Insight
How Museveni survived public execution
The suspected guerrillas fighting Amin’s government had been tracked and captured since December 1972 across the country before they were court marshalled in Kampala and sentenced to death by firing squad.
Posted Sunday, February 10 2013 at 12:00
In Summary
Cheating death. Early this week, President Museveni, in a letter to the media, referred to an incident in Mbale, where he narrowly survived death while his other associates were killed by soldiers loyal to Idi Amin in the 1970s. Faustin Mugabe revisits the incident the President talked about.
From the press reports, Karuhanga was the only one haunted and tormented by the public before he was executed. As he was being tied to the tree, the public reportedly yelled at him in Runyankole “Leka bakwite, tuturikwenda bahekyera” translated as “Be killed. We don’t want guerrillas.” The public also questioned why a brilliant and intelligent young man like him would join a rebellion against the government. All this was reported by the Munno and Voice of Uganda newspapers on February 12 and 13, 1973.
Famous Fronasa who survived firing squad
Although the 11 suspected Fronasa guerrillas were executed, the search for their accomplices went on. Fortunately for the Fronasa guerrillas, no one was captured – and today, they are in control of the wheels-of-power at the helm. Worth noting is that on top of the wanted list - dead or alive - by Amin was the Fronasa leader, Yoweri Museveni.
Other famous rebels revealed by the Fronasa captives were: Amama Mbabazi, Eriya Kategaya, Ruhakana Rugunda, Ikuya Magode, Maumbe Makhwana, Abbas Kibazo, Haruna Kibuye, Haruna Bakari and Akena p’Ojok. These and a dozen of other Fronasa activists survived the February 10, public execution, 40 years ago. Last month, while addressing the NRM MPs during a retreat at Kyankwanzi, President Museveni said that he has been in the political struggle for 50 years.
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