• Latest

50 yrs in exile: Former Obote chief bodyguard returns home with UShs 360,000.

May 15, 2021
UJA Protests Parliament’s Move to Bar NTV, Daily Monitor Reporters

UJA Protests Parliament’s Move to Bar NTV, Daily Monitor Reporters

October 29, 2025
Akena defends Bobi Wine over Obote grave tribute

Akena defends Bobi Wine over Obote grave tribute

October 29, 2025
VINAStech Advert
One Killed, Another Arrested in Foiled DTB Bank Robbery

Man Found Dead in Bushenyi Lodge

October 29, 2025
Museveni’s campaign in Acholi: A renewed call for peace and prosperity

Museveni’s campaign in Acholi: A renewed call for peace and prosperity

October 29, 2025
Banks that withdrew from EACOP must invest in community led energy alternatives

Banks that withdrew from EACOP must invest in community led energy alternatives

October 29, 2025
Gov’t urged to prioritize domestic health financing as donor support declines

Gov’t urged to prioritize domestic health financing as donor support declines

October 28, 2025
NTV Crew Blocked from Parliament Premises

NTV Crew Blocked from Parliament Premises

October 28, 2025

Police foil highway robbery in Mukono, arrest one suspect

October 28, 2025
KIU Accused of Exploiting Poor Students With Harsh Late Payment Fines

KIU Accused of Exploiting Poor Students With Harsh Late Payment Fines

October 28, 2025
Obey Road Rules or We Impound Your Vehicles, Traffic Police Warns

Obey Road Rules or We Impound Your Vehicles, Traffic Police Warns

October 28, 2025
Petition Filed Against Alleged Endorsement of LGBTIQ Tourism in Sri Lanka

Petition Filed Against Alleged Endorsement of LGBTIQ Tourism in Sri Lanka

October 27, 2025
UBOS Resumes Baseline Education Census Exercise After Teachers’ Strike

UBOS Resumes Baseline Education Census Exercise After Teachers’ Strike

October 27, 2025
  • About Us
  • Internship
  • Contact Us
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Parrots Media
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • News
    UJA Protests Parliament’s Move to Bar NTV, Daily Monitor Reporters

    UJA Protests Parliament’s Move to Bar NTV, Daily Monitor Reporters

    Akena defends Bobi Wine over Obote grave tribute

    Akena defends Bobi Wine over Obote grave tribute

    One Killed, Another Arrested in Foiled DTB Bank Robbery

    Man Found Dead in Bushenyi Lodge

    Museveni’s campaign in Acholi: A renewed call for peace and prosperity

    Museveni’s campaign in Acholi: A renewed call for peace and prosperity

    Banks that withdrew from EACOP must invest in community led energy alternatives

    Banks that withdrew from EACOP must invest in community led energy alternatives

    Gov’t urged to prioritize domestic health financing as donor support declines

    Gov’t urged to prioritize domestic health financing as donor support declines

    Trending Tags

  • Climate Change
  • Business
  • Science and Technology
  • Sports and Entertainment
  • Business
  • Others
    • Education
    • Lifestyle
    • Religion
    • Opinions
  • News
    UJA Protests Parliament’s Move to Bar NTV, Daily Monitor Reporters

    UJA Protests Parliament’s Move to Bar NTV, Daily Monitor Reporters

    Akena defends Bobi Wine over Obote grave tribute

    Akena defends Bobi Wine over Obote grave tribute

    One Killed, Another Arrested in Foiled DTB Bank Robbery

    Man Found Dead in Bushenyi Lodge

    Museveni’s campaign in Acholi: A renewed call for peace and prosperity

    Museveni’s campaign in Acholi: A renewed call for peace and prosperity

    Banks that withdrew from EACOP must invest in community led energy alternatives

    Banks that withdrew from EACOP must invest in community led energy alternatives

    Gov’t urged to prioritize domestic health financing as donor support declines

    Gov’t urged to prioritize domestic health financing as donor support declines

    Trending Tags

  • Climate Change
  • Business
  • Science and Technology
  • Sports and Entertainment
  • Business
  • Others
    • Education
    • Lifestyle
    • Religion
    • Opinions
No Result
View All Result
Parrots Media
No Result
View All Result
Home RELIGION

50 yrs in exile: Former Obote chief bodyguard returns home with UShs 360,000.

