Once feared as the vehicle of dictators, the Land Rover Defender is now a symbol of resilience and adventure in Uganda. Meet the people who’ve given it a second life—on road trips, rescue missions, and in national memory.
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00:00The Land Rover was first introduced to Uganda under British colonial rule.
00:05In 1962, Uganda gained its independence.
00:09This marked the beginning of a turbulent chapter for the New Republic,
00:14which culminated in the infamous dictatorship of Idi Amin.
00:19It's thought that Amin ordered the killings of 300,000 people during his brutal eight-year regime.
00:26And Land Rovers were often used to carry out the bidding of the man who became known as the Butcher of Uganda.
00:40One of Uganda's pioneering Land Rover mechanics, Wycliffe Bukenya,
00:45recalls the decades of political turmoil when the Land Rover was the preferred vehicle of armed men.
00:52People could run because they knew Land Rover, bring a Land Rover to a village.
00:57It was something different. People were scared of Land Rovers.
01:04In 1986, Yuveri Museveni seized power in Uganda.
01:10He also deployed Land Rovers against his enemies, like in this operation, against rebels.
01:16Incidentally, it intimidated rebels. They would think it's a mamba.
01:21When I would drive my Land Rover in the bushes, the rebels would run away thinking I'm coming with a mamba.
01:28Even after four decades in power, President Museveni still often stands in the back of a Land Rover when he inspects his troops.
01:37But today, the Land Rover is also loved by a new generation of Ugandans.
01:43A generation that sees the British off-roader not just as a vehicle, but as a piece of history on wheels.
01:49A symbol of rebirth, resilience, and adventure.
01:55In 1990, the model originally called the Land Rover was rechristened the Land Rover Defender.
02:02By the time production ceased in the UK in 2016, more than two million units had been manufactured.
02:08It's thought three-quarters are still in use.
02:11Like that of travel enthusiast Maureen Agena and her partner, Edward Etchvelu.
02:16They took their 1998 Land Rover Defender on a trip from Uganda to South Africa and back.
02:22They traversed unforgiving yet memorable landscapes, from the extreme heat of the desert to the wet, rugged terrain of the tropics.
02:31Their journey spanned six months, covered over 20,000 kilometres, and took them through more than a dozen Southern African countries.
02:46The muddiest of roads, the bumpiest of roads, the uneven roads, and you'll still go through.
02:56But while the couple were savoring their Southern African adventure, their old Land Rover began to show its age.
03:02Then, without warning, disaster struck.
03:05The vehicle wouldn't go into gear, leaving the novice long-distance travellers stranded in Zimbabwe,
03:11on a highway that's infamous for its armed robberies.
03:15So once it happened, we sat down in silence, about 20 minutes, not knowing what to do.
03:28And I remember asking my husband that, what are we going to do?
03:31I know nobody, except my wife beside me, and our friend the Defender.
03:37I said, did we really have to come this far for this trip?
03:42At that moment, it was flight or flight.
03:47We needed to find a solution first, and quick.
03:50I was so scared, I was afraid we were running short on cash.
03:54But I didn't want to show that I was actually scared.
03:58Stranded and out of options, they turned to online forums for help.
04:02Their journey had attracted a large following among travel and car enthusiasts,
04:07so when they put out a call for assistance, the responses poured in.
04:11A little-known fact?
04:12A Land Rover Defender can still move a short distance, even with a damaged clutch.
04:17Just a thought came through.
04:19I didn't have any idea on how to move the car, but just a thought came through.
04:24That if I could engage the gears once the car is off,
04:27then I can engage the gears once I've inserted the gears.
04:31And I tried it.
04:32I told my partner, Maureen.
04:34But you know what?
04:35Let me try this and see how it goes.
04:39Knowing it's possible is one thing.
04:41Knowing how to do it is another.
04:44The couple turned to the experts who had prepared their vehicle for the journey.
04:48Sisanga Motors in Kampala.
04:54For decades, veteran mechanic Abdul Sisanga has earned a reputation for mastering Land Rover repairs.
05:01His engineers guided the couple through the fix over the phone.
05:07You can start with the gear in.
05:09You don't play with the pedal and then you drive.
05:12You can go in that second gear only.
05:15You can go for some miles and that's where you can maybe find your help.
05:20The couple managed to drive 35 kilometres to safety.
05:25I could feel the relief on both our faces and both our hearts.
05:30It's just like having a sick child and then you treat them and then they are back and healthy and playing.
05:40Abdul Sisanga is no ordinary mechanic.
05:46His love for Land Rovers began in childhood.
05:49He attended a primary school near a military base where these iconic vehicles were a daily sight.
05:55Later, he trained under veteran Wycliffe Boukenya, mastering the art of restoring and maintaining Land Rovers.
06:03Today, Sisanga has assembled the country's largest collection of Land Rovers.
06:28When he started, he had even bigger plans.
06:32My vision was to partner with the British to construct an assembly plant here.
06:40Land Rovers weren't imported fully built.
06:45Some of the vehicles in Sisanga's collection are relics of Uganda's violent past.
06:51This very vehicle was used by Idi Amin's soldiers.
06:55They mounted a heavy gun on it.
06:58Land Rovers were widely known to carry firearms.
07:06One in particular still bears the scars of war.
07:11From this Land Rover, soldiers could fire guns without risking much harm to the vehicle because it was sturdy and well insulated.
07:19It's not a heavy gun.
07:21Despite the old defenders' enduring legacy, the Ugandan government has phased out their use in public offices.
07:29Many of these Land Rovers now form part of Sisanga's collection.
07:33The manoeuvrability in rough terrain was tremendous.
07:38Over time, however, the cost of maintenance of Land Rover proved too high.
07:45The first step towards moving away from Land Rover with NRA was the Spanish version called Santana.
07:55Because Santana came in with a cheaper cost, both unit and maintenance.
08:02But unfortunately, Santana was not equal to the task.
08:07There's not a single ministry or government department that didn't own Land Rovers.
08:12And all the chassis you see here had the paperwork to prove it.
08:17Once symbols of fear, today Land Rovers tell a different story.
08:23Wilson Mapima, a veteran tow truck driver with over 25 years of experience, spends his days rescuing stranded vehicles across the city.
08:35His Land Rover has seen it all.
08:38Though he can't say for sure whether his truck once carried soldiers or sent people fleeing at the sight of it,
08:45he knows it was on the road during Uganda's most turbulent years.
08:49Now the same truck moves through Kampala's bustling streets with a renewed purpose.
08:57Steady, unshaken and at peace.
09:06Yet Mapima worries. Spare parts are growing scarce.
09:09And they're the lifeblood of this enduring machine.
09:14We're just lucky that a few individuals still have parts from old salvaged Land Rovers.
09:19which they sell to us.
09:21But the Land Rover is here for many years to come, because it's proven resilient over time.
09:29When Land Rover halted production of the iconic Defender in 2016,
09:33collector Abdul Satsanga knew time was running out.
09:37Determined to keep these legendary machines on the road,
09:40he sprang into action, stockpiling old models and salvaging every part he could find.
09:46From body panels to engines, nothing goes to waste.
09:54That's particularly true of the 300 TDI engines, no longer in production,
09:58yet still powering countless Land Rovers across Uganda.
10:01Some of these parts carry a deeper history.
10:04They come from Land Rovers that once rumbled through battlefields.
10:08Now in Satsanga's hands, they get a second life.
10:12The 300 TDI is a very good engine, because even if when it broke now,
10:18tomorrow you can overhaul it, you go back on the road.
10:21Then even if when you are in the boat, it is fixable.
10:24The culture of salvaging parts is a global phenomenon among Land Rover enthusiasts.
10:30Veteran mechanic Wycliffe Bukenya, who was introduced to this practice in the UK,
10:36knows that Land Rovers were designed for versatility.
10:40If this part gets bent or cracked, you don't have to throw the chassis.
10:49What you do, remove this part, put another one.
10:54All was made that you can always replace one by one piece.
11:00So he can convert the off-roader into a pickup,
11:03or switch it from left-hand to right-hand drive with standard parts.
11:07The reason why they are calling it now is very easy.
11:10Remove the steering, put it on the other side,
11:13because the holes are there.
11:15It's a matter of being determined.
11:18Now like this one, if I want to make it pickup.
11:21Are you with me?
11:22If I want to make this one pickup,
11:24I already dismantled this car part, put the pickup thing.
11:28It's really beautiful when it's pickup.
11:30You can't see this fashion.
11:32So it's universal. You do anything you want.
11:37When it comes to engines, it's all about preference.
11:41Land Rover engines are interchangeable across various models,
11:44making engine swaps a common practice.
11:50This Range Rover originally had a gas-powered V8 engine,
11:53but we swapped it out for a diesel 300 TDI.
11:57Gasoline prices are higher than diesel,
11:59so that's one of the biggest motivations for engine swaps.
12:06Many Land Rover owners, like Marine,
12:08depend on expertise in salvaged parts from collectors like Abdul Sasenga,
12:12to keep their defenders running.
12:14The cars have become rare, and you won't find every mechanic who can fix a Land Rover.
12:27But as older mechanics like Sasenga and Bukenya retire, a knowledge gap looms.
12:32Younger mechanics often lack the expertise to maintain these classic SUVs,
12:37leaving owners frustrated.
12:39You don't just work to work to get money,
12:44but you work when you have got a person that thing.
12:48And the money can come automatically.
12:51But the problem is, like the teenagers, those people upcoming,
12:56they are still looking for money.
12:58But for me now, at my age now, I'm not working for money.
13:00I'm just working to still keep my legacy.
13:05One young enthusiast, Moses Wakasa,
13:08has taken it upon himself to learn from the veterans.
13:11Like Sasenga, Wakasa grew up near police and military barracks,
13:16where encounters with Land Rovers sparked a lifelong fascination.
