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Sir Edward Mutesa II became the first president of an independent Uganda in 1963. He was also, like Kabaka of Buganda, the most important king of the new country. The tension between these two roles, as servant of a democratic republic on the one hand, and leader of the largest monarchy in East Africa on the other, would eventually force him into exile. He was overthrown in the 1966 coup orchestrated by Milton Obote and died just three years later in his London flat.
During the coup, Obote sent one of his most trusted lieutenants, a young Idi Amin, to loot the Mengo Palace, the royal compound in Kampala. Among the items seized was Kabaka’s collection of luxury vehicles, including four Rolls-Royces.
Three of the Rolls-Royces have disappeared. A vehicle was sold, allegedly to a buyer in South Africa, although its exact whereabouts are unknown. But another of the Rolls-Royces, a 1961 Phantom V, languished for decades at the State House in Kampala, before being moved to the Uganda Museum in 2013, where it was parked on display alongside Idi Amin’s Mercedes-Benz 600 and a Model-T. Ford used by the last British Governor of Uganda.
Earlier this month, after nearly six decades, the Ghost was finally returned to the royal family. “It’s a good feeling,” said Charles Peter Mayiga, Katikkiro of the Buganda kingdom, a role equivalent to that of prime minister, in an interview with the Mail and tutor. “Vintage cars are special cars, especially if they were driven by kings.”
Mayiga was only three years old when the royal palace was ransacked, but the wounds inflicted that day are still fresh. “The paraphernalia of the kingdom, most of it was lost… the iconic objects, the artifacts… It was somewhat malicious. The assault on the kingdom left a scar on the hearts of the Buganda people and, as a consequence, destabilized the country. I believe that as Ugandans we must reconcile and it can be done in many ways. Returning the car is one of those gestures. “
The Rolls-Royce Phantom V was especially significant, according to Mayiga. In 1953, Mutesa II had been exiled by the British authorities after expressing support for an independent state of Buganda. When he returned in 1955, to receive a hero’s welcome, it was this vehicle that took him from Entebbe airport to the Mengo Palace. “Because the crowd was so large, the trip took so many hours and so many cars [overheated]. But then, referring to the Rolls-Royce, [the king] He said, ‘My Rolls-Royce managed to overcome that challenge,’ ”Mayiga said.
Vehicle ownership has been in dispute for years. The government has argued that the vehicle belongs to the state and that it was in the possession of Mutesa II in his capacity as president. But the current Kabaka, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, has been vigorously defending his return, both in personal meetings with President Yoweri Museveni and through a team of lawyers.
Analysts suggest that Museveni decided to return the vehicle in an effort to avoid complicated legal procedures, and possibly with an eye toward next year’s presidential election.
“We hope that the kingdom will keep it as a very important commemorative treasure and be accessible to the rest of Ugandans to see and enjoy,” said Tourism Minister Tom Butime.
First, however, the royal family intends to restore the Rolls-Royce to its former glory, at an estimated cost of nearly $ 200,000. And then, according to Mayiga, the current Kabaka could simply test it himself.
“The old is gold,” he said. “We are talking about a Rolls-Royce Phantom!”
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