As the Uganda Army was in disarray after its repeated defeats, the pro-Amin troops only offered sporadic resistance in several small-scale clashes around Mpigi.

In 1971 Colonel Idi Amin launched a military coup that overthrew the President of Uganda, Milton Obote, precipitating a deterioration of relations with neighbouring Tanzania.

[8] Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi felt that Uganda, a Muslim state in his view, was being threatened by a Christian army, and wished to halt the Tanzanians.

However, Ugandan rebel forces did not have the strength to defeat the incoming Libyan units, so Nyerere decided to use the TPDF to take the capital.

[9] The pro-Amin forces, consisting of Ugandan, Libyan, and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) troops, launched a major counter-offensive at Lukaya on 10 March 1979.

[15] Foreign observers such as Kenyan Attorney General Charles Njonjo publicly stated that the Ugandan government could still maintain power thanks to this significant Libyan support.

[18] Diplomats reported that Amin initially planned to make a defensive "last stand" at this strategically important town close to Entebbe and 30 miles (48 km) south of Kampala.

[17] Around this time, Major General Musuguri was provided with intelligence reports according to which Mpigi had been garrisoned and fortified by "a strong Amin force".

[17] Historian Richard J. Reid stated that the Ugandan President managed to gather around 3,000 Uganda Army soldiers, mostly of Sudanese origin, and a smaller number of Libyan and PLO troops at the town.

[1] The PLO forces under Mahmoud Da'as reportedly played a major role in the attempts to set up defenses around Kampala.

[1][17] Mostly hindered by rain and difficult terrain in its advance, the TPDF easily killed several groups of Uganda Army soldiers, capturing several tanks, armoured personnel carriers, artillery pieces, Land Rovers, and buses.

A 5-man team of sappers led by Lieutenant Alfred Marwa was dispatched to the Matonga area to mine the Maddu-Mityana road.

[24] While completing this task the group was warned by a passing civilian that a Uganda Army vehicle was approaching their position from Mubende.

[27] At some point, a Tanzanian reconnaissance team spotted Amin as he was arriving at Mpigi in a Mercedes-Benz, where he subsequently spoke to soldiers at a rally.

[28] On 26 March, the TPDF cut the road between Kampala and Entebbe, preventing further reinforcements and materiel from reaching the Ugandan capital.

[30][a] The Ugandans continued looting as they fled, stripping displaced persons of their belongings and searching for vehicles to hasten their retreat.

[33] By late March, diplomats estimated that just two Uganda Army battalions counting 2,500 soldiers remained loyal to Amin.

[29] According to journalist Jonathan C.R., Amin committed his "praetorian guard" of "Nubian mercenaries and his own Kakwa tribesmen" to stop the TPDF advance.

[36] To support the assault on Entebbe, the TPDF occupied Katende near Mpigi where it deployed a company of tanks and an artillery battery.

[18] The Uganda Army and Libyan force launched a counter-attack with tanks, BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers, and anti-tank rifles on 4 April.

[34][37] This assault quickly faltered in the face of heavy Tanzanian resistance, causing the Ugandans to flee while leaving most of their equipment behind.

[18] Most of the Ugandan defenders fled Entebbe before the Tanzanians began their ground assault, leaving the defenses mostly in the hands of Libyan forces.

[40][5] Combat operations in Uganda continued until 3 June, when Tanzanian forces reached the Sudanese border and eliminated the last resistance.