Uganda’s independence

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  • Uganda’s independence. On 9th October 1962, Uganda attained total independence from the British.
  • This was mainly due to the role played by Apollo Milton Obote.

Dr. Apollo Milton Obote

  • He was born on 28th December 1924 at Akokoro village in Lango, northern Uganda.
  • He was born to a local village chief called Stanley Opeta.
  • He started his education at Lira Protestant School and then to Gulu High School and Busoga College, Mwiri.
  • He then joined Makerere University College in 1948 for an Arts degree which he never completed.
  • In 1949, Obote led a students’ strike in his second year at the university and he was expelled for political activism.
  • After his expulsion, Obote was also denied a Visa by the Colonial government to study abroad.
  • He later joined a British Engineering and Construction firm called Mowlem construction Company based in Jinja.
  • When the company transferred to Kabeta in Kenya, he followed it but left it for Standard Vacuum Oil Company.
  • While in Kenya, he was inspired by members of Mau Mau like Jomo Kenyatta, General China (Waruhiu Itote) and Dedan Kimathi. He had studied with some of them at Makerere.
  • He stayed in Kenya until 1957 and when he returned to Uganda he was appointed chairman of the Uganda National Congress (UNC) Lango branch.
  • In 1958, he was elected to the Legco representing Lango and he came one of the vocal members on the council.
  • At the same time, he befriended Ignatius Kangave Musaazi the leader of UNC and Musaazi appointed Obote as UNC representative in Mbale. For more notes read more notes about commerce, entrepreneur Notes, biology
  • Later, Obote sacked Musaazi for travelling to London without the consent of the party.
  • As a result, UNC lost its popularity and Musaazi was exiled in Gulu and later London.
  • Obote then befriended William K Nadiope, a member of the Legco who had formed the Uganda Peoples’ Union (UPU).
  • Nadiope always moved with and introduced Obote as a son of Busoga to the masses but this was a mistake because it weakened UPU.
  • In 1959, there was a split in UNC and Obote led the anti-Buganda wing.
  • In 1960, he was awarded a honorary degree of Law of Long Island University in U.S.A.
  • On 9th March 1960, UPU merged with Obote’s UNC wing to form the Uganda Peoples’ Congress (UPC).
  • Obote assumed leadership of the new party with John Kakonge as Secretary General.
  • The party became more popular as more prominent people joined it e.g. Jaberi Bidandi Ssali, Ali Kirunda Kivejinja and Dani Wadada Nabudere.
  • In the 1961 elections, Obote’s UPC lost to Ben Kiwanuka’s Democratic Party (DP).
  • Kiwanuka became the leader of the Legco and Obote became leader of the opposition.
  • In the Legco, Obote strongly demanded for an advance towards self rule.
  • On 1st March 1961, Uganda became self governing.
  • in the same year, Obote was among those who attended the London conference where he greatly supported Buganda’s federal demands.
  • He was so tactical that he even decided to marry a Muganda lady called Miria Kalule which made him a darling of the Baganda.
  • In April 1962, elections were organized and UPC got 37, DP got 24 and Kabaka Yekka (KY) got 21 votes.
  • Obote decided to ally with KY to form a government and this was a victory for Obote.
  • On 9th October 1962, Uganda got her independence with Obote as the Prime Minister.
  • On 10th October 2005, Obote died in a Johannesburg hospital.