When Muteesa arrived at Entebbe Airport on October 17, 1955, he received an enthusiastic welcome, with large crowds lining the road to Mengo Palace. His return reinforced his standing as a symbol of Buganda’s struggle to preserve its autonomy under colonial rule.
On this day in 1955, Kabaka Edward Muteesa II returned to Uganda after nearly two years in exile in Britain, following a political confrontation with the British colonial administration that became known as the Kabaka Crisis.
Muteesa had been exiled on November 30, 1953, after opposing proposals that threatened Buganda’s autonomy and refusing to accept conditions demanded by Governor Sir Andrew Cohen.
The Kabaka and the Buganda Lukiiko feared that plans for closer East African political integration would undermine the kingdom’s authority, land rights and constitutional position.
His removal triggered widespread resistance across Buganda, including political boycotts and civil disobedience. The refusal of many Baganda to cooperate with colonial administrators made governing the kingdom increasingly difficult, forcing the British administration to negotiate a settlement.
The resulting 1955 Namirembe Agreement paved the way for Muteesa’s return and reinstatement as Kabaka, although his authority was redefined within a constitutional framework. The agreement also strengthened the Lukiiko’s role in Buganda’s political affairs, including the election of the kingdom’s representatives.
When Muteesa arrived at Entebbe Airport on October 17, 1955, he received an enthusiastic welcome, with large crowds lining the road to Mengo Palace. His return reinforced his standing as a symbol of Buganda’s struggle to preserve its autonomy under colonial rule.
However, the settlement did not end the tensions between Buganda and the central government. Following Uganda’s independence in 1962, Muteesa became the country’s first President in 1963, while Milton Obote served as Prime Minister. Their political relationship eventually deteriorated, culminating in the 1966 constitutional crisis and the military assault on the Kabaka’s palace at Mengo on May 24 that year.
Muteesa escaped and fled into exile in Britain, where he lived until his death on November 21, 1969, aged 45. Unlike his first exile, which ended with his triumphant return, his second exile was permanent during his lifetime.
After Idi Amin overthrew Obote in 1971, Muteesa’s remains were returned to Uganda. He was given a state funeral and buried at the Kasubi Royal Tombs on April 4, 1971.