Rtd. ASP Donald John Macdonald investigated a case 53 years ago but he still has the memories of it as if it happened yesterday, he remembers the people with whom he carried out the investigations with, and how the trial went. His memories are still sharp about the case, and the position of the dead body and how it looked like.
This is none other than, Donald John Macdonald, a Police Officer who was posted by the British government to Uganda in 1950s as one of the Police Officers to serve in the Foreign Services.
The case that Macdonald remembers is that of a Kenyan national John Njuguna who was accused of murdering a Belgian refugee Joseph Henry Mazy, in July 20, 1960. Joseph had run away from Congo via Mpondwe Border Post but was killed near Kinyamaseke village. He carried out the investigations and the murderers were convicted. Macdonald recalls this case with ease, when he recently came back to Uganda and had a chat with Deputy Inspector General of Police, JM Okoth Ochola, the Chief Political Commissar, Assuman Mugenyi, and Director Administrations, Hajji Musa Balimoyo at Police headquarters.
Macdonald left Uganda in 1964 but when he returned on the month of March 2013, he remembered most of the cases that he handled as if it happened that very day he is narrating the case. The cases are in his memory that he keeps reciting them without missing a word on how it happened.
Macdonald was among the colonial Police Officers that were sent to Uganda to keep law and order, to protect the governor.
He was born on 21 Match 1932 in Scotland, Lady bank, went to Dollar academy, which is a public school in Scotland after that he did national services for two years. He joined Milly mece Police Training Center where he did Advance detective course. He also did a course in Paton Commanding.
In 1953, he was posted to Uganda. When the foreign Police Officers reached Uganda, they were first send to Naguru Police College, Kampala for further training in the Penal Code Act, Local and Special laws, Judicial procedures, and Criminal Law. This was done to fine tune and orient them to Ugandan situation. Macdonald was allocated a housing unit at Nsambya barracks, and he was working in CPS Kampala, where he worked for one year, then he was posed to be the Personal Assistant to the Commissioner of Police (current rank of IGP).
After a serving as Personal Assistant, for one year he was transferred to Mengo District Court as a Prosecutor, where he said he enjoyed the work very much.
His wife was working with East African Airways.
The remains of the body of Belgian refugee Joseph Henry Mazy at the scene who was murdered on July 20, 1960 in a bush near Kinyamaseke in Kasese
He was posted to South Toro a region that covered Kasese, Fort portal and Congo borders but based at Kilembe.
The mining industry was still very active and it was employing between 4,000 -5,000 people
Mr. Donald John Macdonald and his wife at Fort Portal in 1954
“It was very active, very profitable and the railways were operating, I was sudden that these are all not operating,” he said. After spending three years in Kilembe, he was transferred to CID Central offices based at the new parliamentary building on the ground floor at the bottom. He served here for ten months then he was send to Toro to start up a CID office out-side Kampala. It was the first CID office to be set up outside Kampala.
He moved to Toro with the following officers whom he recalls without even blinking an eye, they are Detective Constable, Mafabi, D/C Kampanruza, Sub Inspector Raphel Mindra, Stanley Mulofa, Gorge Mukasa, D/Cpl Musoke.
Mr. Donald John Macdonald and his wife at Mountains of the Moon Hotel in Fort Portal in 1954
Two of his children were born in Uganda, the first born Niall Ranald Macdonad was born in Nakasero hospital on the 12 May 1957 and the second child Karen Elizabeth Macdonald was born in Kilembe Mines Hospital on 15 August 1959.
He recalls the Ngogwe Riots where he said that they did what they had to do because it was their duty. However, he said that throughout his stay in Uganda there were only two riots that of Ngogwe and Kilembe mines, contrary to reports that the Police was here to quell riots.
Macdonald says that he has been following what goes on Uganda that the problem they left here is still there and that is Rwenzori region where the Bakonjo and Bamba have been fighting for their independence.
“And I think up now that region is not very stable, there are problems there,” he said.
He says that the Police have grown in number, with better equipments than what they had.
KIlembe Police Post in Kasese in 1954
“I find the Police very impressive now it says a lot about a Police Force, you are welcoming courteous, and helpful wherever I have been in this country in the last few days I have been helped by Police Officers and this is really good for foreigner,” I feel very happy to be back in Uganda.
The Chief Political Commissar, AIGP Assuman Mugenyi thanked Mr. Donald for tracing his history of service and interest in Uganda Police. He was impressed by the good and sound memory of his days in Uganda.