Gilbert Akampa Kakurugu by Gilbert Akampa Kakurugu
May 15, 2021
in RELIGION
0

Vincent Obodo, former chief bodyguard to president Milton Obote.

0
SHARES
2
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on X

Vincent Obodo, the former chief bodyguard of Dr Apollo Milton Obote returned home with just USD 100 (360,000 Shillings), after more than 50-years in exile. Obodo, now aged 81 left Uganda in January 1971 after his boss’ administration was toppled by Gen Idi Amin Dada.

Obodo, then the head of the VIP protection unit at the president’s office had been at Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport awaiting Obote’s return from Singapore where he had gone to attend a Commonwealth conference when he learned of a military coup in Uganda.

READ ALSO

Because even in the house of God, not everyone who says “Hallelujah” means well

COU Head Criticizes Canterbury Appointment

As sporadic gunfire hovered over Kampala and troops ringed the parliament buildings, seized the radio station, the post office, the railway station and banks and other strategic positions, Obodo aided Obote’s path from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania where they were welcomed by Mwalimu Julius Nyerere’s government.

Obodo says that his boss felt insecure in Kenya when President Jomo Kenyatta failed to welcome or visit him when he arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on January 26 amidst all the developments in Uganda.

Obote lived as a refugee in Tanzania and soon, he and his team started organizing fighters to come back and overthrow Idi Amin. On the basis of his friendship with Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Obote stayed in Tanzania and continued organizing, until he forced his way back home in 1979.

But while Obote and other exiles forced their way back in Uganda in 1979, Obodo, a former accountant declined to heed Obote’s call to return home, a decision he says was based on the uncertainty that he foresaw in Uganda’s politics at the time. For him, it was clear that another coup was in the pipeline.

“First, he didn’t give me money to enable my return home but most importantly, I had foreseen another coup in Uganda,” Obodo says.

He recalls that during the time he stayed in Tanzania, he was managing some of the businesses established by Dr Obote. He worked as the Assistant Manager of VadGama Buildings, an Indian company in which Dr Obote had shares and oversaw Obote’s other businesses in Tanzania, especially in hotel and tourism before they were liquidated.

He was also involved in the first discussions to mobilize support, training from Tanzania, Somalia and Sudan against Gen Idi Amin. But Obote recalled him to the protection unit of his family in 1973. He also played a key role in providing logistics for the soldiers in the battle against Amin.

When Obote regained power in 1980, Obodo remained his emissary in Tanzania, until 1982 when he was edged out of the State House in Dar es Salaam. Obodo says that his ejection which came a few weeks after he declined to return home as requested by President Obote, drastically changed his life and he resorted to doing all sorts of odd jobs, including emptying toilets, bricklaying, and stone quarrying among others to earn a living.

But as years went by, his health began to deteriorate and he couldn’t work anymore. At the moment, Obodo has a hearing impairment and a swollen left leg which makes his movements difficult. He has also undergone an operation to repair his eyesight, although he still has visual challenges.

He explains that he has made several attempts to return home, which however were frustrated by the Tanzanian government for unclear reasons. “My first attempt to return home was in 1990, but I was blocked. I tried again in 2008 and 2010 in vain. I remained helpless until May 2017 when my health condition worsened until UNHCR came to my rescue.

On the day of his return, Obodo says he had only USD 100, an amount he got after exchanging all his available savings from the Tanzanian currency.

Obodo was an accountant working with the Ministry of Works and Transport in Soroti and Bukedi until 1965 when he joined the Office of Prime Minister and later President Milton Obote. He also worked as an assistant district commissioner for Bukedi district before going for military training in Uganda, Israel and Russia.

In his security assignments, Obodo worked briefly with a young Yoweri Museveni in the general service department of the Office of the President in 1971. His son, John Ekoyu whom he left in Uganda at the age of five is only hoping that the government considers compensating his father to help him resettle with the family. Ekoyu who dropped out of school in senior two has been the breadwinner for Obodo’s two wives and their children.

