In Last King Of Scotland, A Lead Character Was A Scottish Doctor. Was There Really Such A Person? Was The Movie Somewhat Accurate About Him?

The doctor character is entirely fictitious but is very loosely based on a man called Bob Astles, an Englishman, born in Kent who was Idi Amin's close associate.

Bob Astle was in the Royal Engineers and reached the rank of Sergeant before going to Africa to 'seek his fortune', he managed to work as a building site foreman, before amazingly setting up the Ugandan Airlines! Astle found work with the Ugandan government and transferred to Amin when he came to power. However Astle was thrown in prison under suspicion of plotting against Amin and his airline was taken away. In prison he was tortured for seventeen weeks.

In 1975, Astles headed Amin's anti-corruption squad and advised him on all things British. It is unknown if Astles, the 'White Rat' as he became known was party to the wholesale slaughter by Amin's regime. At the fall of Amin's power, Astle was jailed for seven years and returned to Britain in 1985.

Astle is still alive today and lives in Wimbledon in London, England.

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Thank you for an excellent answer!
I found the movie completely believable and was surprised to find that Amin lived another 20 years after leaving power.

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