Makindye Prison Makindye Prison Makindye Prison was a Uganda Government state-run prison which became notorious as a hell hole for extrajudicial killings and execution of government opponents during the time of Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin. Makindye Prison started and was built as a normal civilian prison. But it was turned into a military prison in 1971 when dictator Idi Amin came into power. Amin's authorities then started detaining opponents of the government there. John Kakonge, Uganda’s former Minister of Agriculture under Milton Obote, was taken to Makindye Prison where his skull was crushed by a hammer. Prisoners were told that by doing
Idi Amin Wilson Oryema and Charles Oboth Ofumbi. Amin recruited his followers from his own ethnic group, the Kakwas, along with South Sudanese. By 1977, these three groups formed 60 percent of the 22 top generals and 75 percent of the cabinet. Similarly, Muslims formed 80 percent and 87.5 percent of these groups even though they were only 5 percent of the population. This helps explain why Amin survived eight attempted coups. The army grew from 10,000 to 25,000 by 1978. Amin's army was largely a mercenary force. Half the soldiers were South Sudanese and 26 percent Congolese, with only 24 percent