"Kash Patel Shares Family’s Journey from Uganda to FBI"

FBI Appoints New Director of Tanzanian Descent, Shares Story of Iddi Amin’s Persecution

In a pivotal moment for the FBI, Kash Patel was sworn in as the agency’s new director on February 21, 2025, shedding light on his family’s remarkable journey from Africa to the United States. Patel, born on February 25, 1980, revealed his roots in East Africa, highlighting his Tanzanian mother and Ugandan father’s escape from the brutal regime of former Ugandan dictator Iddi Amin in 1972.

Patel’s parents were forced to flee Uganda as Amin, in a shocking move, ordered the expulsion of the country’s Asian community. The ensuing exodus caused widespread upheaval, with thousands of Ugandan residents, predominantly of Indian descent, seeking refuge in countries such as the UK, Canada, and the US.

Reflecting on his background during his swearing-in ceremony, Patel emphasized how his family's traumatic history shaped his outlook on justice and public service. "When President Donald Trump informed me of his decision to nominate me as FBI Director, I realized that I wasn’t just carrying the dreams of my parents but also the hopes of millions of Americans who stand for justice, fairness, and the rule of law," Patel said.

Patel recalled the harrowing events under Amin’s rule, during which 300,000 people, including men, women, and children, were killed simply because of their ethnicity. “My father fled a dictatorship and genocide in Uganda under Iddi Amin, where 300,000 people were killed due to their ethnicity—simply because they looked like me (Asians). My mother, from Tanzania, studied in India, as did my father, and they married there,” Patel shared.

After the expulsion of Asians from Uganda and the resulting violence, Patel’s parents moved to the United States, ultimately settling in New York, where Patel was born.

Throughout his 16 years of public service, Patel has remained dedicated to upholding constitutional rights, a principle that drives his work in law enforcement. "Protecting constitutional rights is deeply important to me, and it has guided every oath I’ve taken," Patel explained.

Patel's Intelligence Career

Patel's rise in the intelligence community gained significant attention when he served as General Counsel to the House Intelligence Committee, playing a key role in the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections. Later, as senior advisor to President Donald Trump during his first term, Patel became known for his vocal criticism of the intelligence community and federal bureaucracy.

In his book Government Gangsters, Patel detailed his belief that the American justice system had been infiltrated by bias and corruption. Despite facing criticism for his controversial opinions, Patel has remained steadfast in his commitment to reforming the institutions tasked with enforcing the law.