Portrait of a resented race : investigating how the Ugandan media covered the bitter sentiments against Asians expressed in Aåril 2007 and what these sentiments say about the future of Asians in Uganda

Abstract

In 1986, the president of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni pushed for and invited Asians back to Uganda, promising to return to them their properties that former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin had grabbed when he sent them out of the country in 1972. Since then Asians have been trickling back and many have slowly but surely restored their businesses to their former glory, thereby gaining prominence and affluence in the Ugandan society. One such business venture is the Mehta group of companies, mostly owned by the Mehta family who are Ugandans of Indian origin. In 2007, it emerged that Mehta had proposed to acquire a third of Mabira, Uganda‘s largest rain forest, in an attempt to expand sugar production at his Sugar corporation of Uganda limited (SCOUL) company. This move, reportedly supported by the presidency, was highly unpopular among the populace, leading to heated debates in the media and a demonstration that ended with an Indian national being flogged to death while two indigenous Ugandans also lost their lives. The media (New Vision and Monitor newspapers) coverage of this evidence of friction between indigenous Ugandans and Asians is the subject of this research. Through this coverage, the study seeks to analyse the relationship between indigenous Ugandans and Asians, and attempts to establish whether the expressions of racism against Asians could lead to another exodus of Asians from Uganda. It employs theories on privileged minorities, banal journalism and nationalism, marginalization and the ―us‖ ―them‖ dichotomy. Using theory, data and methodological triangulation, the study collected and analysed material about Asians and or Mabira forest published by New Vision and Monitor in April 2007, the period with the most intense debates on the subject, a coverage which revealed that there is indeed deep seated resentment of Asians in Uganda. It was noted that a cross section of indigenous Ugandans consider Asians as having a parasitic relationship to Uganda and there were clear signs that relations between the two groups could adversely deteriorate if the current grievances are not addressed.