13:19Now he seeks to honor Sasenga's work and contribute to the legacy of the vehicles
13:25that embodied his childhood dreams.
13:27We look at him as an inspiration to us, the new breed,
13:31that we need to work together as a team.
13:34We need to do a lot of research.
13:36And above all, I think we need to love what we're doing.
13:39While the older generation may still remember the Defender as a symbol of brutality,
13:44for today's enthusiasts, it represents something entirely different.
13:50Born after the post-colonial conflicts, they prized the Defender for its ruggedness.
13:56I chose the Land Rover because of its durability and reliability.
14:00And so I've grown up knowing a Defender as the best vehicle and by experience.
14:07In 2018, Wakasa won Uganda's 4x4 Challenge,
14:11further cementing the Defender's legacy as an unrivaled off-road icon.
14:26The bitter sour about the Land Rover, it's got a poor short-distance turning angle
14:32that you had to do a lot of reverse turn,
14:35while the other competitors used to do, you know, a quite sharp turn.
14:39But you can't do a sharp turn with the Land Rover Defender
14:42because the turning angle is too small.
14:44So you need a wider, you know, short to go through.
14:47So it was a bit of, I would say, the only challenge that I had about it.
14:52The only way we could beat the challenge is coming already knowing
14:58the hazard that is ahead of you, the barrier that you're going to encounter.
15:03So you do a wide turn.
15:05But then most of these other rough terrains, the Land Rover used to beat them
15:09because it used to eat all these hazards, the barricades they used to bring about.
15:14The Land Rover would easily go about them because of its 4x4,
15:17which is, I'd say, by far the best.
15:20The Land Rover's legacy is also celebrated globally, from its starring role in the 1980s film
15:32The Gods Must Be Crazy to the famed Camel Trophy expeditions.
15:36To foster a sense of community, Land Rover enthusiasts in Uganda have formed a club based in Kampala.
15:48We've brought together suppliers, owners, enthusiasts, even members from other clubs
15:54who don't even own Land Rovers are there.
15:58The club organizes meetups and promotes a shared passion.
16:02It boasts over 300 members, including Maureen and Edward.
16:07Once you own a Land Rover, this is what will happen.
16:11You will start always thinking, what's the next journey?
16:15There are various Land Rover clubs across Africa.
16:19As Maureen and Edward journeyed across the continent, they connected with these communities,
16:24forging friendships with like-minded adventurers in different countries.
16:33In Malawi, they joined the local Land Rover club on a mission of another kind,
16:37helping to distribute relief supplies to vulnerable communities affected by tropical cyclones.
16:44Very interesting fellows, very nice gentlemen, and it just sort of reminded us of the brotherhood.
16:50Regardless of where you go to, as long as you have this car, people will come here.
16:59With remarkable capabilities like this self-driving demonstration,
17:03the Land Rover embodies a deep bond between man and machine.
17:09To many of its owners, it is more than just a vehicle.
17:12It's a connection to history, a resilient symbol of endurance,
17:16and a reconciliation with a complicated past.
17:21That's why we appreciate it.
17:23Land Rover becomes a lifestyle.
17:25In fact, when you join the Land Rover club, we always say you are getting a disease.
17:30There's something the car does to you, and you will not get it in any other car.
17:35Land Rover revived the Defender name in 2020.
17:41The latest incarnation embraces cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence.
17:48Yet many Ugandans have yet to experience it.
17:51No wonder they continue to trust what they know best.
17:56The more affordable, older model, cherished for its proven reliability for over six decades.
18:06The old model Land Rovers, they are still working.
18:09Because even if, like, when we find them in pieces, again we build them, and they work.
18:15They are still better, the old one, than the new one.
18:18The new Land Rover, they are for luxury.
18:20They are not for work.
18:22They are more liable.
18:25They are liable.
18:29Due to his relationship with Land Rovers,
18:32Bukenya has turned down countless offers for his vintage vehicles.
18:37Tomorrow my grandkid asks me,
18:40What was the first car to drive?
18:42What do I say?
18:43That's why I'm keeping them.
18:44I can't sell them.
18:46Similarly, Maureen and Edward view the idea of parting with their well-travelled Land Rover
18:53as nothing short of a betrayal.
18:55Because the Land Rover is family.
18:59That's why.
19:00We just can't let it go.
19:02You don't let go of family.
19:03It's just part of us, part of our story.
19:05For us, it's not really about the money.
19:07It's about the memories that we make with it,
19:10and the memories that we continue making with this car.
19:13So many years of investment that even man alone can't persuade us, unfortunately.
19:26A vehicle that once provoked fear has now become a cherished icon.
19:31A man hunted by Land Rovers now rides atop the same vehicle as president.
19:36From a symbol of oppression to a source of pride,
19:43Ugandan enthusiasts have shifted gears,
19:46steering the Land Rover's narrative from a turbulent past
19:49towards a brighter future, one mile at a time.