Idi Amin make Uganda an ally of the Soviet Union. Amin, who had served with the King's African Rifles and taken part in Britain's suppression of the Mau Mau uprising prior to Ugandan independence, was known by the British as "intensely loyal to Britain". This made him an obvious choice as Obote's successor. Although some have claimed that Amin was being groomed for power as early as 1966, the plotting by the British and other Western powers began in earnest in 1969, after Obote had begun his nationalisation programme. Following the expulsion of Ugandan Asians in 1972, most of whom were of
Charles Oboth Ofumbi in Gulu to being the assistant secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister. Under the Government of Milton Obote he was successively a chief accountant in the Defence ministry, acting Defence Minister and finally Defence Minister (1971). A good relationship with Idi Amin ensured that Oboth Ofumbi kept the role following Amin's coup in January 1971, serving as Defence Minister until 1973. Oboth Ofumbi died while awaiting trial for his part in an alleged coup attempt. It is generally accepted that he was murdered under the orders of President Idi Amin, although the official account is of a car