Real Dictators

Idi Amin Part 1: The Butcher of Uganda

From 1971 to 1979, President Idi Amin Dada devastated Uganda as the nation's military dictator. He sank the economy and deported an entire ethnic class. He slaughtered, by some estimates, up to half a million of his fellow citizens. All this while cultivating a persona of 'Big Daddy', the playful joker. He was depicted in the West as a buffoon. But this characterisation underestimated his mastery of communication and his extraordinary charisma. In a continent ravaged by empire, his bloody tale is part of a much larger story. Let's peel back the layers of the myth and explore the life of Africa's most infamous son. A Noiser production, written & produced by Jeff Dawson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices