Characteristics of Colonial administration

Independence means freedom of a country from political control by another. The road to independence therefore means the events that happened in Uganda right from the time when Uganda was colonized by the British up to when it started governing itself.

Characteristics of colonial administration. 

Colonialism in Uganda was characterised by political, social and economic injustices. Ugandans were denied a chance to participate in managing their own social, political and economic affairs.

Political system

Colonialists started by introducing the Imperial British East African Company (IBEACo) to administer on behalf of British government.

The IBEACo sent Fredrick Lugard to carry out its activities in Uganda. When Lugard came to Uganda, he introduced Indirect rule whereby he used the local chiefs to administer on behalf of the British government.

They made the local chiefs to govern using their new system of administration and laws. Unlike the traditional system, colonial laws were written down and also gave punishments to whoever broke them.

Colonial laws made the law breakers to be Imprisoned. Prison cells were built in every county and sub county headquarters. This was a bother to most people in Uganda and more especially those who felt were unfairly treated and imprisoned.

Taxation system

Colonial administration at first depended on the tax payers money in Britain to run the administration in Uganda Colonialists later thought of ways of raising money, so they introduced hut and gun taxes. The taxes were meant to save the burden of funding the colonial administration in Uganda. Now Ugandans started paying their own cost of administration.

Activity

Discussion, why did the colonial government build prisons in different parts of the country? 

Exercise
1. Why did the British encourage cotton growing in Uganda? 2. Which cash crops are grown in your local areas today?
3. Which Indians opened up sugar cane estates in Uganda?

Segregation System

The British who were in Uganda had to live a superior life from that of the rest of the people. The white had better facilities than most of the Africans.

Indians in Uganda were also treated in a better way than he natives.

In Kampala there were special areas on the crown land established in the 1900 Agreement where the Europeans a Imbalances in the social life brought hater for British administration.

Compulsory labour

Colonial laws promoted compulsory labour for communal work. Ugandans were forced to participate in construction and repairing of feeder roads which were used to transport crops to markets and for export.

Africans who were found guilty of crimes had to provide compulsory labour as part of the punishment. In prisons, some Ugandans were made to be supervisors of other prisoners. They forced others to work in the institutional and private gardens and plantations. Those who were lazy mercilessly caned by the supervisors. Such practices created hatred among many Ugandans at that time. 

Economic system. 

The colonialists came at a time when people were carrying out Barter trade. This trade involved exchanging of agricultural products and metallic items.

They also found people growing food crops mainly for home consumption.

Some Ugandans who engaged in long distance trade were dealing in slaves, ivory, animal skins, salt and iron tools. During the colonial time, money was introduced as a medium of exchange.

Cash crops like cotton and coffee were promoted. This was mainly because cotton was needed as a raw material for the textile industries in Britain. These crops therefore became the major export items of Uganda.

The prices of these crops were determined by the colonial administration and were usually low. As a result, some Ugandan farmers felt exploited and began to demand for price Increase.

The colonial system also favoured the Asians more than the natives. Indians like Muljubai Madhivan and Nanji Khalidas Mehta opened up sugar cane Estates and sugar factories in Uganda.

Madhivan opened one at Kakira near Jinja while Mehta opened one at Lugazi in Buikwe district. These estates created employment for Ugandans but still the wages were very low.

Aldina visram, became the first Indian to open up a shop in Kampala. Other Indians later opened up shops in most parts of the country.

They also paid low prices for farmers' produce. This led to the formation of The Uganda Farmers' Association to fight for improved prices for their crop produce.

4. How do people benefit from the sugar cane estates in their local areas.