Kololo Remembered - Ugandan Asians 30 years on.
By Lopa Patel (August 2002 )

Click here to view more Kololo UK Reunion photos.

As the great and the good of the former Ugandan-Asian community gathered at London Heathrow's Thistle Hotel for a glittering dinner and dance on Saturday 31st August, I thought what an excellent advertisement it was in support of Asian Immigration. It was ironic then that the whole event was in support of Kololo Senior Secondary School in Kampala (Uganda).

Impeccably turned out guests, smooth organisation and the combined efforts of young and old all aided this charity event. And generosity was certainly in evidence. Apart from the £35 per person ticket price, many had sponsored prizes for the raffle and there were numerous bids of £3000, £1000 and £500 at the auction. The aim being to raise funds for the school whose former alumni include Yasmin Alibhai Brown, columnist for 'The Independent' newspaper. Even the teachers have done well - Mrs Niru Desai who taught Gujarati at the school was awarded the MBE in this year's Queen's honours list and Mr Ramen Bhattarcharyya was a former Mayor of Camden (1993-1994).

In fact nearly all of the former pupils have also fared well - many running their own businesses, many helping to run other people's businesses, lawyers, doctors, accountants, researchers, all educated to the very highest standard. And education is the key. Considered by many to be the finest school in Uganda, Kololo engenders deep loyalty and affection among its pupils and teachers alike. How many other schools can generate reunion parties in Canada and the UK?

Nostalgia is driving many of these Ugandan Asians to put hand into pocket to help out a school that has been ravaged over 30 years. Much like Uganda itself. Formerly described as the "Pearl of Africa" the country has been decimated since Idi Amin expelled the Asians in 1972, civil uncertainty followed and lately the AIDS epidemic has played its part too. Its currency has devalued from 20 Ugandan shillings to the pounds in 1972 to nearly 1200 Ugandan shillings to the pound today. Former Kololo biology teacher, Graham Hobster (pictured right) told me that his department at the school had been closed and His Excellency Professor George Kirya, Ugandan High Commissioner advised about the need for basics like text books.

Chalk and textbooks for the country's foremost secondary school, can you image the same for say Eton in the UK? Not readily I wager. Asians in the UK not only contribute much to the UK education system by competing fiercely for places at the very best schools, without them it would be like knocking one of the legs off a three-legged stool. Uganda is a prime example.

On August 5th 1972, Idi Amin, then president of Uganda announced the forceful expulsion of all 70,000 Asians from his country with confiscation of their homes and businesses. For its part in aiding his coup the year before, Britain took in 28,000 of these "refugees", trying to disperse them to various regions of the UK in a bid to steer them away from areas of existing Asian settlement. Some 23% of these refugees were helped by relatives or friends already settled in the UK and a further 39% ultimately found their own accommodation*.The remainder of the expelled Asians opted to go to Canada, the USA, Australia, India and some 800 to Sweden.

Having left Uganda with virtually nothing except the clothes they owned, many are now reaching the top of their profession in all walks of life. Much has been made of the success of these Ugandan Asians. Hardly surprising if you consider that many were already skilled businessmen in Uganda. Others had the benefit of education, a hard work mentality and the support of a community in exile. It is not surprising that Ugandan Asians are successful, it is more surprising that it took us 30 years to find out.

Many like Mr Manubhai Madhvani, who features annually in the Asian Rich List, had major interests in Uganda and have returned to reclaim their businesses and properties. Others have chosen to sell their reclaimed assets and close a chapter in their family history. Whichever option is chosen, one wonders if the country ever likely to recover its crown? If only 70,000 Asians can do this for Uganda, just imagine what 2,000,000 Asians are doing for the UK right now.

Click here to view more Kololo UK Reunion photos.

Kololo Sites

Graham Hobster's website can be found at.
http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/ghobster/Schools/Kololo%20web/kololo-index.htm

The Kololo 2001 reunion site can be found at.
http://communities.msn.com/KololiansReunion2001/_whatsnew.msnw

Idi Amin Still in the News Today. Visit Robert S Hayes collection of recent articles about Idi Amin and his brutal regime.
http://www.ugandamission.net/aboutug/articles/amin.html

References

'Ugandan Asians in Sweden 25 years after expulsion' 1997, Charles Western, Centre for Research in International Migration and Ethnic relations, Stockholm University.

'The Heritage and Contribution of Refugees in the UK - A Credit to the Nation', 1997. Refugee Council Publication

'The Ugandan Asian Programme, 1973 by Vaughan Robinson.