| The earliest human inhabitants in | | | | captured, and Amin fled with his |
| contemporary Uganda were | | | | remaining forces. |
| hunter-gatherers. Remants of these | | | | Uganda since 1979 |
| people are today to be found among the | | | | After Amin's removal, the Uganda |
| pygmies in western Uganda. Between | | | | National Liberation Front formed an |
| approximately 2000 to 1500 years ago, | | | | interim government with Yusuf Lule as |
| Bantu speaking populations from central | | | | president. This government adopted a |
| and western Africa migrated and occupied | | | | ministerial system of administration and |
| most of the southern parts of the | | | | created a quasi-parliamentary organ |
| country. The migrants brought with them | | | | known as the National Consultative |
| agriculture, ironworking skills and new | | | | Commission (NCC). The NCC and the Lule |
| ideas of social and political | | | | cabinet reflected widely differing |
| organization, that by the fifteenth or | | | | political views. In June 1979, following |
| sixteenth resulted in the development of | | | | a dispute over the extent of |
| centralized kingdoms, including the | | | | presidential powers, the NCC replaced |
| kingdoms of Buganda, Bunyoro-Kitara and | | | | Lule with Godfrey Binaisa. In a |
| Ankole. | | | | continuing dispute over the powers of |
| Nilotic people, including Luo and Ateker | | | | the interim presidency, Binaisa was |
| entered the area from the north probably | | | | removed in May 1980. Thereafter, Uganda |
| beginning about AD 100. They were cattle | | | | was ruled by a military commission |
| herders and subsistence farmers who | | | | chaired by Paulo Muwanga. The December |
| settled mainly the northern and eastern | | | | 1980 elections returned the UPC to power |
| parts of the country. Some Luo invaded | | | | under the leadership of President Milton |
| the area of Bunyoro and assimilated with | | | | Obote, with Muwanga serving as vice |
| the Bantu there, establishing the | | | | president. Under Obote, the security |
| Babiito dynasty of the current Omukama | | | | forces had one of the world's worst |
| (ruler) of Bunyoro-Kitara. Luo migration | | | | human rights records. In their efforts |
| proceeded until the 16th century, with | | | | to stamp out an insurgency led by Yoweri |
| some Luo settling amid Bantu people in | | | | Museveni's National Resistance Army |
| Eastern Uganda, and proceeding to the | | | | (NRA), they laid waste to a substantial |
| western shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya | | | | section of the country, especially in |
| and Tanzania. The Ateker (Karimojong and | | | | the Luwero area north of Kampala. |
| Teso peoples) settled in the | | | | Obote ruled until July 27, 1985, when an |
| north-eastern and eastern parts of the | | | | army brigade, composed mostly of ethnic |
| country, and some fused with the Luo in | | | | Acholi troops and commanded by Lt. Gen. |
| the area north of lake Kyoga. | | | | Bazilio Olara-Okello, took Kampala and |
| When Arab traders moved inland from | | | | proclaimed a military government. Obote |
| their enclaves along the Indian Ocean | | | | fled to exile in Zambia. The new regime, |
| coast of East Africa and reached the | | | | headed by former defense force commander |
| interior of Uganda in the 1830s, they | | | | Gen. Tito Okello (no relation to Lt. |
| found several kingdoms with | | | | Gen. Olara-Okello), opened negotiations |
| well-developed political institutions. | | | | with Museveni's insurgent forces and |
| These traders were followed in the 1860s | | | | pledged to improve respect for human |
| by British explorers searching for the | | | | rights, end tribal rivalry, and conduct |
| source of the Nile River. Protestant | | | | free and fair elections. In the |
| missionaries entered the country in | | | | meantime, massive human rights |
| 1877, followed by Catholic missionaries | | | | violations continued as the Okello |
| in 1879. | | | | government carried out a brutal |
| Colonial Uganda | | | | counterinsurgency in an attempt to |
| In 1888, control of the emerging British | | | | destroy the NRA's support. |
| "sphere of interest" in East Africa was | | | | Negotiations between the Okello |
| assigned by royal charter to the | | | | government and the NRA were conducted in |
| Imperial British East Africa Company, an | | | | Nairobi in the fall of 1985, with Kenyan |
| arrangement strengthened in 1890 by an | | | | President Daniel arap Moi seeking a |
| Anglo-German agreement confirming | | | | cease-fire and a coalition government in |
| British dominance over Kenya and Uganda. | | | | Uganda. Although agreeing in late 1985 |
