Uganda runs out of former presidents
Aug 06, 2010
Benedicto Kiwanuka (1962)<br>He was the first prime minister of Uganda. He had won the elections and was poised to lead the independent Uganda.
The last of Uganda’s former presidents, Godfrey Binaisa, succumbed to death on
August 5, 2010. VICKY WANDAWA reports on the lives of the former presidents
Benedicto Kiwanuka (1962)
He was the first prime minister of Uganda. He had won the elections and was poised to lead the independent Uganda. However, the elections were disputed and he lost a re-electtion in April 1962. An alliance of Milton Obote’s Uganda People’s Congress and the Kabaka Yekka party won the polls. Uganda then got its independence in October with Obote as the prime minister. Kiwanuka was imprisoned in 1969 by Obote’s government then later appointed by Idi Amin as the first Ugandan chief justice. He was murdered in September 1972 by Idi Amin’s forces, at the age of 50.
Edward Muteesa 11
(1963 - 1966)
Buganda’s Kabaka Edward Mutesa 11, was Uganda’s first president. He developed disagrements with then premier, Obote and the latter ordered an attack on his palace in 1966.
He fled to exile in London, where he died on November 21, 1969 at the age of 45. His body was brought back in 1971 for a state funeral.
Apolo Milton Obote
(1966 - 1971, 1980 - 1985)
Dr. Apollo Milton Obote was president of Uganda from 1966 to 1971 and 1980 to 1985. In January 1971, he was overthrown by Idi Amin while on a visit to Singapore. He fled to Tanzania.
In 1979, Idi Amin was ousted by Tanzanian forces, aided by Ugandan exiles. The following year, 1980, elections were conducted and Obote’s UPC party emerged victorious.
However, he was overthrown by his own army, under the leadership of Tito Okello Lutwa in July 1985.
On October 10, 2005, he died of kidney failure in South Africa, at the age of 80. He was buried at his ancestral home in Apac.
Idi Amin Dada (1971 to 1979)
Despite his limited formal education, Idi Amin Dada was president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979.
He overthrew Milton Obote in a military coup on January 25, 1971. His style of rule, coupled with brutal murders carried out by his soldiers, led to discontent against his government. In September 1972, there was an attempt to topple him.
In 1979, Ugandan exiles in Tanzania, backed by the Tanzania army, attacked and drove Amin out of power on April 11. He went to exile from where he died at the age of 78, on August 16, 2003. He was buried in Ruwais cemetery in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Godfrey Binayisa (1979 - 1980)
Godfrey Binaisa was president of Uganda from June 20, 1979 to May 1980. He was overthrown on May 12, 1980 by a military commission headed by Paulo Muwanga. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, Binaisa practiced law in New York,. When he returned, he the state took care of him. In 2004, he married Tomoko Yamamoto but the marriage ended in July 2005.
Yusuf Kironde Lule
(13th April and 20th June 1979)
Yusuf Kironde Lule was the provisional president of Uganda after the Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF) overthrew Idi Amin. In June 1979, following a dispute over the extent of Lule’s powers, the National Consultative Council replaced him with Godfrey Binaisa. Lule later founded the Uganda Freedom Fighters (UFF), which joined Museveni’s Popular Resistance Army in 1981 to form the National Resistance Army/Movement (NRA/M). By the time NRA overthrew Tito Okello’s military junta in 1986, Lule had died at the age of 73 due to kidney failure.
Tito Lutwa Okello
(July 1985 to January 1986)
Tito Okello Lutwa was one of the commanders who ousted Milton Obote in 1985. When he was toppled by Yoweri Museveni, he went to exile in Kenya. He died on June 3, 1996 at the age of 82. His remains were returned to Uganda and buried at his ancestral home in Kitgum.
August 5, 2010. VICKY WANDAWA reports on the lives of the former presidents
Benedicto Kiwanuka (1962)
He was the first prime minister of Uganda. He had won the elections and was poised to lead the independent Uganda. However, the elections were disputed and he lost a re-electtion in April 1962. An alliance of Milton Obote’s Uganda People’s Congress and the Kabaka Yekka party won the polls. Uganda then got its independence in October with Obote as the prime minister. Kiwanuka was imprisoned in 1969 by Obote’s government then later appointed by Idi Amin as the first Ugandan chief justice. He was murdered in September 1972 by Idi Amin’s forces, at the age of 50.
Edward Muteesa 11
(1963 - 1966)
Buganda’s Kabaka Edward Mutesa 11, was Uganda’s first president. He developed disagrements with then premier, Obote and the latter ordered an attack on his palace in 1966.
He fled to exile in London, where he died on November 21, 1969 at the age of 45. His body was brought back in 1971 for a state funeral.
Apolo Milton Obote
(1966 - 1971, 1980 - 1985)
Dr. Apollo Milton Obote was president of Uganda from 1966 to 1971 and 1980 to 1985. In January 1971, he was overthrown by Idi Amin while on a visit to Singapore. He fled to Tanzania.
In 1979, Idi Amin was ousted by Tanzanian forces, aided by Ugandan exiles. The following year, 1980, elections were conducted and Obote’s UPC party emerged victorious.
However, he was overthrown by his own army, under the leadership of Tito Okello Lutwa in July 1985.
On October 10, 2005, he died of kidney failure in South Africa, at the age of 80. He was buried at his ancestral home in Apac.
Idi Amin Dada (1971 to 1979)
Despite his limited formal education, Idi Amin Dada was president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979.
He overthrew Milton Obote in a military coup on January 25, 1971. His style of rule, coupled with brutal murders carried out by his soldiers, led to discontent against his government. In September 1972, there was an attempt to topple him.
In 1979, Ugandan exiles in Tanzania, backed by the Tanzania army, attacked and drove Amin out of power on April 11. He went to exile from where he died at the age of 78, on August 16, 2003. He was buried in Ruwais cemetery in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Godfrey Binayisa (1979 - 1980)
Godfrey Binaisa was president of Uganda from June 20, 1979 to May 1980. He was overthrown on May 12, 1980 by a military commission headed by Paulo Muwanga. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, Binaisa practiced law in New York,. When he returned, he the state took care of him. In 2004, he married Tomoko Yamamoto but the marriage ended in July 2005.
Yusuf Kironde Lule
(13th April and 20th June 1979)
Yusuf Kironde Lule was the provisional president of Uganda after the Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF) overthrew Idi Amin. In June 1979, following a dispute over the extent of Lule’s powers, the National Consultative Council replaced him with Godfrey Binaisa. Lule later founded the Uganda Freedom Fighters (UFF), which joined Museveni’s Popular Resistance Army in 1981 to form the National Resistance Army/Movement (NRA/M). By the time NRA overthrew Tito Okello’s military junta in 1986, Lule had died at the age of 73 due to kidney failure.
Tito Lutwa Okello
(July 1985 to January 1986)
Tito Okello Lutwa was one of the commanders who ousted Milton Obote in 1985. When he was toppled by Yoweri Museveni, he went to exile in Kenya. He died on June 3, 1996 at the age of 82. His remains were returned to Uganda and buried at his ancestral home in Kitgum.