NRM BUSH WAR MEMORIES: Untold story of the Mukono bush war

He joined the bush war at its inception in February 1981. His fifth battalion captured Entebbe in January 1986. As director of army records, he gave Museveni his R0 001 number. He is currently the principal military adviser to the state minister for internal affairs. In this ninth part of our continuing Bush War Memories series, R0 040 Lt. Col. Ahmed Kashillingi recounts to William Tayeebwa the story of how he captured Dr. Ronald Batta and all his medical staff, including author Maj. Ondoga ori Amaza:-

My contribution to the bush war is strongly linked to my long military career that spins three decades; having joined the army on October 21, 1967 during the first Milton Obote regime.

By the time Maj. Gen. Idi Amin Dada captured power from Milton Obote on January 25, 1971, I was already a sergeant in the fourth battalion in Mbarara barracks.

Between 1969 and 1973, I went to Israel for training in Para-trooping and counter-intelligence. In October 1973, Syria and Egypt attacked Israel. Amin hurriedly formed the African Liberation Force comprising 300 officers and sent us to the Golan Heights to fight Israel. We spent three months there and then came back.

When I returned, the army wanted those who had done the Para-trooping course to go for a Para-commando course in Mesopotamia, current Iraq. I spent there nine months and came back in 1974 to constitute the pioneer officers of the Uganda Commando/Marines Force. I am telling you all this because this prior military experience came in handy during the bush war where I was one of the principal trainers.

Joining the bush war

Sometime in January 1981, we heard that Museveni’s group was planning to go to the bush to fight the regime. One day, I met a certain lady called Joy Mirembe (RIP) one of the first women to join the bush war. She was actually my sister-in-law and I had interacted with her a lot during my prison days in Luzira because she was married to a prison warder. Mirembe then asked me in Runyankore: “Kashillingi, okira aha?” (How come you are still around?).

I asked her what the matter was and she told me that Museveni was going to the bush and if I could join. I was furious at her telling me to join a man who had imprisoned me in 1979 for having been an Amin soldier. “To hell with Museveni,” I said.

She pleaded and asked me to forget the past. She then connected me to one Tofa Agaba (now a retired captain). I knew this Agaba because he used to be Museveni’s driver.

When the group of Museveni attacked Kabamba on February 6, 1981, we were in Kampala mobilizing utilities for them to use in the bush. We started cutting cooking drums from the home of one Mzee Bantoni in Nakulabye. These facilities would be carried to the bush by now Lt. Col. Andrew Lutaya Lugobe.

Little known Mukono axis

When Museveni’s group went towards Kiboga, Brig. Matayo Kyaligonza and I were told to create another Kikosi (group) called Mwanga unit to operate around Mukono so that it diverts the enemy not to follow our people into Luwero.

We started operating with only one gun and a half (a rifle and a pistol). We were under very heavy concealment such that if a goat looked at you, you would again shift, thinking this goat might inform its owners about your presence in the area.

Sometime in April 1981, while camping at Seeta-Nazigo, I led a successful mission whereby my boys hit Kisoga police and captured seven guns using only stones. The tactic was to hit the police metal unipots in such a way as to create the impression that antitanks were hitting them.

From that time, our Mwanga unit led by Matayo Kyaligonza, with me as his deputy, continued with clandestine operations in Kampala. At night, we would pick the boys to hit Tanzanian roadblocks.