By Nabendeh SP Wamoto
Mao Tse-tung, the Chinese legend, once said, “cut off an enemy’s one finger completely rather than injure all the ten fingers.”
When one reflects on what happened in the Kawempe North by-elections on the 13th of March in the year of our Lord 2025, one gets really angrier.
The army officers that I had a lot of hope in the early 2000s like Brig. Gen. Noble Mayombo (May His Soul Rest In Peace) wouldn’t have allowed such a thing like beating the media and other citizens to happen in his life.
I am sure even Generals Julius Oketta (RIP), Fred Tolit, Caleb Akandwanaho (Salim Saleh), Kwiringira, Kasura Kyomukama, David Tinyefunza (Sejusa), Perez Musamali, Zak Kaheru and many others I cared for must be feeling really bad seeing such a scene.
Arbitrary arrests, torture, kidnaps, abductions, tears, intimidation have always driven the masses into anger hence resistance and therefore rebellion and I am seeing one already.
One example is Maj. Gen. Matayo Kyaligonza’s wife Ms. Geraldine Sanyu Kyaligonza who lived in Nairobi where I also lived with many NRA sympathizers such as the late Samson Kissekka, Ruhakana Rugunda, Ernest Kakwano, Kiyonga, Mathew Rukikaire in the 80s.
During Idi Amin Dada’s time, Col. Juma who was also known as Butabika invaded the Kyaligonza Family House in Nsambya and looted everything.
Fortunately no one was found in the house because their two children had been taken ill and Ms. Kyaligonza was attending to the sick children and the now Gen. Kyaligonza had gone to visit them with drinks. Kyaligonza was therefore forced to flee the country to Nairobi until Idi Amin was overthrown.
Kyaligonza returned but again angrily because of the situation under Obote II. His stay was short lived after the latter had allegedly rigged elections in 1980.
Kyaligonza this time went to his home district in Hoima. His wife Geraldine fled from Hoima to Kampala criss-crossing with the husband.
So, when she failed to trace her husband, she went back to Bunyoro where they ran a small farm drug shop. In 1982, I was privileged to bump into Gen. Mathew Kyaligonza at the late Michael Wateya Maswere’s residence at Fire Brigade Headquarters at The Queen’s Clock Tower in Kampala. Where the Black Bombers commanded by Kyaligonza used to sneak for facilitation and safe refugee.
Remember that the original anger drove many into bush struggle including women such as Jovia Saleh, Gertrude Njuba, the late Ms. Kuteesa, Janat Mukwaya, Prossy Nalweyiso, Olivia Zizinga, Ms. Kyaligonza and others who initially ferried even very dangerous and sensitive war materials which could normally scare women e.g. bullets, attire which Ms. Kyaligonza frequently transported with men like the Late Mutwalib.
The then rebels (NRA) had also secured a Radio Transmitter for Resistance Radio that operated in the bush, this was received by Kyaligonza’s wife Geraldine in Kampala from a covert foreign ally and delivered to Lukola . This was a very risky undertaking for a woman, wife and a mother.
For those who don’t know, a radio transmitter can be equivalent to a ten-thousand litter water tank, a big risky parcel because it is reported that when it was being unpacked, the rebels bought many saw blades to unwrap the same.
Kyaligonza had already gone to the bush and commanding the deadly Black Bombers based in Namugongo, when a rumor circulated that Gen. Kyaligonza was in their village and that a myriad of soldiers had ransacked their whole homestead.
The soldiers did not find Kyaligonza in their Bunyoro Home again but fear engulfed Kyaligonza’s wife who decided to flee again back to Kampala where she tried several relatives but none could dare host a bandit’s wife.
A friend offered to accommodate Geraldine and their last born Martin but she (friend) got fed up with them too. On one occasion while I was travelling to Nairobi, Kenya through Malaba border, I witnessed the arrest of Gen. Mathew Kyaligonza who had been lined up by NRM/A external wing for a visit to Liberia to negotiate for war weapons but dared to sneak into the country to see what matters most, his family.
The Ugandan arresting officers at the time included the late Sir Bob Mushikori the former Bugisu cultural Leader (Umukuka) who passed on during Covid19 pandemic.
Gen Kyaligonza was always fortunate.
He staged a daring escape, running away with handcuffs and without a shirt on. One would have expected that all these things happening to them could have broken their spirit but they weren’t.
Mrs. Kyaligonza says she wanted to bury the hand cuffs but the highly spirited Gen. Kyaligonza insisted that he would deliver them to their Commander-In-Chief Gen. Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museven.
Fast forward, I had bush war contacts both in Uganda and Kenya where I had relocated for studies. In Uganda as earlier said I knew Police Chief Michael Wateya Maswere.
Simon Nabendeh Wamoto writes from Mbale
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