Escaping Idi Amin TV Guide

Series 1 · Episode 1

In August 1972, Idi Amin is 18 months into his dictatorship. Supporters hail the new president - a former boxer and soldier - as a saviour, and his rise to power is greeted with celebration and hope across Uganda. But beneath the apparent social harmony, resentment runs deep. Until 1962, Uganda had been a protectorate of the British - with the British very much at the top of the pile, Africans at the bottom and Asians in the middle. Despite ten years of independence, many Africans feel that they are denied opportunities to improve their position in society. Idi Amin decides to exploit their feelings and increase support for his regime. With one announcement from the president, the lives of 80,000 people in Uganda are changed forever. In a bid to cement his leadership, Idi Amin announces that all Ugandan Asians must leave the country within 90 days. Will they be able to flee on their British passports?