How the plot to expel John Okello from Zanzibar was designed

John Okello’s expulsion from Zanzibar came barely two months after he led the revolution that ousted Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah and ended the 266-year oppressive Arab regime in the island.

Today we look at how then East African leaders hatched a plan to expel the revolution icon from Zanzibar.

In his book Revolution in Zanzibar, a simple power struggle in that had emerged in Zanzibar soon graduated into the East African regional conspiracy against the revolution icon. 

‘Field Marshal’ John Okello says Ugandan Prime Minister Milton Obote, Kenyan Prime Minister Jomo Kenyatta and Tanganyika’s President Julius Nyerere soon connived, designed and executed a plot to remove him from power in Zanzibar and destroy him for good.

 Meeting East African leaders

On February 20, 1964, after a brief meeting with Zanzibar president Abeid Karume, Okello and his secretary Juha Ubwa Juha left the island for Kenya for a meeting with the East African leaders.

While at Nairobi airport, he was taken to the VIP lounge and informed that Kenyan Prime Minister Jomo Kenyatta had gone to Mombasa.

Okello then decided to make a brief visit to Uganda to see his sister back in Uganda. But during this visit, the Kenyan government put its security on high alert. The following day, The New York Times newspaper reported how panicky the Kenyan government swung into action the moment they learnt that Okello had arrived in their country.

Carrying the headline, ‘Kenya on alert in Okello’s visit’, the American newspaper described how the national police and army were said to have been ordered to be on stand by and to set up roadblocks outside Nairobi. 

“Prime Minister Jomo Kenyatta and his close associates were in fear that Okello’s visit was surreptitious and the coup might have been in preparation,” the newspaper reported.

On reaching Mbale in eastern Uganda, Okello went to the police station and introduced himself as Field Marshal John Okello and asked for transport to Kampala. 

The police were immediately ordered to take him to Entebbe State House to meet Prime Minister Milton Obote.

The following morning, he proceeded to his home in Lango District to meet his family. After two days, he returned to Entebbe and was taken by the Uganda government to a hotel for night.

Back in Nairobi

Okello writes that he returned to Nairobi and was taken to the prime minister’s office where he found Kenyatta, president Nyerere, Obote, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Joseph Murumbi, the Kenyan minister for Foreign Affairs. 

He says he was warmly welcomed by the leaders who asked him what he was planning to do for Zanzibar and how the revolutionary government was functioning. They also wanted to know how he (Okello) was getting along with president Karume. 

In reply, Okello told the East African leaders that he was in complete agreement with Karume but there seemed to be “snakes” among them. He also informed them that he was prepared to serve under Karume since he was older and must have his respect, adding that their advice on how to deal with the prevailing situation in Zanzibar would be useful. 

The East African leaders then promised to send representatives to the island. They asked Okello to remain in Dar es Salaam hoping that Karume would speak more frankly if he (Okello) was absent.

Later in a private conversation, Kenyatta asked Okello why he had come to Nairobi and proceeded to Uganda without seeing him. Jokingly, he told Okello that several people had informed him that he might want to overthrow his government. 

In reply, Okello informed the Kenyan prime minister that he had been away when he arrived. 

“If I overthrow your government,” Okello said “To whom will I give it? I overthrew the Arab government to give it to Africans.” Kenyatta then assured Okello that he did not really suspect him of  harbouring wrong intentions.

Execution of the plot 

After meeting the East African leaders in Nairobi, Okello travelled to Dar es Salaam and remained there until the East African leaders came to see him. 

They informed him that he could return to Zanzibar and continue working with Karume in a good way as they had begun. He, however, writes that he had been informed that as he left Nairobi, the East African leaders converged in a VIP room to discuss the “Okello question”. It was from there that the plot was designed to have him expelled.

He writes that just as he was preparing to return to Zanzibar, he received a message from President Nyerere asking him to wait for president Karume’s arrival in Dar es Salaam to discuss matters of mutual importance.

Okello remained in Dar es Salaam for one week. However, during this time, local newspapers that “Field Marshal John Okello, leader of Revolutionary Government in Zanzibar, has been declared unwanted in Zanzibar”. 

“I interpreted this as nonsense for it was impossible to conceive who could possibly declare me as an unwanted person on the island,” Okello writes. He, however, continued waiting for Karume’s arrival.

