By Norman S. Miwambo

21^st Jan 2013:

Deceased: Amin Adviser Bob Astles

Former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin’s British born adviser Bob Astles has died.  Astles succumbed to cancer of the rectum on December 29, 2012 – just 20 days after his last email to this reporter.

It is thirty four (34) years since Bob Astles disappeared from the public arena, and not many people knew where he was, or what he has been up to.  The Hollywood movie ‘The Last King of Scotland’ starring Forest Whitaker tried its best to dramatize Bob Astles’s role under Idi Amin rule.

Between 1949 and 1986, Bob Astles lived in Uganda – and his heart remained in Africa.  He spent most of his quiet years writing about the history of Buganda, and shared copies of his writings with this reporter.

His role as the unofficial link-man between the foreign powers and Idi Amin created two conflicting perceptions about him.  In Uganda, many considered him to be Amin’s Spy Master, while Amin himself often considered Astles to be a Mossad or CIA agent – a claim he always denied.

Bob Astles was born in Ashford, Kent, England in 1924.  He came to Uganda in 1949 as a Colonial Officer.  His remit was to help suppress the Bataka uprising in Buganda.  Instead of executing his colonial orders, Astles reached out to Buganda, and eventually reached an agreement with Buganda at a ceremony that took place at Ndayiga.

He later resigned his colonial duties, upon which the British government revoked his citizenship and only re-instated it upon his release from Luzira prison in 1985.  In 1986, Museveni’s government declared him persona non grata, or an unwelcome foreigner.

Before that, he had served Buganda Kingdom (1952-1962), the Obote I administration (1962-1971), and finally served Idi Amin (1971-1979).  END: Login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories mid-week for our updates

Twitter: @UGCorrespondent

Facebook: Uganda Correspondent