Career
At the time of Uganda's independence in 1962,Bidandi Ssali was a mobilizer for the Uganda People's Congress,led by Milton Obote,Uganda's first Prime Minister. During the regime of Idi Amin,he turned his focus to football,coaching Kampala City Council FC from 1974 until 1979. [7] In the year 1982,Bidandi was the team coach for the Uganda national team,nicknamed "The Cranes". [8]
Bidandi Ssali also worked as the deputy city mayor for Kampala in 1964 a role he used to foresee some infrastructural developments in Kampala such as the construction of Uganda Commercial Bank Building. [9]
In 1980,when Yoweri Museveni went to the bush to wage the National Resistance War,Bidandi Ssali did not go with him,although he clandestinely offered assistance to NRA supporters who sought his help. When Museveni won that war,Bidandi Ssali worked with him in the new government as Minister of Local Government from 1989 until 2004. In 2004,he resigned from the Cabinet after disagreeing with Museveni over the latter's desire to run for a third term as president. [1] [6]
Bidandi Ssali founded the National Progressive Movement (NPM) in 2004,which became the People's Progressive Party (PPP) in December 2005. He served as its interim president until 14 June 2008,at which time he was elected as president by the party's delegates. [10] [11] He was succeeded by Dick Odur on 19 September 2015. [12] [13] [14]