Today, over 4,590 Petitioner's are calling upon the government of Uganda to review, remove and rename streets and other landmarks which symbolise a legacy of colonial conquest, occupation and control. One such symbol is the road named after the Kings African Rifles (KAR) in  Kololo an affluent suburb in Uganda's Capital City, Kampala.

The KAR was a British colonial army founded in 1902 and was the instrument for conquest, control and occupation of British Empire in British East Africa comprising Uganda, Kenya, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) Nyasaland (Malawi) and Somaliland. The KAR, under the command of Lieutenant General Sir George Erskine, was notorious in Kenya in suppressing the Mau Mau protests in the 1950's and early 1960's. In this campaign, over 11,000 Kenyans were killed. Of these over 1,000 were executed. In 2013 Britain reluctantly acknowledged this  and paid off some victims. This is one of many examples of atrocities involving the KAR.

The Petitioner's consider that the prominence given to the KAR and other undeserving individuals in Kampala and other towns is a continuing affront to their rights to dignity, equality and freedom from discrimination. These symbols perpetuate  humiliation, hurt and discord based on a history of conquest and subjugation.

The Petitioner's invite the Goverment of Uganda to take urgent measures to audit all such names, symbols and installations and to help discard the ones that are undesirable or detestable. Additionally,  they invite it to make laws to streamline the naming of streets and public places in a manner that addresses the legacy of colonialism and oppression; promotes national heroes and heroines as well as contributes to national harmony, respect for and protection of human rights and dignity.

Apollo N. Makubuya.