Last visit to Zanzibar

After a week time and Karume had not arrived, Okello says he decided to go to Zanzibar to see what was going on. When he landed at Zanzibar airport, he was met by president Karume and other cabinet ministers and Karume informed him that he had not come to Dar es Salaam in time because he was waiting for the airplane, and suggested that they would return to Dar es Salaam together. 

“At first, I refused to return to Dar es Salaam since I was not feeling very well, but I was informed that a special plane from Nyerere was on its way to collect us,” Okello writes. 

When the plane arrived, Okello says he thought Nyerere must indeed have important matters in mind. The two men arrived at Dar es Salaam where Nyerere was waiting. 

“Oddly, he welcomed only Karume and left me standing there alone,” Okello notes. “In a few minutes, we were taken to different places, Karume to the State House and myself to the same hotel I had left early in the day. Moreover, I was transported in a Land Rover while Karume was taken in a state car.” 

Okello says an hour later, a car arrived to take him to State House.

Meeting Nyerere

He records that the meeting was opened by Nyerere who said, “John Okello, I understand there have been misunderstandings between you and president Karume and we are here to make some arrangement with you. I would like to know whether the present government of Zanzibar belongs to you or to Karume”.  

“The government of Zanzibar is neither mine nor Karume’s, but it is the government of the people of Zanzibar. When we fought, we promised the people that they would get their government and that is what they have,” Okello replied.

Nyerere then went on to ask Okello what he thought of Karume and why he (Okello) used the broadcasting station to make fierce and boastful speeches more than necessary. 

“I respect Karume highly, first as an elder, second, as my president, third, as a personal friend and fourthly as a brother,” Okello replied. 

He then went on to explain that radio was the easiest means to communicate and indeed to inform the world about the decision of the revolutionary government. 

Nyerere then turned to Karume and ask, “Do you understand what Okello has been saying?” 

“Yes, I understand it clearly. I too like Okello and can trust him, but I do not understand why he dislikes my association with [Umma Party leader Abdullaraham Muhamad] Babu and yet.... it was Mr Okello who called Babu back and gave him ministerial portfolio,” Karume replied.

Nyerere then said he was satisfied with what Okello had said, but he was also concerned with some of his radio speeches. He asked them to end the meeting and resume the following day at 8am after which Okello and Karume would return to the island. 

“I realised after that meeting that a serous fight for power was going on and someone wanted to emerge on top. It looked to me as if Nyerere felt that as long as I was on the island, He could not join it with Tanganyika. He feared that I could join it with Kenya,” Okello notes.

The following morning, however, no vehicle had been sent to pick Okello by 8am as previously arranged, prompting him to leave on foot for State House. He arrived 30 minutes later. 

He was, however, informed that Nyerere had left for a meeting with the new army recruits taken on after the February 1964 mutiny. 

Okello says he followed Nyerere there, but upon his arrival, the meeting ended and Nyerere and Karume left for the airport from where Karume emplaned for Zanzibar. Okello was told to remain in Dar es Salaam to finalise the discussion with Nyerere.

The following morning, Okello says he went to see Oscar Kabona, then Tanganyikan minister of External Affairs, who informed him that Nyerere was too busy to see him that day and would see him later in the week. 

Thus he remained in Dar es Salaam for another one week. Meanwhile, the newspapers continued to write that Okello had been banned from Zanzibar. Finally, he was called to the State House where he had a private meeting with Nyerere.  

Declaration of the ban

In their meeting, Nyerere informed him that Karume had said Okello should go to his home in Uganda and rest for six months, after which the question of his return to Zanzibar would be reconsidered. 

“What does this mean?” Okello asked. “Why didn’t he tell me directly when we met here last week? And what is my position? What about my pay, personal effects and possessions? And how shall I rest for six months?”

In reply, Nyerere told Okello that Kabonera would fly to Zanzibar to inquire about his possessions and pay.

Okello says he asked to have Tanganyika air plane to go to Zanzibar immediately but Nyerere refused and brusquely said he could not agree to Okello’s return to Zanzibar. 

Okello asked Nyerere what powers he had over him and was told that so long as he (Okello) was in Tanganyika where Nyerere was president, he could refuse him to enter or leave the country. He told Okello not to argue so much and he would pay his fare to Nairobi.  

In the final episode, read about Okello’s ban in Tanganyika, rejection in Kenya tragic end in Uganda.