A narrow escape

As time went on in Uganda, the poeple that helped put Amin in power (the Biritsh) eventually struggles to help to bring him out of power. In the Novel Stone who at first is unliked by Garrigan, becomes Garrigan's only allie. Garrigan waited to long before he finally decided it was time to get out of Uganda, he was lucky Stone and Englishman was willing to help him flee the country. Garrigan finally realized that he was just out of place in Uganda, the African's way of life was too different from his own. Things that white people held in value weren't important, and small things, material things were too important. Garrigan had no choice but to trust Stone. Once again there seems to be an underlying battle of races, the Brits, (whites) against Amin and the Africans. All in all the book was very difficult to read, it had interesting material, yet the downright naiveness of Garrigan is almost to much to handle.

Garrigan remains blind

At the start of Garrigans job with Amin things seems to be working out fine, nothing very excting happens, small events that give off a feeling of trust, and then contrasting events that seem to pull Amin and Garrigan apart. Example of this is Amin putting Garrigan in charge of running the hospital in Kampala, in contrast Garrigan puts himself in an awkward situation when he openly disagrees with the way Amin treats his family. I can plainly see the volatile nature of Amin through these events, but still it does not seem to affect Garrigan. It seems to be inevitable that things will shortly turn for the worse for Garrigan. Even as people close to Amin begin to be killed and disappear like Minister Waswa, Garrigan fails to blame Amin, he is blind to the events happening around him, this is very frustrating for someone reading this book. Garrigan quickly needs to find out who he can really trust.

After looking up certain reviews on this book, I read an article that looks at the point when Garrigan accepts his job as personal physician. The article gives two opinions from a white missionary in Africa and his Kenyan firend, they both agree Garrigan should not have taken the job, but each for different reasons. Both reasons make sense, and I believe the difference in them shows the different thinking of African people in general. The white man states that he should have denyed the job simply because of the temptations that it would inevitably provide him, the Kenyan, becuase Garrigan was a white outsider, and had absolutley no understanding of African people or they what he was getting himself into.

Garrigan meets Amin

This is the start of unfortunate events that seem to plague the rest of the book. Garrigan first meets Amin on the side of the road next to Amin's Mazaratti. Amin has just collided with a cow and Garrigan is the closest doctor available to bandage Amin's sprained hand. Soon after this Garrigan is invited to the presidents palace where he is offered to be Amin's personal physician. Amin immediately trusts Garrigan becasue he feels a certain tie to the Scots because he feels they share the same enemny, the British. Garrigan, ultimately accepts the job, after first refusing, he states because he feels he can not say no to Amin as the reason. After looking deeper into this, as it is one of the most important events in the book, I feel Garrigan in happy to take the job mostly because it is a much better life than the one he has been living in Mbarara. Garrigan fails, to see the danger of his decision, and only focuses on the benefits.

First Day in Mbarara

Garrigan finally arrives in Mbarara, the town where he will be stationed as a doctor. At first he has trouble finding Dr Merrit and his wife, but eventually he does find them and they offer to let him stay with them for the night. The next day is the first day of Nicholas's actually job, he spends the day with Merrit touring the fcilities and getting acquainted with the procedures. He notices that the diseases here are much different than he is used to, and, the technologie and availability of certain medicines are not as good, he can tell from the first day that practicing here will be a challenge.

Bus ride

Stone tells Garrigan that the bus ride to the village of Mbarara may be dangerous, Garrigan has no other way of reaching the village, so he ends up taking the bus. He describes the Bus as so old that it should be placed in a museum as an antique. The spings point through the seats and the there is almost no padding left. The bus is also cramped, with every seat filled as well as luggage, and a few far animals. Almost imediateley after the start of the trip the bus is pulled over by soldiers. One soldier climbs aboard the bus and checks id's, when he comes to Garrigan (the only white man on the bus) he motions for him to come with him. The man next to Garrigan tells Garrigan to pay the soldier or else something bad might happen. Garrigan pays the soldier and all is well. The soldier next stops next to a man dressed in a suit and carrying a suitcase, the only wealthy man, as Garrigan points out. The Soldier tries to take the suitcase from the man, who refuses because he states that his papers are in order and that he is a representative from the Kenyan government. The soldier begins to shout and the Kenyan shouts bad you have no right. The soldier beats uo the Kenyan and takes his briefcase, all of this seamingly no reason. Upon seeing this Garrigan offers to help the bloody Kenyan who quickly refuses, stating that Garrigan should have helped before when the soldier was beating him up. The kenyan says that he is a white man and that he has that responsibility. Garrigan baffled by the words of the Kenyan, shrinks into his seat. The bus ride shows how truly unsettled Uganda is. Also it shows one way that the African people are quick to judge and to reliable on the whiteman.