| The high cost of occupying the territory | | | | to a cease-fire, the NRA continued |
| caused the company to withdraw in 1893, | | | | fighting, and seized Kampala and the |
| and its administrative functions were | | | | country in late January 1986, forcing |
| taken over by a British commissioner. In | | | | Okello's forces to flee north into |
| 1894, the Kingdom of Buganda was placed | | | | Sudan. Museveni's forces organized a |
| under a formal British protectorate. | | | | government with Museveni as president. |
| Early independent Uganda | | | | Since assuming power, the government |
| Britain granted internal self-government | | | | dominated by the political grouping |
| to Uganda in 1961, with the first | | | | created by Museveni and his followers, |
| elections held on March 1, 1961. | | | | the National Resistance Movement (NRM or |
| Benedicto Kiwanuka of the Democratic | | | | the "Movement"), has largely put an end |
| Party became the first Chief Minister. | | | | to the human rights abuses of earlier |
| Uganda maintained its Commonwealth | | | | governments, initiated substantial |
| membership. | | | | political liberalization and general |
| In succeeding years, supporters of a | | | | press freedom, and instituted broad |
| centralized state vied with those in | | | | economic reforms after consultation with |
| favor of a loose federation and a strong | | | | the International Monetary Fund (IMF), |
| role for tribally-based local kingdoms. | | | | World Bank, and donor governments. |
| Political maneuvering climaxed in | | | | In northern areas such as Acholiland, |
| February 1966, when Prime Minister | | | | there has been armed resistance against |
| Milton Obote suspended the constitution, | | | | the government since 1986. Acholi based |
| assumed all government powers, and | | | | rebel groups include the Uganda People's |
| removed the president and vice | | | | Democratic Army and the Holy Spirit |
| president. In September 1967, a new | | | | Movement. Currently, the only remaining |
| constitution proclaimed Uganda a | | | | rebel group is the Lord's Resistance |
| republic, gave the president even | | | | Army headed by Joseph Kony, which has |
| greater powers, and abolished the | | | | carried out widespread abduction of |
| traditional kingdoms. | | | | children to serve as soldiers or sex |
| Uganda under Amin | | | | slaves. |
| On January 25, 1971, Obote's government | | | | In 1996, Uganda was a key supporter of |
| was ousted in a military coup led by | | | | the overthrow of Zairean President |
| armed forces commander Idi Amin Dada. | | | | Mobutu Sese Seko in the First Congo War |
| Amin declared himself president, | | | | in favor of rebel leader |
| dissolved the parliament, and amended | | | | Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Between 1998 |
| the constitution to give himself | | | | and 2003, the Ugandan army was involved |
| absolute power. | | | | in the Second Congo War in the renamed |
| Idi Amin's eight-year rule produced | | | | Democratic Republic of the Congo and the |
| economic decline, social disintegration, | | | | government continues to support rebel |
| and massive human rights violations. The | | | | groups such as the Movement for the |
| Acholi and Langi ethnic groups were | | | | Liberation of Congo and some factions of |
| particular objects of Amin's political | | | | the Rally for Congolese Democracy. |
| persecution because they had supported | | | | In August 2005, Parliament voted to |
| Obote and made up a large part of the | | | | change the constitution to lift |
| army. In 1978, the International | | | | presidential term limits, allowing |
| Commission of Jurists estimated that | | | | Museveni to run for a third term if he |
| more than 100,000 Ugandans had been | | | | wishes to do so. In a referendum in |
| murdered during Amin's reign of terror; | | | | July, 2005, 92.5% supported restoring |
| some authorities place the figure much | | | | multiparty politics, thereby scrapping |
| higher. | | | | the no-party or "movement" system. Kizza |
| In October 1978, Tanzanian armed forces | | | | Besigye, Museveni's political rival, |
| repulsed an incursion of Amin's troops | | | | returned from exile in October 2005, and |
| into Tanzanian territory. The Tanzanian | | | | was a presidential candidate for the |
| army, backed by Ugandan exiles waged a | | | | 2006 elections. In the same month, |
| war of liberation against Amin's troops | | | | Milton Obote died in South Africa. |
| and the Libyan soldiers sent to help | | | | Museveni won the February 2006 |
| him. On April 11, 1979, Kampala was | | | | presidential election. |