Tito Okello
Tito Okello was a prominent Ugandan military leader and politician who served as the President of Uganda from 1985 to 1986. His leadership followed a military coup that ousted the previous government. Okello's presidency was marked by a period of political instability, and he was eventually overthrown in another coup. His role in Ugandan history is significant, although brief, during a tumultuous period.

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Tito Lutwa Okello (1914–1996) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the country's president from July 1985 to January 1986. He was born in 1914 in Kitgum District in northern Uganda, belonging to the Acholi ethnic group, which played a significant role in Uganda's military and political landscape. His military career spanned several decades, during which he rose through the ranks of the Ugandan Army.
Tito Okello began his military career under British colonial rule, serving in the King's African Rifles (KAR), a regiment that recruited Africans from British colonies in East Africa. After Uganda gained independence in 1962, Okello continued to serve in the military, becoming an influential figure. During the 1970s, Uganda was under the dictatorial rule of Idi Amin, and like many senior military officers, Okello fled into exile during this period. He returned to Uganda after Amin's fall in 1979, following the joint Tanzanian-Ugandan forces' invasion that led to Amin's overthrow.
After Amin's regime, Okello became involved in various military operations, and he continued to gain influence within the Ugandan National Liberation Army (UNLA), which had replaced Amin's forces. In 1985, following years of instability under President Milton Obote's second administration, Okello, along with General Bazilio Olara-Okello (no relation), staged a coup against Obote's government. This coup was primarily driven by growing dissatisfaction within the military, particularly among soldiers from northern Uganda, who felt marginalized by Obote's policies.
On July 27, 1985, Tito Okello was installed as president of Uganda after the successful coup. However, his presidency was short-lived, lasting only six months. His government struggled to maintain order amidst ongoing civil war, and it entered into peace negotiations with the National Resistance Army (NRA) led by Yoweri Museveni. These negotiations ultimately failed, and in January 1986, Museveni's forces captured Kampala, forcing Okello into exile.
After his ousting, Tito Okello fled to Kenya and later settled in Tanzania. He lived the remainder of his life in relative obscurity, occasionally involved in efforts to broker peace in Uganda. He passed away on June 3, 1996, in Kampala, after being allowed to return to Uganda in the early 1990s by Museveni’s government as part of broader national reconciliation efforts.
Okello’s legacy is complex. His presidency is often viewed as a transitional period between Milton Obote's rule and the long-term leadership of Yoweri Museveni. His involvement in the coup and the subsequent brief presidency reflected the internal divisions within Uganda’s military and political elite at the time, particularly among different ethnic groups. His efforts to negotiate peace with Museveni, though unsuccessful, demonstrated his willingness to seek a peaceful resolution to Uganda's civil conflict.
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Tito Okello assumed the presidency of Uganda on July 27, 1985, after leading a military coup that overthrew President Milton Obote. Okello, who was a general in the Ugandan military, came to power at a time when the country was mired in civil conflict. His rule, however, was short-lived. On January 26, 1986, just over six months later, Okello was ousted from office by the National Resistance Army (NRA), led by Yoweri Museveni. This marked the end of Okello's leadership and the beginning of Museveni's presidency, which would last for decades. Despite his brief tenure, Okello's time in office was marked by the ongoing struggle for power in Uganda, a conflict that had seen several military regimes come and go.