Government of Uganda - Past Leaders
 Described
as the Spokesman of Africa, Milton Obote is well remembered
for his oratory guineas. Level headed, determined, with a
record of solid achievements behind him, Apollo Milton Obote
exhibited all the attributes of a leader from the time he
plunged himself in politics in the early '50s.
Working hard in the shadow of Uganda's political glamour,
the pipe-smoking politician from a small Akokoro village in
the then Lango District in norther Uganda, consistently worked
his way to the top and became the President of a forceful
political part the Uganda Peoples Congress which won the general
election in 1962 and thereby Obote became the Prime
Minister of Uganda.
At every stage Obote seems to have outmaneuvered
the various tribal and political forces ranged against him.
Obote succeeded largely by diplomacy and persuasion. Obote
derived his political skillfulness from a careful study of
the Baganda and all the people of Uganda. He studied and exploited
their weakness and limitations such as their political rivalries
and religious differences. He then used them to help him on
his way to achievement power.
Obote's skillfulness was to be exhibited during
the London Conference when the Baganda formed a political
organization called Kabaka Yekka. Knowing its possible influence
on the political scene, Obote used his fellow northerner,
Daudi Ochieng to negotiate with the Mengo traditionalists.
Ochieng a former schoolmate of the Buganda Kabaka Muteesa
II had now become a Kabaka Yekka MP, called it the negotiations
"bridging the gap".
Finally it seemed that a major crisis broke out that the center could not hold. On April 15th 1962, Obote abrogated the constitution, removed all powers from the Kabaka's government and on May 24th the same year, the Kabaka's Palace at Mengo hill was attacked sending the Kabaka into exile and marking the end of a long traditional monarchy unceremoniously.
While attending a Commonwealth Summit Conference in Singapore, Obote was overthrown by his own Army Commander Idi Amin on January 24th 1972. Obote was to stay in exile in Tanzania for eight years until a combined force of Uganda exiles and Tanzanian army flushed Amin out Uganda.
Typical of Obote's skillful maneuvers, he was installed as President for the second time (Obote II) on December 15th 1980 after a general election in which his party UPC was declared winner.
Due to the alleged election rigging by Obote, several former anti Amin liberators led by Yoweri Museveni ( Former Minister in post Amin government) fled to the bushes of Luwero in Buganda and started mounting a guerilla war against Obote's regime.
As the guerrilla raged on so did the tribal conflicts within the Obote army between the Acholi and the Langis. These squabbles reached their climax on June 1985 when Brigadier Bazilio Okello and Acholi announced the overthrow of Obote's regime and by so doing, bringing to an end Obote's political legacy. Obote fled to Nairobi and later in Zambian capital Lusaka where he still wields enormous might on his fragmented party the UPC.
Even after ascending to power, Obote's suspicion of the Baganda never ceased, in fact it was heightened by the conflicting roles and status accorded to the the Kabaka in a post independence Uganda.
Politics of Uganda - Obote's Political Showdown >>
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