Indians in Uganda

There is a sizable community of the Indian diaspora and people of Indian descent in Uganda. In 2003, there were an estimated 15,000 people of Asian descent (mostly Indians and Pakistanis) living in Uganda. At its peak, this community stood at between 80,000 to 100,000 people in the 1960s. However, in 1972, Ugandan dictator Idi Amin issued an order to expel all South Asians from the country amidst a backdrop of anti-Indian sentiment and Black supremacy.^[1] In response to the exodus, India, the United Kingdom, and several other countries severed diplomatic ties with Uganda.

After the Tanzanian invasion of Uganda overthrew Amin and exiled him to Libya, many Indians gradually returned to the country over the course of the 1980s and 1990s, and have once again gone on to dominate the country's economy, accounting for at least 40% of it.^[2] Despite making up less than 1% of the population, Uganda's Indian community is estimated to be contributing up to 65% of the country's total tax revenue.^[2] Ugandan businessman Sudhir Ruparelia, who is of Indian origin, is the country's richest man, with his net worth standing at approximately US$1.2 billion in 2019.^[2]