ABSTRACT
Uganda's first postindependence government consisted of a coalition between Prime Minister Milton Obote's Uganda People's Congress (UPC) and Buganda's traditionally oriented Kabaka Yekka (KY). In about 1925, Idi Amin was born in a small village near Koboko in West Nile Province. Amin's savagery fell into two periods. The first occurred during the initial year of his presidency when Amin feared the influence of the Acholi and Langi, groups that dominated the armed forces. The second started after Obote launched an unsuccessful coup attempt on 17 September 1972 and lasted until the demise of the Amin regime. Yoweri Museveni's presidency has been an important turning point in Uganda's postindependence history. Under his leadership, the country gradually has moved away from the brutal violence of past regimes, although his government still has an objectionable human rights record. Despite his many accomplishments, Museveni must contend with the realities of a desperately poor country with an abundance of political, economic, and social problems.
