KAMPALA – The High Court has directed the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to initiate a process for renaming streets, roads and public places in Kampala to reflect Uganda’s cultural and historical identity, rather than honouring British colonial officials.
In a ruling dated February 28, 2025, Justice Musa Ssekaana of the Civil Division of the High Court ordered KCCA to take administrative, legislative, and other measures to enforce rules for renaming public places to names promoting community harmony, unity and Ugandan culture.
“It is over 62 years since Uganda attained its independence in 1962 from the colonialists through self-determination. The capital has continued to use the colonial names and this ought to be addressed through a gradual process of choosing appropriate names in honour of persons relevant to Uganda’s historical transformation since independence,” he said.
Ssekaana, however, said a proper process should be initiated by KCCA in consultation with the general public in accordance with Paragraph 7 of Part A of the Third Schedule of the KCCA Act and Kampala City Authority naming guidelines 2017 to provide a framework for naming and renaming of roads.
The directive followed a petition by human rights activist John Ssempebwa, who argued that using road names honouring British colonial officials violates Ugandans’ rights to dignity and freedom from cruel treatment. Ssempebwa filed the suit against KCCA in 2024.
In his ruling, Ssekaana directed KCCA to initiate a process for renaming roads to reflect Uganda’s cultural and historical identity, rather than honouring colonial figures.
The judge noted that retaining colonial officials’ names on public infrastructure perpetuates the memory of historical injustices inflicted upon Ugandans during British colonial rule.
The petitioner informed court that KCCA continues to use names of individuals like Lord Fredrick Lugard, a British administrator infamous for his role in implementing colonial policies in Africa, and other colonial figures on several public roads in Kampala.
Some of these individuals have been linked to heinous crimes, including torture, cruel treatment, discrimination, and subjugation of Ugandans.
According to Ssempebwa, honouring colonial agents symbolises ongoing oppression and perpetuates the notion that colonialism remains valid decades after Uganda gained independence.
He contended that this undermines Uganda’s independence from British colonial rule and the country’s right to self-determination.
Ssempebwa also stated that it perpetuates a legacy of violence, domination, control, abuse, impunity, and colonial oppression in Kampala and elsewhere in Uganda, which must be brought to an end. This situation highlights the lack of meaningful decolonisation efforts by KCCA.
Background
On June 28, 2019, Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago was requested to initiate the process of renaming streets bearing colonial legacy names.
On June 8, 2020, a petition signed by 5,786 individuals was submitted to the then Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga and KCCA, calling for the decolonisation and renaming of streets in Kampala and other Ugandan landmarks.
Furthermore, on September 7, 2021, Kadaga wrote to the then Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, requesting that he address the petition.
On November 11, 2021, Kampala City Lawyer Apollo Makubuya raised the matter with the then KCCA executive director Dorothy Kisaka on behalf of the petitioners, but no meaningful outcome resulted from these interactions.
Another petition with 5,200 signatures was submitted to President Yoweri Museveni, Kadaga, Lukwago, and other officials on June 25, 2020.
The petition was signed by notable figures, including Makubuya, Justice James Ogoola, Prof. Lwanga Lunyingo, and MPs Stephen Birahwa Mukitale Adyeeri and Medard Ssegona.
source: NEW VISION
