Museveni uses Israel’s backing of Amin coup to defend sovereignty bill

• Museveni defended the sovereignty bill passed by NRM MPs on May 6, 2026.

• He said foreign interference in Uganda’s affairs is dangerous.

• Museveni claimed Israel and Britain backed Idi Amin’s 1971 coup against Obote.

• He argued Uganda suffered years of conflict because of external involvement.

President Yoweri Museveni has defended the recently passed Protection of Sovereignty Bill by citing foreign support for Idi Amin’s 1971 coup against Apollo Milton Obote as a warning against external interference in Uganda’s affairs.

In a statement posted on X on May 6, 2026, Museveni congratulated NRM MPs for passing what he called the “Sovereignty Bill”, saying it seeks to protect Uganda from foreign influence in domestic matters.

“This is to congratulate the NRM MPs for passing the Sovereignty Bill which simply means ‘mutuleke tukole ebyaffe ngamwe bwemukola ebyamwe wataliwo okubayingilila’ (let us do our things by ourselves just as you do your own things without anybody interfering with you),” Museveni wrote.

The president criticised Ugandans opposing the bill and described foreign interference as “dangerous”. He referred to the 1971 military coup that removed Obote from power while he attended a Commonwealth summit in Singapore.

Museveni claimed Israel and Britain supported Amin’s takeover because Obote opposed their position on Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe.

“It is how the Israelis led by one Barak and the British supported Idi Amin’s coup in 1971 because Obote was vocal in opposing their policy on Rhodesia,” Museveni said.

He added that former British Prime Minister Edward Heath recognised Amin’s government within 10 days after the coup.

Museveni said although many Ugandans had disagreements with Obote since independence in 1962, political actors had started working together by the late 1960s on regional integration and African liberation struggles.

He mentioned former Democratic Party strongman Basil Bataringaya joining Obote’s government and noted that Uganda’s economy grew by 11 per cent in 1969.

According to Museveni, Amin disrupted efforts towards East African Federation and support for liberation movements in Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Sao Tome and Guinea-Bissau.

“Now these foreigners bring in Idi Amin who had no idea about all these issues. We had to spend 8 years and a lot of deaths in order to solve the problem created for us by others,” Museveni said.

The president’s remarks come amid growing debate over the sovereignty bill, which government supporters say is meant to shield Uganda from foreign political influence, while critics argue it could restrict civil society and dissent.

Museveni ended his message by urging Ugandans to remember the country’s past experiences with foreign involvement while discussing the bill.