By eastafrican gazette
On May 27, 1980, exactly 44 years ago, Apollo Milton Obote, the ex-President of Uganda, arrived back in his home country from Zambia aboard a Zambian Military Chopper.
The chopper touched down at Nyakisharara airfield in Mbarara district, where a grand reception awaited him.
In 1971, the former army Commander, who would later become President Gen. Idi Amin, strategically sent him into exile in that area.
This occurred while Obote was in Singapore attending a Commonwealth meeting, with Amin serving as the Army commander at the time.
A large crowd of young people eagerly awaited Obote’s arrival, stretching from Kabwohe to Ishaka.
They excitedly watched as two helicopters flew overhead, while Mercedes Benz cars stood ready for him. Nyamurunga held a special place in Obote’s heart, and he planned to commemorate this day after securing his re-election for a second term in office in 1980.
It was a momentous occasion, as government officials, his Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) party members, and youth leaders would be transported to various destinations to celebrate for a week before returning home.
During his second term in office, Obote implemented numerous development projects in Bushenyi, including the replacement of traditional banana fiber or grass thatched houses. Gen. Amin’s regime was overthrown after 9 years by the Front-line states, which included Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana, and Mozambique.
Obote returned to participate in the parliamentary and presidential elections of 1980. He also advocated for the promotion of coffee through Co-operatives to improve the economic situation of the population.
May 27, 1980 also marked the launch of the UPC campaign for elections scheduled for December that very year.
While the party jostled to wrestle back their political crown in December 1980, they were confronted with the fact that there were no laws to guide this process, since Amin had already trashed the 1967 Republican Constitution under Legal Notice Number One, after capturing power.
In the book titled “The New Military Dictators,” Prof. Dani Wadada Nabudere recounts an incident prior to Obote’s arrival.
It involved a comprehensive operation led by the late Gen. Oyite Ojok, known as the ‘search and impound’ operation, aimed at confiscating weapons in Kampala.
Surprisingly, neither the Army Commander, Maj Gen. Tito Okello, nor the then President Godfrey Binaisa, who also held the position of Defence Minister, were aware of this operation.
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