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

We used to move huge distances towards Masindi in search of food. On our way back, we would sometimes be hit and lose all food as we scampered for safety.

What helped us during this time was that so many civilians had cows. We convinced the population to give us cows with a promise to reimburse upon resumption of power. We wrote the names of all those who gave us their cows. You still hear these Luwero war claimants until this day.

De facto Obote defeat

As far as I am concerned, we defeated Obote when we shot the helicopter carrying Brig. David Oyite Ojok, his army chief of staff, at Kasozi in December 1983.

After that incident, Obote formed a mobile force under Lt. Col. John Ogole. By the time Lt.Gen. Salim Saleh led an attack on Masindi barracks in February 1984, we had defeated many of Obote’s mobile forces. After the successful Masindi attack, we decided to spread our forces. My third battalion came back to occupy Luwero and Wobulenzi towns. At this time, Obote announced a ceasefire.

Therefore, for the most part of 1984, we concentrated on training and consolidating our positions. In early 1985, we tactically fragmented forces and took most of the sick to the Rwenzori Mountains led by Maj.Gen. Fred Rwigyema (RIP). As we strategically took our sick to the hills, the [Paulo] Muwanga propagandists started announcing that we had been defeated and were running to Zaire.

But as Rwigyema’s force went into the hills, another force was moving towards Masaka. I moved my force through Karungu, Kyamulibwa, Kabulasoke-Kanoni, then Kituntu Sub County and came towards Nkozi to cut off the enemy’s supply route to western Uganda at Katonga. As my mobile force cut off Katonga, Rwigyema’s force was invading Mbarara.

By this time, Obote’s government had been overthrown in July 1985 by the Generals Bazilio Olara Okello and Tito Okello Lutwa. At this time, we continued our tactical strategy by simultaneously cutting off Katonga to prevent reinforcements to Masaka from Kampala, besieging Masaka not to allow any forces out to reinforce Mbarara or attack us at Katonga, and then attacking Mbarara.

Katonga battle

Having been at the frontline all the time, I fought so many tough battles. However, the battle at Katonga was unique because we were being hit by only helicopters. When Col. Pecos Kutesa’s force joined us, we comfortably kept our hold on Katonga. As the Nairobi peace ‘jokes’ went on, we had moved and were approaching Kamengo.

There had been a ceasefire announced by our leadership, but for me at the frontline, there was no ceasefire because an entire UNLA brigade had camped at a place called Kwaba near Kampiringisa.

But by August 1985, it was clear the Nairobi jokes were failing. Realising that Okellos’ UNLA was not respecting their part of the Nairobi accords, Mzee ordered us to take over UNLA positions wherever they were. I moved from Kamengo and dislodged the forces at Kwaba and advanced towards Mpigi.

At Kibibi near Mpigi, we met the 7th battalion led by Brig. Matayo Kyaligonza and the first battalion under Col. Pecos Kutesa and the late Fred Mugisha ‘Headache’.

Entebbe offensive

On January 15, 1986, Mzee called a meeting of the high command in Masaka and we were given tasks. My fifth battalion was to take the Kasanje route and proceed to cut off the Entebbe-Kampala enemy route at Kisubi.