain following a political dispute with the colonial authorities. He was allowed to return to Uganda on October 17, 1955, following an agreement that preserved Buganda’s special status but limited the Kabaka’s political powers. However, Buganda did not become an independent state, and tensions over its autonomy continued.
When Uganda gained independence in 1962, Milton Obote and Kabaka Mutesa II formed a political alliance. Obote became Prime Minister, while Mutesa was elected President in 1963, serving mainly as a ceremonial head of state. Their alliance, however, later collapsed over political power and Buganda’s autonomy.
In May 1966, tensions reached a breaking point after Buganda’s parliament demanded that Obote’s government leave the kingdom’s territory, including Kampala. Obote responded by ordering troops under Colonel Idi Amin to attack Mutesa’s palace at Lubiri, Mengo, on May 24, 1966.
During the attack, Kabaka Mutesa II managed to escape from the palace with the help of his loyal aides. He eventually made his way to Britain through Burundi, beginning his second exile.
In London, he lived with his bodyguard, Captain Jehoash Katende, in difficult circumstances in Bermondsey/Rotherhithe, South London, far from his kingdom and political power.
On November 21, 1969, Mutesa was found dead in his apartment by his bodyguard, Captain Jehoash Katende. According to the autopsy report, the cause of death was acute alcohol poisoning. The pathologist reportedly stated that the alcohol concentration in the Kabaka’s blood was 380 milligrams, a potentially lethal level given his body weight of 63 kilograms.
His body was initially buried at Kensal Green Cemetery in London. In 1971, his remains were exhumed and flown back to Uganda under the orders of President Idi Amin. On April 4, 1971, Mutesa II was laid to rest at the Kasubi Royal Tombs in a state funeral.- Victor Adundo