Prime Minister Obote, head of the government of the sovereign state of Uganda, is an astute politician, who has moved to his present post with vigorous determination in less than five years. He is also considered by many observers, as one of the most skilled parliamentary debaters and hair-lifting orators in East Africa.
Mr. Obote was born in 1925 in Lango district of Uganda. The early days of his childhood were devoted to studies in Lira Protestant Mission School, and the Gulu Junior Secondary School at Lango. He Graduated from Bugoga College and then from the University College of Makerere. He then went to neighboring Kenya, where he worked with the Mowleem engineering firm, the Standard Vacuum Oil Company, railway services, and in a sugar factory.
Mr. Obote was also a founder member of the Kenya African National Union, which was, and to this day remains, under the leadership of the Honorable Jomo Kenyatta. Later on, he became a very close friend of Mr. Mboya. After 1957, he embarked on a political career in Uganda. Going to Lango, he took over the branch leadership of the Uganda National Congress (UNC), and in 1958, he was elected to the legislative Council. He revitalized the truncated UNC central organization, and became the African representative in the Legislative Council. From there, he moved on to the Presidency of the Uganda People’s Congress.
As a member of the Wild Committee, he had much to do with framing the constitutional proposals, which gave Uganda an almost wholly elected legislature in 1961. The manner in which he handled the difficult transition period since he took office, has won him the respect of his people. Though deeply concerned with the problem of national unity, he sees it as essential prerequisite for the development of the national economy. Mr. Obote contends that every member of the community has to fight and win the massive revolt against poverty, illiteracy, and diseases.