Bush War: How Ggwanga won Museveni trust to join NRA ranks

“I went to Nairobi trying to find out about these [guerrilla] organisations – Museveni’s and Kayira’s. I looked at Kayira’s organisation and saw trouble. So I wanted to know more. Who was financing them; their political affiliations.

When I got to Nairobi, I found s***. And it was Samson Kisekka, Prof Kanyerezi, Edward Mugalu and 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.

Seeking Museveni
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.

Impressed by Saleh
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 [Uganda Freedom Movement]. 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.’

Going to Kayira [in Nairobi], I saw nonsense. When I got to him, we went to a supermarket. He wanted to buy some things. He gave me the trolley. I was pushing. Him he is just picking, me I am pushing. I looked at the guy. I said, ‘Ah my God, I’m in trouble.’ When we were parting company, he gave me KShs 10.

So I told these boys: ‘Forget about Kayira. You joined the struggle, you became rebels, and you’ve got to fight it out. But now I’m going to train you.’ I formed a school called Haganah School of Combat. I really trained. And then started going on operations.

Arrests and rearrests
In 1984, George Nkwanga, who had run with Kayira, came back because they had heard we had organised ourselves. They didn’t have guns. We had the guns. So they told me they had changed the organisation’s name – it’s now called Fedemu.

I said: ‘You people, I didn’t come here for names. I want to get the hell out of the forest. Let’s fight a war and we get out.’ They started calling it Fedemu. Me I was carrying out my operations but always with a mind on Museveni knowing that we’ve got to merge to kick these guys. By the time Nkwanga came back in 1984, we were about 930. I was commanding them.

When the coup [that overthrew the Obote II government in July 1985] took place, I was far away in Kubulasoke on a hunting mission for weapons. I rushed to the Fedemu headquarters, which was in Butambala. By then, Nkwanga was the commander. I had no argument about ranks and all that. I never care about ranks.

When I came back to the camp, I smelt fumes. In the bush, it’s easy to smell fumes. We sneaked into a certain place where we used to buy booze. They said Nkwanga, the commander, has gone to Kampala. What! With who?

That there was UC Benz, which came for him. I said: ‘Oh s***.’ Paulo Muwanga had invited him for talks. They came back during the night and told us stories about how we were going to join the new government. He said those were good guys. I said: ‘What are you going to tell these people who have been giving you food? That you are going to join that army? Are you sick?’ But they had political connections. I was just a military person. So we came. By then people were flooding in from Nairobi.

[But first] I contacted Saleh, saying we had a problem: ‘These guys are talking to these [junta] guys. Me I can’t. What do I do?’ He said: ‘Go in there and try to look around.’ So we came [and] they got us a hotel called Lunar somewhere in Muyenga.

[At some point] we went into a meeting with Wilson Toko, Loum, Bazilio Okello, Eric Odwar. They were telling us to hand over guns. I said: ‘Why should we hand over our guns when we have been looking after them all these years. You want to disarm us? That is not feasible.’

They smelt something about me. After the mweeting, I told the Nkwangas that there was no way the [Lutwa] government was going to survive. ‘You be sure Museveni is going to take them. You are making a mistake. Me I feel uncomfortable.’ I was right.

The next day I was arrested in Nakasero – around the market. The UNLA [Uganda National Liberation Front] arrested me late July 1985. They took me to Nile Mansions and I found Eric Odwar who asked why they had brought me in. He had noticed me during the meeting.

I told him point blank that ‘if you kill me now, you are just going to cause yourself problems. I got nothing against you guys but I don’t like your ideas.’ They released me. I was against Fedemu joining them. So they thought I was a spoiler.

Capturing Kampala
After about three days they again arrested me in Katwe. It was Mpiso. This so-called Maj Fred Mpiso who saved me from Lubiri Barracks. When they released me, I contacted Saleh and I left in late August 1985. I linked up with the Ikonderes in Mityana.

They took me down to Masaka and we started fighting coming towards Kampala. When I got there, Museveni promoted me to senior officer. I went alone with my driver. About 300 people followed me.

I was one of the first people to enter this [Kampala] city. I was commanding these heavy guns –artillery pieces – with Rwamukaga and Mugarura. I took on Kololo [Summit View] – they [government soldiers] had some big 120-mm mortars. They had Koreans operating those guns. I was supporting Chefe Ali, [commander of the 11th Battalion].

[But initially] we sneaked in. It was afternoon. We were in Kyengera drinking, playing about. And I said: ‘But these guys must have run away from [nearby Busega] roundabout.’ Others said ‘no.’ I insisted. And we said: ‘Why don’t we sneak there?’ Me, Kaka, Ikondere, Sabata – he died the next morning in Ndeeba. Kakaka. No response. Kakaka. Eh!

I said these guys are not here. I remembered the 1979 experience. How Amin’s soldiers were fleeing. When we reached the roundabout, we found TVs, radio cassettes. They [were indeed] gone. So we sneaked down to Nateete and people came out and we said: ‘Where are they?’ They said: ‘They ran that side.’

We sent a message [to headquarters] that we were in Nateete. ‘Where! We are in Nateete. Are you people crazy?’ We said there was nothing. Then Fred Mugisha came through Kabojja, then Afande Saleh came, Afande Kyaligonza. They said: ‘We are capturing the city.’ I said: ‘We are capturing the government.’ We saw the city falling. That’s the story for you.

When Kayira had run, we went [about] blindly. Kids were saying: ‘I know a forest in that area, I know a forest in another area.’ [And instead] we would end up in a thicket.

[One time] I went out to explore. Reports had reached Mityana that we were in the area. So soldiers came very early in the morning. Soldiers were shooting in the forest. The boys started running. We let them.
That night, we crossed a river called Kitenga in Busubizi area in Mityana – Kawezike forest. We were so tired that we decided to pitch camp. I sent out an OP early in the morning to climb up a tree fearing the UNLA soldiers could surprise us because they knew the direction we took.

After 45 minutes, he came back to say they were coming. By then we had about 11 guns. This was in September 1982. We laid an ambush on the mouth of the river where they were supposed to get out. I positioned my people and told them where to shoot.
Like you are checking from this end to the other. When I went back the second time, most of the people had run away from the ambush [operation].

I remained with Juma “Billy Bomber” and late Maj Ssebagala. Three! Out of nine! I said if we go away from here we are all dead. Just rely on me.
So they [UNLA soldiers] came walking along a pole, and we crashed them. We collected about six guns and boots. I was frightened. The most exciting day. The toughest.”

Some of his quotes

On ‘Muhoozi project’

“Succession talk is useless and the moment he [President Museveni] comes up with his son as a successor, he has got problems with Kasirye Ggwanga. Don’t underestimate us, otherwise you are playing with fire.”
On army days

“My life is dangerous; I joined the army in 1972 when I was just 20 years old. President Idi Amin posted me to West Nile. I was with [now retired] Brig Gen Mark Kodili Ayiasi and by far, we were the youngest.”

On today’s generation?
..“You are the young ones we have made and you are asking President Museveni to leave power. I still remember how the country was when we took over power in 1986.”