History of Uganda

Remains of the earliest inhabitants are thought to be represented by the pygmies of the Congo. They were displaced two thousand years ago by Bantu people coming from west Africa, and by Nilotic people coming from the north. Early in the nineteenth century Arabs from the coast appeared. Late in the century came the Europeans. These newcomers found well organized kingdoms in the area, the main one being Buganda with a king called the Kabaka.

The ineffective East Africa Trading Company was bought out and other early disputes settled when in 1894 Uganda became a British Protectorate. The rights of the Buganda, Toro and Ankole kingdoms were recognized starting in 1900. The British used the Buganda as intermediaries in ruling and collecting taxes. This was resented by some of the tribes, especially the Bunyoro near Lake Albert. They rebelled and succeeded in having the Buganda yoke lifted.

Between the two world wars, cotton was the main cash crop raised by peasant farmers. It was exported to feed British mills. Even today there are complaints that cotton exports would be better processed in Uganda. In bad times the locals reverted to the ancient practice of growing crops only for domestic needs.

After WWII came the push to end colonialism. Milton Obote of the northern Ankole tribe was elected as the first prime minister in 1962. He sought to unify the kingdoms by asking the Kabaka of the Buganda to be head of state. The relationship was a rocky one, and in 1966 Obote had his army chief Idi Amin remove the Kabaka, who went to live in London.

Idi Amin himself toppled Obote in 1971. During his tenure he exiled the Indian trading population and embarked on a reign of terror which killed hundreds of thousands. In 1979 he overstepped his limits by invading Tanzania to the south. The Tanzanian army retaliated and drove Amin into exile. Within a year Obote was back in power, but he was unable to control the dissident leader Yoweri Museveni, who took Kampala in 1986.

Under Museveni, much of Uganda has enjoyed steady growth under a one-party unicamaral legislature.. In the north there continues to be an insurgency by the Lords Resistance Army of the Acholi tribe. Fighting, abductions, forced conscription, rape and mayhem have continued for ten years, spilling over into southern Sudan and the Congo. The International community is deeply involved in humanitarian efforts. Peace talks are slowly producing results.