NRM BUSH WAR MEMORIES: Risking all to avenge a brother's death - Col. Ggwanga

When I got to Nairobi, I found s***. And it was Samson Kisekka, Prof. Kanyerezi, Edward Mugalu, Wasswa Biriggwa who got me down – because my friends had talked about me. They said if there is anyone who can really do it – I’m not blowing my trumpet and you don’t have to print this – why don’t you look for Kasirye-Ggwanga.

I asked them; exactly, what are you fighting? They said we’ve got to fight but when you go back why don’t you talk to Museveni.
I had never seen him.

So out of curiosity I said I will go. I came back to Uganda and started looking for their camps. Alone. I got to Kyaligonza’s camp – Black Bomber in Gombe, around Matugga.

I got there and told them I want to see Museveni. There was Sserwanga-Lwanga, Jet Mwebaze, Samson Mande – the rogue soldier now, you call them rogue soldiers.

They took it a little bit funny seeing someone saying he wants to see Museveni. So they said: You think you can see Museveni just like that?

I said: What the f*** are you talking about? He is a rebel. I am a rebel. You didn’t bring me to your camp. I found you and I sneaked here. So don’t give me no crap; I want to see that man. I have got some messages for him anyway. So they took me. We walked for about three days. They were in Ngoma. By then they had chased them out of Bulemezi.

The first question I asked him was: Why did you lock us up? We died in prison. You people never even remembered us because we waited during your [1980 general] campaigns if you could talk about Amin’s soldiers. You never uttered a word.

He said the situation warranted you people to be in jail because we didn’t trust you. I said okay, you’ve talked like a man. So, what’s up now? Fun, fun, fun

I shared a tent with Salim Saleh and Fred Rwigyema – three in a tent. They took to me very fast. I told them stories, telling them their mistakes. Man it was fun, fun, fun.

During that brief meeting they attacked us. So I was studying their way of movement, their reaction to fire. I saw some kind of organisation – these Otafiires.

God, you can’t imagine. In fact, Saleh is a good commander but he was lacking, he was not really what I could but you don’t just go into someone’s organisation and start dictating. So I was just looking at them until I went back to UFM. That was September 1983. I spent about two weeks with them.

I went back to UFM. By then Kayira had ran away. He ran away on August 24, 1982 with a group of people when we were in the middle of a battle by the way. He ran to Kenya. He told us that they have got a meeting. I said excuse me, no commander ever leaves soldiers fighting.

He said no, no we’ve got to go. I said you are a f****** coward. He left us in Naddangira on Hoima Road. He never came back. Forget this crap they are talking about. Kayira came back in 1985 after the coup and pitched camp at Speke Hotel with his group of people from Kenya. These [Francis] Bwengyes.

When I left Museveni, I got the [UFM] people who had remained behind – because when Kayira ran, UFM went into disarray. People started running home. I remained with 638 people. We ended up in Busujju, where they trailed and attacked us. People were getting wounds, I had no medicine, no contacts.

I was just running about. I thought of leaving them by the way but I knew they would be massacred. So I got them from Busujju back to Bujjuko. I said hide here I am going after Kayira.