Political leader who became the third President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. He was a military dictator whose rule was characterized by human rights abuses, political repression, and ethnic persecution.

Before Fame

He was from a poor rural one-parent family and went into the British colonial army with nothing more than a fourth grade education.

Trivia

His regime killed approximately 100,000 to 500,000 people.

Family Life

He married at least five women as a polygamist; he married his first two wives in 1966. He is believed to have fathered 43 children. 

Associated With

For his portrayal of him in the film The Last King of Scotland Forest Whitaker won the Academy Award for Best Actor.