Field Marshal Okello Says He's Not Wanted in Zanzibar | Face Of The Zanzibar Revolution | March 1964

Wednesday, March 11th 1964. Footage of John Okello, the Ugandan bricklayer whose role in the insurgency which overthrew the Arab rulers of Zanzibar, at the time when he was told by the new leaders of the island republic that he was no longer wanted in Zanzibar. Reuters Text from 1964: Self-styled "Field Marshal" John Okello, who is reputed to have led the revolution in Zanzibar in January, told a press conference on Wednesday that Zanzibar did not want him. He said when he returned to Zanzibar on Monday he had been met at the airport by President Karume and the External Affair Minister, Sheikh Abdul-rahman Mohamed Babu. They had told him that the people didn't want him and that he had to return to Dar es Salaam. Our cameraman found him in a jaunty mood yesterday (Thursday) as he tried his hand at boating. Shortly afterwards he left for Nairobi. Mr. Okello said he bore no grudges towards the Zanzibar authorities because Zanzibar was not his home. He admitted however that he hadn't wanted to leave. Answering a question about January's revolution, he claimed that 11,995 "enemies" had died and only nine of his own men were killed. Asked to comment on reports that he had been offered GBP5,000 to carry out the revolution he replied that he was a Christian and that he had not done it for money. He had used his own money to organise it. His future plans were not settled. He hoped to return to Zanzibar to claim some personal belongings and then he would probably return to his home in Lira, Uganda, and resume his trade as a bricklayer. Source: Reuters News Archive. Note: 1. Okello's rank/title of "Field Marshal" was an officially sanctioned one. He created a Revolutionary Council and was named the leader of the Afro-Shirazi Party. However, the fact that he was a foreigner, a Christian and even more radical than his Muslim cohorts made him fall out of favour. He was stripped of the title in March 1964 and deported from Zanzibar to Kenya. 2. From Kenya he moved to Congo-Kinshasa before returning to his native Uganda where he disappeared in 1971. He is believed to have been murdered by Idi Amin, the Ugandan dictator who seized power from Millton Obote that year. It is believed that Amin saw Okello as a potential threat.