Milton Obote

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Apollo Milton Opeto Obote
2nd Prime Minister of Uganda
In office April 30, 1962 – April 15, 1966
Preceded by	Benedicto Kiwanuka
Succeeded by	None (post abolished)
2nd President of Uganda 8th President of Uganda
In office April 15, 1966 – January 25, 1971 December 17, 1980 – July 27, 1985
Preceded by	Mutesa II of Buganda (1966) Presidential Commission of Uganda (1980)
Succeeded by	Idi Amin (1971) Bazilio Olara-Okello (1985)
Born	December 28, 1924 Apac district, Uganda
Died	October 10, 2005 Johannesburg, South Africa
Political party	Uganda People's Congress
Spouse	Miria Obote

Apollo Milton Opeto Obote (December 28, 1924 – October 10, 2005), Prime Minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and President of Uganda from 1966 to 1971 and from 1980 to 1985, was a Ugandan political leader who led Uganda to independence from the British colonial administration in 1962. He was overthrown by Idi Amin in 1971, but regained power in 1980. His second rule was marred by repression, and the death of many civilians as a result of civil war. Obote was mentor to all presidents that succeeded him, including Idi Amin and Yoweri Museveni, and is considered to be the founding father of independent Uganda.

[edit] Early life and first presidency

Milton Obote was born at Akokoro village in Apac district in northern Uganda. He was the son of a local chief of the Lango ethnic group. He began his education in 1940 at the Protestant Missionary School in Lira, and later attended Gulu Junior Secondary School, Busoga College and eventually university at Makerere University. At Makerere, Obote honed his natural oratorial skills, but was expelled for participating in a student strike (Obote claimed he left Makerere voluntarily^[1]). He worked in Buganda in southern Uganda before moving to Kenya, where he worked as a construction worker at an engineering firm. While in Kenya, Obote became involved in the Kenyan independence movement. Upon returning to Uganda in 1956, he joined the political party Uganda National Congress (UNC), and was elected to the colonial Legislative Council in 1957^[2]. In 1959, the UNC split into two factions, with one faction under the leadership of Obote merging with Uganda People's Union to form the Uganda People's Congress (UPC).

After several years as head of the opposition, Obote formed a coalition with the Buganda royalist party, Kabaka Yekka, and was elected prime minister in 1961. He assumed the post on April 25, 1962, with Sir Walter Coutts as Governor-General of Uganda. The following year, he deposed Queen Elizabeth II as Ugandan head of state, and Edward Mutesa II, the Kabaka (King) of Buganda, became the ceremonial president, with Obote as executive prime minister.

As prime minister, Obote was implicated in a gold smuggling plot, together with Idi Amin, then deputy commander of the Ugandan armed forces. When the Parliament demanded an investigation of Obote and the ousting of Amin, he suspended the constitution, thereby abolishing the roles of leaders of Uganda's five tribal kingdoms and allocating to himself almost unlimited power under state-of-emergency rulings; he had several members of his cabinet arrested. Obote's judiciary cleared him of the gold-smuggling charges, but the episode created tensions between him and Mutesa, who was critical of Obote for suspending the constitution. Obote staged a coup against Mutesa and had himself declared president on March 2, 1966. His nominally socialist rule made him unpopular with the Western powers, particularly Britain, and his regime was greatly destabilized by the military. In 1971, Obote was deposed by his army chief, Idi Amin, after which he fled to Tanzania.

[edit] Second term

After Idi Amin was ousted in 1979 by Tanzanian forces aided by Ugandan exiles, Uganda was governed by an interim Presidential Commission before elections were held. The 1980 elections were won by Obote's UPC party. However, the opposition believed the elections were rigged, leading to guerrilla rebellion led by Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Army (NRA) and several other military groups.

It has been estimated that 100,000 people died as a result of fighting between Obote's Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) and the guerrillas.^[3]

Obote was deposed again, on 27 July 1985, by his own army commanders Brigadier Bazilio Olara-Okello and General Tito Okello in a military coup. The two briefly ruled the country through a Military Council, but after a few months of near chaos, Museveni's NRA seized control of the country.

[edit] Death in exile

After his second removal from power, Obote fled to Tanzania and later to Zambia. For some years it was rumoured that he would return to Ugandan politics. In August 2005, however, he announced his intention to step down as leader of the UPC.^[4] In September 2005, it was reported that Obote would return to Uganda before the end of 2005.^[5]

Milton Obote's grave

On October 10, 2005, Obote died of kidney failure in a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa.^[6]

Milton Obote was given a state funeral, attended by president Museveni in the Ugandan capital Kampala in October 2005, to the surprise and appreciation of many Ugandans, since he and Museveni were bitter rivals^[7]. Other groups, such as the Baganda survivors of the "Luwero Triangle" massacres, were bitter that Obote was given a state funeral^[8].

He was survived by his wife and five children. On November 28, his wife Miria Obote was elected UPC party president.^[9]

[edit] See also

• Uganda
• President of Uganda
• Politics of Uganda
• History of Uganda
• Political parties of Uganda
• Military dictatorship

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Obote Series - a series of articles and interviews published in The Monitor
• Amnesty International report on Uganda.
• UPC official Website

Presidents of Uganda
Edward Mutesa II • Milton Obote • Idi Amin • Yusufu Lule • Godfrey Binaisa • Paulo Muwanga • Presidential Commission • Milton Obote • Bazilio Olara-Okello • Tito Okello • Yoweri Museveni

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 Ugandan topics

Communications • Economy • History • Government • Military • Transport

Culture: Demographics • Education • Languages • Healthcare

Religion: Roman Catholicism • Islam • Judaism • Hinduism

Geography: Cities and towns • Districts and counties • National parks

Politics: Foreign relations • Human rights • Political parties

Presidents: Edward Mutesa II • Milton Obote • Idi Amin • Yusufu Lule

Godfrey Binaisa • Paulo Muwanga • Bazilio Olara-Okello • Yoweri Museveni