Ernest Obitre Gama

Ernest Obitre Gama (born 1 November 1940) is a Ugandan former military officer and diplomat. He was the first military officer in Uganda to become a diplomat, and was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs by Idi Amin. He later was the Ugandan ambassador to Japan, Italy, and Sudan under Yoweri Museveni.

Early life Ernest Obitre Gama was born into a Lugbara family of farmers in the West Nile sub-region in the Northern Region of Uganda. He was born in the village of Olevu, in Maracha Town, in the West Nile sub-region on 15 November in 1940. He was orphaned at a young age, and did not attend school until he was 12 years old. In January 1965 he was commissioned and went to the Specialist Weapons School at Battlesbury Barracks in Warminster, Wiltshire in the United Kingdom where was trained to be a platoon commander. Upon his return to Uganda he was immediately sent to Zaire, but after a short time in Zaire he became the director of the Officer Cadet's Training School in Jinja, Uganda. Following his parachute training course in Israel, Obitre Gama became the commandant and founder of the Ugandan School of Paratroopers.

Minister of Internal Affairs Following the 1971 Ugandan coup d'état, Idi Amin called for Obitre Gama to return to Uganda immediately. He was the first soldier to be a member of the Cabinet of Uganda, a role he tried to turn down and a role he did not seek. the violent Idi Amin ally, to the role of Senior Superintendent of Police out of what Obitre Gama described as concerns for his violent behavior.

Interim Period Obitre Gama returned to his home in Olevu in Maracha Town following his retirement from Minister of Internal Affairs. In 1979, during the Uganda–Tanzania War, the Uganda Army attempted to recall Obitre Gama back into the armed forces, but he declined. rather he stayed when the Tanzania People's Defence Force came in and met with new Ugandan President Godfrey Binaisa who promised Obitre Gama safety and allegedly asked Obitre Gama to become Minister of Minerals, a position Obitre Gama declined.

Life after Politics Obitre Gama has worked since 2000 as the Chairman of the Amnesty Commission's North-Western Region Directorate.

Personal life Obitre Gama is a diabetic. He also claimed in an interview with Sidney Miria of the New Vision newspaper to have other children.

Obitre Gama was a noted sportsman as well, winning Ugandan-wide competitions in Rugby union and Squash.