Subsequently taking up the study of law, he graduated in 1958 magna cum laude from the University College Wales, Aberystwyth.

[1] In 1960, Ibingira cofounded the Uganda People's Congress (UPC) political party with Milton Obote and Abu Mayanja.

[3] His political support derived from four areas: the UPC political machine based in Ankore, southern municipal and district politicians who felt threatened by Obote's populist appeal, conservative intellectuals who found Obote's image drab and unimpressive, and Edward Mutesa, the Kabaka (king) of Buganda.

[7] Ibingira felt that Obote was not educated enough to serve as Prime Minister of Uganda and believed that he had been given the position solely because of his anti-colonial rhetoric.

Mutesa proceeded to instruct Baganda MPs to join the UPC with the goal of bolstering Ibingira's position and unseating Obote, thus allowing for a reorientation of the UPC-KY alliance that would be more favorable to Buganda.

[14] As his working relationship with Mutesa improved, Ibingira amassed a coalition of non-Baganda southerners, dubbed the "Bantu Group".

[15] In December 1964 he, under the cover of checking on his ranch in Ankore, traveled to the United States to raise funds to support anti-socialist causes.

[16] In early 1966 a banker leaked the financial records of Idi Amin, a soldier in the Ugandan army who had close ties with Prime Minister Obote.

The cabinet attempted to convene on 22 February to appoint a commission of inquiry into the matter, but Obote had the police interrupt the meeting and place Ibingira and four other ministers under arrest.

Ibingira and his colleagues were immediately rearrested outside the court in Baganda under the colonial Emergency Regulations and the government passed the Deportation Act to cover its actions.

[21] He released Ibingira along with 54 other political prisoners three days later[22] and appointed him Uganda's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

[23] Ibingira attended the Moshi Conference in March 1979 where Ugandan exiles elected Lule to succeed Amin once he was deposed.