Background
Yekosafat Engur was born in 1919 at Inomo in Lango district.
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Yekosafat Engur
Edit ProfileEducation
Educated at Ibuje Nyakasura School. In 1945 he joined the medical school at Mulago Hospital, Kampala and, after training, served for three and a half years as a medical commissioner. In 1952 he resigned to join the African Farmers’ Federation and was a founder member of the Uganda National Congress.
Career
In 1954 he was imprisoned at Luzira for sedition and held until 1956. Freed for only two months, he was reimprisoned for a further three years. Released in 1959 he continued to organise the Uganda National Congress in the Lango district, and became vice-president of the party. Though he came from the same district as President Obote, he was given no political office in early cabinets and it was not until 1964 that he was appointed as Uganda’s Ambassador to the Soviet Union, remaining there until 1969. He was next assigned to New Delhi, but feeling that this was a demotion, refused to sign the contract and remained in Kampala.
With the Uganda coup in January 1971 he was appointed Minister of Culture and Development and held this post until December 1, 1972, when he was one of the four ministers retired because, in the words of the official communique, “they cannot cope with the speed at which the Government of the Second Republic of Uganda is now on”.
Personality
A man of courage and forthright views, heavily tipped as a man to watch at the time of the Uganda coup. A veteran nationalist, serving two long spells of imprisonment. He had also stood up to President Obote when he wanted to send him as Ambassador to India. But under President Amin he failed to distinguish himself and was quietly dropped in a minor cabinet reshuffle.
Education
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1945
Career
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1971 - December 1, 1972