Obodo, 81, now joins his family at Akere village, Agora parish in Soroti City West. He was welcomed with a thanksgiving ceremony held at home.

Source: URN

Tags: Dr. Milton OboteFormer obote's chief bodyguard returns home with USD 100 after 50 yrs in exileVincent Obodo

Related Posts

Because even in the house of God, not everyone who says “Hallelujah” means well
RELIGION

Because even in the house of God, not everyone who says “Hallelujah” means well

October 17, 2025
COU Head Criticizes Canterbury Appointment
RELIGION

COU Head Criticizes Canterbury Appointment

October 4, 2025
COU Head Criticizes Canterbury Appointment
News

Sarah Mullally named first female Archbishop of Canterbury

October 3, 2025
Mbarara Archdiocese Announces Major Priest Transfers
Religion

Mbarara Archdiocese Announces Major Priest Transfers

September 25, 2025
5,430 Recive Medical Services at AMDA Camp Rekindling Hope and Healing in Historic Pilgrimage
RELIGION

5,430 Recive Medical Services at AMDA Camp Rekindling Hope and Healing in Historic Pilgrimage

August 31, 2025
Hoima Diocese Bishop Mourns Victims of Kigorobya Road Tragedy
RELIGION

Hoima Diocese Bishop Mourns Victims of Kigorobya Road Tragedy

August 6, 2025
Next Post
Grain stores to reduce on post-harvest losses in Uganda, Dr. Mugasi.

Gov't to introduce Electronic National IDs.

POPULAR NEWS

Minister Amongi, Akena Scrapped from EC Voters’ Register Oops

Minister Amongi, Akena Scrapped from EC Voters’ Register Oops

September 3, 2025
Catholic Priest Speaks Out Against Museveni and Son’s Leadership

Catholic Priest Speaks Out Against Museveni and Son’s Leadership

February 16, 2025

“Life Is Scum”: Kabale University Student Leaves Suicide Note, Takes Own Life

July 25, 2025

Former IGP Okoth Ogola Dies

February 14, 2025

CAF Warns Fans Against Obscene and Politically Charged Jerseys at Namboole

August 20, 2025

EDITOR'S PICK

Adventure of Humanity to Host Mega Climate Change Awareness Concert in Northern Uganda

February 11, 2025

Kasese Rotarians Launch 14th Rotary Cancer Run, Rally Community to Fight Cancer Crisis

August 9, 2025

Four criminal gangsters arrested in Kabale

April 4, 2024

Stanbic Bank, Top Law Firm Implicated in $840,000 Fake Gold Scandal

April 27, 2025
VINAStech advert VINAStech advert VINAStech advert
ADVERTISEMENT

About

Parrots Media

A Public Relations and Media Services Company registered and licensed to operate in Uganda and the Great Lakes Region.

Follow us

Categories

  • Business
  • BUSINESS REPORTS
  • CLIMATE ACTION REPORTS
  • Climate Change
  • COMMUNITY REPORTS
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • FEATURES
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • News
  • Obituary
  • OBITUARY
  • Opinions
  • RELIGION
  • Religion
  • Science and Technology
  • Sports
  • Sports and Entertainment
  • TOURISM

Recent Updates

  • UJA Protests Parliament’s Move to Bar NTV, Daily Monitor Reporters
  • Akena defends Bobi Wine over Obote grave tribute
  • Man Found Dead in Bushenyi Lodge
  • Museveni’s campaign in Acholi: A renewed call for peace and prosperity
October 2025
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Sep    
  • About Us
  • Internship
  • Contact Us

© 2025 Parrots Media | Website Designed and Maintained by VINAStech

No Result
View All Result
  • Parrots Media
  • News
  • Business
  • Science and Technology
  • Sports and Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Others
    • Climate Change
    • Education
    • Religion
    • Opinions

© 2025 Parrots Media | Website Designed and Maintained by VINAStech

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

You cannot copy content of this page