Yusuf Kironde Lule (1912–1985) was a Ugandan professor, academic administrator, and politician who served as the fourth President of Uganda for a brief period in 1979. A highly educated and respected figure, he was chosen by the exiled opposition to lead the country immediately following the overthrow of dictator Idi Amin Dada, but his presidency lasted only 68 days, the shortest tenure of any Ugandan head of state.
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Key Biographical Information
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Yusuf Kironde Lule |
| Born | April 10, 1912, Kampala, Uganda |
| Died | January 21, 1985 (aged 72), London, UK |
| Political Affiliation | Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF) |
| Presidential Term | April 13, 1979 – June 20, 1979 (68 days) |
| Academic Role | First Black Principal of Makerere University College (1964–1970) |
| Successor | Godfrey Binaisa |
Academic Career and Exile
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Education: Lule was highly educated, attending King’s College Budo, Makerere University College, Fort Hare University in South Africa, and the University of Edinburgh.
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Makerere University: Lule rose to prominence as a respected academic administrator, serving as the first Black Principal of Makerere University College (1964–1970). His tenure was central to the process of “Africanisation” in the country’s higher education system.
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Exile: After leaving Makerere, he served in various international roles, including with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Association of African Universities. Following the 1971 coup by Idi Amin, Lule went into exile in the UK, where he maintained contact with the anti-Amin opposition.
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The Moshi Conference and the Presidency
Lule’s return to power was a direct result of the war that overthrew Idi Amin.
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UNLF Chairman: In March 1979, as Ugandan and Tanzanian forces (TPDF) were advancing on Kampala, various Ugandan exile groups met in Moshi, Tanzania. They formed the Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF), an umbrella organization intended to govern the country after Amin’s fall. Lule, known for his unthreatening, academic image and lack of a strong factional base, was chosen as the compromise Chairman of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the UNLF.
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Inauguration: After the fall of Kampala in April 1979, Lule was hurriedly sworn in as the fourth President of Uganda. His presidency was an attempt to restore law and order and bridge the deep ethnic and political divisions plaguing the nation.
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Tribalism and Policy: Despite his mandate for national unity, Lule, who was Baganda, quickly came under fire from within the UNLF for making key appointments that appeared to favor his Baganda ethnic group. More fundamentally, he was seen as overstepping his limited authority by making wide-ranging cabinet appointments without consulting the powerful military and civilian body established by the Moshi Conference, the National Consultative Council (NCC).
Downfall and Final Years
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Coup in 68 Days: The conflict between Lule’s attempt to assert presidential authority (based on his reading of the 1967 constitution) and the collective power of the NCC culminated in a vote of no confidence and a bloodless coup. On June 20, 1979, Lule was removed from office and replaced by Godfrey Binaisa.
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Post-Presidency: After his removal, Lule was briefly detained in Tanzania. He later went back into exile in the UK. In the early 1980s, he co-founded the Uganda Freedom Fighters (UFF), which later merged with Yoweri Museveni’s Popular Resistance Army (PRA) to form the National Resistance Movement (NRM), with Lule as the nominal head. He died of kidney failure in London in 1985, just before Museveni’s NRM captured power. After the NRM victory, Lule was declared a national hero.