From Obote To Obote

Uganda developed as a British protectorate in a manner which made it virtually impossible for any indigenous politician to emerge as the unchallenged leader of his country. Obote: A Political Biography describes the efforts of one man to find a pragmatic solution to that problem, and in doing so to create a united, democratic Uganda. Kenneth Ingham makes the first attempt to trace the political career of Obote through the ups and downs of his two presidencies and his time in exile during the military dictatorship of Idi Amin. The book challenges accusations of tyranny and argues that Obote's political achievements have been underestimated. It addresses the key issue of why a country so well endowed with human and material resources should have suffered so grievously from shortages and internal strife. Obote's contribution emerges as unique and at the same time representative of the problems facing the leaders of Africa's emergent nations.

For some people, Obote is a Ugandan hero: the founder of the nation, a nationalist, pan- Africanist and socialist. To others, he was a tribalist, a regionalist and megalomaniac who ruled by the army and terrorised his opponents. To the Baganda, he was the man who destroyed their land and humiliated their people, who imposed one-party dictatorship, and nurtured Idi Amin. To others, he was a victim of the colonial system, a man who achieved much, but who also made avoidable mistakes with major implications for his country - 'a great statesman who made great mistakes', according to Uganda's leading public intellectual, Ali Mazrui. By all standards, Obote is a controversial and enigmatic figure, worthy of serious examination. This book comprises a collection of newspaper articles and commentaries by politicians, journalists and his family, relating to the man Ugandans love to hate. It includes contributions from Obote's long time nemesis, President Museveni. Some fifty articles aim to portray the many conflicting and complementary readings of Obote, and draw conclusions as to his genuine nature and political record.

Traces the political career of twice-president Obote before and after Amin's dictatorship, arguing that his achievements in Uganda have been underestimated.

The view that Uganda is what it is today largely because of what President Obote did or did not do is a serious question that can result in a big debate. When Dr Apollo Milton Obote was handed power on Independence Day the 9th October 1962, expectations and hopes filled the hearts of Ugandans who lived then. Thereupon, the country embarked on a journey to the future; but the journey would soon prove difficult. Thus, many people wondered whether the main reason the vehicle called Uganda was not cruising smoothly was because of the driver or because of the road or because of both. Even today, the question that historians still differ on is whether the driver had shortfalls or the road had potholes. Indeed, much as Obote the driver made glaring mistakes and blunders all through the way, the road on which he led the country was certainly a tough terrain roughened by tribal, cultural, religious and political heaps and lumps, ups and downs, mounds and hills easily susceptible to manipulation by dangerous antagonists. Sadly for Uganda, there was no stop, no junction, no U-turn. She had to stay on course. So, this book explores Obote's journey to power, his leadership skills, strength, and weakness in detail. And, other than recording the post-independence history of Uganda, it also scrutinises critical decisions Obote took or did not take that led to desired or undesired consequences to Uganda and beyond.

In this book the writer describes life in Uganda as seen through the eyes of an expatriate civil servant employed by the Ministry of Education. He gives the reader an insight into a newly independent country transforming its colonial style education system through its Africanization policies, some of which he inaugurated and helped to implement. A former member of Professor George Eogan's Excavation Team at Knowth in The Boyne Valley, he continued his interest in this discipline while living in East Africa and presents vivid pen pictures of some of the archaeological field trips and surveys he carried out on behalf of the Department of Antiquities of the Uganda Museum. The book also deals with the history and tribal customs of the Baganda and Langi people as well as describing some of the memorable people encountered by the author..........the veteran CMS Missionary Phebe Cave-Brown-Cave........Jacobo Obote, the father of Uganda's President Milton Obote.......the saintly Archbishop Luwum.....the formidable Mrs Enim,mother-in-law of the infamous Idi Amin......... The events recounted by Noel O'Cleirigh throughout the pages of this book are set in East Africa amid a backdrop of President Obote's brand of African Socialism and General Idi Amin's Military Coup d'Etat and subsequent Reign of Terror.

This work looks at the political transformation and the changes which have taken place in Uganda since the country won independence in October 1962. It is a work of history and political analysis; it is also a comparative study of the governments and regimes the country has had, starting with the democratic dispensation under Prime Minister - later President - Milton Obote that degenerated into authoritarian rule shortly after independence, followed by brutal dictatorship under Idi Amin and the short-lived regimes after his ouster; the return of Obote to the presidency after rigged elections in 1980, a period of conflict including civil war waged by his opponents, especially Yoweri Museveni; the usurpation of power by Museveni in 1986 whose ouster of the short-lived military regime of Tito Okello culminated in the establishment of a "people's government" - "the people are sovereign," Museveni proclaimed on assuming power - but which was essentially authoritarian and quasi-military in nature under his unique political system of no-party democracy; its gradual evolution into a limited form of democracy, including participation of opposition parties in elections years later, although the political landscape continued to be dominated by Museveni's ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) which dictated terms of electoral contests instead of having an independent electoral commission comprising representatives of all political parties and other groups. Among all the East African countries which originally constituted the East African Community (EAC) - Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania - Uganda has had the most turbulent history since independence. The three countries virtually constituted a single community during British colonial rule and after independence when they were linked by economic ties. They had a common market, a common currency, and common services including posts and telecommunications, the East African Airways (EAA), and the East African Railways and Harbours Corporation (EAR&HC) under the auspices of the East African Common Services Organisation (EACSO) based in Kenya's capital Nairobi which became the de-facto capital for the entire region. The EACSO was later transformed into the East African Community (EAC). Arusha, in northern Tanzania, became the capital of the East African Community. Its goals include formation of an East African federation under one government. Uganda emerged from years of civil war, brutal dictatorships including Amin's bloody reign of terror to become one of the most stable and most prosperous countries in the history of post-colonial Africa. Its transformation into a true democracy will be another important milestone not only for the country but for the entire East African region and the whole continent. The book is intended for members of the general public and the academic community. It can be used for regional and development studies and for African studies in general.