Stone

Before Dr. Garrigan can leave to Mabara, the town where he is to practice, he must stop by the British Embassy to register, and so that the British can know where he is, more or less for his safety. At the embassy he meats Stone, who was part part of the Colonial force that had ruled in Uganda. Stone collects his information and the topic of conversation turns to the current event of Amin overthrowing Obote. Stone explains, that although the British are not in power in Uganda, it remains their job to oversee the country. Stone explains how in the city of Kampala far removed from the rest of the country, which remains more or less in a jungle, that important happenings that lead to uprisings among tribes and ideals can be missed. In a way Stone places Amin's overthrow of Obote on the Britains shoulders, although he also states that Amin might be good for Uganda, and the Brits because he grew up in the British Army, and as he put it not very bright. Anyways, the point being Stone tells Garrigan to keep an eye out for anything unusual because rebellions often start in small towns, and escalate far beyond control by the time the news of thier existence reaches Kampala. Garrigan, stupidly or naively doesn't grasp the meaning of Stone's request and unfortunatley is not in touch with how Africa has been and will continue to be a dangerous place.

Obote's Out Amin's in

Garrigan has woken up in Kampala, the capitol city of Uganda, he has spent the night before at the banquet with the fellow Englishman, and Amin. He strolls around town in the late morning with nothing specific to do, just taking in all the new sights and sounds of Africa. Almost out of nowhere the trees start to rustle and the animals start to move as mass amounts of people come into the streets. It has become official, Amin has overthrown Obote to seize power and claim himself as president for life. While Obote was away in Kenya Amin staged a coup, which is the overthrowing of a government using military force. The oddest part about this isn't the fact that a coup was staged; which tends to happen rather often in Africa, but in fact was that the people were rejoicing that it has happened. The masses of people stroll down the streets in machine guned jeeps and tanks, people on the sides of the streets burn Obote posters and smash melons painted as Obote's head. To me it is very clear that the people of Uganda have become entranced by there new head of government. They firmly beleive that this is god's will and that he will bring Uganda into prosperity. Garrigan points out that never before has he seen some many people so happy to have a man head their government who took over by force.

The Start

The Last King Of Scotland Starts out with the young Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan moving into the newly administered position as personal physician to his excellency, Amin. Garrigan is excited about his position because previously he has been working in a run down village, helping out the already sick and administering vaccines, the pay is poor and the conditions are awful. Before he really gets a chance to settle in he encounters Idi Amin, the rising military leader who, is in the process of staging a coup to get rid of current President Obote. Amin, has fallen and coincidently Garrigan is first to attend to him. Soon after Garrigan is invited to a state dinner, where we begin to see Amin as a very charasmatic man, but also the potential to be downright crazy. There is one instance where Amin overhears his guests talking about the meat, he shouts out that he has eaten monkey meat and even human meat, to prove his point. "I have also eaten human meat." "It is very salty, even more salty than leopard meat." Although Amin quickly coveres this up with a bit of a joke, we get a tiny glimpse of what this man is actaully capable of. This is Garrigan's first couple days in Uganda, he has been drawn to Amin, and although he has met some fellow Brits, he seems to side closer with Amin, who him self has taken Garrigan under his wing.

The Last King Of Scotland

The book that I have choosen to read that relates to the events that happened in Uganda is, The Last King Of Scotland, by Giles Foden. This book is about a man who travels to Uganda in order to work as a doctor, he becomes entangled with The leader of Uganda in the worst way possible. The Book does a good job in relaying acutual circumstances and events that occured from first hand sources. This was Foden's first book, so not a lot is known about his writing, however it seems he was the perfect man to write a novel about the events in Africa, becuase he lived their for much of his younger life. Foden originally from England moved with his family to Afric when he was very young. His family became farmers, and ended up moving quite often. Foden even lived in Uganda for a few years. His experience in the country at times of unrest are what allowed him to create a convincing seen of what was happenning. Foden also met with personally Bob Astles, the man whom the main Character in the novel is based on. Atsles was Amin's closest advisor, This is probably where Foden gained much of Amin's details from. The tiny manurisms that someone as close to Amin as Astles, would remember, and could create a convincing character.

In summary

Uganda is a country divided up into many different ethnic groups and tribes, this in itself makes it a very unstable country. Each group may be fighting for their man in power or the man that favors them the most. The same takes place in the reverse, the government feels the need to rid themselves of the groups that oppose them, for fear that the feeling will spread through different groups. This effect has been taking place in Uganda since its Independence in 1962. The country has never really been stable until perhaps now. It seems like every decade or less a coup has taken place and one tyrant has only been replaced by a worse one.

