The inaugural memorial lecture for former Uganda president Idi Amin in Arua city was a no-show. Early last month, a group of local leaders and stakeholders from the West Nile sub-region and those living in the diaspora announced a proposal to organize the first-ever memorial lecture and prayers to honor the contribution of the late Amin to Uganda and the entire African continent.

Trouble for the organizers started when the management of Muni University declined to host the proposed lecture. In a consultative meeting between the organizers and the Muni University management on August 23, Ass. Prof Simon Anguma Katrini, the acting vice-chancellor of Muni University demanded a letter of authorization from the ministry of Education and Sports in order for him to allow the memorial lecture to be hosted at the university.

In a statement, Kaps Fungaroo Hassan, the public relations officer of the central organising committee of the lecture confirmed that they wrote a letter to Dr Chrysostom Muyingo, the minister of Education in charge of higher education but they are yet to receive feedback.

“Our team of the COC wrote to the minister of Education and Sports in charge of higher education Hon Dr Muyingo and visited the ministry but the reply to our letter has not yet been given. So, we still have a challenge with the venue (Muni University). We are still waiting for a reply from the ministry of Education and to see the final position of Muni University," reads part of the statement.

He further described the situation as difficult but urged the public to remain focused as they address the issue of the venue.

“It is really a difficult moment but let us remain strong and focused; more details to be given," Fungaroo said.

However, Dr Denis Mugimba, spokesperson of the ministry of Education and Sports said that he is not aware of the purported letter written by the organizers of the memorial lecture. Nevertheless, Mugimba further added that public universities like Muni have the freedom to decide whether to host or not to host such events without necessarily seeking permission from the ministry.

Meanwhile, Fahil Lemeriga, spokesperson of the Democratic Party (DP) in northern Uganda advised the organizers to shift the venue for the memorial lecture to Arua primary school playground along Rhino Camp road in Arua city.

“Arua primary school, where Gen Idi Amin was a pupil, should host the Idi Amin memorial lecture after Muni University [showed] cowardice and threw in the towel," he noted.

Amin, who was born in the present Koboko district came to power in 1971 after he overthrew the elected government of Dr Milton Obote and declared himself president of Uganda. On April 11, 1979, Amin was forced to flee when Kampala was captured with the support of Tanzanian forces. Although he originally sought refuge in Libya, he later moved to Saudi Arabia, where he lived until his death in 2003. By URN, The Observer