Shaban Opolot was a prominent Ugandan military officer, serving as the Uganda Army Commander from 1964 to 1966. Born in 1924 in Namusi Nakaloke, Uganda, Opolot was a Muslim of Teso ethnicity and spoke multiple languages, including Luganda.
Opolot’s military career began in 1945 when he enlisted in the King’s African Rifles in Mbale. He underwent training at the Infantry Training Centre in Jinja and later served in the 7th Battalion in Nairobi, seeing action in Mauritius. His military prowess earned him a promotion to warrant officer in 1949, and he later received further training in the United Kingdom.
In 1964, Opolot was appointed Uganda Army Commander and chief of staff following a mutiny. He supported President Mutesa II of Buganda during the Mengo Crisis, which pitted the president against Prime Minister Milton Obote. However, his efforts were thwarted as the army largely remained loyal to his deputy, Idi Amin, an ally of Obote.
Opolot’s tenure as army commander ended on February 23, 1966, when Obote appointed him Chief of Defence Staff, effectively stripping him of control over the army [6]. He was later imprisoned by the Obote government but released in 1971 after Obote’s overthrow. Opolot then served as Uganda’s High Commissioner to Ghana from 1973 to 1975.
Opolot passed away on March 6, 2005, at the age of 86, after battling prostate cancer. He was laid to rest in Kireka Village, Nakaloke Sub-County, Mbale District.