Idi Amin Dada

Idi Amin's exact birthdate is not known, it is said that he was born sometime around 1925 in either Kampala, or Koboko, Uganda. Amin was abandoned by his father, he grew up with his mother's family, Amin attended a Islamic school, but soon abandoned his schooling because he was recruited by the British Colonial Army. Amin joined the King's Afrian Rifles in 1946 as an assistant cook. Amin served as a private in Kenya for the KAR until 1949. Amin faught in Somalia for the KAR and in 1953 he was promoted to sergeant. The next year Amin was appointed warrant officer, the highest rank for a person of his color in the British Colonial Army. In 1961 he was appointed lieutenant, making him the first Ugandan comissioned officer. Soon there after he was appointed deputy commissioner of the army. Amin was also a very athletic man, he was 6'4'' and a light heavyweight champion boxer of Uganda, he also swam and played rugby. In 1965 Amin was invovled with prime minister Obote in a gold smuggling incident, it was alleged that he had smuggled gold to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in exchange for guns. The guns were given to forces opposed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo's government. As a result of this incident, Obote would take over as ruler of Uganda and Amin to take over as chief of all armed forces. Amin's control of the military would prove to be very important in eventually helping him seize power from Obote. Idi Amin, was a very brave and loyal leader in his early life, this explains for his quick succession to the head of the British Colonial Army. Amin was a very big and intimidating man, his stature and leadership qualities made him a very charismatic man. He would use these tools, as well as him commanding influence in the army to eventually bring about a reign of terror in Uganda that would last all of 8 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idi_Amin

Apollo Milton Obeto Obote

Milton Obote was born to a village chief in Northern Uganda in 1925. Obote was able to attend school at a protestant missionary school in Lira, Uganda, he then moved on to secondary as secondary school Busuga College. He was fortunate to attend Makerere University, there he focused mainly on his public speaking skills. Obote was expelled from school for protesting. Obote then moved to Kenya where he worked construction for a local engineering firm. Upon returning to Uganda in 1956 he joined the Uganda National Congress, which was a political party in Uganda. Obote was elected to the colonial legislative council, this would mark his first major role in politics. In 1959 his party split into two factions, Obote would head the new Uganda People's Congress (UPC). From this position Obote would be elected prime minister in 1962 of the newly independent Ugandan country. Also at this time King Mutesa became the ceremonial King of Uganda and president. As prime minister Obote was involved in many scandals, he was heavily corrupted with most of the government officials at this time. One scandal that become public was Obote's involvement in gold smuggling. Obote, accompanied by his cammander of Ugandan Armed Forces, Idi Amin were to be investigated by parliament, with the dismissal of Amin to be expected. Upon news of this Obote suspended the consitution and declared himself president in 1966. He called for a state of emergency, which allowed him to allocate power. Obote had members of his own cabinet arrested without charge for being members of the opposing political faction. Although Obote had many oppositions jailed without being charged, life for a normal citizen was the best it would be in roughly the 20 years that would follow. Obote published the "Common Man's Charter", which was his view on socialism and how he felt it would benefit his Country. Obote was against tribalism, and put in affect a government controlled system of banking and corporation ownership. Obote's power came from his military, which at this time was controlled by his friend Idi Amin. It would turn out that the two would grow apart, wich would eventually lead to Obote's exile in 1971.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Obote

Start of conflict

Uganda became an idependent country in 1962, previous to this Uganda was controlled by the British, who in 1890 set out to develope the area that is now Uganda. In 1962 Sir Edward Mutesa the previous King of the Bugandas ( previous Kingdom in Uganda ) was elected the first president of Uganda, also ruling as prime minister was Milton Obote. Four years later Milton Obote took power from Mutesa with the help of Idi Amin, who at the time was a young army officer. This was the first time in Uganda's short existence that military power was used on Ugandan's themselves. The military bobarded King Mutesa's palace with firepower and heavy artillery. Mutesa was not killed, though he was forced out of office and into exile. Obote quickly gained power, he through out the old constitution and wrote a new one that proclaimed himself as president, although he was better known as a dictator.

http://www.buganda.com/crisis66.htm

Uganda

Uganda is a landlocked country bordered by the Congo, Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda is a fertile country, it has many rivers and a couple large lakes. The lakes include Lake Kyoga, Lake Albert, Lake Edward, and Lake Vitctoria, Lake Victoria is the largest of the lakes, and is on the border of Kenya and Tanzania. The country as a whole receives a large amount of rainful each year, this allows for a steady agricultural based econonomy.

Uganda also has large amounts of untapped crude oil and natural gas deposits.

The biggest city and thr capital of Uganda is Kampala, Kampala is located in southern Uganda, on the north shore of the Victoria River.

Uganda is home to many native ethnic groups, including, Baganda, Banyakole, Basoga, Bakiga, Iteso, Langi, Acholi, Bagisu, Lugbara, and Bunyoro.

Throughout its history Uganda has had many leaders, most have came to power via a coup and most have left power via a coup. This is the source of Uganda's past conflicts. Different men, from different backgrounds and tribes, taking power, then another man, just as they had done, would try and create a force strong enough to take power over. Uganda's recent history is littered with these men, some have been tolerable, others have caused the deaths of thousands.