Abdallah Jaden, former Idi Amin aide dies at 87

Abdallah Jaden, a former roving ambassador who served under Ugandan president Idi Amin, passed away on Wednesday at his residence in Bombo, Luweero District. He was 87.

Jaden's family informed this publication on Thursday that he succumbed to multiple health complications he had been battling since late 2023.

Aishrafah Jaden, one of his children who cared for him during his illness, confirmed the news. "Mzee Jaden passed away in the early morning hours at his home in Bombo Town," she said.

Jaden served in various security roles before and after Uganda's independence. He played a key role in securing Amin's presidency in 1971, as detailed in a 2023 interview with The Monitor.

Brutal ordeal under Amin's overthrow

Jaden narrowly escaped death in 1979 during the overthrow of Amin's regime. He was chained to the back of a truck and dragged for a kilometer down a dirt road. By the time the driver stopped, Jaden was severely injured.

“The army man who had been instructed to do the job thought I was dead. Luckily, I had rolled to the road side for a softer surface to dodge the stones that could easily grind my body parts. The driver unchained me and was transported to Luzira Prison,” he told The Monitor in 2023. 

Jaden spent six years at Luzira without facing any charges. He was among a group of prisoners released in 1985 and assisted in returning to their home regions.

Serving Amin: A shopping trip for the president

Shortly after Amin took power, Jaden, a close confidante and possibly one of the most educated Nubians in his inner circle, accompanied the president on a shopping trip to London. The mission: find shoes that fit Amin's large feet.

“President Amin could not get a classic and fitting shoe in the Kampala outlets. His feet were extra-large. He was only a few weeks old in office as president after the military coup of 1971,” Jaden said in his 2023 interview.

“And because Amin had just assumed the Presidency, his stay in London for more than 4 days was not official. He stayed at the hotel as they made measurements and got the shoes ready. We did not visit any office during our stay but made the shopping and flew back to Uganda after four days,” Jaden revealed.

Jaden's close ties with Amin soured around 1976, possibly due to betrayal by other senior officers. However, his service included various roles, including roving ambassador, where he visited over 30 countries on special assignments. His economics degree from Sudan in the late 1960s likely contributed to these assignments.

The assignments could have been as a result of his University Degree in Economics acquired earlier in the late 1960s through a scholarship in the Republic of Sudan.

Amin's overthrow

In 1971, while Amin was in Singapore, Jaden and other officers from specific tribes were targeted for execution.

“As the officers feasted on some food inside one of the rooms at the Republic House, a young man at the rank of 2nd Lieutenant working at the Paratrooper school came and informed us that we were under arrest. Surprisingly, we had already been disarmed, the entrance and exit doors were locked,” he said.

“While some of us suggested that we escape through the window, we had our friend, a (Lt Col) only identified as Ozo who had a big belly and could not squeeze himself through the window. We maneuvered our way out but later returned with the tanks that were packed at the Paratrooper school. We rescued Ozo and some of our colleagues before the evil plan could mature. We joined the other officers to secure Amin’s presidency and for our own safety,” Jaden said of the escape.

Jaden lived a quiet life after his service and supported government programs. He received an official discharge from the Ugandan army (UPDF) but never rejoined due to past experiences. 

"I declined several invitations to rejoin the military. I vowed to my family never to hold a gun again. I suffered innocently because of it. I even told my children never to join the forces. This was from my own life experience," he said.