The Gold Scandal of 1965 was a significant political scandal in Uganda that played a key role in the lead up to the Mengo Crisis of 1966. The scandal centered on allegations of illegal profiteering from gold, ivory, and cash originating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Accusations were made against Prime Minister Milton Obote, Colonel Idi Amin, and other high-ranking government officials. The accusations, brought forth by Member of Parliament Daudi Ochieng, alleged that these officials had illicitly benefited from transactions related to covert aid supplied to Congolese rebel leaders. The scandal involved accusations of large sums of money being deposited into personal accounts, and it deeply destabilized the political climate in Uganda, contributing to the subsequent political turmoil.
Background Prime Minister of Uganda Milton Obote was politically opposed to Democratic Republic of the Congo Prime Minister Moise Tshombe. Obote arranged for meetings with Congolese rebel leaders Christophe Gbenye and Nicholas Olenga to offer them covert aid. Lasting from December 1964 to March 1965, the meetings frequently involved the exchange of arms which Obote procured from Tanzania and the rebels paid for with gold and ivory. The support also included direct military assistance from the Ugandan Army. Obote had most of this effort executed by Colonel Idi Amin without the knowledge of other military leaders. There was division in the Ugandan cabinet on the policy taken towards the rebels, as it strained relations with the Congolese government and with the United States.
Events On 16 March 1965 KY MP Daudi Ochieng lodged an accusation in Parliament that Colonel Idi Amin—a high ranking officer in the army, Obote, Minister of Internal Affairs Felix Onama, and Minister of Planning and Community Development Adoko Nekyon, had illegally profited off of gold, ivory, and cash originating from the Congo. According to Ochieng, in February 1965 Amin opened an account with the Ottoman Bank. Within 24 days, Sh.340,000 (£17,000 sterling, equivalent to £287,812 in 2025) was deposited in the account. The government promised to investigate the matter. A Judicial Commission of Inquiry was set up for the purpose, but its establishment was delayed by existing army regulations. The rules required that an army officer could only be investigated by persons of equal or higher rank. Only the army commander Shaban Opolot held a higher rank than Amin, and no officer was of a rank equivalent to Amin. Obote planned on having the rules rewritten to make the establishment of the commission easier, but the Attorney General's office decided instead to revise all army regulations, which took additional time. The inquiry was further delayed by the fact that many of the Congolese rebels which the commission wished to interview had been driven out of their country and had divided themselves into different factions. Minister of Defence Felix Onama was not able to meet with any of them until August. By September, no action had been taken, and in a closed session of Parliament Ochieng introduced a motion that would urge the government to act on the accusations. Obote assured the legislature that progress was being made in the investigation and Ochieng withdrew his motion. In January 1966 Ochieng, frustrated by the wait in the publishing of a report on the investigation, decided to reintroduce his motion urging the government to take action. On 31 January Obote met with the UPC parliamentary group in secret to explain the delays. He stated that Amin had confirmed that the bank account belonged to him, and that the money had been given to him by Congolese rebels so that he could purchase supplies for them. The group decided that the matter involved sensitive information pertaining to national security, so all UPC MPs would reject Ochieng's motion to avoid an open debate in Parliament on the investigation's findings. "For reasons that are not quite clear", Obote then left the capital, Kampala, to go on a tour of northern Uganda. Shortly before the session of Parliament on 4 February was convened, the cabinet hurriedly met without him. Only half of the ministers attended, and most of those present were sympathetic to Ibingira. The decision was then made that all UPC MPs should support the resolution. According to lawyer and intelligence officer Akena Adoko, the meeting and decision was taken at Ibingira's initiative on advice from his political ally, President Edward Mutesa, who reportedly told him, "Let us join forces right now. Obote and ministers loyal to him are all out, you are the Cabinet boss, let Cabinet meet now and reverse the decision not to support my motion. This has given me much pains. You and I can do wonders working together." Ochieng's motion was soon thereafter tabled in Parliament and debated by its members. The motion, which was seconded by Gesparo Oda, representing the Democratic Party, read as follows:
That this House do urge Government to suspend from duty Col Idi Amin of the Uganda Army forthwith pending conclusion of police investigations into the allegations regarding his bank account which should then be passed on to the appropriate public authority whose final decision on the matter shall be made public.
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