William Mukama

William Mukama (1951-2002), was a Ugandan teacher and politician and founding member of the Ninth October Movement. Mukama was also a member of the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC), the ruling party and government of Uganda both before and after the Idi Amin dictatorship.

Mukama is believed to have been born in 1951, and a native of Mbale district, part of which now forms the new Pallisa District, in Eastern Uganda. Brought up as religious young man, his first and only wish had been to become a priest. His early training in college directed him towards achieving this goal and was changed by forced National Service. As one of the best English and literature graduates, Mukama was drafted as an English teacher in Libya. The young Mukama worked and lived in Libya for approximately seven years at the end of which he had mastered speaking,writing and reading Arabic.

In the early 1980s following the fall of Amin, Mukama returned to Uganda and continued with the teaching profession, quickly becoming deputy head and then head of Namutumba School. Mukama is believed to have left this position to contest a parliamentary seat for Iganga district in the 1985 elections as the official candidate of The Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) under Apollo Milton Obote. Mukama lost this seat.

Between 1985 and 1989, Mukama, along with Elungat, Captain Namiti, Bright Gabula, and Paulo Muwanga, formed the Ninth October Movement.