Tanzanian politician and Chairman of the opposition party CHADEMA, Tundu Lissu, has argued that the constitutional legacy of Julius Kambarage Nyerere in Tanzania and Uganda is evident in the establishment of an “imperial presidency” in both countries.
Lissu made these remarks during a public lecture at Makerere University, as part of a discussion on the Constitutional Legacies of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere in Uganda and Tanzania. The event was organized by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Uganda and the Human Rights and Peace Centre of Makerere University.
Lissu explained that Tanganyika, under Julius Nyerere’s leadership, transitioned from a parliamentary democracy in 1962 to a republican form of government with an executive presidency that wielded powers similar to European monarchies before the 18th century. He asserted that this shift set a precedent for Uganda, which gained independence a few months before Tanzania became a republic.
“When Uganda gained independence, there was already a governance model in East Africa—Tanganyika—where the person in power controlled the instruments of the state and held real power,” Lissu said.
He further stated that Uganda used military force to establish a republican constitution in 1966 under Prime Minister Milton Obote and armed forces commander Brigadier Idi Amin, who later ousted Obote in 1971. The republican constitution of Uganda, according to Lissu, solidified an imperial presidency.
“If you examine the 1966 ‘Pigeonhole Constitution’ and the 1967 constitution that followed, one key feature stands out—the imperial presidency. This was the same kind of presidency that Mwalimu Nyerere had established in Tanganyika with the republican constitution of 1962,” Lissu remarked.
Lissu also highlighted Nyerere’s influence on Uganda’s constitutional framework after Tanzania ousted Idi Amin’s regime in 1979, following Amin’s invasion of the Kagera Salient in northern Tanzania.
He noted that Uganda’s political trajectory continued along the same path, especially after Yoweri Museveni took power. Lissu emphasized that Museveni, during his years at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, was politically and philosophically influenced by Nyerere.
“Who can deny that Uganda, under Yoweri Museveni and the 1995 constitution, does not have an imperial president? All of this was inspired by Julius Kambarage Nyerere,” Lissu asserted.
He went on to critique Museveni’s regime, arguing that it adopted Nyerere’s political style by militarizing politics and politicizing the military, which led to military intervention in political affairs in both countries. He noted that Museveni, as a true follower of Nyerere’s legacy, even named Uganda’s armed forces the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), mirroring the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF), which Nyerere established in 1964.
On the other hand, Lissu acknowledged a crucial aspect of Nyerere’s constitutional legacy that should not be criticized—his decision to introduce presidential term limits. This made Tanzania the first African country to include such a provision in its constitution. Additionally, Nyerere voluntarily relinquished power, a stark contrast to Uganda, where term limits were later removed from the constitution.
Lissu praised Nyerere’s legacy in Pan-Africanism and his role in liberating Southern African countries by hosting independence movements and leading the Frontline States.
He also lauded Nyerere’s commitment to academic freedom, stating that he should be celebrated for fostering an environment of intellectual debate. Lissu lamented that, in contrast, modern universities have become restrictive spaces, lacking the vibrant discussions that characterized Nyerere’s era when he frequently engaged with students and academic staff at the University of Dar es Salaam on various national policy issues.
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Who sponsors Lissu? Answer:
“The Konrad Adenauer Foundation (German: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, KAS) is a German political party foundation associated with …..the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The foundation’s headquarters are located in Sankt Augustin near Bonn, as well as in Berlin.”
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