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Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, (born 1944, Mbarra district, Uganda), politician who became president of Uganda in 1986.
Museveni was born to cattle farmers and attended missionary schools. While studying political science and economics at the University of Dar es Salaam (B.A., 1970) in Tanzania , he... moreYoweri Kaguta Museveni, (born 1944, Mbarra district, Uganda), politician who became president of Uganda in 1986.
Museveni was born to cattle farmers and attended missionary schools. While studying political science and economics at the University of Dar es Salaam (B.A., 1970) in Tanzania , he became chairman of a leftist student group allied with African liberation movements. When Idi Amin came to power in Uganda in 1971, Museveni returned to Tanzania in exile. There he founded the Front for National Salvation, which helped overthrow Amin in 1979.
He came to power after a successful five year guerrilla struggle. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has now been President of Uganda for 26 years. He has stood for democratic elections four times and won and he is still going strong.
Museveni was born in Ntungamo in south-western Uganda in 1944 to Amos Kaguta, a cattle keeper. His mother was According to his own testimony in his book “sowing the Mustard Seed”; he was given the name Museveni in honor of the ‘Seventh Regiment of the King's African Rifles, the British colonial army in which many Ugandans served during World War II. At the time of his birth, many of them were returning home.
He attended Kyamate Primary School in Ntungamo, Mbarara High School, and Ntare School. It was while at high school that he became a born-again Christian and a student leader.
In 1967, he went to the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, where, he studied economics and political science. While at university, he formed the University Students' African Revolutionary Front activist group and led a student delegation to FRELIMO territory in Mozambique, then under Portuguese rule. At that time, Museveni was an admirer of international revolutionary Che Guevera.
Although he was still young, he saw it right to receive military training in guerrilla war fare. This was surprising because fighting this kind of war was hitherto unknown in Uganda. It was several years later when he applied his skills that his age-mates at the time realized how forward looking the young man was. His contemporaries at the time included Eriya Kategaya and Ruhakana Rugunda who are still serving in different capacities today.
After University in 1970 at the age of 26, Museveni joined the intelligence service of Ugandan President Dr. Apollo Milton Obote. In his own account, Museveni said that he did not join the government because he liked Obote, but because, he wanted to see how government is ran.
When Major General Idi Amin seized power in a January 1971 military coup, Museveni fled to Tanzania with other exiles. While in Tanzania, he started organizing clandestine squads to try and overthrow the government of Idi Amin. Among major groups include one in Mbale, in Gulu, In Kampala and in Mbarara. In 1972, he took part in an attack-that went so horribly wrong against Idi Amin.
In 1973, more of his comrades were killed by Idi Amin soldiers in different engagements. Among these included Mwesigwa Black, Martin Mwesigwa, and Valerian Rwaheru. However, this did not deter his resolve to chase away Idi Amin.
By October 1978, when Amin ordered the invasion of Tanzania in order to claim the Kagera province for Uganda; Museveni had already trained a significant number of fighters in his FRONASA outfit. Among these included current General Salim Saleh, Lt-General Ivan Koreta, the late Major General Fred Rwigyema, the late Sam Katabarwa, Ahmed Sseguya, Fred Rubereza, Brigadier Chefi Ali and several others.
The UNLF joined forces with the Tanzanian army to launch a counter-attack which culminated in the toppling of the Amin regime in April 1979. Museveni was named the new Minister of State for Defence in the new UNLF government. He was the youngest minister in Yusuf Lule's administration. The thousands of troops which Museveni recruited into FRONASA during the war were incorporated into the new national army. They retained their loyalty to Museveni, however, and would be crucial in later rebellions against the second Obote regime.
The NCC selected Godfrey Binaisa as the new chairman of the UNLF after infighting led to the deposition of Yusuf Lule in June 1979. Machinations to consolidate power continued with Binaisa in a similar manner to his predecessor. In November, Museveni was reshuffled from the Ministry of Defence to the Ministry of Regional Cooperation, with Binaisa himself taking over the key defense role. In May 1980, Binaisa himself was placed under house arrest after an attempt to dismiss Oyite Ojok, the army chief of staff. A Presidential Commission, with Museveni as Vice-Chairman, was installed and quickly announced plans for a general election in December.
Museveni returned with his supporters to the bushes of Luwero and formed a rebel group called the Popular Resistance Army (PRA), which later became the NRA. There they planned a rebellion against the second Obote regime, popularly known as "Obote II", and its armed forces, the Uganda National... less
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